Product: Bowie - The Video Collection [VHS]
Rating: 5.0
From Space Oddity To Fame 90-a video retrospective
David Bowie didn't have as many videos in this visual companion to his Ryko double disk The Singles Collection 1969-1993, brimming with songs. However, nine of them predated MTV as much as nine years. Bowie made performance clips of "Space Oddity," "John I'm Only Dancing," "Life On Mars," and "Jean Genie." Here are the highlights.The first few videos are mainly performance clips without any trickery or conceptual story. Of those, "Jean Genie" could fit in MTV, as it combines a studio performance by the Spiders and a live performance, even a blonde who first appears on cue when he mentions Monroe. But in "Life On Mars," Bowie's paled makeup, blue makeup around eyes, and blue suit is an interesting study in colour contrast.The three videos promoting the singles from Lodger (1979) was a preview to MTV, all shot on video camera as opposed to film. "Boys Keep Swinging" is amusing and camp as Bowie sings and dances around the mike, while three women (Bowie in drag) sing the chorus and the "boys" refrain. And what could be more kitschy then two of the women sashaying on a fashion show platform, removing the wig, and smearing their lipstick in outrageous fashion? Only the Garbo lookalike Bowie, cane in hand, maintains a sense of decorum and dignity."Look Back In Anger" combines the story of the angel of death coming to take someone away and the Portrait of Dorian Gray, as the right side of Bowie's face becomes painted like the painting of the angel. And "DJ" is silly nonsense of Bowie in a pink suit playing a DJ tossing records over his shoulder and wrecking the playing booth.Then the next triptych of videos, from Let's Dance, which did much to promote him and album sales in the era of MTV. Bowie's usual performances is intercut with some Australian aborigines, particularly a young couple, in the title track. The most controversial one is "China Girl," which culminates in Bowie and his Chinese girlfriend emulating Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in From Here To Eternity, only without clothes and with pronounced ecstasy. "Modern Love" taken from the Serious Moonlight Tour demonstrates Bowie's comeback, and he still dresses well, the beige suit complementing his bright yellow hair.The videos for Tonight are visually entertaining. "Blue Jean" has Bowie in two roles, rock star Screaming Lord Byron in beige makeup and dressed in Indian style blue turban and baggy shirt, while he also plays a nerd trying to impress a bored and unimpressed girl that he knows Byron. "Loving The Alien" uses the motif from the album cover of a blue-painted Bowie against stained glass, praying fervently through clenched teeth, while a chador-clad Arab woman appears throughout.Three videos are taken from movies Bowie appeared in and incorporate movie footage/motifs. "Absolute Beginners" has him chasing the mysterious Zebra Woman while scenes from the movies are shown. My favourite as that's what I first saw regularly. The others are "Underground" and "As The World Falls Down" from Labryinth, the latter featuring quick speed drawn animation like a-ha's "Take On Me" but white on black. And what to make of the lonely love-stricken young girl printing off pictures of Bowie on her personal copier in "Falls Down", intercut with movie scenes and performance footage?The videos from Never Let Me Down are a mixed bag, with "Day-In Day-Out" being a grim story of a single mother who's led a rough life, her lover stealing from stores, and she getting into quite a rough adventure when she goes streetwalking. "Time Will Crawl" has Bowie being manhandled and thrown like a ragdoll by a set of dancers while Peter Frampton plays guitar. He was probably glad to watch them do their nonsense from the refuge of nearby scaffolding. Marathon dancing from the 30's is the inspiration for the title track, which despite the disclaimer "never before released", I saw a couple times on MTV back then.The screen is split into a center square and many tiny squares all around in "Fame 90" has Bowie cavorting with some blonde in the center while clips from his old videos and other footage is shown in the tiny squares, bringing this collection full circle.