Sunday Culture: The magic of music videos
Adam Coil brings us back to the Music Video Era and James Watson tells us why we should listen to live albums.
Adam:
A requiem for a dwindling medium
On this side of the pandemic, there is a gaping hole in the music industry where the big-budget music video used to be. I can’t speak to the MTV era of the ’90s, but I do remember that in the 00s and 10s, the music video release was central to an album’s rollout. Nowadays, music videos (if there even is one) often do little more than display the artist’s wealth. It can be difficult to remember that music videos used to be giant productions with their own storylines and professional actors. Kendrick Lamar’s “The Heart Part V” is probably the most interesting in recent years, but even it pales in comparison to the relics of the golden age.
Let’s take a moment to rewind and appreciate some of the greats of years past.
"This is America" by Childish Gambino
The man created “Atlanta.” Of course he knows how to make a music video.
"Runaway" by Kanye West
Even as West’s reputation continues to diminish, some of his work remains perfectly evergreen.
"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore
As great as this is, Macklemore still did not deserve that Grammy.
"Sorry" by Beyoncé
Beyoncé’s string of music videos for “Lemonade” broke the internet in 2016, and rightfully so.
"Thriller" by Michael Jackson
The king of the music video’s best music video.
James:
The art of the live album
This weekend, the Talking Heads’ totemic live concert film, “Stop Making Sense” is hitting theaters again in tandem with its 40th anniversary. There have been many concerts, films and concert films, but Stop Making Sense again and again proves that it’s in a league of its own. Jonathan Demme’s moody auteurism and Bryne’s thoughtful choreography lend the doc an intangible magic that I have a hard time describing, even after repeated viewings.
It was a sheer joy to see it in theaters. While my audience wasn't dancing in their seats like in some viral Tik Toks, we would all clap and cheer between songs. Everyone’s mind was synchronized into a singular thought: I wish I could've been there. Even though the concert was nearly half a century old, people still filed out of the theater buzzed on funk and rhythm.
There was a time I didn’t get live albums. I’d ask, why would you listen to a live album if you could just go see the real thing? Does that not spoil the magic of the live show? Stupid dumb idiot take alert. Some live performances, like the one captured by Demme and crew, contain that quality which can’t be described or replicated.
This is why Nirvana’s Unplugged is so heralded, for example. It’s spooky and almost funerary (which many will see as eerily prescient). It captures a band in tight working order, looking around to find themselves snuggly enveloped in the capital R Rock canon — just before everything unravels at the seams.
There are even artists whose identity is built through live recordings, jam outfits like Phish and the Dead come to mind.
The point is, live albums are transformational and transportation. They’re not supposed to take away from The Real Thing. They’re time capsules into a moment, whether fleeting or sustained. Frankly, it’s art in its most organic form.
And in the case of Stop Making Sense, it’s perhaps the Talking Heads’ finest body of work.
Some live albums (aside from those mentioned above) for your consideration:
“The Last Waltz” - The Band
“Hard Rain” - Bob Dylan
“Prince and The Revolution Live” - Prince and the Revolution
“Live at the Sin-é” - Jeff Buckley
“The Long Goodbye” - LCD Soundsystem
– Adam & James