K. Novoselic reveals he can't watch "Heart Shaped Box" video: ‘It Conjures Emotions’

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Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic discussed the “Heart Shaped Box” video.

“Dreams are the royal road to the unconscious.” Sigmund Freud

Perhaps music videos can provide a similar path?

I have to admit something. I do not like to watch the Nirvana “Heart Shaped Box” video. After all these years, it still conjures a jumble of emotions for me. It is an obvious allegory, and it’s up to the viewer to interpret what it means. In other words; don’t expect me to tell you what I think the video is about. However, the Nirvana video is fair game as it is an artistic statement, and therefore people are going to react.

Just watched the new Father John Misty video “Total Entertainment Forever” and my interpretation of the work conjures the “Heart Shaped Box” video—this new video affected me.

Taschen is offering high quality prints of this image taken by David Bailey.

However, Father John Misty’s video became less personal when I realized the images are of clowns crucifying the late Shannon Hoon. He’s wearing sunglass like Keith Richards sports on the Rolling Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash single cover. Sunglasses alone do not make the icon. I also caught an allusion to the little bee girl from the “No Rain” video bursting out of Tillman’s chest.

Now here is the honest-to-goodness truth about another coincidence. The night before I watched the “Total Entertainment Forever” video, I had a dream with Josh Tillman in it!

I really enjoy listening to all of the Father John Misty records; so his work must have penetrated my psyche. In the dream, Tillman was wearing only a loose white button down shirt and that’s about it—no pants, no underwear. He was owning this. I was not uncomfortable with this near nudity, either. In fact, I had the feeling of liking his panache at that moment.

The dream then shifted to where I was getting ready to steer a 747 aircraft on the ground, at night, at a big airport. I have never been in the cockpit of a 747, so I was nervous. The ground controllers gave me a taxi clearance over the radio. Wondering how I ever got in this stressful situation, a thought occurred about telling the controllers how I did not know how to operate such an aircraft. This idea gave me relief. There was a commotion from a group of people behind me so I turned around and told everyone to be quiet because I had to concentrate on what was going on with the radio and the huge plane. They all piped down and stared at me.

I cannot recall anymore of the dream.

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