Your Take: Impact of Music Videos

I think music videos can have a varying effect on a song (which is probably the obvious answer). In many cases, the music video provides some clarity to the song. It’s those “Oh, so that’s what he/she meant” moments.

In some cases, like Trace Adkin’s release of “I Can’t Outrun You” when his album was released, the video just really enhances my appreciation for the song.

I worry, though, that occasionally, the director of the videos takes over and allows his creativity to overtake the songwriter’s actual meaning of the song. I wish I had some good examples, but it’s early, so I’ll just drop the most recent one. With the latest Rascal Flatts single and video (”Here Comes Goodbye”), Shaun Silva took over and essentially changed the entire meaning of the song. The guys from the band admitted to being surprised by Silva’s interpretation and design of the song and video. If that song (or RF) was any good in the first place, it would have diminished by enjoyment of it.

Most the time, though, music videos just enhance my appreciation for a song. I now enjoy Dean Brody and “Brothers” more now after his recent video release.

vicki voiced my sentiments exactly. when i saw the Rascall Flatts’ video for “Here Comes Goodbye”, after it was over, i was like ????? what was that all about? it has definitely thrown a damper on the song for me.

a video that i liked was Gretchen Wilson’s “Come to Bed”. from the blowing curtains to the last finishing shot, it was interesting and appropriate to the song.

It’s funny how sometimes, I can suddenly love a song that I just liked, or even didn’t like, after seeing the video for the first time, even though I may not even particularly love the video.

For example, Jason Aldean’s “Why” was far from my fav. song on his first album, but as soon as I saw the video, I loved the song, even though I didn’t find the video very impressive.

I find that an astonishing number of country videos completely undercut the meaning and power of a song. I have to assume that this is deliberate; things couldn’t go that wrong that often by accident. I notice that the effect is often to take emotions or images that seem very powerful when sung, and to make them less striking, or, if they’re negative, to twist them into something positive instead. There’s a sort of blanding-out effect that bothers me. One of the reasons Paisley’s novelty videos work so well is that they work with the song rather than against it. Same for most of Alan Jackson’s videos. But little kids wandering through a field to illustrate Josh Turner’s “Would You Go With Me”? Or the dead couple reuniting (as ghosts, I guess) at the end of “Whiskey Lullabye”? Oh, please…

I agree with NM to a great degree. I find that a video can turn me onto a song I might not have heard before and off to a song that I liked. Videos are all about image, and I believe that a great many country singers would not have any fame if videos didn’t enhance qualities and looks that seduce the viewer. Filmmaking is all about seducing the viewer. Garth Brooks and Shania Twain were great at using a video to promote their image and to make poor songs into visual thoughts, so that when you heard the song, in your head the video played. A great many country songs have lasted due to that fact.

But the real problem with music videos is that they force the singer to act. When I was growing up you saw country singers on television( talk shows, Hee-Haw, variety shows). They would sing their songs and you would see them perform. Take it or leave it. They either came across as real or fake. But music videos ask us, the viewer, to see them act, and therefore to believe in their acting more than their singing and the song. The video wants us to remove our ear from the process and take in the sights. Also it is edited to make us see the singer in the best light. So the performance is no longer direct but scripted.
That is why a great many bad singers with good looks last so long. Music video is direct, 24/7. After a point you can’t ignore what is being handed to you so well and so constantly.

One more word. I went to an Alan Jackson concert awhile ago. While he performed there were all these videos playing in the background as those his songs and his performaance were not enough. I felt insulted. I think that what makes Jackson a great singer and songwriter is that he doesn’t need any props. Music videos are props. Great singers don’t need props. Did you hear that Brad?

Craig R.,

Music videos in and by themselves aren’t props. Artists now use videos in the background of shows because many people like the additional technological wizardry to make the show more entertaining…

I do think videos help artists. If they didn’t, they still wouldn’t be making them.

I don’t spend much time watching the country music video channels so I’m more likely to watch a video at CMT.com or the artist’s website or YouTube. Thus the videos I watch are usually those I seek out and they tend to be okay. I agree with Paul Dennis above that the Ricky Skaggs video for “Country Boy” is still a jaw dropper and the inclusion of Bill Monroe is priceless. Elizabeth Cook’s video for “Stupid Things” is also a favorite and I have a label issued VHS version to watch now and then. Megan Mullins’ “Ain’t What It Used To Be” is also wonderful and the inclusion of the goat was genius.

If I do watch GAC my favorite program is “Edge of Country” because Kylie Harris airs videos by artists I’m often not familiar with. Two of my favorite country acts both came to my attention via GAC, i.e. The Wrights and The Woodys. The Opry is often where I also hear new acts for the first time.

Videos don’t usually affect my buying decisions or feelings towards a song, unless a video is really clever or horrible, both of which leave lasting impressions. The inclusion of pretty females is always a big plus though! (lol)

I like “Best Days of Your Life” even more now with that hillarious video Kellie Pickler just came out with =D

I don’t really watch videos because they never seem to be on anymore.

They made good looks more important than a good voice in the signing and marketing of artists. This is clearly a bad thing.

A good video *can* add something to a song, but I’m not likely to seek out a video if I don’t already know the song or at least the artist.

My thoughts, exactly on both counts. And while I can listen to music for hours and hours on end, I get bored very quickly watching videos

I agree with the majority stated thus far, but would like to add that SOME songs with strong story lines tend to shy away (and with good reason) from actually having a video produced, even though it came out of an album’s catalog as a strong single. Case in point: Tim McGraw had a strong hit with “Red Ragtop” and yet was scheduled to do a video when he shot it down himself stating something to the effect that, “the video already has it’s own story and there’s no reason to add fluff from an already decent detail within an audience’s head”. While I do agree with this assessment on an artist’s part, I still wouldn’t have minded seeing an interpretation. That being said, I realize now that the beauty of it is the mystery…

My take is Video Killed The Radio Star.