STYLE: Rock RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 20110- LABEL: Sparrow 431503 FORMAT: VHS video Music video
Reviewed by Tony Cummings
Strangely, I saw this video retrospective which kicks off with "Jim Morrison's Grave" the day after I saw Oliver Stone's stomach-churning biopic The Doors on tele. What a timeless classic Steve Taylor's track is. Never has the cult of dead rock hero worship been so incisively debunked. Those memorable images of grafitti-daubed gravestones accompanying that turbulent, eery rock anthem are as pertinent in this age of Kurt Cobain as they were in 1967. After this magnificent intro things dip a little for a rather silly and contrived "Since I Gave Up Hope I Feel A Lot Better". Also, I never felt Chagall Guevara, featured here with "Murder In The Big House" were quite the classic pioneers of their publicity hype. But there are plenty more delights here, a magnificently doomy "Babylon", that zaney black humour concept video "Lifeboat" (say, why wasn't that song on the 'Now The Truth Can Be Told' CD?) with Steve as a bewigged school marm Mrs Arian; Greenbelt '88 on Super 8 and an interview with Christendom's prophet clown. Visually fascinating, musically inventive and lyrically absorbing this compilation is recommended to all those wanting to catch up on a unique talent.
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