Customer Reviews

Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Hits of the '80's, Vol. 2 [VHS]

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OK, now I'm plump, bald, and encumbered by responsibilities. This video reminds me that once upon a time, I was slim, handsome (at least better looking!), and free from most cares. A fine deal for the price and fine to watch while exercising.

Songs are: Pop Muzik by M; I Ran (So Far Away) by Flock of Seagulls; Mickey by Toni Basil; Lies by the Thompson Twins; Stand By from Roman Holiday; Putting on the Ritz by Cole Porter through Taco; True by Spandau Ballet; In A Big Country by Big Country; One Thing Leads to Another by The Fixx; and The Metro by Berlin.

The running time is about 55 minutes.

Not only are certain '80s music videos hard to find in the new millennium, but just to make it even harder, this collection, which features several clips currently unavailable on any other commercial release, has itself gone out of print. That said, one shouldn't mourn its deletion from the home video canon too loudly, for at best, no matter how precious any of these titles may be to videophiles seeking them, the technical quality of the segments offered herein is highly uneven. Though the box claims "Hi-Fi Stereo", many of the clips are, in fact, lo-fi mono; but even worse for a music VIDEO compilation is the poor visual reproduction of some of the clips, far and away the most atrocious being the copy of Toni Basil's groundbreaking "Mickey". Not only looking like an umpteenth generation dub, it's also besmirched by blurry, smudged echo images of the cheerleader/dancers keyed against what was a pristine white background in the video's original and well-known incarnation. That ghastly effect, coupled with the muffled, mono audio, render the whole production virtually unstomachable. What a shame; I saw the real deal recently on VH-1 Classic, and know what it SHOULD look and sound like. None of the other selections on this tape suffers anywhere near as unkind an indignity, and M.'s classic "Pop Muzik" (also unavailable elsewhere on homevid) thankfully looks and sounds quite good. But don't be fooled by the Rhino label: This release proves yet again that while many of their audio and video efforts may be first-class, some belong in coach.

It is getting easier to find good 80s Videos collections. This is definately a must. I have a collection of my own taped from the 80s videos shows in the 80s, and this one stands up to that straight from TV tape. The Bands are ones I'd choose. Berlin to Toni Basil...it's a good 80s selection. I just hope Rhino puts out a volume III soon. -The TIffmeister [e-mail]