2CELLOS Perform Guns N' Roses Classic

I saw this video yesterday and knew I had to share it here. As a fan of both Guns N' Roses and Finnish cello rockers Apocalyptica, I was intrigued with the history and idea behind this new cello version of the classic "Welcome to the Jungle."

In a nutshell, classically trained cellists and former rivals Luka Sulic and Stjepan Hauser decided to team up as 2CELLOS.

Their debut album was released last year and includes a few more songs I'll have to check out, such as "The Resistance" (Muse), "Where the Streets Have No Name" (U2), and "Hurt" (Nine Inch Nails).

More of their videos are available on Youtube, but since I've only seen "Welcome to the Jungle" so far, that's the one I'll include here. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know what you think.

Wrapping Up the A to Z Challenge

After completing the Blogging From A to Z Challenge last week, I took some downtime, but now it's time for a reflections post. My main wrap-up post is at Ellie's Blank Book, but I also have a few thoughts to include here.

1. For this blog, I had everything all figured out before the challenge started. Even though I didn't write the posts in advance, I knew exactly what my topics would be. Well, that didn't last long. I changed my mind several times over the course of the challenge. My Z post is one of the few I was adamant about from the beginning.

2. I started doing research several weeks ahead of time by watching videos. Some were new to me, while I had first seen the others many years ago.

3. The challenge has made me more determined than ever to come up with a regular (and feasible) blogging schedule.

4. I'm behind on return visits and comments, but I'll be working on that now that the challenge is over.

The challenge was fun, and I hope to participate again in the future.

ZZ Top - TV Dinners

ZZ Top - "TV Dinners"
From Eliminator (1983)

Many of us remember a time when frozen dinners were called "TV dinners." ZZ Top took this cultural icon and recorded a song, which then was made into a music video. Like the band's other videos, it's quite entertaining.

The video for ZZ Top's "TV Dinners" demonstrates the danger of putting foil in the microwave. Although it isn't as well known as some of their other videos, such as "Legs" or "Sharp Dressed Man," it's certainly a classic worth watching.

Yazoo - The Other Side of Love

Yazoo - "The Other Side of Love"
Single release (1982) later added to reissue of Upstairs at Eric's (1996)

Yazoo, a synthpop duo also known as Yaz, released a fun music video for "The Other Side of Love." The video shows members Vince Clarke and Alison Moyet going dancing, with Moyet seeming to have the time of her life. Things get interesting when Clarke falls and starts seeing some unusual things on the dance floor.

XTC - Making Plans for Nigel

XTC - "Making Plans for Nigel"
From Drums & Wires (1979)

The video for XTC's hit song "Making Plans for Nigel" is all about Nigel, a man who has no control over his own life.

According to XTC bassist/songwriter/vocalist Colin Moulding, the song is "partly biographical," having been inspired by his father's strong desire to choose Colin's career path. The reference to British Steel caused the company to survey their employees named Nigel in an effort to find out whether they were happy.

Wolf Parade - Shine a Light

Wolf Parade - "Shine a Light"
From Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)

The video for Wolf Parade's "Shine a Light" is the story of a man who is subjected to ridicule and discrimination everywhere he goes, and it's all because of his physical appearance. Watch the story unfold to see what he goes through on a daily basis.

Van Halen - Dreams

Van Halen - "Dreams"
From 5150 (1986)

Van Halen shot three different videos for "Dreams." The first one, featuring the Blue Angels, is the most popular. The other two versions were filmed in 1993 and consist of concert footage, fans, and commentary.

U2 - I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight

U2 - "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight"
From No Line on the Horizon (2009)

"There are two music videos for U2's "I'll Go Crazy If I Don't Go Crazy Tonight." This animated version was the first to be released; the second was from a live performance.

Set in the city, this video shows several people who are having a bad night for one reason or another. It was entered in the 2009 Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science

Thomas Dolby - "She Blinded Me With Science"
From The Golden Age of Wireless (1982)

Thomas Dolby directed and starred in his video for "She Blinded Me With Science," in which he goes to the Home for Deranged Scientists to have himself committed. While there, he has a therapy session with the head of the institution, portrayed by British scientist and TV personality Magnus Pyke.

In a 2011 interview with Dan MacIntosh of Songfacts, Dolby explained how the video came about. He was a big fan of silent movies, and he actually thought of music videos as silent movies with soundtracks. He came up with the concept for the video, wrote the script, and then wrote a song to go with it. The result was the unforgettable "She Blinded Me With Science."

Stone Temple Pilots - Sour Girl

Stone Temple Pilots - "Sour Girl"
From No. 4 (2000)

The video for "Sour Girl" features Stone Temple Pilots frontman Scott Weiland, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and rabbit costumes eerily reminiscent of the Teletubbies.

An episode of MTV's Making the Video featured "Sour Girl." The video was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best Cinematography, as well as a Billboard Music Video Award for Best Modern Rock Track. Unfortunately, it did not win either award.

Radiohead - There There

Radiohead - "There There"
From Hail to the Thief(2003)

The video for Radiohead's "There There" was inspired by Bagpuss, a British TV show for children. It features frontman Thom Yorke in a forest, where he is stunned to encounter woodland creatures engaged in activities he never expected to see in species other than human beings.

In 2003, "There There" won Best Art Direction in a Video at the MTV Video Music Awards.

Queens of the Stone Age - No One Knows

Queens of the Stone Age - "No One Knows"
From Songs for the Deaf (2002)

Queens of the Stone Age have a hilarious music video for their hit song "No One Knows."

Although the video starts out with the band members hitting a deer while driving at night, there's no need to worry--at least not about the deer, which attacks them and then proceeds to wreak havoc on their lives. The scenes with the deer alternate with scenes of the band performing against a black background.

"No One Knows" was nominated for the MTV2 Award at the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards.

Peter Gabriel - Big Time

Peter Gabriel - "Big Time"
From So (1987)

Peter Gabriel stars in the video for his hit song "Big Time," about a guy who's on his way to making it big. This highly entertaining piece uses both stop-motion and strata-cut animation, and the result is a stunning work of art.

The video for "Big Time" is similar to Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" video, with which more people are probably familiar.

OK Go - White Knuckles

OK Go - "White Knuckles"
From Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (2010)

The video for OK Go's "White Knuckles" is a huge hit with dog lovers. It features the band members, a few props, a dozen shelter dogs, and a goat.

The video was completed after a grand total of 124 takes. Why so many? The band wanted the final product to be filmed in one shot, with no editing.



See why the trainers called "White Knuckles" the "greatest music video ever." That's not all, though. They also have a page that introduces these talented animals; it's well worth reading. To complete the experience, check out this outtake video.

Neon Trees - Everybody Talks

Neon Trees - "Everybody Talks"
From Picture Show (2011)

There are two videos for "Everybody Talks," by Neon Trees. Each video tells a different story, although both feature the band and a girl with heart-shaped sunglasses. Both are included in this post.

The first one is an animated video that was released in January 2012. It's both a ghost story and a love story.



The second video for "Everybody Talks" takes place at a drive-in theater showing Zombie Bikers From Hell. The girl with the heart-shaped sunglasses has a very different role in this video, which was released approximately three months later than the animated version.



I like both videos, but the animated one is my favorite. Which one do you prefer?

Matchbox Twenty - Unwell

Matchbox Twenty - "Unwell"
From More Than You Think You Are (2003)

This super-fun video for Matchbox Twenty's "Unwell" features frontman Rob Thomas having a very strange day in which he sees and experiences things that just can't be real. He's "not crazy," though; he's "just a little unwell." His faithful dog keeps him company throughout the weirdness.

Lenny Kravitz - Stand

Lenny Kravitz - "Stand"
From Black and White America (2011)

The video for "Stand" is a takeoff on the old game show Let's Make a Deal. In the video, Lenny Kravitz portrays three different characters on a game show called Run For Your Money; he plays the crooked host as well as both the singer and the drummer of the house band.

Korn - Evolution

Korn - "Evolution"
From their untitled album (2007)

Korn's "Evolution" video is an amusing production that pokes fun at the idea that humans are evolving and proposes that the opposite is more likely. The spoof website Devolution: Nature's U-Turn was set up to promote the video.

Journey - Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)

Journey - "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)"
From Frontiers (1983)

This video has a bit of a stigma attached to it, but that's what makes it so entertaining.

"Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" was Journey's first choreographed video; until then, the band's videos were essentially performances and concert footage. Frontman Steve Perry was against doing a choreographed video, but he lost the argument.

So, what's so bad about this particular video? Instead of playing their own musical instruments in front of the camera, they played invisible ones. That's right; they played air guitar, air keyboards, etc. Sure, a lot of people do that, but they generally do it in the privacy of their own homes. It looked so silly in a professional music video that it keeps showing up on lists of the all-time worst videos.

INXS - Never Tear Us Apart

INXS - "Never Tear Us Apart"
From Kick (1988)

Fans of INXS can't imagine the band's beautiful ballad, "Never Tear Us Apart," in any other style, but it was originally written as a blues song. The video was filmed at different locations in Prague, as were the videos for "Guns in the Sky" and "New Sensation."

INXS's masterpiece played in the background of frontman Michael Hutchence's funeral in 1997, while band members and Hutchence's brother carried his coffin out of the church.