Posted: 01/26/2001

The Video Collection 93:99: Madonna on DVD

(1993-1999)

by Robert Bach

Superb music collection brings us up to date on the reigning diva’s video work.

As a follow up to her Immaculate Collection video compilation, Madonna released a new collection of her greatest music video moments in stores now titled The Video Collection 93:99. It features 14 videos that play one after another, there really are no special features other than the sound and picture quality on this DVD (also available on VHS).

I’ll start with the only weak moment, and that’s the video for the remixed version of Love Don’t Live Here Anymore from her 1996 ballads collection Something to Remember. At first the video is visually stunning due to the use of browns and blacks and the long slow camera work that highlights the grand room that the video is set within. But that’s only on the first few times you watch it, the song was never a favorite of mine and after watching the video through a few times it begins to drag, I would much rather have seen her include the video for You’ll See, which is mysteriously missing but from the same album.

Fever is visually stunning as well and makes use of a lot of special effects and metallics with fast camera cuts and that pumping bass line, it makes for one of the best videos on this disc.

Also featured is the eerie video for Frozen and the picturesque video for The Power Of Good-bye contrasted with story driven Take A Bow and another one of my favorites Rain. Rain is fascinating because the video was first shot in black and white and then later digitally painted, frame by frame, to create those intensely bright and pure colors that make the video so unique and so very powerful.

Madonna covers the spectrum from the story driven videos, to the visually strong videos and of course, her specialty—dance. The video for Ray of Light got more attention than almost any of her other videos because of the fast pace and dizzying effects that makes it stand out above the rest. The same thing goes for Human Nature, very seldom played on MTv but one of her best as well, I was always impressed with the choreography of this video and the statement that she makes to her critics saying she has “absolutely no regrets,” I have always found this song very humorous due to the boldness of the lyrics and the video just drives that point home even better.

Overall The Video Collection 93:99 is outstanding, and although some special features for the DVD release would’ve been nice, its still a collection of some of her best work and has merit enough with the music and the images to stand strong without special features.

With this collection, as with her previous ones, its not hard to see why Madonna is still one of the top forces in music today, almost 20 years after she came onto the scene—she is a survivor and always pushes the limits and always puts all the energy she has into everything she does.

Robert Bach is a writer and musician and former entertainment editor for an East Coast publication.

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