Yesterday, as soon as I saw the twitter reaction to the passing of Malcolm Young, I knew that there was no way today’s music video of the day wouldn’t come from AC/DC.
As I looked through all of the AC/DC videos that were available on YouTube, the main thing that I noticed was that there was not an ounce of pretension to either the band’s music or their videos. The majority of the videos that I saw were simply made up of footage of the band performing on stage. There was no attempt to pretend that they were anything other than a hard-working band that played fast and loud. How could anyone not respect that?
Highway to Hell was probably an obvious video to pick, as it seems to be the song that everyone knows. Well, that’s okay. Sometimes, the obvious choice is the right choice. Since the video is pretty straight forward, here’s a little background on the song, courtesy of Songfacts:
The title is often attributed as a phrase AC/DC guitarist Angus Young used to describe touring in America. There is a much more literal explanation, however. “Highway to Hell” was the nickname for the Canning Highway in Australia. It runs from where lead singer Bon Scott lived in Fremantle and ends at a pub/bar called The Raffles, which was a big rock ‘n roll drinking hole in the ’70s. As Canning Highway gets close to the pub, it dips down into a steep decline: “No stop signs… speed limits… nobody gonna slow me down.”
So many people where killed by driving fast over that intersection at the top of the hill on the way for a good night out, that it was called the highway to hell, so when Bon was saying “I’m on the highway to hell” it meant that he was doing the nightly or weekly pilgrimage down Canning Highway to The Raffles bar to rock and drink with his mates: “Ain’t nothing I would rather do. Going down, party time, my friends are gonna be there too.”
How about a little Muse for today’s music video of the day?
I’ve always found it ironic that this band is named Muse because I’m usually at my most productive whenever I’ve got them playing in the background. There are just certain groups that help to get me in the mood to write. The Chemicals Brothers is one. So is Jakalope. Sleigh Bells, definitely. And then there’s Muse.
Starlight is a favorite of mine. According to my BFF, I once stayed up for six days straight, listening to this song over and over again. I think she’s exaggerating but it is a song that I listen to frequently.
Starlight was directed by Paul Manor. The band is performing on the deck of the MS Ocean Chie, which Wikipedia describes as being a “handysize bulk carrier.” I have no idea what that description means, beyond the fact that the boat’s deck was big enough for Muse to perform. According to Matt Bellamy, there is a deeper symbolism behind them performing on the boat. The video is about a band that is lost at sea because, at the time, Muse felt they were “outside what’s happening in the music scene.”
Hi there! Lisa here with today’s music video of the day!
This is the video for Rich White’s I’m Looking Up. It’s an undeniably low-budget affair but so what? I love the song and the video actually goes along with it nicely.
By the way, just in case you don’t recognize the capital building in the background or the bars on 6th Street, Rich is walking around Austin.
Hi! Lisa here with today’s music video of the day!
I love this song and this video. I still know some people who are convinced that this song is called “Sell Me Weed” but no, it’s called Set Me Free and this video proves it by showing that Dillon and Martin can not only be released from prison but also from your PC.
Hi, everyone! Lisa here, with today’s song of the day.
Why did I pick Heroes for today’s music video of the day, beyond the fact that it’s a really good song and a simple video that doesn’t require too much interpretation? Some of it is because today is the international Day of the Imprisoned Writer and Heroes is a song about two lovers living in the shadow of oppression. Technically, Heroes tells the story of two lovers in Berlin who meet everyday under the shadow of the Berlin Wall. According to Songfacts:
Bowie, who was living in Berlin at the time, was inspired by an affair between his producer Tony Visconti and backup singer Antonia Maass, who would kiss “by the wall” in front of Bowie as he looked out of the Hansa Studio window.
The other reason that I picked Heroes is because I recently rewatched one of my favorite movies, Christiane F. Both Bowie and this song play very important roles in that harrowing film.
As for the video, it’s simple but that’s why it works. The starkness of the video matches nicely with raw emotion of Bowie’s voice.
Hi! Lisa here, with today’s music video of the day.
Today’s video comes to us from singer-songwriter David Strange, who has played in several bands and who had a stint as Courtney Love’s guitarist. Titled Cocaine, the song and the video are about exactly what you would think they would be about and both feature a surrealistic edge that I absolutely love.
This video was directed by Strange’s frequent collaborator, Charlotte Kemp Muhl. A talented musician herself, Muhl is also the longtime partner of Sean Lennon. Both Muhl and Lennon played on Strange’s EP dAVID sTRANGE (which Muhl also produced.)
Does this seem familiar? It’s because Val already shared her thoughts about this video. This is a song that means a lot to me, especially on this day, so that’s why I’m sharing my thoughts now. It’s either that or else I forgot to check on whether this video had been previous shared before I wrote and scheduled this post.
Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life Trying to make ends meet, you’re a slave to the money then you die. I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah. No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change, but I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold. But I’m a million different people from one day to the next I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Bitter Sweet Symphony. It’s a beautiful song that, on days like today, means a lot to me. The lyrics were written by Richard Ashcroft, the lead singer of The Verve. That’s him in the video, lurching Frankenstein-like down Hoxton Street in London.
The famous orchestral riff, which has been heard in so many movies and commercials, was lifted from a 1965 song by The Rolling Stones, The Last Time. When the band tried to get permission to use the sample, there was a lot of confusion about who actually owned the rights. You can read all the details on Songfacts. It’s a bit too complicated for me to even try to put my mind around.
Well I never pray, But tonight I’m on my knees, yeah. I need to hear some sounds that recognize the pain in me, yeah. I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now. But the airwaves are clean and there’s nobody singing to me now.
The video,I assume, was very carefully orchestrated. Personally, I’d love to imagine that Ashcroft just started walking down the street, intentionally crashing into anyone or anything that got in his way. I especially relate to the woman who gets in Ashcroft’s face after he walks over her car. That would be me.
The video was directed by Walter Stern, who has sixteen credits listed on the imvdb. Supposedly the video was inspired by another music video, this one for Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy. I’ve never seen the Massive Attack video but apparently it also features a lead singer lurching down a street. Though Walter Stern didn’t direct Unfinished Sympathy, he did do a different video for Massive Attack (Tear Drop) shortly before doing Bitter Sweet Symphony.
No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change, But I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold. And I’m a million different people from one day to the next I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
(Well have you ever been down?) (I can’t change, I can’t change)
When I rewatched this video for this post, I was struck by just how tall Richard Ashcroft is. Honestly, I would probably get out of his way. Unless he walked across my car, of course. Then I’d get in his face and start yelling.
Cause it’s a bittersweet symphony this life. Trying to make ends meet, trying to find some money then you die. I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah. No change, I can’t change, I can’t change, I can’t change, but I’m here in my mold, I am here in my mold. But I’m a million different people from one day to the next I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no I can’t change my mold, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Despite the fact that The Verve was opposed to having their music appear in commercials, they didn’t control the rights. As such, Bitter Sweet Symphony was used in a campaign for Nike. The Verve donated the money that they made to the Red Cross Land Mine Appeal. Of course, the song’s appeared in a lot of commercials and movies since then.
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence It’s just sex and violence melody and silence (I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down) It’s just sex and violence melody and silence It’s just sex and violence melody and silence It’s just sex and violence melody and silence (I’ll take you down the only road I’ve ever been down) (It’s just sex and violence melody and silence)Been down (Ever been down) (Ever been down) (Ever been down) (Ever been down) (Ever been down)
Hi, everyone! Lisa here with today’s music video of the day! It’s an old one, one that comes to us all the way from 1967! I present to you: Smashed Blocked by John’s Children!
John’s Children were an English band who were together for about two years, from 1966 to 1968. By most accounts, they didn’t make much of an immediate impact, despite Smashed Blocked finding some popularity in the States. (However, they would later receive some retroactive recognition as one of the major influences on early punk rock.) Perhaps unfairly, they were better known for their antics on and off the stage than for their music. For instance, they opened for The Who until they were got kicked off the tour for being too wild. They frequently posed naked for the press. They named their first album Orgasm, which was a sure way to generate controversy in the 60s. Marc Bolan, who would later find fame as the frontman for T. Rex, was briefly a member of the group, though he wasn’t involved with the recording of Smashed Blocked.
Anyway, this video for Smashed Blocked was apparently filmed in 1967, in the basement of the Establishment, a popular London nightclub. That’s ainger Andy Ellison, drummer Chris Townson, and bass guitarist John Hewlett in the video. According to some comments that Ellison posted on YouTube, the song’s title comes from “mod” slang — Smashed meaning to be drunk and Blocked meaning to be high on amphetamines. That’s certainly the feeling that I get from this song, which really does seem to scream out “1967!” in every way that it can.
Interestingly enough, there’s a second video for Smashed Blocked on YouTube. This one was not an official release. Instead, it’s made up of footage that was left on the cutting room floor after the first video was put together. Here it is:
Today’s music video of the day is a personal favorite of mine. Then again, just about anything that involves The Chemical Brothers is a favorite of mine.
What is the video for The Test about? That’s a question that I’ve heard asked by several and I’ve read many different interpretations. Some people are convinced that the video is meant to be a recreation of an acid trip, which is certainly a valid if rather simplistic interpretation. Myself, I like to think that this video means whatever you, as an individual viewer, choose to believe it means. Any didactic interpretation, I think, misses the point.
Myself, I will say that the start of the video remind me of Irene Miracle’s iconic dive into the flooded basement in Dario Argento’s Inferno. (To a lesser extent, it also reminds me of the scene in which Asia Argento falls into a painting in The Stendhal Syndrome.) Once the action moves to the beach, the video puts me in the mind of one of Jean Rollin’s cinematic dreams.
Hi there! Lisa here, recovering from my birthday and bringing you today’s music video of the day!
Today’s music video of the day comes from a Canadian show that is very close to my heart … no, not Saved By The Bell: The New Class. That show wasn’t Canadian. I’m talking about Degrassi!
Starting with the second season, Jake Epstein was a regular on Degrassi. Epstein played Craig Manning, the bipolar photographer-turned-musician who, over the course of his time on the show, did everything from impregnating Manny to beating up Joey Jeremiah to eventually breaking the hearts of both Ellie Nash and Ashley Kerwin. He even befriended Kevin Smith!
In the middle of the fifth season, Epstein left the show and Craig left Toronto. However, even though he was no longer a regular character, Craig would occasionally return to Degrassi. For instance, during season 6, he came back to play a show and, as a result of snorting too much cocaine before taking the stage, ended up having a massive nose bleed in the middle of his performance. Agck!
Fortunately, Craig went to rehab and was able to return during the season 7 episode, Bust a Move. Playing a surprise show at a Canadian college and reconnecting with two of his exes, Craig also found time to perform My Window, a song that, in real life, was written by Jake Epstein.
The video above was released around the same time that Bust a Move premiered in the States. It’s an official video, even if it is mostly made up of clips taken from previous episodes of Degrassi. Unfortunately, most of those scenes were lifted from his season 6 return. I would have liked to have seen more scenes between Craig and Ellie. (I used to think that Ellie was totally me but, while recently rewatching the show, I realized that I actually had more in common with Ashley.)
Anyway, I can hear the eyes rolling already but cut me some slack. I love Degrassi! Add to that, this is actually a pretty good song. I love Jake Epstein’s voice. Along with appearing on Degrassi and countless Lifetime films, Epstein is also a respected musical theater actor. Among his credits: American Idiot, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, and Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark.
Through the Shattered Lens 