MTV creates new format shock

October 31, 3:52 PMMusic ExaminerLinda Laban

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Finally, back to the videos

It’s a case of the blindingly obvious just taking a little time. MTV has created – wait for it, this is genius – MTV Music! Music Television Music! Or rather mtvmusic.com. Yes, an online music site where its thousands – said to be around 16,000 or so – of music video clips, collected since it’s inception in 1981, are available for viewing YouTube style. Talk about sitting on a golden egg.

It’s perhaps not surprising that MTV took this long to do what it originally was created for and initially capitalized on: showing music videos. Much to the annoyance of fans, for more than a decade the TV channel concentrated more on reality shows than music and its annual MTV Video Awards appeared each year as something of an anachronistic joke.

Hits? Hits? We’re not talking singles. MTV is going to be inundated mouse hits. This is the sweetest surfing experience. You can cruise though the simple sugary pleasure of ‘80s one-hit wonder (c’mon, it was only one) Rick Astley with “Never Going to Give You Up.” Check out the sophisticated tortured soul of Chris Cornell, back when he had a band he cared about and made music we cared about, try Soundgarden’s “Blow Up The Outside World.”

Or just muddle up a mojito and sashay to Brazilian pop great Caetano Veloso’s  “Rai Das Cores.” Let’s hope MTV’s mighty server is up to the task. Seriously though. This is a real treasure trove, a superb archive, and it’s all clearly laid out, with artists in alphabetical order. Viewers can post comments and rate videos, creating the site's most viewed list. MTVmusic does cross over into the social networking scene. Users can register, create a profile (like you need another), and keep track of their favorite videos. Unlike, YouTube, the clips are all DVD quality and in addition to the made-to-order artist videos, there’s some 6,000 clips from MTV’s "Unplugged" studio sessions and concerts.

Best of all: There’s no subscription or sign-up to view.

Here’s a particular favorite: Aphex Twin's weirdly brilliant "Windowlicker". Ready, steady: surf. Bye-bye weekend.