MetaChat - What is the best thing you've ever seen on YouTube?

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05 May 2007

What is the best thing you've ever seen on YouTube? →[More:]To me, it's the link above (Joe Cocker doing Ray Charles to incredible effect). Growing up in the 80s, I missed Joe Cocker totally. I only knew him from movie soundtracks (Officer and a Gentlemen and 9 and 1/2 weeks) and the vague recollection of John Belushi "doing him" on early episodes of SNL. My wife and I rented Woodstock (the movie), a few weeks back, and I found the Joe Cocker footage to be utterly transfixing. Curious if folks have stumbled upon anything else on YouTube that's been around for years, but you only found recently, and it blew you the f*ck away.

post by: psmealey at: 18:38 | 21 comments

FYI, I know that this was not from the movie, but was actually IMO better than the Cocker tune from the film ("With a Little Help From My Friends"), as good as that was. But is still my favorite YouTube clip evAr.

posted by psmealey 05 May | 18:48

I don't know if it's my favorite thing I've ever seen on youtube, but I must admit I became nearly hysterical with joy recently when I stumbled upon footage of Midge Ure (with Eddie Izzard on piano!!) performing Ultravox's "Vienna" at Live 8. (Here's the original, for anyone who's curious. Still one of my favorite '80s songs/videos EVAR.)

posted by scody 05 May | 19:14

One of these.

posted by vers 05 May | 19:14

Right now, given my current status, this: Tales of Mere Existence - How to break up with your gf

Over all...I'm still browsing through this collection. So far i like this alot.

And i really like the magnetic fields...

posted by Schyler523 05 May | 19:33

(keepo going with the Cocker, dude. Get a hold of Mad Dogs & Englishmen, one of the best live rock albums ever made, seriously)

posted by jonmc 05 May | 19:34

Umm... should warn you that the sound on some of those is a bit scratchy(they are old records after all...

posted by Schyler523 05 May | 19:35

Well, as long as we're getting scratchy... give it up for the Zombies.

posted by psmealey 05 May | 19:38

Ooh, I like "Tales of Mere Existence." Very nice.

Thinking it over, I think perhaps the "Look Around You" series is the best thing I've ever seen on youtube, and possibly ever in my life.

posted by scody 05 May | 19:42

some of those IS?!?

Ack! Of course i mean are...

posted by Schyler523 05 May | 19:43

Ok, that "Look Around You" bit is pretty incredible, scody, no doubt. I guess I should have narrowed the criteria when asking the question. Maybe just you're favorite music video/concert footage you've seen on YouTube?

In the music video category, I submit the freshly post Rockpile, Dave Edmunds.

posted by psmealey 05 May | 19:49

i was right the first time.
i need to sleep...

posted by Schyler523 05 May | 20:00

That "Tale of Mere Existence" was funny.

I'm addicted to this guy's videos of his art.

posted by LunaticFringe 05 May | 20:51

oh, that's easy:

Humpin' Hector the PornoBot

posted by jason's_planet 05 May | 21:14

U.G.L.Y.
and
Private Idaho

I can't choose between 'em.

posted by BoringPostcards 05 May | 21:37

Amateur is a simple idea that's mind-blowingly well executed.

I hadn't heard Cardiacs until I saw this clip on YouTube and they quickly became one of my mostest favouritest thingys ever.

posted by dodgygeezer 06 May | 05:53

Jerry Byrd and Marty Robbins Beyond the Reef

posted by Otis 06 May | 07:00

Wow! That Amateur is an excellent illustration of the point that musical thinking and instrument-playing ability are two different skills. The guy did compose a really cool tune, and put it together by manipulating sound into patterns. But it's way easier to do that with a digital video editor than by teaching your spinal memory the physical skills it takes to make those sounds together in real time.

Cool!

posted by Miko 06 May | 08:59

I've been thinking about that recently, Miko.

We have machines today that can accurately play back every nuance of, say, a piano performance. If I was to program one of these with my interpretation of a Chopin ballade, then surely that performance would hold exactly the same artistic value as if I actually performed my interpretation of that piece in the traditional way.

Of course, the traditional performance also has the 'watch the dancing monkey' circus act of watching me regurgitate finger movements I've spent hours laboriously drilling into my head. But does that actually add anything at a musical or artistic level? I'm not so sure.

posted by chrismear 06 May | 09:43

the traditional performance also has the 'watch the dancing monkey' circus act of watching me regurgitate finger movements I've spent hours laboriously drilling into my head

I'm not sure that's all there is, really. I always think that live performance (of any kind) should be a collaboration among the people performing and the audience, so that each performer (and audience member) is bringing into each performance a certain energy, mood, whatever that may change day to day and performance to performance. That's what I think of as "flow," though I haven't read the book dealing with such so that may be an idiosyncratic definition.

posted by occhiblu 06 May | 11:10

I don't know about the "best thing ever", but I certainly enjoyed the kiwi animation.

posted by philomathoholic 06 May | 13:04

The Avalanches - Frontier Psychiatrist is my favourite for being pure nuts.
Air - How Does it Make You Feel is my favourite for visual effects.

posted by fissionchips 07 May | 02:42

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