Best Worst Video: “Time Stands Still” by Rush and Aimee Mann

By on Mar 26, 2009 in Music, Unearthed Videos, Videos | 7 Comments

Back in 1987 Rush entrusted  the video for their song “Time Stands Still” to a guy who was not afraid to use a green screen and a special effect or 4,000. The pitch:

“Hey Guys, love your stuff! BIG Huck Sawyer &  Limelife fan, anyway… for this video, I’m thinking… now stay with me… ‘floaty and frenetic’? Huh? And I got the ‘Voices Carry’ chick to chase you around a bit with a TV camera. It’s gold, right? Let’s do it.”‘

Gold indeed. I still love this song a lot and love the video’s sheer absurdity and absolute lack of concept even more.

Highlights:

  • Neil Pert in tanktop
  • Oddly incongruous wilderness background stock  footage
  • Geddy rocking the “Mom doing housework with her hair in a bun” look
  • Angel-voiced Aimee Mann clearly not amused by her asinine role in the video (debut 00:41), slight smile (01:01)
  • Alex Lifeson gleefully spinning in circles like a dim child. (01:15)
  • Choreographed double-spins by Alex and Geddy (01:22 and 01:30)
  • Aimee leaving her camera duties to go in control room for no apparent reason (02:01)
  • Wait, she might have hurt her arm (02:16)
  • The epic “multiple Rush’s coming at ya ” shot (03:27) (favorite of Video Toaster wizards) that ends with Alex and Geddy hopping in step. Nailed it!
  • Followed by Aimee Mann completely bored and snoozing (03:35) “Guys, c’mon this is just ridiculous…”
  • Alex Lifeson does  fabulous dances with just his chin (03:48)
  • Another HUGE choreographed Alex and Geddy 360 spin with spot-on precision (10s all around!) to bring it into the homestretch (04:12)
  • Aimee smiles and shrinks and floats away (05:06), leaving Canada for good and never ever speaking with Rush again

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  • http://www.usedwigsradio.com/ Russ

    Oh yes…I am an unapologetic Rush fan, but their videos are generally pretty laughable – this one just taking he cake. LOVE it…it is so unbelievably terrible you just can’t imagine anyone screening it in the control room and being like “RAD! Send that bad boy to MTV!” Or, maybe you can…

  • http://www.usedwigsradio.com Russ

    Oh yes…I am an unapologetic Rush fan, but their videos are generally pretty laughable – this one just taking he cake. LOVE it…it is so unbelievably terrible you just can’t imagine anyone screening it in the control room and being like “RAD! Send that bad boy to MTV!” Or, maybe you can…

  • MeBabes

    It actually isn’t a bad video at all.

    It has a full theme if you pay attention:

    1.)She spins the camera trying to capture as the band floats around
    2.)Shots of the band floating with the wilderness background
    3.)Some video effects
    4.)The band watches her float away (with camera) into the wilderness background

    I have no idea of any deeper meaning to the video, but at least there is some structure if you watch it all the way through.

    I don’t even care for Rush so why am I commenting on this?

  • MeBabes

    It actually isn’t a bad video at all.

    It has a full theme if you pay attention:

    1.)She spins the camera trying to capture as the band floats around
    2.)Shots of the band floating with the wilderness background
    3.)Some video effects
    4.)The band watches her float away (with camera) into the wilderness background

    I have no idea of any deeper meaning to the video, but at least there is some structure if you watch it all the way through.

    I don’t even care for Rush so why am I commenting on this?

  • Doug

    This was a hysterical dead on review. Loved every second of it. Pure 80s Gold and an incredible song that never got the due it so richly deserved.

  • http://www.moldremoval.com/ Mold Testing Miami Beach

    It actually isn’t a bad video at all.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/John-Leonard/1610130392 John Leonard

    Well, it does have a concept. In the song, the singer is imploring Time to “stand still.” The moving figures in the video are showing us how this feels because they won’t “stand still.”