Re: embarrassing videos

[lishka@cernvax.cern.ch (christopher lishka)]

In <1991Oct10.203626.7493@leland.Stanford.EDU> drk@leland.stanford.EDU (David Koehler) writes:

>Steve Berlin really struck a chord with me when he describes pre-HoL
>Kate videos as being "really embarrassing" or merely "not quite as
>embarrassing". 

Yeah, I know what you mean.  I noticed that a lot of the early one's
were produced (I think) by someone named Keith, with a company name of
Keefco ("a Keefco production").  Does anyone have any info on this
guy/company?  His production seemed pretty silly.

IMHO, I thought the video to "Babooshka" was complete dreck.  Nothing
to do with the song!  And that battle-woman outfit would have worked
better in a Red Sonja/Conan movie than there.  The video with (an
almost or totally nude) Kate Bush wrapped in plastic was also pretty
bad.


>Check out TSW-the videos, Steve.  Just three videos, but with KaTe
>interviews in between.  

If you like videos.  I found that _The Sensual World_ videos did for
me what so many other videos unfortunately do: attach a certain image
in my mind whenever I listen to the song.  I was pretty disappointed
with the boring imagery (especially in "Love and Anger"), so I only
watched the videos once and forgot the imagery afterwards.  The images
that swam through my head were much better for me.


> I thought "This Woman's Work" was a very powerful video.

There are a few really *good* Kate videos, IMHO.  "This Woman's Work"
is one of them, although I found it confusing until a kind Kate-fan
let me in on what was happening.  I particularily like "Cloudbusting"
and "Experiment IV" because the imagery of the two went so well with
the music.  Whenever I listen to the song "Cloudbusting" now I think
of that big machine, and the Father being taken away in the car.
Also, I thought "The Big Sky" video was nice.

But alas I have sworn not to watch videos by any of my favorite
performers again.  Too often videos seem to be made to sell a song,
rather than complement it.  I much prefer the images in *real* films,
where a song is used in the soundtrack.  The great sex-on-a-train
scene from _Risky Business_ with Phil Collin's "Something In The Air
Tonight" is powerful stuff (although the song and image actually don't
have a direct relation).  Also, movies that have good soundtracks
(like _Cal_, with Mark Knopfler's excellent music) are much better
than videos.

Side note: I have always wanted to produce some videos for songs that
I think would work well visually.  I have about the following video
scenarios: : an animated short story about the effect of technology
and nature on people, done to the "Blue Danube Waltz" (I actually
wrote a script for this in High School as a project); a computer
animated literal retelling of one of Shriekback's stranger songs (I
forget the name now, but it is really wierd); an invasion of incredibly
brutal green aliens done to New Order's "Everything's Gone Green"; a
couple enterring a room, undressing, and making love done to
Shriekback's "This Big Hush".  I also would like to do a film about my
feelings about war using modern anti-war music and documentary
footage.  Unfortunately, all of these are just dreams that I don't
have time to realize, as I am off making another dream come true
(living in Europe).

Enough babbling!  (Of course, everything above is quite simply "in my
humble opinion"!)

					.oO Chris Oo.
-- 
 Christopher Lishka                  Smiling as the shit comes down
 Wisconsin Group, CERN               You can tell a man from what he has to say
 lishka@cernvax.cern.ch                                        -- Crowded House