Video for MGMT's Bauhaus cover of "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" - (Late Night Tales)

As part of the on going Late Night Tales compilation series, MGMT cover "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" - originally released in 1982 on Bauhaus' third studio release The Sky's Gone Out. MGMT has done a pretty faithful rendition, not straying too too far from the original composition but the production flourishes work well and, dare I say, I like this version as much as the original. Bauhaus kept things stripped down (the vocal track almost sounding like rehearsal take) and with it's wonderfully askew lyrics and Lou Reed like bass line, Peter Murphy and the boys created a haunting little masterpiece that creates imagery of being dreadfully poor and wanting for more. While I like reinterpretations of songs, MGMT was smart to stay true to Bauhaus' tone.

Ned Wenlock's animation displays a series of unfurling designs. It is graphically very cool showing city scapes, factories and the every present character playing an acoustic guitar. The lyrics also unfurl and while the whole effect is dazzling to the eye it doesn't, for me, match the dour poetry of the song itself. Maybe I take such a song too seriously as I remember a child hood acquaintance whose family was so poor that he only drank powdered milk. On the rare instance that I would give him real milk during the school lunch break he would gulp it up like it was a savory milk shake. The amazing refrain "Oh to be the cream" as a desire to be at the top of the economic food chain always makes me think of that kid. But I digress, all an all, the video for MGMT's cover of "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything" is a wonderful thing to behold both visually and aurally.
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AP