The Evil that Men Do

If you were expecting to read about the Bronson movie by the same name, then I apologize, though I understand your insatiable appetite--if only in a coldly clinical and academic way--for all things Bronson.

No, my friends, I'm one of those jerks who utilize lines from LITERATURE to make some half-baked point, but mostly to have it known that I am familiar with GREAT WORKS. The line of this little entry is from Shakespeare, about whom much has been written. For example, I know that (1) he wrote Romeo + Juliet, and (2) he was in love.

The line, according to the Internets, comes from Shakespeare's Julius Caeser, and reads:

The evil that men do lives after them
The good is oft interred with their bones

Good, evil, bones--ah, this is the stuff of heady drama and heroic struggle. But our lives are not often riddled with such stark and diametrically opposed notions of good and evil, heaven and hell, grape (the fruit) and grape (the flavor). No, our soft existences are more attuned to something toward the middle. So what, then, about the mediocrity that men do?

I will explore this notion from time to time in future postings, beginning with one of last century's greatest examples of mediocrity: Color Me Badd. Again, we go to the Internets for Color Me Badd lore, as it is not generally regarded as canon and on the tip of my tongue.

The first sign of trouble was that the group formed in Oklahoma City. I'm sure this is a fine community, with great schools and wonderful people and a thriving mercantile and culture. But, the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions Oklahoma City is a terrible case of domestic terrorism. Oh, I looked on Wikipedia and they note that Oklahoma City is the home to the Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz arena football club, so that's something.

Second, the group's big hit parade came with their first album, titled C.M.B. (which probably stands for Color Me Badd, but could perhaps also allude to the Cash Money Brothers of the film "New Jack City," the soundtrack of which featured the perennial favorite "I Wanna Sex You Up") came out in 1991. In 1992 they released an album of remixes. Admittedly, I am not a successful music producer, but it seems that the body of work from which you will extract an album length of remixes, should probably be more than one album.

Moving on, Color Me Badd disbanded in 2000, which was a surprise to me. I figured they rode that New Kids/Boyz 2 Men wave as long as they could, and probably crapped out in 1993. The group seemed to suffer from Abe Vigoda syndrome for several years, with most of the general public not knowing if they were alive or dead. But they were neither--they were Badd.

There is a Danish fan page (or perhaps the band's own page?) at www.colormebadd.dk. Apparently three of the four members "reunited" for some musical game show hosted by Meatloaf. Who knew? There are thankfully plenty of great "then and now" photos, and the cloying hope that one day the group will reunite and take back the R&B male a cappella mantle that they wore with such brash intensity in 1991 and 1992.