Timbaland and Elton John, 2 Man Show.

[anthonyeaston.livejournal.com]

The great thing about it, is that Elton John's Piano and not is voice is present. It recasts pop history as one that is against language, the ripping apart, the working through of history that has been timberlands project, cuts through the narratives of daniel or rocket man. the stuttering start, and the slow extension and then retraction of keyboard, waiting, waiting for the voice, and then the voice absent, listening to the end, a name check, and virtuoso's on the 88 keys--like scott joplin or jerry lee lewis or screaming jay hawkins or kate bush, all are here, in the staccato, and the rthym versus percussion polyphony fight that makes up pop in general. that it is the last song on the album, makes it a tying up, for an album that is chaotic, collaborative, abstract, and difficult.

KEEP IT UP KEEP IT UP DON'T BE A PRI - MADONNA

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Pass/fail?

+ dance moves are hot
- Justin. SHAVE.
+ for all that the "aagh, put your crotch away, old woman" criticism recently has been totally justified...it's not actually all that intrusive here, and Madonna looks fantastic. Also I'm definitely down with her hitting on Justin, c'mon, no one complains when icky old men like Michael Douglas and George Clooney do it
- Justin. TAKE OFF THE FUCKING SCARF.
+ I like the treadmill scene, Madonna's camp nods to her right on "sometimes what I think what I need is a UN intervention"
- Justin. STOP UNDRESSING WOMEN OLD ENOUGH TO BE YOUR MOTHER.
+ when Madonna looks in the mirror and sees Justin there!
- That split second when Justin reaches down to help Madonna on to the car...no. A dancer had to do this to Britney at the VMAs. Not fierce.

I think maybe the video's actual problem is that it sets a lot of things up but doesn't follow through on them...M and J are working overtime to save the world but they never actually do anything, the vague sexual chemistry ends up as nothing more than Madonna taking Justin's jumper off, etc.

Still a great song though!