''Mistaken Identity'' is the debut
solo album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track or cassette), or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century ...
of American guitarist and
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock music, rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992. T ...
-member
Vernon Reid
Vernon Alphonsus Reid (born 22 August 1958) is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as the founder of the rock band Living Colour. Reid was named No. 66 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's 2003 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Ti ...
, released in June 1996 on
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
-imprint label
550 Music
550 Music (originally known as Sony 550 Music) was a unit of Sony Music Entertainment, which operated through Sony Music's Epic Records division while in activity. Launched in 1992, the "550" name was inspired by the address of the Sony building ...
. It features contributions from his backing band Masque,
[Pareles, Jon]
At an Annual Festival for Jazz, Music That Strictly Isn't
''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-12-06. and was produced by Reid, hip hop producer
Prince Paul, and jazz producer
Teo Macero
Attilio Joseph "Teo" Macero (October 30, 1925 – February 19, 2008) was an American jazz record producer, saxophonist, and composer. He was a producer at Columbia Records for twenty years. Macero produced Miles Davis' ''Bitches Brew'' and Dave B ...
.
The album's title was inspired by Reid's experience with
cultural identity
Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity (social science), identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, Locality (settlement), locality, gender, o ...
in his life.
[Robson, Britt]
Some Words with Vernon Reid's Multiple Identities
. ''City Pages
''City Pages'' was an alternative newspaper serving the Minneapolis–St. Paul metropolitan area. It featured news, film, theatre and restaurant reviews and music criticism, available free every Wednesday. It ceased publication in 2020 due to a ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-12-06.
Reception
Sandy Masuo of the ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' is an American Newspaper#Daily, daily newspaper that began publishing in Los Angeles, California, in 1881. Based in the Greater Los Angeles city of El Segundo, California, El Segundo since 2018, it is the List of new ...
'' described the album as "more personable" than Reid's recordings with
Living Colour
Living Colour is an American rock music, rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. The band consists of guitarist Vernon Reid, lead vocalist Corey Glover, drummer Will Calhoun and bassist Doug Wimbish who replaced Muzz Skillings in 1992. T ...
, and wrote: "Instead of compressing the elements into a rock construct, they're allowed to glide and collide in varying configurations... Happily, it seems Reid has found himself with ''Mistaken Identity''."
''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s Bradley Bambarger praised the "meeting of eclectic minds" on the album, stating that it "has something for nearly everyone." He commented: "it's the surfeit of indelible melodies and crunchy textures... that could give Reid his new 'Rockit' - a rock hit for a new age."
[Bambarger, Bradley.]
Review: ''Mistaken Identity''
. ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'': 11, 105. June 1, 1996.
Jacqueline Springer of ''
Muzik
''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.
''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...
'' called the album "an assault on the senses," featuring "the feral crashing of Reid's guitar strokes, the fervent banging of his drummer, and sheer wallop of his sagacious commentary and wry humour."
Writing for ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'', David Fricke noted that Reid "is anything but mistaken in his leap of faith into fusion music," and praised the "risk, ambition and reward in full effect" on the recording.
[Fricke, David]
Review: ''Mistaken Identity''
''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
''. Retrieved on 2009-12-06. ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' wrote that "Reid has lowered the volume on ''Identity'' enough to let his several attractive melodies shine through."
[Joyce, Mike.]
Review: ''Mistaken Identity''
. ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'': June 30, 1996. (Transcription of original review at talk page
MediaWiki is free and open-source wiki software originally developed by Magnus Manske for use on Wikipedia on January 25, 2002, and further improved by Lee Daniel Crocker, Magnus Manske's announcement of "PHP Wikipedia", wikipedia-l, August 24 ...
)
In a review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
stated that for "guitar fanatics... ''Mistaken Identity'' is well worth a listen," but remarked: "not one of the songs on the album makes an impression as a song, only as an instrumental showcase."
Track listing
#"CP Time"
#"Mistaken Identity"
#"You Say He's Just A Psychic Friend"
#"Who Are You
utation 1
#"Lightnin'"
#"The Projects"
#"Uptown Drifter"
#"Saint Cobain"
#"Important Safety Instructions!
utation 2
#"What's My Name"
#"Signed Fictitious"
#"Call Waiting To Exhale
utation 3
#"My Last Nerve"
#"Freshwater Coconut"
#"Mysterious Power"
#"Unborne Embrace"
Personnel
*
Vernon Reid
Vernon Alphonsus Reid (born 22 August 1958) is an American guitarist and songwriter best known as the founder of the rock band Living Colour. Reid was named No. 66 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's 2003 list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Ti ...
– guitars both real and imagined, whispering
*
Don Byron
Donald Byron (born November 8, 1958) is an American composer and multi-instrumentalist. He primarily plays clarinet but has also played bass clarinet and saxophone in a variety of genres that includes free jazz and klezmer.
Biography
His moth ...
– clarinet, bass clarinet
*
DJ Logic
DJ Logic (born Lee Jason Kibler, 1972) is an American DJ primarily known for his work in nu-jazz, acid-jazz, and with jam bands.
Life and career
Born and raised in The Bronx, New York, Kibler displayed an early interest in hip hop, funk, an ...
– turntables
* Leon Gruenbaum – keyboards, theremin, melodica,
* Hank Schroy – bass, fretless bass
* Curtis Watts – drums
References
External links
*
Mistaken Identity' at
Discogs
Discogs ( ; short for " discographies") is a database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. Database contents are user-generated, and described in ''T ...
It's Only Rock 'n' Roll with Knobs On— By ''
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
''
{{Authority control
1996 debut albums
Vernon Reid albums
Epic Records albums
Albums produced by Prince Paul (producer)
Albums produced by Teo Macero