Music DVD Review: Destiny's Child - The Video Anthology

For whatever reason, Legacy decided to shortchange Destiny’s Child fans with an incomplete collection of music videos on the new DVD The Video Anthology. As it is, there are 15 videos included and eight missing in action. While I love Beyoncé’s voice, as well as the harmonies of the classic lineup that included Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, Destiny’s Child is a group whose music I’ve always enjoyed more when I can see them. Even their biggest hits usually came across like hooks in search of a song. Being able to watch three sexy, stylish women performing these often overproduced, underdeveloped tunes definitely helps.

The earliest are back-to-back versions of “No, No, No,” with the far preferable “Part 2” featuring Wyclef Jean. Then the gaps start as 1998’s “With Me” and “Get on the Bus” are nowhere to be found. From 1999 we have “Bills, Bills, Bills” and “Bug a Boo.” The latter is a missed opportunity, as there’s a rare remix version of the video featuring a Wyclef Jean rap. The version found here has Jean’s cameo as a bandleader but that’s it.

“Say My Name” and “Jumpin’, Jumpin’” are here, but the “So So Def Remix” of the latter is another omission. Continuing the string of massive hit singles, “Survivor” and “Independent Women” follow, the latter a tie-in with the first Charlie’s Angels film. The collection hits its peak with the group’s best single, the irresistibly funky “Bootylicious” and its Stevie Nicks cameo. As with “No, No, No,” we get the original and remix versions of this one, the latter featuring Missy Elliott.

After the included “Emotion” video, the anthology skips the first of two holiday videos, “8 Days of Christmas.” The other is “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” Christmas music might’ve interrupted the flow of the set, but surely these could’ve been slipped in as bonus selections or something. The other missing video is “Nasty Girl.” The final smash found here is 2004’s “Soldier,” while a trio of increasingly minor hits—“Girl,” “Cater 2 U,” and “Stand Up for Love”—concludes the disc.

For non-completist, non-hardcore Destiny’s Child fans, The Video Anthology is a reasonably priced, 63-minute collection of most of the group’s videos. There are no special features and all videos are presented in 1.33:1. Unfortunately it’s not complete, even though eight more videos would’ve comfortably fit on the disc.