The film: It's been almost 10 years since British band Suede released their debut single The Drowners on independent label Nude. Lost In TV features all 17 of their music videos. Through these stylishly shot promos you get to see the band's evolution, as well as the welcome chance to revisit their early years, which produced hits such as The Drowners, Metal Mickey, Animal Nitrate and So Young from their self-titled debut album and the top-10 hit single Stay Together. What stays with you most, bar the unchanging snarl of Brett Anderson, is the passion and skill of guitarist Bernard Butler, who was quickly hailed as the new Johnny Marr (of The Smiths), before he embarked on a parallel career. He was at the height of his powers with Dog Man Star, in which he rips through an anthemic We Are The Pigs.
When Butler left, he was replaced by 17-year-old Richard Oakes. The band were also joined by the mysterious and gorgeous Neil Codling as keyboardist on Trash from their third release Coming Up and singles from Head Music (though he had already left the band earlier this year).
The extras: This is where the most entertaining bits lie. The On The Couch 'You feel you don't like your parents anymore', section sees the band - Anderson, bassist Mat Osman, drummer Simon Gilbert and the almost-hidden Oakes - sitting on the couch watching these videos. Their acerbic criticism of each video is priceless. There's also some revealing footage from camera buff Gilbert, shot on tour and backstage throughout the years. The cover of Elvis Costello's Shipbuilding from the charity album Help (1995) and the band's latest offering Simon also get a run. Suede are popular in Asia and have toured here to promote each album since Dog Man Star. Karaoke versions of the singles might be a good strategy for future versions of this DVD.
The verdict: For those with little or no idea about Suede, this is a good introductory course. For die-hard fans, it's a must-have.
