Rock from the 80s

Journey: Frontiers Album: Faithfully

Context: The song Faithfully was released with the Album Frontiers in February of 1983.  While on tour for the album (in 1983), NFL Films joined the band to video moments behind the scenes during the tour.  These behind the scene videos were the footage used for a NFL Film’s Documentary: Journey- Frontiers and Beyond.  However, a music video was not released for the song until 2010 when Journey’s Youtube channel posted a compilation of videos from the documentary shot in 1983 backed by their song Faithfully.

Content:  The lyrics of the song talk the difficulty of being separated from the band member’s wives and families while on the road touring.  You can hear the aching of being apart but the strength of love keeps them “faithfully” anchored to their wives and families.

            The whole “music video” is shots from the documentary that represent these lyrics.  Touring musician facing the long time away from his wife.  The song was written from the member’s personal experience.

Form: The video starts out with an over the shoulder shot of a car window sticker of their album cover being put on their tour bus.

All of the shots seem to be taken from a hand-held camera (except for a few sky views of the tour bus driving).  The intimate shots shown in the video represent the love-ballad that the song is.  All of the footage shows the emotional moments that the members are going through while touring.  For example, there is a scene where you can see one member slow dancing with his wife back stage.

Observations:  From the look of the video you can tell the footage was taken in the 80s.  I think the makers of the documentary successfully captured the essence of the song.  The road really is no place to start a family.

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Rock from the 90s

Nirvana: Nevermind Album: Smells Like Teen Spirit

Context: The video was made in 1991 following the release of the Nevermind album and directed by Samuel Bayer.  Smells Like Teen Spirit music video premiered on MTV’s alternative rock program 120 Minutes.

Content: The story of the song/music video all depends on how the listener/viewer personally interprets a song/video. 

            My view came together after researching the creation of the band Nirvana.  Two of the band members went to high school together and were only 24 at the time of releasing this song and album.  How do musicians write songs?  They write from real life experiences.  Since they were only 24 when writing this song, the “most” recent experiences in their lives was high-school.  I feel like maybe the song’s lyrics was, in a way, targeted at the typical high-school students.  At a time in their lives where you’ve been around all the same people for so many years and you’ve become bored.  The song talks about a girl who’s over-bored and self-assured.  High school girls usually fit this description; they’re so bored and secretly all want to have a fun release, but they’re too “self-assured” and stuck up about reputations.  The song then leads into the introduction of drugs “I know a dirty word,” “I feel stupid,” “And I forget just why I taste oh yeah I guess it makes me smile.”

Form: The video begins with the view of what looks like a high school assembly in a super foggy and discolored gymnasium.  Inside the gymnasium filled with students sitting in the bleachers, the band (Nirvana) is performing while cheerleaders cheer.  The students start out well behaved and just sitting watching. 

As the video and song progresses, the students begin to stand up and dance to the music.  There are quick shots of different angles between the students and the band being “entertained” and “entertaining.”  The students are going wild and acting crazy by the end.

Observations: I feel like the video successfully captured my interpretation of the lyrics.  Every high schooler is just looking to be entertained, just something to change the same everyday routine.

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Rock from the 00s

Red Hot Chili Peppers: Scar Tissue

Context: The music video for “Scar tissue” was directed by Stephane Sednaoui in 1999.

Content:  The whole video is the band members all piled into a convertible driving.  The lyrics “Scar Tissue” is referring to the main singer’s addiction to drugs and the scars it has left him with.

Form:  The camera focuses on each member of the band at different times.  The camera has steady movements and fades into different views.

Observations:  The members of the band are covered in blood and beaten up.  I think this represents how drugs has destroyed their lives.  When they sing the lyrics “with the birds I’ll share this lonely view” the members tend to look up to the sky.