Slowdive Videos
Thanks to the wonder that is YouTube, I’ve finally been able to watch some music videos by Slowdive (if you’ve spent any significant amount of time on this site, you’ll know that I have a slightly unhealthy fixation on this band). I don’t know if these are all of their music videos, but a quick search for “Slowdive” does return the following titles:
The video quality isn’t the greatest by any stretch of the imagination, but chances are, the sources for all of these were almost certainly old VHS recordings of “120 Minutes.” The videos do have a dated look to them, but then again, these were all from the very early ’90s, and you try watching any video from that era that doesn’t look at least somewhat dated.
But no matter, I’m just pleased as punch to finally get to see any Slowdive video. Of course, the music sounds amazing (this is Slowdive, after all), and the songs and their various visuals actually do work together quite well. For example, as much as I hate the “band playing their instruments and/or frolicking in the middle of a flowered field” concept for music videos in general, it actually works for me on “Shine.” And no, that’s not just my pro-Slowdive bias talking. Well, not much, anyways…
Perhaps it’s because the pastoral imagery really does work with Slowdive’s expansive sound. Or that Rachel Goswell looks especially luminous as she dreamily fades in and out of the scenery. Or that a lovely naivete and sense of promise permeates this video, as well as the others.
Some of you may be rolling your eyes right about now, but I can’t help it… everytime I listen to Slowdive, I get wildly nostalgic and emotional, such is the impact that their music had on me back in the spring and summer of 1995. Oftentimes, I can’t really explain it, even to myself. But seeing their music set to visuals, regardless of how dated or clichéd or abstract those visuals might be, only increases that effect.