In this look back on the music video genre, film and music critic Austerlitz does an admirable job explaining how early pioneers like the Beatles and Bob Dylan paved the way for the Madonnas and Michael Jacksons of the 1980s, the decade in which the music video thrived. Unfortunately, Austerlitz muddles his historical narrative by arranging it more by theme than by chronology. Focusing on specific directors like Michel Gondry and Paul Hunter, topics such as comedy and minimalism, and the groundbreaking concepts and techniques of videos such as Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" and the Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U," Austerlitz proves an erudite authority, clearly articulating what makes videos such as the Replacements' "Bastards of Young" and Guns N' Roses' "November Rain" so important to the canon. But this specificity comes at the expense of a broader, more sociological take: hot-button subjects such as homosexuality are addressed, but Austerlitz rarely connects these to the prevailing cultural climate. Similarly, Austerlitz's assessment can be succinct and spot-on, as in his consideration of Nirvana's legacy, but these moments are too few and far between. Still, film and music aficionados will find themselves smiling at discussion of their favorites and chuckling over Austerlitz's skewering of less successful specimens; like his subject, Austerlitz's efforts can be described as "part disposable crap, part ... genius."
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
'Money captures music video at an important turning point. As the Internet becomes our primary outlet for video viewing, we need writers like Saul Austerlitz - music fanatics who've watched more episodes of 120 Minutes than clinically recommended - to remind us of the medium's bygone halcyon era.' (Andrew Leahy, New Music, 2006 )
"..Money for Nothing scans the development of the music video form, from its early 20th century roots in musical shorts shown before feature films, through the birth of the modern music-video era with 1981 launch of MTV... Austerlitz analyzes hundreds of videos, from Run DMC and Aerosmith's "Walk this Way" and Sinead O Connor's " Nothing Compares 2 U" to Weezer's "Buddy Holly" and Eminem's "Mosh", showing how each one responds to its era's trends and clichés... In the end, this is a book of music videos, one of the sweetest, fun-to-consume confections pop culture has to offer—and what's not to like about that?"-, Playboy.com, December 21, 2006.
(Eric Wilinski )
'His [Saul Austerlitz] love-hate relationship with his subject...results in a study that's as informative...as it is entertaining. Four stars'
~ Mojo, March 2007
'Music videos finally get their proper due as a legitimate art form for rigorous analysis...Austerlitz is nothing if not thorough. He opens the book with an introduction that does a nice job of explaining just what this mutant media object connotes to the masses.'
Marc Weingarten, Paste, Issue 28
(Marc Weingarten )
"Praise is due Austerlitz for his diligence, open-mindedness and patience; watching as many videos as he has would have fried most others' brains.
A New York critic who specializes in film and music, Austerlitz writes for publications mainstream, specialist and what started out alternative, like Spin. 'Money for Nothing,' his first book, is a niche product. Its primary appeal will be to other critics; if its marketed effectively, it should also appeal to music, video and film fans, and those eager to break into those businesses...Austerlitz is a gifted critic; he's particularly OK in my book because he, too, can't stand Creed front man Scott Stapp or Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst. Austerlitz likes the genre once known as alternative rock, shuns heavy metal and 'nu metal,' disses many hip-hop videos (for reasons similar to his dislike of heavy metal videos), considers Eminem subversive and powerfully political, and proffers kind words not only about music videos auteurs like Spike Jonze and Michael Gondry (his faves) but also about various musical groups. When band and video come together well, his interpretation can be dense, warm and illuminating..."
(SFGate.com )
"It's about time someone wrote a comprehensive tome to the music video. From the very early days of music shorts to You Tube, Brooklyn-based music critic Saul Austerlitz has a lot to talk about...this in-depth analysis of hundreds of videos is done in an interesting way that will teach you tons about bands, MTV and the 80's. If you only read a few pages, check out the author's list of his top 100 videos."
(Chart )
-Mention. Publishers Weekly/ January 15, 2007
(
Publishers Weekly )
"...Austerlitz does a nice job of documenting how the cleverest video directors have boosted their credibility by paying homage to cinematic landmark; he knows how to connect Sinead O'Connor to Maria Falconetti's silent-era Joan of Arc. And "Money for Nothing" shows just how much Hollywood has, in turn, been influenced by MTV."- James Sullivan, The Boston Globe, June 18, 2007 (
The Boston Globe )
'Money captures music video at an important turning point. As the Internet becomes our primary outlet for video viewing, we need writers like Saul Austerlitz - music fanatics who've watched more episodes of 120 Minutes than clinically recommended - to remind us of the medium's bygone halcyon era.' (, )
“..Money for Nothing scans the development of the music video form, from its early 20th century roots in musical shorts shown before feature films, through the birth of the modern music-video era with 1981 launch of MTV... Austerlitz analyzes hundreds of videos, from Run DMC and Aerosmith’s “Walk this Way” and Sinead O Connor’s “ Nothing Compares 2 U” to Weezer’s “Buddy Holly” and Eminem’s “Mosh”, showing how each one responds to its era’s trends and clichés… In the end, this is a book of music videos, one of the sweetest, fun-to-consume confections pop culture has to offer—and what’s not to like about that?”-, Playboy.com, December 21, 2006.
(, )
'Music videos finally get their proper due as a legitimate art form for rigorous analysis...Austerlitz is nothing if not thorough. He opens the book with an introduction that does a nice job of explaining just what this mutant media object connotes to the masses.'
Marc Weingarten, Paste, Issue 28
(, )
"Praise is due Austerlitz for his diligence, open-mindedness and patience; watching as many videos as he has would have fried most others’ brains.
A New York critic who specializes in film and music, Austerlitz writes for publications mainstream, specialist and what started out alternative, like Spin. 'Money for Nothing,’ his first book, is a niche product. Its primary appeal will be to other critics; if its marketed effectively, it should also appeal to music, video and film fans, and those eager to break into those businesses…Austerlitz is a gifted critic; he’s particularly OK in my book because he, too, can’t stand Creed front man Scott Stapp or Limp Bizkit’s Fred Durst. Austerlitz likes the genre once known as alternative rock, shuns heavy metal and 'nu metal,’ disses many hip-hop videos (for reasons similar to his dislike of heavy metal videos), considers Eminem subversive and powerfully political, and proffers kind words not only about music videos auteurs like Spike Jonze and Michael Gondry (his faves) but also about various musical groups. When band and video come together well, his interpretation can be dense, warm and illuminating…"
(, )
"It’s about time someone wrote a comprehensive tome to the music video. From the very early days of music shorts to You Tube, Brooklyn-based music critic Saul Austerlitz has a lot to talk about…this in-depth analysis of hundreds of videos is done in an interesting way that will teach you tons about bands, MTV and the 80’s. If you only read a few pages, check out the author’s list of his top 100 videos."
(, )
-Mention. Publishers Weekly/ January 15, 2007
(, )
“…Austerlitz does a nice job of documenting how the cleverest video directors have boosted their credibility by paying homage to cinematic landmark; he knows how to connect Sinead O’Connor to Maria Falconetti’s silent-era Joan of Arc. And “Money for Nothing” shows just how much Hollywood has, in turn, been influenced by MTV.”- James Sullivan, The Boston Globe, June 18, 2007 (, )
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