Music Videos As Legitimate Art.

Onhell

Onhell

Infinite Dreamer
So in doing a little research for my next cd reviews I was struck by another idea. I was watching some music videos and began tearing them apart and questioning them to no end. "Why did the protagonist (usually the singer) do that?" "Did they REALLY have to have the van explode?" or "What is the point of this scene?"

While there maybe many reasons we love or hate a video some are flat out captivating mini-movies. The intended purpose of this thread is for people to share their favorite music videos and state WHY they like them so much. It can be as mundane a reason as "It's cheesy as shit and I dig that." to a more cerebral break down.

There are many music videos that really just seem phoned in to cash in on the band's singles. While most of the 80's videos are like this it is excusable as artist were still learning how to take advantage of this new way to reach their fans. However, a lot of bands today still do the boring, "standard" video of a concert setting and even in the 80's some bands still managed to be creative about it like Dire Straits Money for Nothing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWXDjiKVs2U

There is no question that the absolute master of this medium was Michael Jackson. Every single one of his videos are incredible, Madonna was yet another artist who used it well to cause a lot of controversy (Like a Prayer) or simply a neat video (Ray of Light). But then something happened in the 90's where, for the most part, the music video became an after thought and overall, there was nothing really new done (IMO). There were/are bands that have done neat things, like The Red Hot Chili Peppers who decided to have fun and spoof/homage artist of old in Danny California: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sb5aq5HcS1A&feature=related (Most of their videos are actually really neat).

Point is this: For quite a while channels supposedly dedicated to music videos (MTV, MTV2, VH1, Mun2, etc) focus more and more on beyond stupid reality TV or tv series aimed at "angsty" adolescents with nothing better to do. I'm not saying this is THE reason why videos are usually bland and uncreative, but why make a video if it's not going to get major rotation?

But every blue moon or so comes an artist that says, "fuck it" and puts some real effort into it and I'm talking about Lady Gaga. Say what you will about her or her music (I happen to like her AND her music), but you can't deny her are awesome. They may not be as epic as those of MJ or as controversial as Madonna's once were, but they are reminiscent of both.

Take Bad Romance for example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrO4YZeyl0I&ob=av2el

If this doesn't make you think of Thriller or Vogue you have been living under a rock for the past 30 years. This video is amazing. It is visually stylish and while it reminds me of the greats of "old" it manages to be FRESH.

So come on Maidenfans, what videos do you find interesting/good? Post on!


Edit: Faulty BBcode corrected. /Shadow
Edit: Not all of it haha, anyway, NOW it looks readable /author
Edit: Why, what did I miss? :p /Shadow
 
I always like videos in which you see the band play and especially when you see individual members handling their instruments and when it sounds studio and looks like it's live (like the video was recorded at the same time with the sound for the album). It puzzles me, how the hell did they do that?
I can't imagine that they recorded that song for real, while the cameras were rolling.

Example: Rush - Limelight
 
Forostar said:
I always like videos in which you see the band play and especially when you see individual members handling their instruments and when it sounds studio and looks like it's live (like the video was recorded at the same time with the sound for the album). It puzzles me, how the hell did they do that?
I can't imagine that they recorded that song for real, while the cameras were rolling.

Example: Rush - Limelight
Click to expand...

Like the Flight of Icarus video?
 
I love that one as well, but (if I remember well) the timing of the Rush video was even more convincing, but they might be the same indeed.
 
A couple of videos that stick in my mind from the eighties - not necessarily for the music - Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer; Duran Duran - Wild Boys; Aha - Take on Me. All three were pretty original in their day and in the case of Aha's, pretty ground breaking. And all could be called art.

Duran Duran spent a lot of time, effort and money on the videos and in the most part, it paid off. They were also one of the first bands to release the video itself as a package for sale. The Girls on Film video was a best seller. ;)

I can't think off hand what metal video would be worth shouting about - apart from Metallica's One - but I do have a liking for Slayer - Bloodline
 
GREAT selections Albie! I cannot believe I forgot Aha's, that one indeed was and still is a great video. That was their only break into the American market, but they had a LONG successful career at home (Norway).
 
I think someone majoring in cinema would consider it an art. I have friends who are and will ask them tomorrow. I think it is in someways. A video like "The Final Frontier" is but I don't think a video of a band performing the song is.
 
I'm not an artsy fartsy type, but I think that certain music videos would have to be qualified as legitimate art. "Sober" by Tool is probably my favorite video of all time, and I've always thought of it as a cool artistic statement in video complimenting a cool artistic statement in music. That being said, I've always been more partial to live stage footage of a band performing their music, than some Hollywood schlock with music in the background.
 
Oh hell. Did you really have to mention the A-ha video? (Yes, their name has a hyphen.) I hated that shit. Did you really have to remind me such crap existed? :p
 
I've always thought Tool videos are endlessly creative, even though I'm not really sure whether they qualify as "deeply symbolic" or as "artfully meaningless". It's not even that important to me to find out, anyway. The videos for Parabola and Aenima are the ones who get me thinking the most, some place between being creeped out and dumbfounded by the surrealistic, nightmarish action. Other videos that, IMO, qualify as works of art would be Metallica's The Unforgiven I & II (especially the latter) Coldplay's Strawberry Swing (please watch it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lb9X5jMofEo, how the hell did they create that?!) and Portishead's The Rip (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBOaLjtR4mw) These are just a few of the videos that I enjoy (I also think The White Stripes' The Hardest Button To Button is kinda cool)
 
Coldplay's video was really good. I've seen that technique lately in Kindle ads. Few animated videos have impressed me (A-ha is one), but I have to say I LOVE Pearl Jam's Do the Evolution. The animation itself isn't something to write home about, but it is the CONTENT. I love how it goes from the cavemen dancing around a fire, to the native americans, to a bunch of bums around a trash can fire lol... among other touches, not to mention it is a kick ass song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDaOgu2CQtI
 
Thanks Onhell, have a praise! I haven't seen that video...well since it was actual in late '90s  :)
Great video and song indeed.
 
Thank you Zare :), I remember when it first came out it was a big deal as it was the band's first music video since... TEN I believe and they had vowed never to do videos again in their attempt to be new-hippies and boycott "big business" like MTV and Ticket Master.
 
That's a really good video CFH. The White Strips have some interesting videos.

Speaking of which, I was watching VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of all time and by that they meant all the American and British artists of the last 60 years... ANYWAY Nirvana made the list, no surprise, the surprise was how high up they were on the list. Don't get me wrong, They were a good band, but to make the top 10 on the weight of ONE album... that pissed me off.

ANYWAY. Smells like Teen Spirit was a watershed moment in MTV culture because it crystallized the "grunge" movement with it's rebellious angst, their "I don't give a shit" attitude an what not. The video is even more powerful when juxtaposed with Blind Melon's No Rain:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10aty_blind-melon-no-rain_music

I love this song AND this video. The music is incredibly peppy, but if you pay close attention to the lyrics... classic signs of depression. No surprise the front man, like Cobain, killed himself soon after... well, he had a heart attack from a cocaine overdose... whether it was accidental or not hard to say. At any rate, Nirvana's video is from '91, and Blind Melon's from '93 (some sources say '92, but who cares.)

Point is, Nirvana's video is the polar opposite with cheerleaders in black with the red Anarchy symbol, the smoke machines and just... dirty atmosphere compared to No Rain's open landscapes and the little "bee girl" trying to find her niche.

Here's Nirvana's groundbreaking video as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hTWKbfoikeg
 
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