Along with the incredible "Better Days", which was also directed by future film director Steve Barron, the music video of "Cannonball" is responsible for bringing Supertramp
to the MTV era, a hard task since back in the 1970's they were huge with hits after hits yet they were largely unknown visually and I don't mean that just because music videos weren't
a trendy concept but also because one of the band members (not sure if Rick Davies or Roger Hodgson) said that despite their music popularity they were able to walk on the streets without getting
recognised, sort of like being almost famous. By that time this video came out, Hodgson had left the band and Davies decided to carry on with their legacy and released "Brother Where You Bound"
and in order to promote their return the videos were made. Well, "Cannonball" managed to be a small hit, but the video isn't one of the most memorable of the decade. Yet it's quite
alright.
The concept presented follows a caveman who wakes in fright after realizing his female companion has left him all alone and he begins to search for her in the desert and caves.
Later we discover that she found progress and evolution, appearing in the form of Supertramp performing the song on a stage. Obviously she doesn't know what's going on and who are they
yet she's intrigued with everything; as for the caveman he discovers roads, vehicles and manages to get a ride by jumping at the back of a truck. There isn't much going in terms of story
and everything's well balanced along with the group performance.
Mr. Barron made a curious clip where the original element is having cavemen as protagonists, something slightly rare but I guess people still had "Quest for Fire" on their minds
and "The Clan of the Cave Bear" was approaching release so cavemen were a big thing in the 1980's and the video makes things more interesting by bringing the early humans into the then
present decade. Had it been a presentation of the full song (7 minutes rather than the five shown) and reducing the group performance, I think the video would succeed best if showing the shock of reality faced
by the primitve characters while dealing with such new reality. It works without such wide input but it might not impress most viewers. To me, it's well made video and the song is
highly memorable, even though it became a favorite of mine quite recently. Highly enjoyable. 8/10
P. S.: Is there any reasoning on why the caveman wears shoes from the moment he finds himself alone in the cave? He's not barefoot at all!
