Great Music Video #2: You Can Call Me Al by Paul Simon
I have to admit: I find it extremely depressing that I feel the need to explain to anyone why “You Can Call Me Al” is one of the most fantastic, memorable music videos ever made. Without getting into the merit of the song itself or why Paul Simon is a genius, this is a great video. Why? Two words: Chevy Chase, and woe unto future generations who won’t fully understand why that makes anything instantly awesome.
The story is thus: Paul Simon really didn’t care for the original video that was made for the song. Back in 1986, Lorne Michaels was still cool, and along with Gary Weis, conceived of a second version of the video featuring Chevy Chase lip-syncing Simon’s vocals while Simon impassively looked on. It sounds boring, but it’s anything but. The resulting video is classic, fun and unforgettable. It may very well be my favorite music video of all time.
You made my morning. I love it.