All hail Kylie
Fraser Nelson 5:27pm
To honour Kylie Minogue (sorry Stephen) on the day she was awarded the OBE, I’ve been tasked with selecting the best Kylie video. This is a tough challenge; they are consistently good right from her initial Stock, Aitken & Waterman phase. When she read out “I should be so lucky” at the Poetry Olympics in the Royal Albert Hall it went down a treat – you can’t knock its power on account of its simplicity. Though, plenty did.
In 1993 Virgin Radio launched with a daft slogan “we’ve improved Kylie’s songs – we’ve banned them.” It demonstrated Virgin’s lack of grasp, as Kylie had signed with Deconstruction and was back with “Confide in Me” - probably my favourite Kylie song, shooting like a meteorite into a very bleak year for pop (1994). But my favourite video was probably that of her duet with Nick Cave, Where the Wild Roses Grow - a sublime, gothic and emotionally-charged masterpiece. She had plenty more to come.
The Spinning Around video (watch it below) was a phenomenon – starring not the girl, but her golden hotpants. Here she was, aged 33 and 14 years into her musical career, and it was as if the world had just discovered a certain part of her anatomy. “Spinning Around” was perhaps the first time an arse got to Number One (if you don’t count Vanilla Ice). But I make a serious point: this video can perhaps be regarded as the highest-impact of all: in no time she was launching her own underwear range and winning “rear of the year”. And few would be so bold as to deny that “Can’t get you out of my head” - the Cathy Dennis song and the Dawn Shadforth video - was simply a masterpiece.
Kylie is more than a chanteuse. It was once put to me that Kylie embodies everything the Taliban hate and has done more to raise morale in this country far more most of those with OBE after their name. All hail.
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Anan
July 3rd, 2008 6:30pm Report this commentErr what the hell is this doing on Spectator. Cheap gossipy junk. Get a grip Fraser.
Kevyn Bodman
July 3rd, 2008 6:59pm Report this commentMOST of the things the Taliban hate; if she would also cook me some bacon, black pudding and fried bread, and let me wash it down with a pint of Brains SA then I'd support her being made CH or OM in a future Honours list.
Stu
July 3rd, 2008 7:05pm Report this commentI can't say I was ever a fan of Kylie. In fact, quite the reverse. I think I'd stand with Virgin Radio on the matter, to be frank.
That said, I can't see how you can suggest 1994 was a bad year for music. '94 would be the year of Blur releasing Parklife, Oasis with Definitely Maybe, Portishead's Dummy, Nirvana Unplugged In New York...
If it's pure rubbishy 'pop' you're after, then what about Take That, M People, Ace of Base, Boyzone or D:Ream? It's also the year that Love Is All Around was at the top of the charts for the whole year, and you don't get much more poptastic that that.
1994 was a great music year.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_in_British_music
Silent Hunter
July 3rd, 2008 8:01pm Report this commentI LOVE YOU KYLIE!!!!!!
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.
.
.
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God! I hope my wife doesn't see this!
Tiberius
July 3rd, 2008 8:36pm Report this commentKylie, the early 21st century's Vera Lynn.
I too rate the videos you mention, Fraser, but I'd forgotten about the lingerie ad.
I clearly to reassess my use of memory space.
CG
July 3rd, 2008 8:39pm Report this commentI preferred her early stuff, although SAW songs would have been good whoever sang them.
Derbyshire Ben
July 3rd, 2008 11:32pm Report this commentWell done Fraser. I vote for Confide in Me over Can't Get You Out of My Head even though the latter will have greater longevity. Have you read Paul Morley's 'Words and Music'? If not you should. It's a scholarly and fascinating history of music tracing an alternative arc from musique concrete through to Can;t Get You Out of my Head which Morely describes as the perfect pop song.
Water
July 4th, 2008 5:32am Report this comment"Err what the hell is this doing on Spectator" agreed, though I do like her work.
Fraser Nelson
July 4th, 2008 7:47am Report this commentCG, I agree up to a point (and think it's more true for SAW's male then female artists). But "Cant get you out of my head" was originally offered to Sophie Ellis Baxtor and if she had taken it, I don't think for a moment that it would have stood (as it does today) in the all time global top 50. Anan, lighten up. And the Spectator had its summer bash last night so we were in the party spirit. Silent Hunter, don't worry - you guys have pen names for a reason.
Lance Diatessaron
July 4th, 2008 9:13am Report this commentConfide in me. By a country mile. When she was a bit more innovative and less of a Happy Shopper Madonna.
Adrian
July 4th, 2008 9:53am Report this commentmade me laugh
William Norton
July 4th, 2008 10:27am Report this commentDamn you, Nelson. I've spent seven years trying to get the tune of "Can't Get You Out Of My Head", er, out of my head.
Oh well. Repeat after me:
La la la, la-la, la-la, la
La la la, la-la, la-la, la
La la la, la-la, la-la, la
La la la, la-la, la-la, la
La la la, la-la, la-la, la
....
Fraser Nelson
July 4th, 2008 12:56pm Report this commentWilliam, you raise a good point. Who else could could make the words "la la la" into a trademark?
Anan
July 4th, 2008 8:12pm Report this commentFraser, you cool down. The singer has no talent, is a celebrity because she prances around with no clothes on, and has received an honour only because the Queen is trying to look cool. This being a story in Hello is fine but not on the Spectator. What's next? Day by day commentary on your latest insights into the goings on of that other bastion of depravity, Big Brother? Puh-lease!
Anan
July 4th, 2008 8:16pm Report this commentP.S. You're even writing about the merits of appearing with minimal clothing and the good business sense of selling underwear.
Oh. My. God.
What is going on Fraser?! She's an old woman that doesn't know her sell-by date has passed. Just like Madonna. I wonder if you worship that old joke too? I think you would do. Once again, get a grip Fraser. I say that not as an insult but as a genuine piece of advice. I am worried about you.
Mike
July 20th, 2008 11:26pm Report this commentI think it's a little unfair to call Kylie a singer past her sell-by date. By that reckoning, there are many male solo artists and bands that should have walked away a long time ago. I don't think age determines musical talent by any stretch. I think Kylie has more than earned her place amongst successful musical talents. Pop isn't everyone's taste, sure, and musical trends have certainly shown that people have moved on from pop -- except where Kylie is concerned. That's her niche - pop-dance beats - and she continues to sell them extremely well.
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