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Gang of Four - Is It Love

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 11:03 am
by Frau_Blucher
Is it me or is this the most excrutiatingly bad and pompous video EVER created?!!! Why and how on earth did this get made?! LOL!!!!! It's so fucking awful. I know there must be much much worse videos but NOT from a band that has so much cred. The thick bad make-up, the ridiculous attitude, the horrible period outfits, the cruising through the club schtick...BWAAAHAHAHAHAH!!! I just kills me every time. They must want to burn every single copy of this crap. I guess the 80s MTV movement really did a wacky number on these post-punk icons. What a sad reminder of the dark underbelly of the 80s!

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 2:21 pm
by pinkyblue82
If you feel that strongly about this great 80's New Wave video and song, then you are on the wrong board missy!

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 5:51 pm
by SomebodySomewhere
I find Gang of Four purists tend to like this song/video better when they treat it as a parody of early '80s music/music videos. I always liked the song -- it was just the rest of the album that was painful. I mean, I'm sure back in 1977, no one could ever have figured The Clash would be dancing around with an armadillo five years later. Did it destroy their cred? Maybe. But it also got 'em a Top 10 hit.

Now Missing Persons... THEIR videos were BAD. With a capital "B." The only decent one -- indeed, the only one that looked like they might have spent more than 10 dollars on it -- was "Destination Unknown," and every single one they did after that was horrific. Can anyone actually watch the clips for "Surrender Your Heart" and "I Can't Think About Dancin'" and not have their jaw hit the floor at the supreme sucktitude? It wasn't surprising to me that such an MTV-unfriendly group like Gang of Four would make a strained video that they looked uncomfortable in, but when you're an out-and-out product of MTV... Houston, we have a problem.

PostPosted: Thu Nov 03, 2005 10:47 pm
by Frau_Blucher
[quote][i]Originally posted by pinkyblue82[/i]
<br>If you feel that strongly about this great 80's New Wave video and song, then you are on the wrong board missy!
[/quote]
ha. haha. heheh. Heheheh. HAH. HAHAH. HAHAHAH. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! HAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! [b]PWAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH, HAH, HAH, HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!!!![/b]

Oops, sorry...case of the giggles.

[quote][i]Originally posted by SomebodySomewhere[/i]
<br>Did it destroy their cred? Maybe. But it also got 'em a Top 10 hit
[/quote]
Nuf said.

I guess it's about expectations. I enjoy the fluff and the serious equally as much, so oddly I have no complaints about Missing Persons. I don't complain about Pam Anderson not being Olivier either. [:I] I even like the song. But that video just throws the sellout into my face so harshly and mashes it in with its boots! I guess I can try to take it as a parody like you mentioned.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 2:54 am
by Borneojimy
I don't believe I've ever seen the video, but I remember my reaction when I first heard the "Hard" LP. I thought for sure somebody had slipped the wrong record into the sleeve. This is one that no matter how many times I try, I just can't warm up to.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 6:50 pm
by SomebodySomewhere
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove3.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove2.jpg">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove4.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove5.jpg"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v126/RiffR/Isitlove6.jpg">


It has pretty slick art direction. Also a bunch of people in marching band outfits. (Still can't figure what that's all about.) Listening to it, I like the music. But the lyrics stink. If you're going to write bad lyrics, at least make them rhyme or something.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:55 pm
by Frau_Blucher
Oh the humanity!!! [xx(]

PostPosted: Fri Nov 04, 2005 10:56 pm
by schwenko
[quote][i]Originally posted by Blir[/i]
<br>Oh the humanity!!! [xx(]
[/quote]

Come on!! Sara Lee looks good[8D]

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 3:04 am
by marie3
I have never seen the video of "Is it Love"
But I really love the song.
Do they play it on VH1 classics?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 10:10 pm
by SomebodySomewhere
[quote][i]Originally posted by marie3[/i]
<br>
Do they play it on VH1 classics?[/quote]

Dunno. Maybe if you request it.

So, like, what's the story with this one? Whatshisface from Gang of Four goes into the club with his buddies. And whatsherface who lipsynchs the "Is it... love" part is already at the club with her boyfriend or her friend. (I'm guessing her friend, since he's obviously gay.) And whatshisface wants whatsherface, and it's all really serious because no one ever smiles, but whatsherface is far too important for whatshisface, and to prove it, she gets escorted out of the club by an entire marching band, who are so talented, they impress the entire club with their somersault abilities. And all whatshisface and his posse can do is stare dumbstruck that whatsherface just walked out on him. Am I "interpreting" this right?

And, Blir, if this were a Human League video, you'd love it and you know it.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2005 11:01 pm
by schwenko
[quote][i]Originally posted by marie3[/i]
<br>I have never seen the video of "Is it Love"
But I really love the song.
Do they play it on VH1 classics?


[/quote]

yes