In this blog post I'm sharing the best of Sound and Vision (in my opinion of course). I have gone through my list of about 200 favourite pop/rock songs and ballads, and selected the 24 best videos accompanying these songs (actually I ended up with 25, but Kayleigh's Marillion was deleted from YouTube). I have decided to pick only official
videos, not fan-made ones, and preferably hosted by the artists' YouTube
accounts to enhance the chance of longevity there. All of these videos have a strong artistic feeling in the
visual aspect to complement the beautiful songs - perhaps not
surprisingly, many are animated. Also not surprisingly, all-round
artists like Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel and Steven Wilson are represented
more than once. I'll be sharing the 24 selected songs in alphabetical order in two posts spread over the year - every song description ends with a video symbol that is linked to the video on YouTube. Here are the first twelve.
A routine day (Klaatu)
Klaatu were a Canadian rock group formed in 1973 - and for a while rumoured to be the Beatles reunited. After five studio albums, the group fell apart in 1982, except for an occasional reunion afterwards. A routine day is a track from the 1978 album Sir Army Suit.
It can be seen as an homage to sixties' pop music, but the lyrics are
biting in their directness. Never has a dreary unexciting life been
described so sharply in pop music: "the life I live would even make a
dead man yawn...".
Ashes to ashes (David Bowie)
David Bowie (1947 - 2016) was a British singer-songwriter, whose career stretched over six decades. He is generally recognized as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, affecting subjects as diverse as fashion and classical music. He released dozens of studio albums, many of which were bestsellers. Ashes to ashes from the 1980 album Scary monsters (and super creeps) is a remarkably sharp critique on his first major hit Space Oddity, to which he refers in the lyrics with "Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know Major Tom's a junkie". The music is fabulous, and for many this is the best song he ever wrote.
Bedshaped (Keane)
Keane are a British rock band formed in 1995. They achieved mainstream, international success with the release of their 2004 debut album, Hopes and Fears. I consider this one of the best debut albums ever: a beautiful collection of melodic songs, but even so, one track stands out for me: Bedshaped. Musically, a little more complex than most of their songs, and an amazing accomplishment for a new band. Especially the start of the instrumental section, where for a few seconds an Enya like atmosphere is created, which quickly gives away to powerful synthesizer magic. The lyrics are, well, interesting. Somehow I don't think that my wife would regard a line like "bedshaped with legs of stone" as a compliment....
Biko (Peter Gabriel)
Peter Gabriel (1950) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, record producer and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched a very successful solo career, with so far 13 studio albums. Biko is a track from Peter Gabriels third solo album, nicknamed 'Melt' (1980). It is a moving tribute to activist Steven Biko who died in a South African jail in 1977. Set against the background of a very South African sound (both voices and drum rhythm), the lyrics are sheer genius, including an immortal line like "You can blow out a candle, but you can't blow out a fire".
Blood of Eden (Peter Gabriel)
After his commercial breakthrough with the album So and the hit single Sledgehammer, Peter Gabriel typically did not cash in, but took six years to release his next regular studio album Us in 1992. The single Steam may be the best known track, but the highlight of the album is Blood of Eden,
a bitter but beautiful song which deals with a broken relationship,
undoubtedly inspired by his own divorce in that time. The lyrics are as
usual great, with lines such as "I caught sight of my reflection, I
caught it in the window, I saw the darkness in my heart, I saw the signs
of my undoing" and the poignant Shakespearian "is that a dagger or a
crucifix I see you hold so tightly in your hand?". Sinéad O'Connor
provides additional vocals, and Peter Gabriel himself has stated that
emotionally he feels very close to this song.
💻
Brothers in arms (Dire Straits)
Dire
Straits were a British rock band formed in London in 1977 by Mark
Knopfler (lead vocals and lead guitar)). They were active from 1977 to
1988 and again from 1991 to 1995. They are one of the world's
best-selling music artists, with album sales of over 100 million (six
studio albums, live albums and compilations). Dire Straits have been
popular since their debut, but their big break-through came when they
were chosen by Philips as the symbol of the new CD technology. The 1985
album Brothers in arms shot to twenty-three million-seller
status. Artistically it was less consistent than the astonishing Love
over gold that preceded it, but commercially it did far better. That was
also caused by the videos accompanying the single releases, in
particular the cartoon produced for the mega hit Money for nothing and the wistful video for the title song Brothers in arms,
where the artists' pictures were skillfully transposed into sketch-type
images. Leaving the video artistry aside, it should be noted that this
song actually is a beautiful dark ballad, and a further highlight in
their career.
Cloudbusting (Kate Bush)
Kate Bush (1958) is a British singer/songwriter, who in 1978 topped the UK Singles Chart for four weeks with her debut single Wuthering heights. Many hits (singles and albums) followed. She is generally seen as one of the greatest influences on a generation of female pop/rock artists who came after her. Cloudbusting was the second single drawn from the amazing 1985 album Hounds of love.
It will always be linked to the fantastic video clip featuring Donald
Sutherland as her father and Kate in a short-haired wig as a little boy.
Musically, it is a well-rounded masterpiece, with original
instrumentation (cellos rhythmically dominating), a beautiful melody and
great lyrics telling the tale of father and son from the child's
perspective ("just saying it can even make it happen"). Kate was
inspired by Peter Reich's A Book of Dreams which told of his
relationship with his father Wilhelm. The video and song actually tell
the true tale of Wilhelm eventually being arrested by the government and
imprisoned for his ideas. He died behind bars.
Drive home (Steven Wilson)
Steven Wilson (1967) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and record producer, most closely associated with the progressive rock genre. He became known as the founder, lead guitarist, lead vocalist and songwriter of the band Porcupine Tree, as well as being a member of several other bands, including Blackfield and No-Man. He released his first solo album in 2008, followed by four more over the years, mostly to great critical acclaim. As good as his first solo albums were, he outdid himself with the 2013 album The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories) - a beautiful but spooky homage to seventies' prog. Drive home
is a ghost story about a man who loses his partner in a
car accident; an absolute beauty, with an amazing guitar solo by
Guthrie Govan.
💻
Johnny
Cash (1932 - 2003) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor,
and author. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time,
having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. His genre-spanning
songs and sound embraced country, rock and roll, rockabilly, blues,
folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal won Cash the rare honor of being
inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls
of Fame. He released over sixty studio albums in a recording career that
lasted 57 years. His music is not exactly my taste, but when in 2019 I
first heard his song Hurt, it blew me away, and the more I hear it (and see the amazing video), the more I love it. It is a track from his 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around, which mainly consists of covers. Hurt is
originally a Nine Inch Nails song, and that band's leader Trent Reznor
praised Cash's interpretation of his song for its "sincerity and
meaning", going so far as to say "that song isn't mine anymore - it's
his now".
Hurt (Johnny Cash)
Mercy Street (Peter Gabriel)
The third appearance of Peter Gabriel in today's post. So from 1986 is the best album Peter Gabriel has ever made, and Mercy street is undoubtedly one of his very best songs. This subtle delicate ballad could not be further away musically from the album's big hit Sledgehammer. He took his inspiration for this song from the suicidally depressed poet Anne Sexton (45 Mercy Street is the title of one of her works), and put out an absolute masterpiece. Peter Gabriel himself described the song as follows: Mercy Street is filled with messages and imagery of dreams, and a constant search for a suitable father figure, whether it be a doctor, a priest, or God....
My immortal (Evanescence)
Evanescence is an American rock band founded in 1995. They went through several personnel changes over the years, but the constant factor is the face of the band, singer Amy Lee. They recorded four studio albums, with worldwide sales exceeding 22 million. Their 2003 album Fallen is one of the most impressive debut albums of this century. They have often been compared to Linkin Park, but they are far superior. The Amazon review characterization ("evoking Tori Amos and the Cranberries") is much more to the point an explains why I like this group so much. It is intelligent dramatic goth-influenced rock music, and singer Amy Lee has a really amazing voice. The highlight of the album is the moving ballad My immortal, which was also included in the soundtrack to The daredevil.
Nur zu Besuch (Die Toten Hosen)
Die Toten Hosen (literally "The Dead Trousers", figuratively "dead boring" or "impotents") is a German punk rock band formed in 1982. They are the one of the most successful German bands of recent decades. They released 17 studio albums, mainly sung in German. Nur zu Besuch (Just visiting) from the 2002 album Auswärtsspiel is
a beautiful rock ballad, and being able to understand the lyrics is
quite essential. Singer Campino describes the visit to the grave of a
loved one (although it was inspired by the death of his mother, any
other loved one can be substituted) in a perfect understated way. It is a
song that can literally make me cry.
Copyright statement: screen shots from videos is deemed fair use.
