Michael Abernethy - The Homegrown Snob

All three of you regular readers who aren’t spam-bots might have noticed that this blog is looking a little spiffier lately.

That’s because it’s no longer on a B2evolution template (a.k.a. the suckiest blog templates ever created). I want to take a moment and thank Roger Creasy, web guru, for switching me over last week. I’ve never had so much fun on the interwebs.

In celebration of my new capability to post video, I thought I’d give a run down of some of my favorite (and mostly forgotten or ignored) music videos. You won’t see Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” or The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” in this list. That’s because you still see those from time to time.

Let’s go chronologically:

1. “Smalltown Boy,” Bronski Beat (1984)

One of the best early videos you’ve likely never seen. The song itself is surprisingly serious and open about its socio-political message; the video moreso.

Talk about guts: Jimmy Somerville had the gall to be openly gay at a time when AIDS had taken the spotlight and raised the stigma on gays.

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2. “Boys of Summer,” Don Henley (1984)

Folks in my office might poop bricks because I’m including a Henley song/vid in this list, but really it’s one of the best marriages of a song and a video ever.

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3. “Cloudbusting,” Kate Bush (1985)

This song and video are based on Peter Reich’s “Book of Dreams,” a memoir about growing up with his scientist-father, Wilhelm Reich. Wilhelm was working with nuclear science and a machine that could supposedly make it rain by busting clouds - hence the name of the song - before he was arrested.

Basically, it looks like a film and stars Donald Sutherland in the role of the father. Not only that, it’s an amazing video.

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4. “Beethoven (I Love to Listen To),” The Eurythmics (1987)

Crazy song with a crazy video. Annie Lennox as an oppressed housewife driven to insanity.

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5. “I Feel You” (live), Depeche Mode (1993)

For doubters that DM could fill arenas and rock out. Check out Dave Gahan in full-on messiah posing.

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6. “Parklife,” Blur (1994)

My favorite song on Parklife is also a terrific video that almost never got played over here. I still don’t know what exactly parklife is, even though a Brit told a friend that “it’s just what the song says.”

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7. “Just,” Radiohead (1996)

 Before they became known as art-rock gods, Radiohead made some great videos.

This was one I remember everyone talking about.

Why does the man lie down? What does he say at the end? What could be so terrible that everyone lies down? (My personal theory is that he revealed the actual ingredients of school cafeteria burgers.)

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8. “The Perfect Drug,” Nine Inch Nails (1996)

 Gothed-out, Edgar Allan Poe-wannabe Trent Reznor sucks down the absinth and plays his lute.

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9. “Discoteque,” U2 (1997)

 Back before U2 retreated to ’80s bombast, they pretended they were The Village People on amphetamines for their first promo to the much-hated, underrated Pop album.

I guarantee you this song - and all those crazy guitars - are better than you remember.

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10. “This is Hardcore,” Pulp (1998)

The song’s all about sour relationships and porn, but the video is more about showgirls, Hollywood technicolor drama and Jarvis Cocker prancing about.

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11. “All is Full of Love,” Bjork (1999)

Creepy, creepy, creepy but oddly erotic robot sex.

If it gets too much, just close your eyes and listen to that great song.

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12. “Walking in the Sun,” Travis (2006)

Who would want to kill Fran Healy and why???

The world’s nicest man is stalked by Death in this hilarious showdown video promoting their 2006 singles collection.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 6th, 2008 at 10:09 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.