Lopez Blogs

Hurrah! Whenever I'm feeling blue, these video breakdowns cheer me right up. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up doing nothing but these on the blog for a while and I'll soon by skipping down Lollipop Lane, dancing with the faeries and singing Top Of The World. Which is what I imagine heaven is like. Well not heaven. But Heck. Which is a suburb of heaven. It has cheaper taxes than hell, but doesn't get Showtime and HBO like heaven does. I digress. Here are some videos that are all sorts of magnifico!!

Bright Light, Bright Light ~ Love Part II:

This song is beyond amazing. It's a top ten fave of mine already and is likely to stick around for ages, particularly as I hear some remixes are imminent. Rod has a great voice, a wonderful understanding of what makes a great pop song, and some brillo supporters behind him such as Popjustice HiFi and Larry Flick. Here is what the video is like...

• For some reason the beginning few seconds remind me of a London Boys clip. This would not be a bad thing at all because they were all sorts of immensicles. However, I have checked the two clips I know (London Nights and Requiem) and it is nothing like these at all. What am I like, eh?
• At nine seconds, there is this big holding out for a hero moment. You know in the films when all hope is lost, then the silohuette of your saviour appears? Well the profile of Rod is looking very fine in front of a very Bright Light. Literal!
• There are lots more blue flashy disco moments as Rod starts to sing about his clever boy. This is interspersed with some enigmatic flashes of Mr BLBL looking very moody.
• There are lots of bits of broken glass shards lying around. This will probably have been a right health and safety nightmare. More importantly, there are some nice moments where Rod is singing and the pulsating lights above his silohuette lips looks like his breath. It's quite good.
• Around the minute mark, you get some more shots of Rod singing away, but the money shot comes when you pause at 1m04s (in line with the lyrics "Do what you want with me") - head thrown back in ecstasy and submission with a godly glow encompassing him. It's a bit like when Kylie threw her arms out at the end of the middle 8 of Shocked ie, pop majesty.
• The glorious chorious continues with some wind machinery (rod's hair barely moves though!) and the love children of Kylie's Can't Get You Out Of My Head dancers and Pet Shop Boys Very era dancers (as XO also notes) busting some shapes behind him.
• 1m19 is also a very good pause place. He looks like a stamp!
• Continuing the good pause places is 1m55 - Rod has slipped into a nice jacket, there are all sorts of geometric shapes all over the place, and the dancer-lovechildren are now holding some flourescent lighting. And there is some dry ice coming up.
• Then the chorus kicks in and Rod has changed again. The wardrobe budget on this shoot must have been ridiculous. The dancer-lovechildren hats alone look couture pricy!
• As Rod sings the I'm in love again bit of the second chorus, he is showered with confetti. Much like when people win the X Factor. Only not quite as much, so he doesn't choke on it like Alexandra did...
• It's all a bit subdued during the middle 8, as it is in the song so I'm sort of hoping that it will be a big explosive moment in a few seconds as the chorus kicks in one final time???
• Quite good - costume change, wind machine, emotive expressions and the odd Christ like pose thrown in. He looks like he's having a rollicking good time at the end, though (cosmic horn alert) the shirt stays on. Oh well. always the next single - no one wants to give away the farm...:P

Example ~ Last One Standing:

I do quite like Example I do. He does smart, innovative pop and doesn't take himself too seriously. I like his tv advert for the album and think it's quite amusing that it is called Won't Go Quietly & he is wrestling with some duct tape, but doesn't quite go the whole hog and wrap it round it's head (probably because it's a bugger to get off)! His new single is all sorts of pleasing. And sometimes, I think he is (cosmic horn alert part 2) quite bangable indeed. AND! He has a new video. Fab.

• Ooo, it's a concept video. Oh, most videos are conceptual. What I mean is this is one of those Life On Mars/Ashes to Ashes spin offs. Example is a cop. In an E reg mercedes. Just waiting to finger the perp (oo-er)...
• At 11s, there is even a title shot - "Example in Last One Standing" so you know exactly what is going on!
• There are lots of cliche cop shots going on including some fool trying to get into a locked door while he is being chased. It reminds me of the Grange Hill credits a bit... though example does a rather impressive leap over the stairs and goes in for the chase...
• Pause at 27s and you get a shot of the "crew" - the overweight "sarge", the tached hot guy pumping his truncheon, the foxy but tough as nails Lacey type police"bird" and Example, probably being a bit renegade, ie, he lives by his own rules but gets the job done. Criminals beware!
• They all run off in different directions, and then Example gives a briefing on the war against piracy and we see the bad guys (booo, etc) stuffing their cases with fake Example cds.
• He is very worked up about this indeed and Lacey Policebird has to calm him down a bit. His hands are probably sweating from the leather gloves to be fair....
• Another chase ensues. Lacey Policebird is rubbish at these because Example gives it a proper running and for no reason other than is the norm in cop movies does a somersault mid chase. And then again off a wall, despite obvious wind resistance from his mega mutton chops :P
• But this obviously works because at 1m15s, he is all over the perp like beans on toast. He takes him crashing to the ground and now he's going to make that beeyotch talk!
• He is, he's giving him a right grilling in interview room 4 (or something). There's some good cop bad cop going on because in a rather camp moment, the other police dude in the room throws some water in the suspect's face. Oh my. Take that!
• Lets get physical ~ being a cop is sweaty work so one needs to remain at the tip top of your physical peak otherwise you will end up just like the sarge. This is why Example and Lacey Policebird are doing the 80s version of wii-fit. Exercising without a games console. Imagine that kids (check your history books)! It does make you able to throw a stapler at the perp. That's gonna leave a mark!
• Just prior to two minutes there is a nice male bonding moment of the 80s between the gambolling Example and the Truncheon Pumping hottie. This will be replicated in 20 years or so by John James and JJ in Big Brother 11. Amazing
• After some major stakeout a la Richard Dreyfuss and Emilio Estevez, Example is there for the illegal drop and collars his suspect. That is some bang up police work there sir!
• Pause at 2m23s and tell me they are not fucking each other's brains out.
• There is a lot more running and chewing of the scenery. Not by Lacey Policebird though - she has committed the cardinal lady cop sin by being captured. She is no better than Lois Lane. At least she committed with the duct tape though instead of pussyfooting around :P (Love how she scratches her hair while trying to escape!)
• Amazes. Quicker than it takes to come up with a Wanted insult, Example has bought the crime syndicate down and they are probably going down. Not before they all have a nice sing song and who can blame them because it is a darn catchy number!
• They celebrate with a nice cup of tea. or not Truncheon Pumping Hottie you absolute card. The single cover looks all sorts of bonza though doesn't it?!

back Sunday. probably.