In honor of their 25th anniversary, VH1CL is currently airing the first 24 hours of MTV. When I first heard about it I was enthusiastic,"Wow dude, does anyone remember when MTV was good? Yeah they used to show video pioneers-it was awesome, ad nauseum...". How many times have you heard that?
Anyway, for nostalgia value, as I'm watching it I'm rather disappointed. Yes, I suppose it WAS very cutting edge in 1981. Elvis Costello, The Vapours and The Talking Heads. But these fine examples were rare gems scattered among myriad nameless acts that just didn't get the concept, or didn't have the chops.
For example, I'm sure that Nazareth was a fine 70s band. But just because they went to the bother of making a music video should not have gained them admission to the new strata.
And there are a whole host of bands that had a decent video, but were lacking in musical energy...does anyone really remember Shoe or Phd? Did anyone actually own a Shoe album besides their mothers?
The worst offenders of all were 70s dinosaurs like R.E.O. Speedwagon & Rod Stewart who DID understand the concept, and sought to capitalize on the new media. They sure made a financial killing selling their lousy watered -down rock songs...thus spawning a new genre: the much loathed Corporate Rock.
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In retrospect I don't think I shall be praising the early years of MTV as much as I used to. Night Flight was better anyhow.
