Tracey Thorn

"England 79" - 17 scenes from Great Britain the winter of discontent, 1979.

"England 79" - 17 scenes from Great Britain the winter of discontent, 1979.

England, 1969. The fascinating Abbie and the troubled Lydia are great friends. After an unexpected tragedy occurs in the strict girls' school they attend, a mysterious epidemic of fainting breaks out that threatens the mental sanity and beliefs of the tormented people involved, both teachers and students.

A look at the work of director Michel Gondry, through his music videos, short films, and commercials.

The title of Like the Deserts Miss the Rain comes from "Missing," the first of nine videos on this collection (and the band's biggest U.S. hit). While all could be described as "stylish"--much like Everything But the Girl--they're otherwise quite different. Sometimes Tracey Thorne and Ben Watt appear; other times actors take center stage. "Single," for instance, features a man tumbling across town: down the street, into a Laundromat, in and out of a dryer, etc. Then there's the "populist" video for Simon and Garfunkel’s "The Only Living Boy in New York," directed by art house favorite Hal Hartley (Henry Fool). (The duo appears to have added a few dozen members.) The DVD also includes three live performances, including a fine version of Massive Attack's "Protection" (featuring Thorne on vocals), and three demo tracks that play as photos of the duo pass by. A fine career overview of one of the U.K.'s most enduring acts. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Massive Attack are one of the innovative frontrunners within the world of Electronica. Credited with creating the sound of trip-hop, Massive Attack continue to develop new sound worlds with each successive release. Massive Attack has just as dstinctive a vision when it comes to videos as they do for their music. "Eleven Promos" compiles eleven videos from the mind of Massive Attack including such memorable tracks as "Unfinished Sympathy," "Safe from Harm," "Protection," and "Angel." Video directors represented are: Michel Gondry, Jonathan Glazer and Wiz among others. Other tracklistings: Daydreaming; Be Thankful for What You've Got; Sly; Karmacoma; Risingson; Teardrop.