Great Pop Videos

Woebot

Well-known member
Saw Gwen Stefani's "What you waiting for" and Mariah Carey's one (the one that rips off R.Kelly) back to back. Wow.

Its not that the visual imagery is particularly original, but the combination of the sheer foxiness of these ladies (Gwen looks fabulous IMHO), the quality of those tracks (again on their own maybe not so great, but Gwen's Kate Bush/Tori Amos thing is pretty interesting within a pop context) and the speed of the imagery is quite a stunning combination.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Is it time for an all-time favourites thang on this?

Candidates (obvious, perhaps...):

All is Full of Love
Nothing Compares 2U
Fight the Power
Something by Missy (Get Ur Freak On, perhaps)
Ashes to Ashes
Woman (personal choice, not genre-bending, just exceptionally poignant)
Windowlicker or On by Aphex
 

owen

Well-known member
baboon2004 said:
All is Full of Love

my god yes.

all_is_full_of_love.jpg



i'm really keen on bowie vidoes in general- the Lodger ones are stunning, all cut-up, full of great theatrical gestures- and obviously the Boys Keep Swinging one is fabulous...

generally I'm not actually too keen on Chris Cunningham, too eager to shock in a lame VICE way- but when he's on form he's incredible- I'd add the Come to Daddy video to the list, for the Thamesmead location shots alone.
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Tbh, I think I meant the 'Come to Daddy' one - getting confused.

Have a soft spot for 'Fix Up Look Sharp', too. And wasn't 'Buffalo Stance' somewhat great, as I recall?
 

baboon2004

Darned cockwombles.
Tbh, I think I meant the 'Come to Daddy' one - getting confused.

Have a soft spot for 'Fix Up Look Sharp', too. And wasn't 'Buffalo Stance' somewhat great, as I recall?

And, of course, the other vids off Homogeneic and Vespertine are stunning
 

blissblogger

Well-known member
grace jones, 'slave to the rhythm'

rolling stones, 'have you seen your mother baby standing in the shadows'

bowie, 'boys keep swinging'

you can't front on talking heads, 'once in a lifetime'

and it has to be said, nirvana, 'smells like teen spirit' and 'heart shaped box'

the hype williams ones for busta rhymes still stand up, especially the one that's totally fish-eyed out


supplementary question:
what are the great videos that are better than the song itself/make you like the song despite yourself/push a pretty-good song into the great audiovisual pop moment?

can't think of any examples at the moment

supplementary question#2: what are the most over-rated videos?

#1: Beastie Boys, 'sabotage' -- never understood why peoploe thought this was clever or entertaining...

supplementary question#3: great audiovisual groups who don't have as massive a backlog of great promo-age as you'd perhaps think

#1: Roxy

supplementary question #4:
great TV appearances that now double as videos (on VH1 classic any road) even though not intended as such originally

#1 T.Rex, get it on, on top of the pops

supplementary question #5: videos elevated into the sublime by the music itself despite not being ostensibly anything special

#1 -- Boston, 'more than a feeling'

ok i'll stop now
 

k-punk

Spectres of Mark
blissblogger said:
grace jones, 'slave to the rhythm'

Bit of a confession, but don't think I've ever seen that video....

Soft Cell, 'Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret'

Basement Jaxx, yeh the obvious 'Where's Your Head At' but also the fantastic 'Plug It In' (complete with fembots)

Moloko, 'Indigo' (odd and unsettling)

Japan, 'Visions of China' (did they make a video for 'Ghosts'?)

Visage - having trouble remembering them, but I do recall the 'Damned Don't Cry' and the 'Night Train' videos being what seemed at the time like stylish Euronoir

Daft Punk - 'Around the World' (simple idea, brilliant execution... most of Gondry's videos are really imaginative)

Although I must admit, I pretty much hate videos now, almost universally. That quick-cutting thing makes most of them like an unpleasant experience of clinical schizophrenia...


supplementary question:
what are the great videos that are better than the song itself/make you like the song despite yourself/push a pretty-good song into the great audiovisual pop moment?

can't think of any examples at the moment

Me neither... videos much more likely to have the opposite effect on me, especially if they're subject to constant rotation, which makes you hate more or less anything in the end...

supplementary question#2: what are the most over-rated videos?

#1: Beastie Boys, 'sabotage' -- never understood why peoploe thought this was clever or entertaining...

With you 100% on that... and watching MTV UK in the late 90s made that video unendurable even, presumably, for folk who liked it in the first place... (That other Beastie Boys one, with the Godzilla type stuff, I started off liking that but hated it in the end because of brute force of repetition)

Also... Godley and Creme 'Cry', the video that heralded a thousand commercials for 'compassionate' corporations.... (song is shit too)

Gabriel, 'Sledgehammer', fucking unbearable... and as ubiquitious in the mid-late 80s as 'Sabotage' was a decade later

'Praise You' --- don't you just want to punch Spike Jonze in the face? Repeatedly?

'Weapon of Choice' --- so smug


supplementary question#3: great audiovisual groups who don't have as massive a backlog of great promo-age as you'd perhaps think

#1: Roxy

Yes, do they have one memorable video really? The thing shot of them at the Royal College of Art doing 'Remake Remodel' is probably the only one...

Also in that genre: The Associates... don't remember any of their videos, but do obv remember the TOTP performances
 

francesco

Minerva Estassi
blissblogger said:
supplementary question:
what are the great videos that are better than the song itself/make you like the song despite yourself/push a pretty-good song into the great audiovisual pop moment?


chemical brothers song in which sing the oasis guy, that one from the 3rd album, the Gondry video is so genius while the song is very so-so (like the huge organ sound but the singing... urgh!, and it's their second ripping of "tomorrow never comes" rhythm with a oasis singer!

yes - owner of a lonely heart (!)

blissblogger said:
supplementary question#2: what are the most over-rated videos?



every duran duran video of the '80?
every Radiohead video?


blissblogger said:
supplementary question#3: great audiovisual groups who don't have as massive a backlog of great promo-age as you'd perhaps think


pink floyd



blissblogger said:
supplementary question #5: videos elevated into the sublime by the music itself despite not being ostensibly anything special


massive attack - unfinished sympathy and teardrop
 

Woebot

Well-known member
blissblogger said:
supplementary question #5: videos elevated into the sublime by the music itself despite not being ostensibly anything special

#1 -- Boston, 'more than a feeling'

ok i'll stop now

toto's "africa"

oh except thats a great video too isnt it? (well ok i admit its a crap video) BTW love the way that song exists completely outside the art-rock take on africa.

shakira "whenever, wherever"

ANOTHER crap one i have an almost pathetic affection for. again oblivious to world music.
 

k-punk

Spectres of Mark
francesco said:
chemical brothers song in which sing the oasis guy, that one from the 3rd album, the Gondry video is so genius while the song is very so-so (like the huge organ sound but the singing... urgh!, and it's their second ripping of "tomorrow never comes" rhythm with a oasis singer!

yes, that's a great example... brilliant video...
 

tryptych

waiting for a time
I really like the chemical brothers video (2nd album, cant remember the tune name) with the girls doing a floor gymnastics competition., and in a Karate Kid style ending, our heroine breaks her ankle but still manages to win with some amazing gymnastics move.

guess that falls into blissbloggers sup. Qu. no 1.
 

francesco

Minerva Estassi
also came to mind another chemical brother video, one of the songs that was bonus to the greatest hits, not the flaming lips collaboration but the one with the rapper, again the song was so-so but the video that use (i think) footage from an old and strange kung-fu movie (if it is a old movie, maybe is made on spot to look so) is fantastic.
how it is today nobody remember the title of the songs of chemical brother?
 
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blissblogger

Well-known member
francesco said:
chemical brothers song in which sing the oasis guy, that one from the 3rd album, the Gondry video is so genius while the song is very so-so (like the huge organ sound but the singing... urgh!, and it's their second ripping of "tomorrow never comes" rhythm with a oasis singer!

but but but but that's a great song, that is. good lyrics about Ecstasy burnout -- "the visions we had have faded away... you said your body was young but your mind was very old" -- noel quite effective vocally, and you could hardly say there's a surfeit of songs ripping off 'tomorrow never knows' in this world. no i would defend the song quite strongly

but yeah terrific video -- the dancing policemen, the girl's head hitting the lawn with a sickenign thud, most effective recreation of a rave ever possibly on camera

while we're on big beat
hear to hear to kpunk's comments re spike jonz, and all the fatboy slim videos suck in fact
 

francesco

Minerva Estassi
blissblogger said:
but but but but that's a great song, that is. good lyrics about Ecstasy burnout -- "the visions we had have faded away... you said your body was young but your mind was very old" -- noel quite effective vocally, and you could hardly say there's a surfeit of songs ripping off 'tomorrow never knows' in this world. no i would defend the song quite strongly

but yeah terrific video -- the dancing policemen, the girl's head hitting the lawn with a sickenign thud, most effective recreation of a rave ever possibly on camera

no no no no you're right because we are talking of different songs (after searching for titles on the cds): "setting sun" is a masterpiece both the song and the video (also the old lady at the rave...) as you point out; "let forever be" from surrender i was talking about, great intricate/fractal video of Gondry, the girl i'm awake/i'm dreaming i'm at work/i'm dancing morphing hypnagogic/hypnapomp confusion is visionary (and a tad camp), but the song is not so great, especially in comparison with "setting sun".
While we are at the other CB video that is mile better than the song is "get yourself high". A CB video that is mediocre but the song is indeed good is "out of control"; last, another great video/great song CB/Gondry thing: "star guitar".
 
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blissblogger

Well-known member
francesco said:
no no no no you're right because we are talking of different songs (after searching for titles on the cds): "setting sun" is a masterpiece both the song and the video (also the old lady at the rave...) as you point out; "let forever be" from surrender i was talking about, great intricate/fractal video of Gondry, the girl i'm awake/i'm dreaming i'm at work/i'm dancing morphing hypnagogic/hypnapomp confusion is visionary (and a tad camp), but the song is not so great, especially in comparison with "setting sun".
While we are at the other CB video that is mile better than the song is "get yourself high". A CB video that is mediocre but the song is indeed good is "out of control"; last, another great video/great song CB/Gondry thing: "star guitar".

oh you're right, yes that song is pitiful -- desperate attempt to redo 'setting sun' 's redoing of tomorrow never knows (let forever be!!!! what a title) -- an ace video wasted on piffle

other groups who were audiovisual with slim legacies of actual promos:

--- sparks
-- B-52s (well there's a couple of good ones i spose)
-- banshees?
-- you're right about the associates
-- human league only really have 'don't you want me' which is fab
 

k-punk

Spectres of Mark
blissblogger said:
but but but but that's a great song, that is. good lyrics about Ecstasy burnout -- "the visions we had have faded away... you said your body was young but your mind was very old" -- noel quite effective vocally, and you could hardly say there's a surfeit of songs ripping off 'tomorrow never knows' in this world. no i would defend the song quite strongly

All of this is true, but it's still like Noel fucking Gallagher :) (must admit I was collapsing the song into the Quoasis plod of the other one, with the hideous grammar of 'how does it feel like' eeurgggggh)

while we're on big beat
hear to hear to kpunk's comments re spike jonz, and all the fatboy slim videos suck in fact

well he did make the first Daft Punk video, which I still think has merit; but it was him who was responsible for 'Sabotage' wasn't it? That was the one that made his name... In fact, Jonez seems to feature quite heavily on the list of fucking annoying clips...
 

Karl Kraft

Well-known member
Soz if I've missed some bulging thread thats happened since, but wanted to ressurect this one coss I've not had a tv for ages, had very limited access (via friends) to Sat/Cable tv overall, and was kinda dissapointed that I'd already seen (but love for the most part) all the videos mentioned.
Last time I really got exposed to a whole bunch of great stuff was in 99 when C4 ran the 'Mirrorball' series on Gondry, Cunningham etc later covered by the 'directorslabel' DVD's mentioned above.
Happened accross very little since.
Liked 'the Streets - Fit But You Know It' holiday snaps one.
as a childhood Ulysses31 fan obv the amazing Interstella5555/ Daft Punk Discovery film.
that Peaches Iggy Pop 'Romero' zombie vid,
Outcast - Hey ya, erm.........
David Hasselhoff - Hooked on a Feeling. If just for the bit when he's bouncing up and down with the Masai Mara..

Any good stuff happened since the last post in 2005 thats not from Gondry etc camp?
 

noel emits

a wonderful wooden reason
This thread makes alot more sense now that youtube has everything on it.

A new(ish) video in the grand tradition:

 
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