THE VIDEO Mötley Crüe, "Home Sweet Home," Theatre of Pain, 1985, Elektra
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SAMPLE LYRIC "I'm on my wayyy-ayyy-ayyy, I'm on my wayyy-ayyy-ayyyyy / home swee-eeet home / ta-night, ta-night! I'm on my wayyy-ayyy, just set me freee-eeee / home sweeeeet home"
THE VERDICT I have decided, for reasons all my own, and in spite of the fact that February probably would have made more sense, that March will be Power Ballads Month over here at Heavy Metal Videos. Many guitar-oriented rock bands have written and performed power ballads, but never before or since has their been such powerful balladry as during hair metal's heyday. As such, all this month's posts will be power ballads. So get out your lighters! Find a make-out partner! It's Power Ballad Month!
I've chosen Mötley Crüe's "Home Sweet Home" as my opener for a couple of reasons. First, in spite of songs such as, I don't know, "Still Loving You" (1984), "Bringin' on the Heartbreak" (1981), or going even further back, "Stairway to Heaven" (1971), I have in more than one instance heard Vince Neil claim that the Crüe invented the power ballad with this song. As per the previously introduced evidence (as well as much more), they didn't.
However, what the Crüe arguably did invent with "Home Sweet Home" was the power ballad video. In many ways, this video introduces nearly all of the conventions that will be hallmarks of so many power ballad videos to come, from "Wanted Dead or Alive" to "Love Song," and so many in between. Not all power ballad videos include these visual tropes (as we shall see this month), but the Crüe really do concoct so many of them right here in this video. There's a very good reason that any Vh-1 metal montage includes copious footage from "Home Sweet Home." Actually, there are ten very good reasons, as we shall see below.
Admittedly, it's not all soon-to-be cliches. The Crüe put some elements into this video that are very specific to them, and in particular, specific to Theatre of Pain. They include a humorous intro featuring Michael Berryman from The Hills Have Eyes, who also appears in the (also funny) video for "Smokin' in the Boys' Room." He approaches each band member letting them know they have a phone call, to which each responds "I'm on my way." Vince is at the beach, Mick Mars is in some kind of dungeon (which if you've read The Dirt you'll agree may well be his house), Nikki Sixx is in some kind of costume-oriented jazz bar, and Tommy Lee is throwing some kind of retro-theme party. Once this sequence ends and the video begins, however, it's video genre-defining moment after video-genre defining moment.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #1: The Tour Bus Ah, life on the road. Showing the tour bus emphasizes that the band is spending much of their time isolated and traveling around the country. They really are going to need some special ladies to help them feel more at home at the next Best Western! Speeding up the footage emphasizes the repetitiveness of touring.
Interestingly -- because they don't really travel on a bus? Because they do, and it's beyond filthy? -- we don't actually see the Crüe inside the bus, which is a surprise. Many subsequent bands will add to this cliche the cliches of footage of the lead singer leaning against the window and looking pensive and footage of various band members sleeping while wearing sunglasses.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #2: Setting Up for the Show Also shown with sped-up footage, setting up for the show is a key element, literally "setting the stage" for the video. We get to see fans entering the arena, a band-theme backdrop being hoisted, lights going up, roadies dragging stuff around, and so on. Speeding it up not only makes it go faster, it also makes all the people look like ants, possibly emphasizing the hugeness of the band.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #3: Goofing Off Backstage Aww, see girls? They're totally nice guys! Showing the band backstage emphasizes that they are normal, down-to-earth, and that rock stardom hasn't gone to their heads. They make jokes with each other, eat food, and so on.
The Crüe again don't take this one as far as other bands do -- while they are shown before the show, we don't see the usually inevitable shots of the band sitting around looking exhausted in bathrobes after, or spraying each other with beer and/or grooming products. However, since it is the Crüe, we do see Vince Neil kissing pinup posters set up backstage.
A related cliche (3A?) is the First-Person Camera -- in behind-the-scenes footage, band members will look straight at the camera, react to it, etc. In this case, Tommy Lee gestures to the camera to follow him out onto the stage.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #4: Mood Lighting What would the power ballad be without mood lighting? You need to let the audience know that you're going to slow things down a little, so it's a good time to get out the lighters (a key element of mood lighting) and start groping your date, your friend, or whomever has passed out next to you. A blue gel over a spotlight will do wonders for your lead singer! It will also help anyone who has a music video blog twenty-odd years later to identify what footage in your video is of you actually performing this song.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #5: Footage of Band Sweatin' and Rockin' As referenced above, much concert footage in power ballad videos tends to be of the band performing songs that are clearly not ballads. Sometimes we know this from an inadvertent shot of a teleprompter or clearly read lips, but mostly we know this from all of the guitar swinging, over-emotive facial expressions, jumping around, thrashing about, and sweating.
Why all the footage that's not of this song? Because remember folks, no matter how many make claims that power ballads were written solely to gain a female audience, a genre of music this invested in masculinity has not forgotten about the guys. It's a little reminder -- we may not be rockin' right at this moment, but it's just because we need a break from all that rockin' we're doing the rest of the time. Plus the contrast with the slower music makes it look like you're rocking all the harder!
Power Ballad Video Cliche #6: Women Get On the Stage Not only does this showcase the irresistibility of your lead singer, it's also a handy technique for getting women backstage. Because really, where do you think those roadies are carrying them off to? You think they're being tossed out of the arena? Um no. I mean think about it. How'd they get onstage in the first place? Those giant security guards really couldn't contain a pair of 110-pound women? Hopefully the band got security something as a thank-you gift.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #7: Band Members React to Sexy Fans Nothing says you care about your fans like editing together some footage to make it appear that band members are reacting to specific things fans do. Yes, the Crüe does it quite a bit raunchier than most bands, but they're the Crüe. In this case, footage of Nikki Sixx making a come-hither gesture is implicated in causing the lifting of a female fan's one-shoulder, snake-print top (her arms are straight up in the air, so she's not as implicated here). Oh wait, except for the fact that Vh-1 uses this particular shot in every show they do that's even tangentially related to metal, the 80s, or women, so this gal's concert flashing has been immortalized. The Crüe add an extra twist to this by following that with what appears (via the magic of editing) to be a reaction from Tommy.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #8: Wholesome Fans Sing Along It's not all flashing and lascivious tongue gestures out there in the audience. No power ballad video is complete without footage of utterly wholesome-looking female fans (think 15ish-years-old, applied eyeliner in arena bathroom just before show, mom picking up after) singing along with the song's chorus. "Home Sweet Home" establishes this as an integral shot in the power ballad video arsenal.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #9: Male Fans Scream If you're a guy, how are you going to get yourself into a power ballad video? Screaming, screaming, and more screaming. As this video proves, particularly during the most frenetic part of the guitar solo, it is important to have a shot of a male fan who appears to be engaging in some kind of deep, primal scream. You want a guy who looks like he's about to turn into the Hulk, so intensely moved is he by the intensity of the guitar solo.
Power Ballad Video Cliche #10: The Big Finale Thanks no doubt in large part to "Home Sweet Home," power ballad videos tend to be strikingly similar in their conclusions. Pyro! Particularly sparks falling from the ceiling. Shot in black and white, gosh, they almost look moody (we don't see this here since they're in color, but this is a favorite shot in Bon Jovi videos). The band members all put their arms around each other and bow -- this is always shot from behind, so we can see the gratitude of the crowd. And last, we get a reprisal of the lead singer bathed in blue light, and all the lighter action. Since in case you forgot, this is a power ballad.
If you want to see the progeny of this video, it's out there in spades. Even though power ballad videos would go on to branch out in more narrative-oriented directions, the "life on the road is so tough"-slash-"we rock so hard" power ballad video originated here really has some serious legs. Just look at "I Won't Forget You." Or "When the Children Cry." Or "Living on a Prayer." Or "Alone Again." Or fill-in-the-blank-with-your-own-favorite-power-ballad-video.
P.S.: As I noted a while ago on Twitter, for the record I wrote this post before seeing Hot Tub Time Machine. (I know, kind of obvious since it's not in theaters yet, but full disclosure: I saw a preview screening a week ago.) I write the posts several weeks ahead, so everything except this little post-script I wrote back in January. Anyway though -- the main reason I bring this up is because if you liked this post, hell, if you read this post, there's very good chance you will like this movie. Or at least, even if you aren't feeling the whole thing, there are some parts of it you will frickin' love. I promise.