Live Music Videos

Two very excellent and most triumphant versions of the "live" music video by The National and The Flaming Lips. I was a little skeptical of the National video when I first heard it was to be live footage from various tour stops. "Terrible Love" is an incredible song, it's complex and subtle and to me seemed more fitting if accompanied by an intimate setting. Yet this whirl wind tour montage somehow fits perfectly with the song and transformed the way I now hear "Terrible Love". Definitely one of the better "camera on the road" type music videos (Robyn also had a good one this year with "Hang With Me", not that it altered the song or revolutionized anything, but basically it made something you've seen a thousand times look fresh and interesting. Check it out.)

The Flaming Lips take a more straight forward approach with "The Sparrow Looks Up at the Machine", which is your basic "live performance" music video. With striking primary colors and exposed bright lights they tear through the song and keep things interesting despite a tune based on one groove and repeated lyrics. I could watch the entire album recorded like this. Upon first hearing "Embryonic" I was blown away, but despite all the assaulting noise and percussion I still wasn't sure how the songs would look/sound live, this video answers that and then some. There is a short doc on the web about the Flips making "Embryonic", it also has some great live performance footage and for me elevated the way I heard the songs even more so once I revisited the album. Check it out. Enjoy.

Rating: *****