I have the sinking feeling that the art of the music film is on its way out. I saw Jonathan Demme’s Stop Making Sense, his live concert film of Talking Heads at the band’s frenzied best, for the first time last year and was dumbstruck by how ornate the film was blocked, how such an ambitious concert could be filmed so precisely. (Then again, David Byrne pulls this stuff off all the time.) And although I still haven’t seen The Last Waltz (I have plans to watch that on Thanksgiving—nothing like listening to "The Weight" while I pack some on), it feels too rare that top notch directors like Martin Scorsese take on concert films.
But I feel like the last year has been a good one for music videos. Radiohead did this thing with lasers, Feist basically recreated the spirit of the Talking Heads flick in her video for "1, 2, 3, 4," and LCD Soundsystem put together a four-and-a-half minute bit that perfectly fits the best song of 2007, "All My Friends":
James Murphy and LCD Soundsystem: Yeah, they get the big picture.
There happen to be a few exceptions to my theory. Tonight, for instance, the Corner’s burger joint, Boylan Heights, hosts a free screening of Flaming Lips’ Christmas on Mars (more of a concept film, like The Who’s Tommy). And there’s always WTJU’s excellent "Rock & Roll Movie Night" every Monday at 8pm at Olsson Hall—check my column, Curtain Calls, for more on that next Tuesday.
But when was the last time you saw a director match wits with a band to create a full-on film spectacle? What’s the best way to visually experience music? YouTube? Renting Mamma Mia? Show me a few brilliant music videos from the last few years, people; prove me wrong.
UPDATE: Speaking of musicians with some camera experience, Jessica Simpson is coming to John Paul Jones Arena in January as a guest of Rascal Flatts. Go crazy, Daisy!
