music video

Rip It Up, Issue 175, 1 February 1992, Page 16

music video

-‘RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Funky Monks (Warner Music Video) This is not so much a music video-as a document of the Chili’s circa Blood Sugar Sex Magic, it only features two complete songs in an hour’s running time, but contains a lot of “home footage” of the band recording, philosophizing and generally living. At times this can be a little in the airhead californian style, but these guys are nothing if not entertaining. Its quite interesting from a fan’s perspective to see how the band put an album together, especially under the circumstances the Chili's were working under. (No proper studio, just a house set up as studio & living quarters.) Rick Rubin and his beard drift in and out, the Chili's (especially John Frusciante) talk alot of gibberish and slowly an album is assembled. The band aren't portrayed as infallible demi-gods, they seem just as flawed and crazy as your friends and family which is a nice perspective. Funky Monks is really a glorified home movie, but it's a lot . better than what's on the TV and the jokes are dirtier too. | just wish someone had thought of this concept a lot earlier, it would be amazing to see the likes of George Clinton or Black Sabbath or John Colirane given the same treatment in their prime. KIRK GEE PUBLIC ENEMY Tour Of A Black Planet (S-M.V./ Tot.Ent) A litle deceptive this one, as the fitle would lead you to believe it's live footage when actually it's a video version of Public Enemy’s musical concept. There's 13 videos, only one of which is live, tied together with all manner of odds and ends, sort of visual scratching. Although at times the whole staunch P.E. thing comes across as a litle hackneyed in these videos, the strength of the music is enough to carry any minor lapses. Assorted P.E. staff are interviewed and there’s the usual home footage, lots of which was shot on four, and even New Zealand cops a mention. Despite his attempts to deny any leadership, it's easy to see why Chuck D is so pivotal in the rap

world. He's very sharp, articulate and powerful looking, a strong leader while Flavour plays the Jester, a full anything that Public Enemy do, it’s hard to find fault with this offering. KIRK GEE FISHBONE The Redlity Of My Surroundings _ (S.M.V./ Tot.Ent.) An interesting historical video compilation here, tracking the rise of Fishbone from new wave ska band on ‘Modern Industry’ to the scorching combo that they are today. Again the video is used as a forum for band members to expound on any damn thing, but with Fishbone the chatter is keep to a minimum, and the songs are left to explain themselves. Like the RHCP, Fishbone are basically So-Cal hippies and it shows! There's plenty of the “we love one another and our music and all the world except for the bad bits” stuff, but there’s also the utterly superb ‘Freddie’s Dead’ and ‘Everyday Sunshine’ videos, so check this thing out. KIRK GEE : DANNI MINOGUE Love and Kisses ' (Mushroom) KYLIE MINOGUE Let's Get T 0... (Mushroom) For quite some time now | have been somewhat disparaging about the cultural offerings our Tasman neighbours have come up with, but no more will | sneer. These two videos certainly show that there’s no shortage of class and distinction happening in their entertainment scene. Danni, for instance, is very serious about ‘perfecting her craft as an actress, something that is illustrated by an excerpt from her soap opera career which is enough to make me wish | owned a TV. Danni's more human side is illustrated by her getting misty eyed over her fans (not many stars really

care nowadays) and singing ‘The Good Ship Lollypop’ at the age of eight. Kylie however, seems to have grown out of that youthful market as her image now is pretty much pure sex. Granted, if's a very clinical, mass produced sexual deal, but it's sex indeed. She parades in no shortage of vaguely fetish-oriented ouffits of a 70s persuasion and is well known for her onstage bump and grinds with muscular black men. lfs quite a turn around from those early days of rah rah skirts, perms and ‘The Locomotion’. The real suprise, however, comes with the musical offerings of these soap opera sirens. For all the cleavage, ‘pouting and hot pants, the Minogues are spectacularly ordinary. Danni does a fair version of early Madonna while . Kylie, being more geared towards the U.K. market, is a S.AW. disco dream and both sing of the truly standard love routine. No wonder the Woman’s Weekly adores them so. . KIRK GEE ICET O.G.The Video = (Warner Video) Now this is certainly an unusual concept. Where most artists would simply put together a compilation of videos, maybe throw in some live stuff and link it all with chatty ‘behind the scenes’ footage, Mr T has just gone and filmed a long form video of his entire album! This is the O.G. album in its complete 70 minute form, with images. Maybe there’s a market of people out there with hi-fi video players but no CD who would snap this up, but it does seem kind of weird. Al that aside, there’s no real suprises here, Ice is seen in a variety of urban hustler poses, some less convincing than others, usually with a large posse who seem to be talking on cellular phones all the time. Despite the somewhat cliched look of it all, the music is strong enough to carry this whole deal, and that kids, is what counts. KIRK GEE : Jimmy Barnes has a Sou/ Deep live in concert video on sale, with 19 tracks (seven more than the Soul Deep CD). The concert was recorded at Melbourne’s Palais, November last year. Additional songs on the video include ‘Stagger Lee’, ‘Reach Out I'll Be There’, ‘Respect, ‘ln the Midnight Hour’. Guests include John Farniam, Ross Wilson and Johnny Diesel. New sell-thru releases from Total Entertainment are Public Enemy Tour of a Black Planet (65min), Fishbone The Reality of my Surroundings, Past fo Present (vids etc, 85-91 50min) and Firehouse Rock on the Road (live, 75min). Warner Music have released music videos by Red Hot Chili Peppers RHCP Funky Monks (61mins), the Best of Hard N’ Heavy Part 1 (117 min and Rhythm Divine, the Story of Disco. BMG have released the Heavy D & the Boyz video The Jouney Continues (20min).