GABRIEL FINISHES FIRST, LOU COMES UNGLUED

Since more and more videos seem to shy away from concepts and settle for lip-syncing, this month’s top two videos are all the more welcome. In them, Peter Gabriel’s and Lou Reed’s directors put them through some heavy changes with eye-catching results.

Ratings system: 80-100, don’t miss; 60-79, recommended; 40-59, watchable; 20-39, weak; 0-19, wretched.

OTHER RECENT VIDEOS:

Madonna’s “Live to Tell.” Must be time for a full physical--how can this red-blooded male reviewer like Madonna better when she’s dowdily dressed and hardly moving, sitting on a chair through much of this moody song. And the rest of the video is simply taken up with clips from “At Close Range,” hubby Sean Penn’s latest flick. But Madonna seems at her most impressive (well, maybe not as much as in the witty “Material Girl” video), exuding a quiet intensity in this survival-oriented song. Director: James Foley.. 70