It is unfortunate that "Stain" was the least popular Living Colour c-d when originally released (and therefore, the least appreciated); but there is growing consensus today that "Stain" is their masterpiece--as much as an advance on "Time's Up" as that album was for "Vivid." Part of the reason maybe that the strong funk-rock fusion that was present before ("Love Rears It's Ugly Head", "Elvis is Dead", etc.)is largely absent here--with the exception of "WTTF"--their best instrumental track. This was their hardest, edgiest work yet; the sheer bleakness of most of the songs dealing with alienation, indifference, hatred, insanity and persecution might have proved too "heavy"; and the occasional satiric song, such as "Mind Your Own Business", didn't balance out the intensity the way previous recordings did. But, the hard-edged approach is justified with the lyrics achieving a new maturity that had Living Colour getting under the skin of its disfunctional characters instead of the effective yet simplistic preaching that was characterisitc of their first two albums. Songs like "Go Away", "Ignorance Is Bliss", "Auslander", "Never Be Satisfied", "Leave It Alone", and "The Postman", testify to Living Colour's growing artistry. Compare the earlier, similiarly themed "Middle Man" with the deceptively jaunty "Leave It Alone" or note how the lush orchestration on "Nothingness" underscores the song's nihilism. In fact it is only when you reach "Stain's" coda "The Wall" that Living Colour reverts back to using a more typical "message" song that it almost disappoints . ("Time's Up" final song, the haunting "This Is The Life" is certainly more memorable.) But, "Stain" is a dynamic album and contains what is Living Colour's greatest song ever--"Bi." A perfect blend of pop, r&b and heavy metal, without a trace of preachiness, witty yet serious, it's light tone contributing to its provocativeness--"Bi" represents Living Colour at their musical and lyrical best and for that alone makes "Stain" a must buy.

These guys get no love...this album smokes-the band is on fire, period. I havn't listened to this in a while, and it sounds as good, if not better, than I remember. The production is mint-the bass is clear, the guitars thick, shreddin' and heavy, the drums are poundin', this album is just a sonic boom. I have to compare them to the Chili Peppers for the sole reason that the vocals are the weak link-Corey sounds great and all, but the band behind him is just a MACHINE...a FORCE. This band deserves respect, and I resent the fact that they don't get it...because when you talk about Living Colour, all people remember is the guy with the dreads dancin' around in a dayglo Body Glove outfit. Yikes.

I very much enjoyed Living Colour's first two albums, and received this one as a birthday present. I listened to it a bit, didn't "get" it, and it languished on the back shelf of my tape collection for 6 years. Maybe I was still a little miffed that they showed up late and evidently drunk for that London show a couple years before. Anyway I dug it out a few months ago just for kicks, and could not believe how good it sounded to me now. I agree with an earlier reviewer who believes that Living Colour found a genuinely original voice with this last album. This band's strength had always been carefully managed dissonance, and here they played to this strength on every song. Even apparently melodic tunes like "Nothingness" and "Bi" juxtapose sweetish music with ironic or nihilistic lyrics. The intensity they manage to sustain is most impressive--check out even the little 3 minute throwaway song "This Little Pig" with its rapid changes in rhythm and and texture.

It is indeed too bad that Living Colour broke up when they had apparently reached a new level of creativity. From what I understand, it was a minor miracle they stayed together long enough even to get Stain finished, so I suppose we should be grateful. Buy this and prepare to rock at a new level.

LC defined funky hard rock. They produced such a great, bouncy yet rockin' debut that they owned funk rock circa 1988. Type had explored some of the possibilities opened by Vivid but was a little fragmented despite the hits. On Stain we get a third album in a row with it's own flavour. This album is the darkets of the bands early phase. More succint and focussed than Times Up, the bounce squeezed out of it to leave the listener with their most metal release. Whether the departure of Muzz Skillings to be replaced by Doug Wimish had anything to do with this, well it's perhaps useless to speculate.

What is obvious is that here the funk takes a back seat. Instead this album hits the listener over the head with an iron bar. From opening opus Go Away through Ignorance is Bliss, Leave it Alone, Bi, Mind Your Own Business... heck all the album up to track #8 - Nothingness, is just one rocker after the next. Top stuff, but a bit of a shock to their fans, the close feeling of the arrangements, Vernon Reid crunching riff after riff out of his instrument, really proving he was an versatile axesmith and not just reliant on feedback for his sound. All through the album Glover sings like someone just spilled his pint and he's not thrilled. Sure there is still some humour such as in Bi but it's 'ha ha got you' humour rather than party slapstick fun kind of stuff.

The later parts of the album are also dense such as WTFF and This Little Pig not to mention the mellow yet claustrophobic, practically spoken work Hemp. And don't expect a repeat dose of Love Rears it's Ugly Head either. Oh there is a whimsical sounding tune - it's called Nothingness. Play this a few times in a darkened room and the whimsical element will give way to a darker set of emotions.

This is a pretty meaty hard rock cum metal album. And unlike many bands this is one bunch of guys who got heavier as they aged. Don't believe the aura of 'downer' that seems to surround this album. View this slice of riff heavy wattage as part of an overall LC catalogue and you'll find plenty to enjoy here. Pity about the (yet another) crap cover but it is a little more indicative of what's going on musically I suppose.

Living Colour's original sound from their first few albums (Vivid, Time's Up, Biscuits) was just incredible. These guys had it figured out. My biggest regret in regards to this band is that I did not see them play live before they split up.

Flash forward (or, in retrospect, back) to "Stain", their last full album release, and you have a totally different sound. Anger, rage, power, bitterness, blown through your speakers (or headphones) without regret or apology. The CD is pure, raw emotion and it is amazing. If you liked Living Colour's orignal sound (i.e. Cult of Personality), you may find this CD to be a little hard to swallow. But if you love hard rock with jazz infused bass lines and a drummer that can deliver a backbeat from hell, plug in, hold on and enjoy.

Living Colour continues to record and tour with changes in the line-up, but the power of "Stain" will never be duplicated. Truly a rock & roll classic.