While David Bowie”s “The Next Day” hasn”t delivered any traditional hits, he has kept his first studio album in 10 years in the spotlight since its release in March by steadily releasing videos from the project,
Each mini-movie has had its own theme and they”ve ranged from the intriguing narrative of “The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” with Tilda Swinton or much more low key, like the $12.99 video for “Love is Lost.” They’ve all been artsy, but accessible.
Late last night he released the clip for “I”d Rather Be High (Venetian Mix).”
The song, one of the jauntier musical tracks from “The Next Day,” is actually a strident anti-war song from the perspective of a 17-year old who enlists in the war only to realize he”s way over his head. Director Tom Hingston takes the WW2 lyrics and juxtaposes them against footage of WW2 soldiers and different scenes from the era to create a deceptively uplifting video about wanting to be high instead of fight, or as Bowie sings: “I”d rather be high, I”d rather be flying, I”d rather be dead or out of my head than training these guns on those men in the sand.”
Hingston runs the images through some grainy filters and throws in some black and white altered images of Bowie in the clip that creates a stirring overall work.
The song was also used in a Louis Vuitton commercial featuring Bowie, which takes the song in a totally different direction.
Which clip do you like better?