Category Archives: Music Review

Music Video of the Day: Strangelove by Depeche Mode (1987, directed by Anton Corbijn)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Shot in an around Paris, the music video for Depeche Mode’s Strangelove was considered to be so controversial that MTV refuses to broadcast the original version.  The band offered up a re-edited version, in which some of the shots of the two models were replaced with shots of the band.

Director Anton Corbijn needs no introduction.  Along with being a renowned photographer who has been responsible for countless album covers and music videos, Corbijn has also directed films like The American, Control, and A Most Wanted Man.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Tha Crossroads by Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (1996, directed by Michael Martin)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

The Reaper is busy in today’s music video of the day.  The Reaper collects souls, many of whom are friends and family of the members of Bones Thug-n-Harmony and takes them to the mountaintop.  Everyone’s entering the afterlife with Eazy-E.

I remember this video was huge for a while in 1996.  You could not turn on MTV without seeing Eazy-E ascending into the afterlife.  (Once I learned that Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were proteges of Eazy-E’s and signed to his label, Eazy’s inclusion in this video made much more sense.)  At the Video Music Awards, Tha Crossroads was nominated for Best Rap Video but lost to Coolio’s Gangsta’s Paradise.

There is some online confusion as to who directed the video.  Wikipedia says Vaughan Arnell.  The IMDb says Michael Martin.  I am going with the IMDb on this.  Martin is also credited with doing videos for Outkast, N.W.A., Jodeci, and LL Cool J.  He directed the the films I Got The Hook Up and Da Game Of Life.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: Room For One More by Anthrax (1994, directed by David Hogan)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This music video features Anthrax doing what they did best, rocking it.  Like many of the older metal bands, Anthrax usually kept it simple when it came to their music videos.  Instead of going for gimmicks or a lot of bells and whistles, they just picked up their instruments and played as fast and as loud as they could.  It’s not a bad approach.  Though this video does feature clips of cattle and construction, it still puts the band front and center.

The song was recorded and this music video was shot during the time that John Bush was lead singer of the band, replacing Joey Belladonna after the latter was fired.  Belladonna, of course, would later rejoin the band.

Director David Hogan has done videos for everyone from Blues Traveler to BareNaked Ladies to Shania Twain.  He also directed Pamela Anderson in Barb Wire and served as a 2nd unit director on films like the third Alien film and Batman Forever.

Enjoy!

Song of the Day: Star Trek Fight Music by Gerald Fried

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

There’s a lot of classic music associated with Star Trek but my favorite will always be the fight music that Gerald Fried put together for the Amok Time episode in 1967.  This music went on to become the standard music that played during subsequent fight scenes during the second season of Star Trek.

Music Video of the Day: Don’t Get Me Wrong by The Pretenders (1986, directed by Stuart Orme)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

Happy birthday to Chrissy Hynde!

Today’s music video of the day features Hynde filling in for Diana Rigg and searching for John Steed in a tribute to The Avengers.  Patrick Macnee makes an appearance as Steed, courtesy of archival footage from The Avengers.

Television director Stuart Orme has also done videos for Level 42, Bonnie Tyler, Whitney Houston, Sade, Genesis, and Frida.

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: The Prisoner by Iron Maiden (1982, directed by ????)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

This is a classic Iron Maiden song that, as far as I know, has never gotten an official music video.  The live performance will have to do.

The dialogue at the start of the song was, of course, sampled from the cult television series of the same name starring Patrick McGoohan.  According to Iron Maiden’s manager, McGoohan had never heard of Iron Maiden but he still gave them permission to use the sample in the song after he was told that they were a “rock band.”

Enjoy!

Music Video of the Day: In My Dreams by Dokken (1986, directed by Wayne Isham)

Posted on by Jedadiah Leland

There’s never a dull moment when you’re a member of Dokken!  If you’re not playing in the rain, you’re standing on a computer generated grid.  I think this was all supposed to represent what Don Dokken was seeing in his dreams.

This single was released off of Dokken’s third studio album, Under Lock and Key.  The video was directed by Wayne Isham, who directed videos for everyone who was anyone.  Dokken definitely had their moment in the 80s.  The band’s classic line-up broke up in 1988 and Don Dokken is the only original member in the band’s current incarnation.  (When Don Dokken initially left the band in 1988, it created an odd situation where the other three members were still performing as Dokken even though the band’s namesake was pursuing a solo career.)  In April, Don Dokken said that he might be retiring from performing all together.

Enjoy!