Jun 07, 2003 11:10 AM
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(Updated Jun 07, 2003 11:12 AM)
Gone are the days when we listened purely to music, scramming to the music stores for the latest Single … purely on its musical Prowess. The musical world now is more governed by the visual Representations it gives to the Music Churned by musicians all over the world.
Music Videos were commenced initially with either the video of the group or the artiste in concert or a video which depicted a concert. It was more a medium to let the fans know who the group looks like and almost watch a live concert. This concept then changed a bit showing the group / artiste in various moods in relation to the song.
Then finally now we have some videos that do not show the artiste at all, some which are totally non related to the Song … My article here attempts to list down the ten best English Music Videos( in no particular order) . These are purely my choice, the ones that I felt appealed to the song and were somewhat different to the other videos …
Aha – Take on Me
This was the best single hit of the 80’s Pop Group Aha . The Video was a revelation though as much as the song was. It starred the Lead singer of the Group as an Animated Character. A Girl Sipping Coffee is drawn into the Comic Strip and is helped by this animated Character who ultimately turns into a lifelike Human being . Nice Video this, with some good Special effects, which kept the viewers eye’s Rivetted to the song as much as the music did for the ear.
Pink Floyd – Brick in the wall
A revolutionary Group in terms of music which their Churned out . and an absolutely amazing video which was quite Crticised and eventually even banned by some countries. As the Song says “ We don’t need no Education ”, This one showed students of a public school who hate their Teachers, resorting to vandalism . Check this Video out its good, but as the wise men say “ Take the Good point from all that you see and weed out the bad ”.
John Lennon – Woman
The famous lead singer of the Beatles, Husband to Yoko Ono, who according to a section of the press was responsible for the famed break up of the Beatles. This is a video of Lennon’s Composition as a Solo Artiste. Its more of a retrospect, showing Yoko Ono remembering John … Snippets of his home videos and Lennon photographs thrown in for good measure … It appeals to me as the Lyrics of this song flow well with the Video .
Micheal Jackson – Thriller
The man from Neverland who thinks he is Peter Pan, apart from good music, he has churned out some brilliant music videos in recent times, each better than the other. But his Thriller video amazes me more than all the recent ones with special effects thrown in. The Chills it used to give me as a child is incomparable. At the time the video was released it was supposed to be very scary and it was accentuated by the wonderful song that complemented it …
Cranberries – Animal Instinct
The group from Ireland who have some beautiful songs to their credit, Dreams was another brilliant video which was shot in the wilderness of Ireland. But its Animal Instinct I chose … as the Story that was shown in the video complimented the lyrics wonderfully . IT was like watching a small movie, complete with brilliant performance by the actress who played the mother . who’s Children are taken away by the government and its her “Animal Instinct” that makes her take her children back from them.
George Michael – Praying for time
George has many songs to his credit, add to it brilliant videos that have been directed. But its one obscure video that caught my eye … And that’s Praying for time. The screen is black with a watermark of a crowd of people and the Lyrics appear as the song plays. The lyrics don’t appear straight out as they should, but instead tease you by either omitting an alphabet or shifting the words. The seriousness that the song had was strangely shown quite well in this video …
Metallica – I disappear
Mission Impossible -2, a movie with glorious special effects. Why should the Video be shown in a simple manner? Take the band Metallica, keep them on top of the grand Canyon and shoot the song . Now that’s what is needed for a soundtrack for a movie of this magnitude …
Madonna – Die Another day
This lady never ceases to amaze me . her songs flow with time, appealing to the current generation. The video of Die another day akin to the song is quite catchy . Two Madonnas Fighting each other, while the original is being sentenced to death by Electric Chair … and poof … She disappears … why? DIE ANOTHER DAY man!
Paul Macartney – Hope of Deliverance
You cant leave the top 2 beatles out from a review by a crazy beatle fan can you? The darkness, the forest, people chanting for deliverance .liberation .Freedom. This song also features Paul’s first wife Linda .I like the way the video is shot …it is as though the people in the video are waiting . hoping for Deliverance.
REM – Losing my Religion
A music Video directed by an Indian Tarsem Singh which was critically acclaimed. This video is the best among the Top ten featured, its stark its different its … awesome. An angel falling from heaven who is ridiculed . as Micheal Stipe keeps singing in the background . “ ooooooh Life its bigger … ”
There were many I couldn’t fit in like Micheal Learns to Rock, Nathalie Imbruglia, Sting Air Supply etc… But then this is my Top ten English music Videos…
Pass you comments as you read by …
