Oops...All My Clothes Fell Off! (Kylie Minogue Videos)

Member Name: blackjane

Product:	Kylie Minogue Videos
Date:	02/10/01 (12259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some Fabulous Video Clips

Disadvantages: Some Dodgy Ones Too

What an odd little category - I've never really noticed it before: 'Kylie Minogue Videos.' Well I believe that as an authority on the subject, having closely scrutinised many of Miss Minogue's mini-movies on the plethora of music channels that Sky Digital has to offer, I should be the one to make my mark first.....so here goes.

One common 'theme' of her most recent videos is a distinct lack of attire - not that I'm complaining, mind. Perversely, Kylie's recent lapse of wardrobe skills seems to have coincided neatly with a surge in her popularity (I wonder why that is?), with a recent run of five consecutive top ten singles in the new Millennium. Prior to that you had to go back to 1994's number two hit 'Confide In Me' for the last time a single form the diminuitive antipodean graced the UK top ten.

I remember back to the days of the late 1980s - 1988 in fact, when I was a fresh faced sixteen year old, and Charlene Ramsey from Neighbours ditched her overalls in favour of stint with Pete Waterman's Hit Factory. The result was cheesy pop, and a cheesy video in the form of 'I Should Be So Lucky', but it was a massive success and from then on I have been hooked.

In those days the videos were on a strict budget, and the likes of 'Got To Be Certain' and 'The Loco-motion' were your standard pop fodder. However, the next offering, 'Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi', hinted at a brighter future in the sphere of the pop video. A clever promo clip with Kylie in colour for the most part, and the background and other characters in black and white, stood out as being different and innovative. The Parisian setting captured the mood of the song and I began to think that at last there was better to come.

However, rather dull efforts for the singles 'Especially For You', 'Hand On Your Heart', 'Wouldn't Change A Thing', 'Never Too Late' and '
;Tears On My Pillow' never even got close to the sublime artistic qualities of 'Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi.'

That was it for the 1980s, and as the 1990s dawned we were presented with a new image dubbed 'SexKylie', which involved her raunching it up in the video for the single 'Better The Devil You Know.' This showed a new side to her that had never really been allowed to surface in her previous offerings. It also coincided with her relationship with Michael Hutchence, and it was obvious that there was a fully fledged sex symbol waiting to put an end to the teeny bopper image that had gone before.

The following videos for 'Step Back In Time', 'What Do I Have To Do' and 'Shocked' completed the transition, each becoming ever more raunchy, revealing more of Kylie's character, as well as more flesh, at the same time!

Kylie appeared to mellow slightly for the videos that promoted the singles from her 'Let's Get To It' album, and 'Word Is Out', 'If You Were With Me Now', 'Give Me Just A Little More Time' and 'Finer Feelings' attempted to convey more of a sophisticated image. Working with new video producers appeared to work well, and although the popularity of the songs was on the wane, the videos were some of the best that she has done.

Her final two singles for the PWL label, that appeared on the 1992 Greatest Hits album, were nothing to write home about. 'What Kind Of Fool' took a step back to the traditional 'pop' video look, and 'Celebration' was filmed in a carnival type setting on a South American beach.

With the PWL years behind her, Kylie set out on a new adventure on the deconstruction label, and had instant success with 'Confide In Me', which was a great song with a very polished video presentation too. 'Put Yourself In My Place' was her most revealing video to date with Kylie losing
her spacesuit (in true Barbarella style) but shot in such a way to keep her dignity (just!) It was at this point that Kylie's music career reached a low ebb. I struggle to even remember the video for the next single 'Where Is The Feeling', apart from it being in black and white and having dolphins in it, which is perhaps a reflection of the lack of success for the single itself.

'Some Kind Of Bliss' was a return to form in the video stakes, with a welcome appearance for a pair of tight shorts, but the song lacked any depth and it became her first single to miss out on a top twenty placing. 'Did It Again' was a clever video with four different Kylies in a mock battle and although the music was still lacking a certain something, the video performances were certainly back on track. 'Breathe' was a better song, but the video was far too arty and didn't really do the track justice.

That brings us neatly back to 2000 and 'Spinning Around.' The shorts were tighter than ever and were certainly a talking point for anyone that saw this video. The dance routine was very much in the vein of George Michaels' 'Outside', which is not surprising as the same director was behind both videos. The single hit number one and Kylie Minogue was back in the big time. 'On A Night Like This' was another great video featuring Kylie as the spurned girlfriend of Rutger Hauer (the guy from the Guiness commercials in years gone by.) It also involved a distinct lack of clothing, which is beginning to become a common theme now. 'Kids' saw Kylie strutting her stuff with Robbie Williams, inspired for much of the performance (apparently) by the final scene from the movie Grease, although to my mind Kylie always seems to be more believeable than ONJ.

'Please Stay' was the final single from the 'Light Years' album and featured Kylie sprawled on a pool table and then a pinball machine in
a dress that wouldn't make a very substantial hankerchief. It also featured phallic undertones as she slides down a fireman's pole (don't ask!)

And so finally we come to 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head', and there's tit tape a-plenty as Kylie shows off her 33 year old body to very good effect, proving that like Madonna she can still mix it with the younger stars that are around these days.

I am sure that Kylie Minogue still has a lot to offer as an artist, and in particular in terms of her music videos. I, for one, am looking forward to seeing how she continues to progress.

{An original Dooyoo opinion
© Blackjane 2001}

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