As anyone who has watched many music videos knows, you can spend a long time making sandwiches in the kitchen without missing anything. This tape of proven material offers an efficient way to dip into the medium. The snippets of the presentations from the original MTV broadcast, featuring such artists as Janet Jackson and Steve Winwood, don't amount to much, though Bobcat Goldthwait looks fetching in a bare midriff costume he says he borrowed from Prince. Prince's Raspberry Beret, a winner for choreography, displays his ability to insinuate in effective fashion. Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love, with his backup "band" of zombie-like models, and the happy-spirited concert duet by Tina Turner and Bryan Adams on It's Only Love are other highlights. A-ha's Take on Me, which won six awards, is a prime example of style over substance, in which an intriguing combination of animated and live action footage makes a routine song into something worth listening to—or more accurately, worth watching. The winner of the best video award, Dire Straits's Money for Nothing (which is worth listening to) is presented to guitarist Mark Knopfler, who came up with the idea for the tune when he overheard a customer in an appliance store muttering about the unworthiness of rock musicians. One cautionary note: There are fleeting appearances by a number of MTV veejays, so you have to pay a certain price for these 40 enjoyable minutes. (Warner/Reprise, $19.98)
Your Reaction
