Far superior to the previous collection of Cure videos, as (let's face it) it wasn't until 'Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me' that they actually started to make good videos! And we have all the classics here, starting with the sequenced costume-dancing of 'Why Can't I Be You?', into the Holiday'98 mediterranean style of 'Catch', the dreamy spinning on a dizzy edge of 'Just Like Heaven', and my own personal favourite the lounge bar singing and marionettes of 'Hot Hot Hot!!!'.
And then, as if that weren't enough, we reach Tim Pope's visual heyday. Going from the classic candy-striping of 'Lullaby', through 'Fascination Street' and 'Lovesong', into the heart-warming 'Pictures of You' (complete with snowball fight).
Then there's the full version of 'Never Enough', part two of 'Close To Me' (with the remix), and we're into Wish. 'High' and 'Friday I'm In Love' being the pick from this era. And on re-evaluation even the recent efforts seem reborn here, with 'The 13th', 'Gone!' and the instantly foot-tapping 'Wrong Number' rounding things off in a very high-key way.
It's all here. Need I say more? Forget 'The Crow II'. Here lies the true evidence of Pope's talent. Maybe he's just doomed to have a middle-aged man in red-lipstick for a screen muse? It's just a thought. (PB)
[1997]
