TV REVIEW : ‘MTV’ a Spry Account of Year That Was

Leave it to “MTV: The Year in Rock” (on the network at 7:30 tonight) to include both a summary of the presidential race and a visual medley of supermodels as part of its ’92 rock ‘n’ roll almanac. But in a year when even Bill Clinton was kissing up to U2, and seemingly half the membership of the Ford agency was dating and/or married to Guns N’ Roses, why not?

Kurt Loder and Tabitha Soren co-host the typically spry hour. The only really egregious moment comes when Soren asserts, “Nobody in politics ever paid much attention to young voters until this year, when the combined efforts of Rock the Vote, MTV’s own Choose or Lose campaign coverage and other groups brought the issues and candidates to young people in a more immediate way.”

Nobody in politics ever paid attention to the youth vote before MTV? If she’s this self-aggrandizing now, wait till she gets to the “Today” show.

Otherwise, it’s the rockers themselves with feet hovering near mouths. Ice Cube’s proclamation that he’s “glad” the L.A. “uprising” took place doesn’t look too sensitive juxtaposed against a shot of Reginald O. Denny getting a brick in the head and the figure that 51 people died. And GNR’s Axl Rose looks positively buffoonish trying to justify the temper tantrums that instigated riots in other cities, though it is gratifying to learn that he undergoes “four or five hours of therapy”--a day.

One disappointing omission in the show in that regard, though: No Sinead bloopers!

The popular acceptance of “alternative rock” and the increasing number of AIDS benefits are two of the major trends recapped. On the lighter side, there’s a shot of Nirvana’s bass player tossing his instrument in the air at the MTV Awards--and having it land squarely on his forehead; a summary of the myriad metal bands that fired their lead singers this year; MTV hostess Cindy Crawford just being Cindy; and Madonna, echoing the great Dr. King, announcing, “When I say I want to be in control, I simply mean, I have a dream, I have a vision.” Amen.