Atmosphere: #3 video of all time (according to Stylus)
Archived7 replies · 252 views
"076. New Order – “True Faith” (Dir. Philipe de Couffle, 1987) Beautifully random and impeccably synchronized to the music, “True Faith” intercuts performance footage of the band with a weird netherworld where brightly attired clowns jump backwards, slap each other to the beat and sign the words to the song (or possibly just gibberish, but properly timed gibberish), clad in a rotating, round ensemble that resembles one of those inflatable punching clowns. Like all the best non-sequitur videos, all the fighting and jumping and dancing begins to seem fitting almost immediately, until the beginning of the song instantly brings to mind that odd featureless room stocked with jesters. For a song and a band so concerned with the mundaneness of human emotion, it's a masterstroke to marry that tone with the garish acrobatics and puzzling conflict on display in the “True Faith” video; not only is it eye-catching, it stays with you. [Ian Mathers]"
Have to say I never been huge fan of the Atmosphere video - hope Anton makes a better job of "Control". Overall I feel the Johnny Cash video "Hurt" is probably the best video of all time (I find it deeply affecting every time I see it) - shame it only made number two in the list.
As for New Order, I'm afraid I got bored of the "True Faith" video a long time ago. I find it a bit clumsy in execution - particularly the way it mixes live shots of the band in.
Watching the "Collection" DVD the best New Order Video by a mile is Jonathan Demme's "Perfect Kiss". I also keep going back to the new Shamberg video for "Temptation" the black and white one with the girl that steals the record - excellent stuff.
Gosh, I'm getting quite ageist for being 26. When one reviewer said they were 10 when '1979' came out, I was about ready to disqualify the list as nonsense. ![]()
A number of the vids are good, but just too many are from the 90's/00's and centered on what the youth today find really cool.
Hey look, it's Melly!
![]()
Atmosphere is only a great video until you've seen "Phantasm"; after which it's unwatchable.
Damn you, Tall Man!
Some of the top 20 are very good, but some, such as Fiona Apple's Criminal and Nuthin but a G Thang, shock me as being in the top 20. The list seems pretty random. True Faith should've been much higher too.