The Dissection of a 1990 Music Video

The other morning I woke up with a song in my head that I couldn’t get rid of and I had to look it up. Apparently it was “Love and Affection” by Nelson from 30 years ago.

I went straight to YouTube to check out the video and yes, it was vaguely familiar but also an assault on all the senses in a most fabulous way. So apropos of nothing, I’ve dedicated a blog post to the dissection of a video from 1990. Feast on it.

We start off with twin bros Gunnar and Matthew (I had to look up the names) sitting in a sepia-toned living room. Gunnar is checking out the model in a magazine because there was no internet in 1990.

They start playing their guitars and we are now magically transported to a stage that the set designer for Moulin Rouge would call tacky while “Dream Girl” awkwardly pirouettes in a bikini.

She’s twirling, twirling, so much twirling. Why is she twirling? Is she Malibu Barbie Stevie Nicks?

For a second the guys are in standard ‘play and sing to the camera’ mode ‘ but their clothes keep changing and every outfit screams “we will regret out fashion choices when Nirvana comes on to the scene”.

Suddenly for no reason, the video speeds up and Gunnar/Matthew (?) goes up the stairs and down again while the rest of the band does weird things super fast because the director learned himself a new camera trick and had to foist it on an unsuspecting world.

And I’m so confused by the scenery y’all. I mean there’s a sailboat matte painting, an oriental rug, stairs that go nowhere and the stage is surrounded by plants. Hey director, what do you want in the music video?

And okay, they set up the premise for “Dream Girl” but she’s nowhere to be found. Oh wait, there she is. But then she disappears. Is she a ghost? Did the twirl herself into oblivion? I have so many questions.

There’s a Monsters of Rock guitar solo which is done by neither of the Nelsons and then Dream Girl comes back with a costume change, sings along with the word “baby” and then disappears back into her parallel universe. And I have to say, her hair looks pretty good so maybe she’s some sort of time traveler sent to tell the boys about the benefits of leave-in hair conditioner.

Listen to her boys. Listen to her.

We then end on some hair band excess with flying stuff (bubbles? confetti? snow? who can tell anymore) and I have no idea why half the stuff on screen was there. The 90s were confusing. Going from this to grunge must have been like watching a double feature of Batman Forever and The Dark Knight.

I mean, take a moment to appreciate that sweet, sweet stage again. Look at it. JUST LOOK AT IT.

We fade back into sepia-tone because we’re back in Kansas, I guess. I must have had the strangest dream – and everything was in it.

The boys walk off to presumably apply more bleach to their hair when Gunnar decides to take the magazine with him, which is cute because he liked that girl on the cover and…OH MY GOD WHAT IS HE GOING TO DO WITH THAT MAGAZINE?

So that’s it and I have to say, bad visuals and unfortunate hair aside, the song is really really damn good. So damn good I had to download it. And it’s obvious they guys are talented. If you don’t believe me, check out this video of the twins performing the song a couple of years ago.

Their hair looks healthier. So thank you time-traveling Dream Girl.

Thank you.