Released in conjunction with the inaugural Lollapalooza tour in 1991 (which
Living Colour was part of, along with
Jane's Addiction,
Rollins Band,
Ice-T, etc.), the six-track EP
Biscuits was somewhat of a letdown. Coming off such a strong album as
Time's Up, it was almost anticlimactic that a set of four so-so studio outtakes and a pair of live tracks was issued so shortly after the band's last release. While there's no denying that the ferocious reading of "Desperate People" from CBGB's in December of 1989 is awesome, covers of
James Brown's "Talkin' Loud and Sayin' Nothing" and
Jimi Hendrix's "Burning of the Midnight Lamp" do not improve on the originals (as their cover of
Talking Heads' "Memories Can't Wait" had, which is included here as a live version). Two outtakes from the
Time's Up sessions, the metallic "Money Talks" and another cover,
Al Green's "Love and Happiness," just don't measure up to the high quality of that 1990 album's other selections.
Biscuits is recommended to hardcore fans only; newcomers should stick to any of
Living Colour's three full-length studio albums:
Vivid,
Time's Up, or
Stain.