Bush must've been watching a LOT of PJ videos...
JH6056
Posts: 2,427
I just saw the video for Bush's "Glycerine" for the 1st time in decades, and it kept striking me how much the video angles, his facial expressions, even the brown tattered jacket he wears in one part... it's got SO MUCH "Ed in the Jeremy video aesthetic" to it, and also some PJ MTV Unplugged. Then I saw it came out in '94 which makes sense, enough time to be totally impacted by PJ's "video artform" and say "Do that!"
Anyone else see that, or it's just me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOllF3TgAsM
Anyone else see that, or it's just me?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOllF3TgAsM0
Comments
I like both albums, doesn’t bother me any but I’d say I hear more nirvana influences
as to the video visuals, I don’t know. From what I remember a lot of videos looked kind of like that in the 90’s
But visually, I can't think of any videos before Jeremy that had that particular look, and if I remember correctly Ed was the first frontperson NOT to "pose" and to make uncomfortable facial expressions. I'm talking in terms of major bands getting MTV airplay; clearly there were other bands before PJ to focus more on playing and emoting than looking like supermodels.
I should probably have been clearer, but I just saw so much that looked like mimicking (respectfully, admiringly) Eddie's video presence, which was of course huge then.
Also just saw a few Nirvana videos (In Bloom, Teen Spirit, and Heart Shaped Box) and yes, musically I get the influence but their videos have their own vibes that were also different.
It's such a subjective question I asked, totally cool that there will be many opinions
The video era I'm finding most interesting of all on this channel is 70s videos, more than anything because songs were SO MUCH more about how they SOUNDED and not how the musicians LOOKED, even though there are some fabulous outfits and of course there was plenty of awareness and effort in looking "good". But people looked SO NORMAL. Normal faces, crazy hair, a lot of super talented people who looked largely like most other people in those days.
I don't remember the 70s cuz I was so tiny, but it's fascinating to compare them to the 80s, 90s and 00s from a music video point of view.
bush, no doubt, goo goo dolls was the first concert I went to without my parents . Album was out for sure so probably 1995
it was supporting sixteen stone, a boy named goo, and tragic kingdom as I remember most of the songs being from that.
Not to sidetrack the thread but Jeremy, smells like teen spirit etc. we’re all part of that brief time when a music video was a stand alone piece of art. And moving toward wildly expensive production etc
probably peaked right around Korn “freak on a leash”
soundgarden black hole sun was great too, tool had some great ones as well.
music videos were probably as important as the music in the 90’s. I wish we had that back
jeremy in particular has aged very well and it’s just as relevant today or maybe more so. Not sure that’s a good thing that that’s timeless. Without the video the song is less of a gut punch
Yeah, something happened later in the 90s where the artsy angle dropped and it was so much more about how slick and sexy everyone could look. Even sorta arty themes had to still be sexy. Humor is still a common theme but now most bands and videos try too hard.
Now... no joke, I was watching a Reggaeton music channel (my musical tastes range far & wide) but there was a video where the singer/rapper dude is all tricked out but he spends a lot of the video in front of a WALL OF BUTTS. Like, it's clear because they move, it's a wall with just barely enough cut out space for women to insert their bare butts from the other side and sorta twerk them but that's ALL you see. Never mind how uncomfortable that had to be for an entire videoshoot, but WOW... talk about art leaving the building! And it definitely wasn't meant to be funny.
All the TOOL videos are done by their guitarist Adam, he was a special effects person before TOOL took off.
Last great music videos I can remember were Movies and Smooth Criminal by Alien Ant Farm. Those were great. I liked Linkin Parks One Step closer, Come to Daddy by Aphex Twin and Enemy by Sevendust.
The last 15 years for music videos isn't all that great. Fun to watch but nothing crazy anymore.
Maybe my bar is a lot lower than yours
Tool videos are in a class by themselves. I saw a System of a Down video the other day that I thought was a Tool video at first, some similar visuals but more real people than most Tool videos I've seen.
Will have to check Come to Daddy & Enemy, I don't think I've ever seen those.
You should be scared by one of them and the enjoy the other, lol. Can't wait for your take.
it’s hard to deny to a teenager in the 90’s it was pretty cool and weird
looking at it today I may feel different
But also loved little touches, like the girl in pink who does a "Bee Girl" little dance (Blind Melon reference of course) and then it cuts to bees, then cuts to a beekeeper on the ground with his mask half off, clearly dead... There are a lot of good cultural references in there.
Not trying to convince you or change your mind, but had to come back to tell you what else I like about it
They also played Hunger Strike & Epic. Thinking Epic & Black Hole Sun was same director, going to look that up now... [Update:] No, different directors. But the timing is right, Blind Melon's "No Rain" video with the Bee Girl came out in '92; Black Hole Sun video in '94.
bee girl was probably the original meme before memes were a thing
-EV 8/14/93
I swear there is a Dave Grohl interview somewhere where he basically says if you remove the vocals, sixteen stone is nevermind
hopefully someone knows what I’m referring to. Someone said it and my recollection is that it was Dave
My story is funny, a guy I totally had a crush on at school in '91 handed me his Nevermind cd and said "Listen to this". I did, I was floored, and he said "Nirvana is playing in town next week, you should go." The show was long sold out, but I went to enough shows at that theater that the door people knew me and often let me slide in if there were no tix left. The day of the Nirvana show as I walked up alone towards the theater, the door people saw me and started shaking their heads "No!!" and I walked up and they were like "No, not tonight. Crazy sold out." So I just said that's cool, totally understand, and was hanging with them as they worked and people-watching this sold out Fall '91 audience as they arrived (L7 was opening, what a show!).
Then the Fire Marshall showed up, with 3 fully geared up firemen in tow, they exchanged a few greetings & words with doormen, and started to walk in. The doormen looked at me and jerked their heads, and I was like "What?" and they looked at the firemen, then me, and jerked their heads again and I was like "Follow them??" and I didn't think anymore, just jumped in right behind the firemen and literally followed the Fire Marshall, past the ticket takers, into the VERY crowded theater, as he inspected for over-crowding, I made my way to balcony and overcrowded up there and had the most amazing view of an amazing show.
And that friend who gave me the cd and told me to go? He used to work with bands and had worked with Dave Grohl's band Scream before he was in Nirvana. He caught up with Grohl during hte day and was backstage for soundcheck, then said "I'm going for a walk". Dave was like "Um, you may not want to leave, I don't know if I can get you in again" and my friend was like "Oh it's cool, I'll get in" Well he got back to the theater later and could NOT get in, ended up having to scalp a ticket outside for too much money!! I was like "Only YOU would LEAVE backstage at a Nirvana concert because you felt like taking a freaking walk..."
Either that Dec or the next one I saw Nirvana with the Breeders & Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy (Michael Franti's first and most amazing band). Phenomenal show. Ed Vedder was there walking around, but I didn't see him, my friends did.