Rating: 
Summary: Uplifting conceptual videos from when music was more fun!
Review: This compilation of music videos seems like a tease, because it is just a small portion of the fun that the 80's music scene produced. Some may say these are "stylish in excess" but compared to today's music videos where the artist's social status means everything and the music takes a back seat to the visuals, I'd rather go back to the 80's and enjoy the simpler joys those videos offered.What makes this compilation nice is that you see the video images are mostly incidental to the music and vocals, not the other way around like today. Whether serious or silly, they are uplifting and creative without going overboard. No million dollar digital effects, no constant takes on the Janet Jackson line dancing with the lead vocalist's face up in the camera, and no songs where the "singers" are just screaming at the top of their lungs. There's a nice new wave feel throughout, only disrupted by the basic rock of Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" (musically this video could have been put on a different compilation more representative of the harder rock/pop of the 80s instead of this DVD, Night Ranger just seemed a tad out of place in this collection's more "alternative" theme). The videos' images are sharp and rich in colors, the sound is big and clear, and it's fun to find connections between some of the groups and videos: Trevor Horn of The Buggles can be spotted in ABC's video as well, and Geoff Downes of The Buggles is a part of Asia.....and TWO Tears For Fears videos, what a treat! There's a good reason why songs from Big Country, Level 42, Squeeze, and Dexy's Midnight Runners are long lasting, they are just one of a kind, and their originality made them impossible to forget. For me this is a nice collection because when I was living in St. Louis back in the 80's, these songs weren't being played on the top 40 stations there but instead were being exposed to people in the clubs. So I don't see these as just "hit" videos since I had discovered many of them during my own search for different music. They look and sound just as fresh as the day they were first shown and heard, and I just wish there were more than just a mere 14 videos -- come on, Universal, this is DVD we're talking about, you can fit more than that on a disc! Pure 80's will have you singing along and leave you smiling. It may be a more commerical-friendly representation of some of the 80's in some aspects, but it's worth the viewing pleasure. Let's see more volumes in the future please!
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting conceptual videos from when music was more fun!
Review: This compilation of music videos seems like a tease, because it is just a small portion of the fun that the 80's music scene produced. Some may say these are "stylish in excess" but compared to today's music videos where the artist's social status means everything and the music takes a back seat to the visuals, I'd rather go back to the 80's and enjoy the simpler joys those videos offered. What makes this compilation nice is that you see the video images are mostly incidental to the music and vocals, not the other way around like today. Whether serious or silly, they are uplifting and creative without going overboard. No million dollar digital effects, no constant takes on the Janet Jackson line dancing with the lead vocalist's face up in the camera, and no songs where the "singers" are just screaming at the top of their lungs. There's a nice new wave feel throughout, only disrupted by the basic rock of Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" (musically this video could have been put on a different compilation more representative of the harder rock/pop of the 80s instead of this DVD, Night Ranger just seemed a tad out of place in this collection's more "alternative" theme). The videos' images are sharp and rich in colors, the sound is big and clear, and it's fun to find connections between some of the groups and videos: Trevor Horn of The Buggles can be spotted in ABC's video as well, and Geoff Downes of The Buggles is a part of Asia.....and TWO Tears For Fears videos, what a treat! There's a good reason why songs from Big Country, Level 42, Squeeze, and Dexy's Midnight Runners are long lasting, they are just one of a kind, and their originality made them impossible to forget. For me this is a nice collection because when I was living in St. Louis back in the 80's, these songs weren't being played on the top 40 stations there but instead were being exposed to people in the clubs. So I don't see these as just "hit" videos since I had discovered many of them during my own search for different music. They look and sound just as fresh as the day they were first shown and heard, and I just wish there were more than just a mere 14 videos -- come on, Universal, this is DVD we're talking about, you can fit more than that on a disc! Pure 80's will have you singing along and leave you smiling. It may be a more commerical-friendly representation of some of the 80's in some aspects, but it's worth the viewing pleasure. Let's see more volumes in the future please!
Rating:
Summary: Uplifting conceptual videos from when music was more fun!
Review: This compilation of music videos seems like a tease, because it is just a small portion of the fun that the 80's music scene produced. Some may say these are "stylish in excess" but compared to today's music videos where the artist's social status means everything and the music takes a back seat to the visuals, I'd rather go back to the 80's and enjoy the simpler joys those videos offered. What makes this compilation nice is that you see the video images are mostly incidental to the music and vocals, not the other way around like today. Whether serious or silly, they are uplifting and creative without going overboard. No million dollar digital effects, no constant takes on the Janet Jackson line dancing with the lead vocalist's face up in the camera, and no songs where the "singers" are just screaming at the top of their lungs. There's a nice new wave feel throughout, only disrupted by the basic rock of Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" (musically this video could have been put on a different compilation more representative of the harder rock/pop of the 80s instead of this DVD, Night Ranger just seemed a tad out of place in this collection's more "alternative" theme). The videos' images are sharp and rich in colors, the sound is big and clear, and it's fun to find connections between some of the groups and videos: Trevor Horn of The Buggles can be spotted in ABC's video as well, and Geoff Downes of The Buggles is a part of Asia.....and TWO Tears For Fears videos, what a treat! There's a good reason why songs from Big Country, Level 42, Squeeze, and Dexy's Midnight Runners are long lasting, they are just one of a kind, and their originality made them impossible to forget. For me this is a nice collection because when I was living in St. Louis back in the 80's, these songs weren't being played on the top 40 stations there but instead were being exposed to people in the clubs. So I don't see these as just "hit" videos since I had discovered many of them during my own search for different music. They look and sound just as fresh as the day they were first shown and heard, and I just wish there were more than just a mere 14 videos -- come on, Universal, this is DVD we're talking about, you can fit more than that on a disc! Pure 80's will have you singing along and leave you smiling. It may be a more commerical-friendly representation of some of the 80's in some aspects, but it's worth the viewing pleasure. Let's see more volumes in the future please!
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Collection
Review: This DVD is packed with great 80s videos. If you like the 80's, you'll love this DVD. I hope they release another one of these, I would definatly buy it!! Excellent picture and sound quality really enhance the videos.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Quality
Review: Typical video collections use masters from dubious sources. Not here! I've never seen or heard these classic videos so clearly. Hats off to Universal for giving these gems the quality treatment they deserve. I hope they publish more volumes.
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