Hey fellow Otaku & Metalheads!
It seems that weirdness is still clinging to this blog of mine. So far, we looked at 2 bands in a single overview, and last week I reviewed a rather strange anime. This week, I thought I take a break from anime, and concentrate a bit on the world of music (Metal included). More specifically, I wanted to look at music videos. Even more specifically, I wanted to look at the videos that are a little odd. The kind of videos that leave an impression on your brain.....and said brain stays bruised because of the oddity that went through your eyes. With that said, let’s take a look at some of my top 5 weird music videos..........part 1!
5) Stereo Type-O Negative - Last Christmas (Link)
We start off this list with perhaps the most harmless of these videos. A few years back, a tribute band for the legendary Type-O Negative formed from Sweden (If I remember correctly), and has been rocking out as hard as their source of inspiration. This group has the distinct fame of covering the songs of other great bands, but putting a Type-O twist on things. Late last year, Wham was in their sights, along with their Christmas classic....Last Christmas. A little redundant, I admit.
Like I said above, the video itself is rather harmless. It’s basically portions of the original video spliced together, but with a green splash on the footage. The actual song is great, as Stereo Type-O Negative add a healthy dose of sensuality to the track, while simultaneously following the letter of the song in a strange way. Of course, since this is a tribute to Type-O Negative, the ending is.....well, I won’t spoil it. Just watch the music video, and you’ll see what I mean!
4) Metallica - Enter Sandman (Link)
Okay, a little story: this video came out in 1991 (It’s 25 years old this year). I was four years old. So imagine little-old me, sitting on the couch with my Dad, watching this music video play before me. The images were so jarring, that I had nightmares for the rest of the week. Suffice it to say, my Mom wasn’t happy.
By today’s standards Enter Sandman might come across as a little hokey, and to a certain extent I agree. The band really comes across as cheesy, as they’re doing the best they can to look as menacing as possible, and failing ever so slightly. During the nightmare portions they all look cheap, and come across as tablescraps from a late 80s/early 90s horror movie. However, when Enter Sandman first came out, it was spectacular! Maybe not as amazing of a debut as Michael Jackson’s Thriller, but it was most definitely attention-grabbing. It also marked itself as the last time that Metallica was truly a great band. If you want to watch a thrash relic from way back, then Enter Sandman might be for you!
3) Slipknot - Psychosocial Baby (Link)
I.........um........where to begin.
For starters, anything involving Justin Bieber is sure to be a disaster. Going from an annoying little kid to an absolutely obnoxious young adult, his vocal work sounds like the death throes of a cow at a slaughterhouse. Considering that he’s singing insipid boy-band style lyrics, it’s not surprising as to why people hate him. However, even a black hole of talent such as Justin Bieber can have a moment or two to shine. For starters there’s the moment where he got shot to death on C.S.I., and then........there’s Psychosocial Baby.
Perhaps the most horrifying thing about this video is just how well the two mesh with one another. The beats & rhythm of Baby just seem to go along with the vocal work & pacing of Psychosocial. Both sides create what is the most Yin/Yang viewing experience: the bubbly nature of Justin Bieber placed alongside the violent lyrics that Corey Taylor is spewing, not to mention the dark atmosphere of the video. A truly bizarre experience that one should experience at least once in a lifetime.
2) Genesis - Illegal Alien (Link)
Alright, here’s where things get a little offensive.
When one thinks of the 80s, Genesis is typically one of the first bands that comes to mind, and why not! Whether fronted by Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins, one can’t deny that the group has created some classic 80s pop music, many of which are still sung today by many of us. However, Illegal Alien comes from a more.....shameful moment in Genesis’s history. Let me paint the picture: in the early 80s Phil Collins was trying to get a VISA citizenship into the United States, but was met with roadblocks coming from the U.S. side of things. In response, Phil Collins equated his situation with that of Mexican migrant workers. As you can see, this creates a rather awkward situation, and a awkward music video.
For starters, Phil (Who has a stereotypical mustache, btw) and the band decided to go full-blown brownface in this video, and do the best they can to look & act Mexican. Wow Phil, just wow! On top of that, the whole things comes across as rather racist, but whether it was intentional or not, I’m not sure. However, Illegal Alien is a guilty pleasure for me. This is definitely offensive, no question, but the dark part of me can’t help but smile when no-one is looking. If you lean towards the politically incorrect side of life, you might get a chuckle from this.
1) Jan Böhmermann - Be Deutsch! [Achtung! Germans on the rise!] (Link)
Now, I’ve only know about this for the past few weeks. A month or so ago, I joined the Encyclopedia Dramatica group on Facebook, and while some of the content is morally.....questionable, I can’t deny I’ve gotten a chuckle or two. Earlier this month, I happened to watch a section of what would eventually become my number one, and about a week ago I watched the whole music video. Wow, this was quite the thing!
Before I describe what I saw, I should preface the fact that my knowledge & grasp on politics is tenuous at best. World politics even more so. So if I misquote something, or misjudge, please feel free to say something.
So onto the actual video. Right away, it brings up the state of the world. To be more specific, the video.....well, here’s what It actually says (Translated from German):
“The world is going completely nuts! Europe feels threatened by 0.3% refugees, the USA are about to elect a man, of who no one really knows who is pulling the strings under the toupee and just as if that was not bad enough, Germany of all nations has to disabuse the world of how to behave morally right. I mean GERMANY! They did not even win one single world war in history!”
Yeah, the video is comedic political satire. Quite scatting political satire, might I add. Taking stabs at how insane the U.S. political system is, there’s no punches pulled, and there’s certainly a positive message in here somewhere. I honestly can’t describe what I’ve seen, so you’ll just have to watch it for yourself. You’ll probably leave scratching your head.
So this was part 1 of some of the weirdest music videos I’ve ever seen. Some oddballs to be sure, but this is just the tip of the insanity iceberg So come back next week, when we’ll have another look at some more bizarre music videos. See you then!
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