VIDEOS OF MUSIC, VOL 2.
a pick six
by Hunter Jon
This is a follow up to Vol. 1, which you can check out here:
https://almostentertainment.blogspot.com/2020/04/videos-of-music-vol-1.html
As I mentioned in the above post, I much prefer those simple videos to anything on this list of elaborate ones. And I say elaborate, but I really just mean by comparison. So anything with more than just the artist(s) appearing, more than one location, any kind of narrative, etc. In other words, anything that would take longer than one day to shoot (with one exception to the rule).
Here are my six favourite elaborate music videos.
(I’ve included the appropriate amount of honourable mentions)
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRKJiM9Njr8 Perhaps the apex of ‘emo’ in the mainstream market. That word is both pretty stupid and kind of necessary, as it nearly became a derogatory term for a moment there but was also an identity, and most who wore the patch with pride found profound salvation in attending the black parade. I can’t pretend to be one of those individuals, but I am very fond of the song (and entire album) and the man who led the march. And I really like what they were going for with this video. All the visuals presented match most of what swirls around in my head when I listen to the song. That’s a sign that the band is truly getting inside their fans’ heads and hearts; there’s truly a spiritual connection between artist and admirer. That’s a beautiful thing and really the attempt of all art. I just wish those who put this video together had held back a little. Personally, I would have shot half as much coverage and let every shot last twice as long. I find it hard to truly savour the video’s rich, pitch perfect aesthetic, or Way’s empowering performance, because it’s so busy cutting to the next cool shot, and the next after that and the next after that. I guess you could argue that it’s punk rock, man, and therefore meant to be fast and frantic. Ok, that may be the aural goal, which is well accomplished, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating to watch. Which is a shame and why it’s only an honourable mention. Still, an amazing video. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5exsScaHWo There was a torrential downpour of music videos like this starting in the mid-2000s. They all seemed to be shot on the same camera/lenses, utilized woozy slow motion (and the occasional black & white) in ultra widescreen and starred some model as the singer’s love interest who vaguely resembled someone far more famous. Sometimes it was hard to tell if you were watching a music video or some ‘artsy’ cologne commercial. Presumably the reason they were so common was because they were relatively inexpensive. All you needed was a decent steady-cam operator and a chic mansion with a pool overlooking most of LA. So they became the incredibly uninspired go-to for a long time. But just as this fad was finally beginning to dry up… along came John Newman. This video indulges every single tired troupe I just tore apart. However, you can feel something here that you can’t in any of those that came before it, and that’s that every idea here was his. It’s not a case of a lazy marketing team putting everything together and the singer being told where to stand, what to wear, how to act. I think those are Newman’s own clothes. That’s how he’s styled his hair since long before he was famous. And the shift from black & white to colour isn’t just for the hell of it. It’s dictated by a clear emotional shift. He’s not just the voice on the track, he’s the whole pop-star package. He might not have directed it, but I bet he conceived of this entire video on his own and I don’t believe for a second that he did so trying to be cool. He is cool. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn599R0ZBwg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=en2D_5TzXCA I guess this is cheating, counting two videos as one. But if you’ve seen them both (especially in quick succession) you’ll know that they are more one than two. You’re only getting half the picture if you end on the illusion and don’t stick around for the reasons. Gaga rarely sings stories lyrically, but she certainly loves to tell them with her videos. First, we get the scrambled, angry chaos; the shattered mirage of a romance. I normally don’t enjoy this kind of sloppy, haphazard photography or editing, but I appreciate that it’s all very deliberate here and motivated by the emotional core of the song. It’s designed to give you a headache resembling a sliver of what Gaga endured during her heartbreak. And she’s particularly on fire in this, by the way. My favourite bits are her alone by the side of the road, furiously stomping and kicking up dirt like a little blonde Tasmanian Devil. After she exhausts herself and comes crashing down, the calm after the storm begins, taking us into the next video. If part one is the hellish melt/break-down, part two is the calm climb back up. Everything shifts to reflect this. There’s an assured steadiness to the tone, photography and mother monster herself, no longer seeming all that monstrous as she passionately belts out this balanced ballad. It should feel anti-climactic after the energy of the first half, but that’s hardly the case thanks to how uplifting this second one truly is. And how memorable is that pink suit and hat? The whole thing is an fantastically crafted one-two punch, both visually and thematically. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElmsIGT85tI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fd7M_5xW0SI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmrsc8TtgsU An ever bigger cheat - three videos claiming one spot. The videos/songs being “Candy Cane Lane”, “Ho Ho Ho” and “Under the Mistletoe”. But they really are a trilogy and should be watched all together in chronological order. The idea of using stop-motion animation to tell a Christmas tale and therefore warming our hearts with memories of the Rankin & Bass filled holiday seasons of our youth is nothing new. But I find these videos particularly inspired and fun. For one, they have an extremely charming hand-made and wonderfully imperfect claymation look that I feel is too often absent from slick stop-motion features these days. And I love the design of everything - especially our little leading lady. Secondly, the fact that these songs are originals (as are all on the album) allow for an entirely original story to be told. So they feel vintage yet fresh. Nostalgic but new. Although recent additions, they’re already an essential part of my Decembers. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zNSgSzhBfM It was very easy to get caught up in the narrative that propelled these guys’ music, which was essentially that of Macklemore’s road to recovery and resulting success. When they had completed a seemingly impossible climb and reached the top of the industry, they made a celebration song. An incredible one, if you ask me. So, how do you go about making a video for such a tune? Well, you shamelessly throw the cinematic party of the decade in ten minutes or less. It’s a never ending parade of joy, humour, beautiful imagery and sheer inspiration, all brought to us by way of sled-dogs, a pirate ship, sky diving, a seaplane, a vintage pick-up towing a living room and, of course, a camel. They use literally anything and everything fun and/or epic they could conjure up (and afford) to compliment the literal journey of a flag that begins lost in the middle of nowhere and ends up being raised to the highest heights imaginable for all to see. For those of us who had been fans for years, this was a very emotional triumph for these two men. For those who had never heard of them, it was just a damn good video. It worked either way. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqUpe6QeBTk I have a lot to say about Eminem, this video and what it means to me. So much, in fact, that I’m going to save it for an entirely separate post. Keep an eye out for that in the new year. Until then, just know that it’s my sixth favourite elaborate music video of all time and that’s that. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yCIDkFI7ew This became an indie/alt band trend for a bit: follow them around as they record, promote and perform, then cut together the best bits showing off all the good times that were had and you’ve got yourself a music video. This is by far my personal favourite of any I’ve seen, though. They may have started singing the blues, but those always lead to good old rock ’n’ roll, and I think this video does a great job of rocking just as hard as these two now do. At a time when I didn’t know too many people who loved this band as much as I did, it was heartening to see them playing massive sold-out shows. Seeing seas of head-banging fans made me feel like I was part of something. Crank this one up to eleven. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg5wkZ-dJXA This is a music video for the album “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy”. Yes, the whole album (well, most of it). So it’s more of a short film, really. One that serves up a healthy dose of everything I crave from features (especially in the fantasy genre) yet have trouble finding these days… a simple love story with deeper, complex themes and no easy answers… inventive, tangible make-up effects & costume design… a world representing and resembling our reality but that’s travelled through the prism of the maker’s unique mind… everlasting imagery such as colours, sets, photography and, in this instance, ballet… and last, but anything from least, some amazing music tying the whole thing together. It’s all directed by Kanye West himself - a fact that honestly surprised me, given how impressive I find the entire piece. I only say that because I believe this was his first time directing anything. His acting might leave a little to be desired, but that’s a minor quibble. Everything else continues to blow me away every time I take the time to watch this. My favourite moment is one I never would have thought of myself: the use of “Power”. It’s such a big, throw-the-gauntlet-down anthem of ego and strength. But West does something totally expected - he sacrifices all that, stripping it down to its barest beat. He makes love the focus of the scene that it scores. He’s courting a beautiful creature, seducing her with all he has to offer: his music. Which, in the context of this scene, is something the creature has never heard before in her life. It’s a brilliant way to work in the song and single handedly sums up how clever and shrewd West’s approach to this whole video is. It’s also wonderful that he filmed this when he did, because it was just before he vowed never to smile again, and you can catch him doing just that a few times while enjoying the fireworks and at the feast. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJLIiF15wjQ If Feist’s “1234” video was simplicity by way of complexity this is complexity by way of simplicity. If they’d shot it traditionally, it would’ve taken tons of time and energy. But shooting it in one shot takes most of that away. Sure, it must have taken an extraordinary amount of time and energy to plan, but once you’ve got it - you’ve got it. That’s it. Nothing to pick-up. Nothing to edit. What we’re seeing is no doubt an elaborate display, but it's simply captured. Which is a wise way to showcase and celebrate these women. These wonderful, wonderful women and their infectious energy. A lot was said about the Spice Girls during the craze, most of which was negative, but thankfully their legacy has aged extremely well. The generation who loved them as kids/teens is taking charge of things (mostly the internet) and loudly letting their appreciation of the group be known. I’m just going to say it - they were our fab four. They just were. And this video was their “A Hard Day’s Night”, complete with running amuck and shoving their immature fun into the face of an annoyed establishment. Perhaps an apt metaphor for their popularity in general, which was simply incendiary. They were radical and thank God. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cggNqDAtJYU I only have two things to say about this music video. One - I’ve watched it more than any other music video. Two - who ever’s responsible for the cut at 12:05 isn’t get paid enough. Other than that, I believe this one just needs to be watched, not analyzed. |
 |
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Euj9f3gdyM So there’s the music video and than the full short film called “Scenes from the Suburbs”. I prefer the video. Maybe because I saw it first. Probably because the short doesn’t offer anything I don’t get from the video, which I find tighter and more succinct. For whatever it’s worth, this remains the single most accurate snapshot of what me and my friends hanging out looked and felt like at this age. I happened to have a best friend who lived in a new development, which is basically just a suburb that is constantly under construction. So I really relate to messing around in the shells of half-built houses, climbing over mountains of dumped dirt, riding bikes by rows and rows of ticky-tacky little boxes and so on. My friends and I were once even kicked off a streetcar for firing pellet guns out the windows. Sometimes I find myself wishing a feature film would carry this tone and texture, casting teenagers as authentic as these, but then I just remind myself that this does that better than any feature ever could. So I just watch this four or five times and that craving is satisfied. The fact that it’s the title track off one of my favourite albums of all time doesn’t hurt, either. I was a little too young for Jonze’s early videos that broke the mold and built a new one. I was introduced to him through his movies. So I believe this was the first music video of his that I saw. I’ve since gone back and watched most of his older videos, but there’s something about this one that remains not just my favourite of his but of all time. I think he was able to take his signature ability to capture camaraderie by the way of aimless hang-out-hijinks (see: any of his Beastie Boys stuff, his Jackass contributions or the ‘Otis’ video) and combine it perfectly with the character and narrative skills he’d honed with his more traditionally structured features and shorts. What you get as a result might be the best of all he has to offer and my favourite piece of his to date. |
