The Talking Heads. Devo had a similar origin to them being arts students at a university. These two groups were obviously more educated than is usual. As Weird Al sang, dare to be stupid.
You had to see them live to appreciate how uncannily precise they were. They were TIGHT! Inhumanly tight, and when I saw them, they didn't stop playing at any point during their first set. They just segued from one song to the next, never breaking rhythm, never making a mistake, marching in place the whole time. It didn't really seem possible.
Spot on. Saw them at the Punch & Judy Theater In Grosse Pointe in October 1978, just as you say. The hall was like a giant costume party (maybe it was because near Halloween) and the band was super-tight. One of the great concerts I have ever been to, up there with Stones, Who, etc. Devo's roots are in Akron-Kent Ohio, an underappreciated musical hotbed in the 1970s and 1980s, nurturing folks like Chrissie Hynde, Trent Reznor, etc.
@@mj.l DEVO were not punk rockers they were a New Wave band. Real punk bands were not into using pianos, keyboards, synths, horns, violins or violas. They hated those type instruments. Punk bands only played guitars bass (three basic chords) and drums. DEVO did play keyboards & synths, and I did see them in concert in 1980 in my hometown. The only band that was accepted and very popular with the punk rockers were 'The Stranglers' from England. For one, they were in their 30's, except for drummer Jet Black, he was in his 40's, and Dave Greenfield (may he Rest In Peace) played keyboards & synths. I saw 'The Stranglers' in concert in my hometown around mid 80's or so. They opened up for 'Roxy Music'.
@@undergroundwarrior70 Plenty of early punk bands use brass instruments (the Saints), keyboards (the Clash, the Damned, even the Pistols on some records.) The Stranglers were nowhere near the only ones.
There was a visual/ conceptual art aspect to them that set them apart and basically made them legendary and almost overshadowed the fact that they rocked. They'll always be hip.
I saw Devo play a few weeks ago. They're way before my time (born in '89). Not having been there at the time I don't know what their concept was and their impact on the musical landscape.
I know people "have heard" of them, they can name one song, "Whip It". They think they are a one-hit wonder band. They have no idea of the scope and the brilliance of their entire body of work. So yes, they certainly are underrated.
Devo was the most famous unknown band of all time. Ask most people and they'll remember Whip It only. But their first 4 or 5 albums were loaded full of great songs.
@@jeffthebracketman You're right and I wish people would look at historical inflation numbers that averaged 20% after 1918 flu pandemic and end of WWII where as this end of pandemic inflation was no where near that but we Americans do not realize historical facts.
@@morbidmanmusic Nah, God gives us DEVO, Satan starves the children. Beer is proof that God loves us, and hangovers are proof that Satan is a dick. God helps us get into the hottest barfly's pants, and Satan makes it sore and leaking later...
My brother, sadly now gone, brought this home to play for us, me being a teenage girl who looked up to her DJ older brother. He always introduced us to the best music. But, Oh My God! What was this??? So different and compelling to this day, unable to sit still to this - at age 64!!
I'm around your vintage and from the other side of the earth. I heard some of their mainstream stuff back in the 80s and realised they were 'different'. Only in recent times have I realized how good they were and probably how underrated they were as well. This performance is incredible to watch.
One of the best live bands I've ever seen. Saw them live in Liverpool 1978. Started with them showing videos on a screen. The audience gets a bit restless. Then they stroll onto the stage playing Jocko Homo. A group of guys in black plastic bags sat completely still during the intro, then dived onto the stage and Wiggly Wormed until the bouncers flung them off. Now that's a concert you don't forget.
I saw Devo at the Forum in Los Angeles December 10, 1981 on the New Traditionalists tour. I was a very little kid but it blew my mind and set the course for the rest of my life. I wore my red Devo hat to school the next day.
I’ve seen this performance more than once before, but tonight it’s sinking in how good this is - very faithful to the album version while not trying to be a straight mimic of the studio recording, so much energy and passion but never breaking from their core concepts. I love it!
I've always loved the choreography whenever they perform this song, especially when they come together into a tight group at the end and head toward the audience. Brilliant.
Kinda always thought of DEVO as the techno version of the Ramones, or the Ramones as the punk version of DEVO, either way. No slight to either one, absolutely love both.
Devo was definitely punk. Not only that but one of many to pioneer synthetic music in that genre and era. Check out The Screamers, definitely not as digestible but one of many examples. I would say however that Devo may have been the most talented
This is wicked good. Great energy and choreography. I don't know what exactly it is, but synchronised movements by a band that aren't quite dancing, but are very purposeful and dynamic, really add another dimension to performances.
When we were young and skinny. Can you imagine how much practice and rehearsal that took? At the time they were a radical departure from the boring corporate rock groups of the early 70s (Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, etc.).
This whole album still thrills me every time I hear it. Who could hear 'Gut Feeling' and not realise what a significant work it is? Like bad acid surf punk rock or SOMETHING!!
I was hooked on DEVO the first time I heard them on KROQ. I turned 18 in 1978. Saw them live in those early years many times. I'd time-travel back in a heartbeat. DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE.
Saw them in concert and can honestly say I've never seen a performance like it. I just stood there in amazement at how cool they were in their blatant attempts to be as uncool as humanely possible. It also helps that the songs are great and the lyrics caught me up. "Freedom of choice Is what you got Freedom from choice Is what you want"
Awesome performance!!! I love the animated way they perform. I'll be 65 in 2 days and I love to hear Devo! They have long been missing from my playlist. NO MORE!
Born in ‘62 with a need for great music. The 60’s were nice, the 70’s were groundbreaking, the 90’s were rebellious but the 80’s were the Most Creatively Innovative. Love it!!
Born in '65. I used to think the 80's were the most amazing, but, the more I've listened to 60's music, I have come to feel that they were at least the equal of the 80's, and possibly even more creative.
i'm child of the 60's. they're playing in my town tomorrow eve, never seen them before. and tho i know there has been some passage, i cannot wait to experience devo. first time.
To this day, I get a kick out of Devo dressed in yellow coveralls, sporting 3D goggles and behave like robots when they perform live tunes. One of the best bands from the New Wave era.
I love the fact that I have been around to experience so many awesome things. Sometimes I wish I had been born in a different time, but I'm glad I got to grow up in the 70s and 80s.
I have always loved Devo, I've seen them I think 3 times, with all their glorious de-evolved sweetness & their dancing girls, I bought a Greatest Hits album entitled Essential Devo, but to my great chagrin this song !Uncontrollable Urge! ! was not on it, I was aghast! how could that be, for me this song is their true essence, Yea, Yea ,yea ,yea ,yea ,yea ,yea, yea,yea,yea,yea... Also all you folks who love absurdity in their tunage, another of my fave bands, XTC..Colin Moulding & Andy Partridge, so good so great, Cheers!💞💓
Never imitated because it was impossible. No one was Devo. No one. Saw them once live in 1979. If you ever saw them you know what I am going to say: indescribable.
DEVO was so unique and different from every other band and did things their way even when they covered bands like the Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, the coolest punk geek band ever. I have an Uncontrollable Urge to say if you got to grow up in the 50's through the 80's YOU were blessed!
Love seeing the legend Mark Mothersbaugh who has become one of the most prolific composers of film and television music of all time. He's literally been everywhere and accomplished everything, as it relates to musical influence in Media.
The 80s is my golden age of original music. Entering a new and completely different era of psyche. 🤗🤗 🎸 🎹 And DEVO was , and is , in the forefront ; and still remains .
In the early 80s I thought they were ok, most people sorta laughed nervously out of confusion, a lot of people simply didnt 'get' them or fully appreciate this band until later. Once a little perspective was added you quickly realized just how unique, innovative and great these guys really were, hindsight being 20/20. Now I love them and I'm stunned by their originality and how much these guys ROCKED. ...and it really pisses me off because I had several opportunities to drive a few hours and see them live back then! 😩
Yep. And it was a damn shame they basically phased out his great talents as the 80's wore on and they de-evolved (intentional pun) into a tepid dance-beat band.
So true they rocked! Mark plays a little synth at the beginning, but otherwise this performance is all guitar. And the guitarist does that little Chuck Berry move at one point.
You can feel the old school rock elements in the song, and yet they are destroyed by Devo's energy and talent. It's fused together in a way only Devo can present it.
@@Brewzerr Yeah, to be honest, I find their third album, _Freedom of Choice_ (on which "Whip It" is a track), to be the least of their first four albums. I like _New Traditionalists_ (their fourth) much more. I mean, it's got a few great tracks--"Girl U Want," "Whip It," and "Freedom of Choice," but it pales in comparison to _Duty Now for the Future_, which is my favorite.
@@mournblade1066 We're definitely on the same page. Not only do I agree that the first 4 albums are where it's at, but I also feel that Freedom Of Choice is the weakest of those 4 (though by no means do I think it's bad or weak album). I also agree that New Traditionalists was an improvement over FOC. Some really great tracks on that one. However, after New Traditionalists it all went downhill pretty fast. Aside from only 2 songs, I thought "Oh No It's DEVO" was pretty tepid and forgettable. And then "Shout" was completely forgettable. They started downplaying one of their greatest assets -- Alan Myers. Bad idea. Duty Now... is also my favorite DEVO album. That was the tour I saw them for the first time on, in the summer of '79. To this day it remains one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen by any band, and it was also a big game-changer for me.
@@Brewzerr Yeah, Jerry Casale said he begged Alan to stay, but Alan didn't feel like he had anything more to contribute as they brought in more synthetic drumming. _Oh No It's DEVO_ has a few decent tracks--"Peek-A-Boo" and "That's Good" come to mind. _Shout_. . . well, I haven't listened to that album in probably over 25 years. The only song I recall like was the title track. Their last album, _Something for Everyone_ (I think that's the title), is surprisingly good. Easily the best thing they've done since _New Traditionalists_.
@@mikeysclips Absolutely! I have a "Back to the Future" skateboard I bought on clearance at Kmart.... Unfortunately, I trimmed the width to narrow it, so it's no longer 100% original. They are valuable.
There's another great video of them performing this which is equally amazing, along with another two songs from the same set - go check out the youtube user DaisyPumpkin23!
It seems like the guitars aren't plugged in. Idk maybe they were bluetooth, but at the time it was very common for only the vocals to be live. Or only the instruments. Kinda strange now that I think about it.
This is peak 7 year old me with a mom and stepdad into new wave and drugs. What an amazing performance! So glad to be coming conscious in the outskirts of this era!
Really, it all got going in the mid/late 70s, when the radio & clubs were saturated in stadium rock, brainless disco, and schmaltzy ballad pop. These bands, and others (Ramones, The Clash, Joe Jackson, The Stranglers, etc.) found their niche by countering the dumbed-down & over-produced corporate pablum with pared-down rock with basic music featuring raunchy guitars & angry social commentary, or they created snappy, tight, pared-down rock laced with witty (often tongue-in-cheek) lyrics, or by embracing technology & creating spare but imaginative synth rock/pop (Gary Newman. etc), or by returning to the roots of R&B & in some cases, injecting spoken word over pared-down R&B. ☺ Sadly, the cycle would repeat itself in the mid-80swith creative & edgy New Wave increasingly being replaced by dumbed-down, politically inert, over-produced music. Eventually, only Rap remained 'controversial' & politically-outspoken, until Grunge came along in the late 80s/ealy 90s...
Or rather the mid-to-late 1970s. I started my freshman year of college in Fall of 1980, and the best of Devo and The Police was already in the rearview mirror. The Police's "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You" and "So Lonely" were 1978, and "Message in a Bottle" was 1979. Some of the best of The Cars was in the late 70s too, including Just What I Needed, My Best Friend's Girl, Good Times Roll, Let's Go and It's All I Can Do. Of course they continued into the 1980s and The Talking Heads was all 80s onward, but if you listen to the other groups' 70s tunes you hear a bit more of that 1970s New Wave sound to them, as 80s New Wave was generally more pop and mainstream and less punk than 70s New Wave. If you like that sound don't miss The Knack's "Good Girls Don't" 1979 and Cheap Trick's 1978 album "Cheap Trick at Budokan." Honestly, back in the actual 1970s, more people sang along with Cheap Trick's "Surrender" than ever sang along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." But it's got to be that Live at Budokan version of the song, no studio version or any other version, only that one version off of that one live album. "I Want You To Want Me," on that same album, was another song that became a big sing-along at a lot of drunken high school parties. (And there were a lot of those back then, remember, something close to half of all high school seniors turn 18 during their senior year, and that was legal enough to buy alcohol in the 1970s. AS IF anybody cared enough to really care much in those days, so yeah, often enough16 and just looking 18 was good enough. That and at bars, even when bartenders actually cared, then they only cared that the person actually paying for the pitchers was 18, even if the rest of the table was younger, like late Jr. High on up, everybody had a glass in front of them, just the person paying had to be 18. So there were high school hangout bars.) You almost have to have lived the 1970s to really get it, BUT realize that at the time, in the actual 1970s, Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" charted two places higher in America than Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" did. It wasn't until SNL's Wayne's World in the 1990s that "Bohemian Rhapsody" became such a big deal. In the actual 1970s it was Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" and " Surrender" that drunken high schoolers liked to sing. And some other songs here and there. Maybe some Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, but Queen, not so much, honestly. Anyway, you call all of those groups 1980s, even when for some of them all of their best was in the 1970s. That, and apparently how people today like to think of the 1980s and 1970s is often somehow quite different than how either of those two decades actually were. SNL's Wayne's World was SNL's Wayne's World, but in the actual 1970s people were like at least 10 times more likely to sing along with something off of the Rocky Horror Picture Show album than anything Queen did.
Me my sister and brother who unfortunately suffered a ?a major stroke 3 years ago travelled from Liverpool to London Hammersmith Apollo 2 weeks ago (19/8/24) he has seen them live 9 times starting in 78 (me a lowly 4😂) the thing is we told him we were only going sightseeing he had no idea,his 2 lifelong mates fellow spuds were willing to carry him up 74 flights of stairs BUT someone was watching over us that night because with 20 mins before the gig was about to start we found out 2 people had cancelled thier disabled seats and sold us them for £20 a pop! We had t-shirts and everything specially made up with my bros name and DEVO on them we finally suprised him with 10 mins before the gig and he burst into tears (of joy)DEVO were on POINT AND SMASHED IT AS PER the band the fans made it an UNFORGETTABLE night!!! Boogey Boy made an appearance at the end with a rendition of its a beautiful world.To all my fellow spuds reading this i send virtual love and respect you all have exceptional taste! Increase the peace!! ARE WE NOT MEN?!!!!!❤
I´m from South Brazil...miles away from but...i´m waiting for 40 years a DEVO concert in my city...Porto Alegre...i´m still wait...but i saw you guy in Amsterdam in 1991...sittl one of he best gigs ever!!! Pink Pussy Cat is the best!!! Cheer´s
I have no doubt that Devo had an impact on Prince. The driving Punk groove of 'Uncontrollable Urge' reminds me of bit of P's freaky ode to incest 'Sister' from his 'Dirty Mind' record(1981). Respect to the highly influential Devo.
Happy 71st Birthday Mark Allen Mothersbaugh May 18, 1950.. Thank you for all the life long memorable songs you created with Devo for all of us to enjoy. After all.. Enjoyment is what it's all about..
I remember watching them on Fridays, so good, every time. They were just so tight. Nothing like them before or since. And not underrated, maybe under appreciated by the masses. They got plenty of love from critics and contemporary musicians. And there is a large number of people in music now that were influenced by Devo.
I saw Devo in concert in the mid eighties. I was surprised at what a great live band they were and what a spectacular show they put on. Second only to The Rolling Stones for live excitement.
Only DEVO could unapologetically lift the opening lick from Led Zeppelin's 'Misty Mountain Hop' and mutate it into this epic in your face power pop gem. I've been lucky to see Devo live more than 10 times through the years and this one always goes off hard. DEVO is probably the most criminally underrated band of all time. The fact that they are still not in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame single-handedly brings down the legitimacy of that institution.
Mark Mothersbaugh said in an interview on Marc Maron's WTF that the riff for Uncontrollable Urge was a take on "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and the "Yeah yeah yeah" was from "She Loves You." John Lennon saw them at Max's Kansas City in the 70s, and after the show, after the band had loaded up the van and was ready to go, Lennon came over to Mark, who was in the van, and through the window screamed "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!" Mark said that after that happened, "That was it. I could just drive off an enbankment, and it would be fine."
Me and my friend were high as fuck and freaking out over how he could do that leg thing at 3:37 without breaking something, our attempts were unsuccessful, DEVO are the true kings of rock n roll.
These guys may have been weird, but they were great musician and gelled so well as a band. The drummer had the epithet 'the human metronome' and if anybody doubts that, just listen to his work on this video, It is pure drum perfection!
I am almost 60. Saw them 2014 in SF just before they lost Bob Casale to heart failure. They rocked the house and my feet hurt the next day from punking out in combat boots, blue jeans and old sleeveless Clash Rock the Casbah t-shirt. Are we not men!? We are DEVO.
Yaa maan,,,,, now how do we cook da fish man ? Do we FRY the fish man? No, No , No , do we bake da fish man? No, No,No, do we "SMOKE" Da fish man, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah man, GIMME GANGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm watching this clip from my self-imposed covid-19 quarantine. Seeing guys performing in hazmat suits and eye-pro four decades ago is just another example of how far ahead of the curve DEVO were.
Devo and the B-52s were probably the best thing to come out of the late 70s/early 80s.
They WERE my high school years! Them and the Cars too.
The Talking Heads. Pere Ubu, Patti Smith. Blondie. and so on.
Talking Heads??????
The Talking Heads. Devo had a similar origin to them being arts students at a university. These two groups were obviously more educated than is usual. As Weird Al sang, dare to be stupid.
@@nedludd7622 I was expressing surprise at Talking Heads being left off the original commenter's list.
Never has a band tried so hard to be uncool, only to be the damn coolest band in history.
@John Barber Oi!
between them and the movie Revenge Of The Nerds , things changed for us geeks :)
Great one sentence summation of this band.
LoL yep😂🤗
Only if you are a dork. Long live the jocks...oh wait, it isn't 1984 anymore. Whatever
You had to see them live to appreciate how uncannily precise they were. They were TIGHT! Inhumanly tight, and when I saw them, they didn't stop playing at any point during their first set. They just segued from one song to the next, never breaking rhythm, never making a mistake, marching in place the whole time. It didn't really seem possible.
Yes like a song collage, a de-evolved quilt of sound, teehee ♥
Spot on. Saw them at the Punch & Judy Theater In Grosse Pointe in October 1978, just as you say. The hall was like a giant costume party (maybe it was because near Halloween) and the band was super-tight. One of the great concerts I have ever been to, up there with Stones, Who, etc. Devo's roots are in Akron-Kent Ohio, an underappreciated musical hotbed in the 1970s and 1980s, nurturing folks like Chrissie Hynde, Trent Reznor, etc.
The drummer was what kept them so tight. He was like a human metronome.
@@jamesmeil3666 Reznor was "nurtured" in Clevo, not Akron-Kent, for what it's worth. Close, but no cigar.
they have de evolved. they are devo
Devo was never a one hit wonder. This song is awesome and the whole entire We are not Men We are Devo album is pure genius!!!
I have it in grey swirl vinyl somewhere.....
No doubt, but I stand by saying that Duty Now For the Future was their best work.
Well. They only had one bona-fide hit, But I don't think that being top 40 was what they were shooting for.
@@DerangedResponse what? I can name 3:
Whip It
Satisfaction
Uncontrollable Urge
I guess it depends on what you consider a bonafide hit.....
I have this one on 8-track! Uncontrollable Urge was track 1,song 1.Satisfaction was next IIRC.
I've got an uncontrollable urge to listen to more Devo. It's my duty now, for the future.
Spoken like a true Spud Boy.
Just use your freedom of choice and you will whip it :D
Been wearing my "Duty Now for the Future" mask this week. Devotee 4 Life!
That’s your freedom of choice.
@@stevious7278 Whip it real good
I'll do the same but first I have to shove the poles in the holes
Punk, techno, synth, 80's, utterly original. Legendary
1970's!
Not Punk. New Wave, there is a difference. I know. I was into both genres in 1977 when I was 21 back then.
@@undergroundwarrior70 they're not "new wave". this is as punk as anything, if you understand that punk is attitude, not a sound/genre
@@mj.l DEVO were not punk rockers they were a New Wave band. Real punk bands were not into using pianos, keyboards, synths, horns, violins or violas. They hated those type instruments. Punk bands only played guitars bass (three basic chords) and drums. DEVO did play keyboards & synths, and I did see them in concert in 1980 in my hometown. The only band that was accepted and very popular with the punk rockers were 'The Stranglers' from England. For one, they were in their 30's, except for drummer Jet Black, he was in his 40's, and Dave Greenfield (may he Rest In Peace) played keyboards & synths. I saw 'The Stranglers' in concert in my hometown around mid 80's or so. They opened up for 'Roxy Music'.
@@undergroundwarrior70 Plenty of early punk bands use brass instruments (the Saints), keyboards (the Clash, the Damned, even the Pistols on some records.) The Stranglers were nowhere near the only ones.
I submit that Devo is quite possibly the most strikingly original and fully realized concept of a band ever.
I concur
There was a visual/ conceptual art aspect to them that set them apart and basically made them legendary and almost overshadowed the fact that they rocked. They'll always be hip.
Yes - I would consider the Residents for this title as well
Dressing up like monsters is in no way as cool as Devo was.
I saw Devo play a few weeks ago. They're way before my time (born in '89). Not having been there at the time I don't know what their concept was and their impact on the musical landscape.
This is why Devo are legends
THE most underrated band of all time.
@Joey COCO fuck - few rocked like them then, I don't think I knew a single punk who didn't like DEVO.
Man alive! They rock that one hard!
I know people "have heard" of them, they can name one song, "Whip It". They think they are a one-hit wonder band. They have no idea of the scope and the brilliance of their entire body of work. So yes, they certainly are underrated.
@jms1963 Na! That will always be SPARKS as most underrated
Devo still blows away the crappy music that's out in 2022...and this is over 40 years old!! and Live!!!
Devo was awesome back then..and still is!!!
This is the single greatest live performance of anything ever. Effortless.
Watch Uncontrollable Urge from "Urgh! A Music War". That's even more the greatest version.
@MrAnswerification my god, you're right. Energy domes work, thanks orgone
Devo was the most famous unknown band of all time. Ask most people and they'll remember Whip It only. But their first 4 or 5 albums were loaded full of great songs.
.
My favorite is Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy
@@subwaygoddess1 omg me too
Whip it was when mainstream started listening! It's OK, but it doesn't match older Devo!
It is now 2023, and DEVO is still ahead of its' time...
And in 2024
The foretold the rise of nerds in the future as now the tech bros rules everything and we need to tax the rich!
@@tracymears8230 we already tax the rich… the problem is that we don’t include enough of their actual realized income to tax…
@@jeffthebracketman You're right and I wish people would look at historical inflation numbers that averaged 20% after 1918 flu pandemic and end of WWII where as this end of pandemic inflation was no where near that but we Americans do not realize historical facts.
This is way ahead. Nothing ... absolutely nothing today is this creative and rocking and intellectual. They belong on musical currency.
...not the best analogy.
@@MarkGoding Noted.
r/lewronggeneration
@@sonicgrub One word triple entendre in the wild people. Best comment of the thread.
@@NOX-ID47 Thanks
Thank God Devo existed. Life would suck so much more without bands like this. Their music never gets old.
Lesbian school graduation tomorrow and you are invited
nah, thank Devo. stop giving a lazy god credit. He had time to give you devo, but lets children stave .... as the saying goes... "good god"....
@@morbidmanmusic Nah, God gives us DEVO, Satan starves the children. Beer is proof that God loves us, and hangovers are proof that Satan is a dick. God helps us get into the hottest barfly's pants, and Satan makes it sore and leaking later...
My brother, sadly now gone, brought this home to play for us, me being a teenage girl who looked up to her DJ older brother. He always introduced us to the best music. But, Oh My God! What was this??? So different and compelling to this day, unable to sit still to this - at age 64!!
I'm around your vintage and from the other side of the earth. I heard some of their mainstream stuff back in the 80s and realised they were 'different'. Only in recent times have I realized how good they were and probably how underrated they were as well.
This performance is incredible to watch.
now THIS makes me glad to be 60 years old because that means *I* got to see them live back in the day, which I did! friggin' awesome!
Lucky!
Indeed!! Go ahead millenials and say "OK, Boomer" ... but we were there. And it was GLORIOUS! hehehe
Me 2. Devo was probably the coolest concet I EVER saw, including the Stones, the Who, etc. etc. etc.
Ditto
Right after WB dropped them they toured in 1988.
175 seat club.
Epic to see them upclose.
I love the pacing over to the synth for that single glissando
Vintage Devo was like the perfect cross of Kraftwerk and the Ramones.
+Spotnicks...well not actually, but Devo's dress style owes a lot to the Spotnicks, though.
X2
Well Stated!
B -52$ and Talking head's?
Dude that is so accurate!
I have an uncontrollable urge to watch this a zillion times. x
Funny thing is we didn’t even know how much we needed this totally unique band .
This band needs to be in rock and roll hall of fame
GS Grant obviously
We were witnessing Fn GREATNESS.
We had never seen anything like it.
Some dont realize how different and cool they were, to be awkward and geeky as band
I know right? They were even nominated this year!
Really, u have anger issues.
'DEVO' _is_ Above and Beyond Bad Ass Cool ! Such "Futurist" Talent for the year 3097.........Time to Time - Travel 'DEVO'...........
One of the best live bands I've ever seen. Saw them live in Liverpool 1978. Started with them showing videos on a screen. The audience gets a bit restless. Then they stroll onto the stage playing Jocko Homo. A group of guys in black plastic bags sat completely still during the intro, then dived onto the stage and Wiggly Wormed until the bouncers flung them off. Now that's a concert you don't forget.
Awesome spud boy story. 😂
RIP Bob Casale and Alan. Two great musicians that really helped make the sound of this band.
Damn Alan died? He was an amazing drummer. Extremely underrated. You can’t play eccentric time signatures unless you’re gifted
Been a huge fan of devo since the beginning" Loved em in the 80's and love em now. ✝🇺🇸✝
wish i could just say "you are a warm and beautiful human. that is really how i feel" and walk away from people
Oh my God, you genuinely made me giggle
Be the change you want to see in the world.
I saw them live in 1982 and it was one of the best live performances I ever saw.
EVERYTHING about this performance is great! I was a freshman in college and this sound totally stands the test of time!
I saw Devo at the Forum in Los Angeles December 10, 1981 on the New Traditionalists tour. I was a very little kid but it blew my mind and set the course for the rest of my life. I wore my red Devo hat to school the next day.
I’ve seen this performance more than once before, but tonight it’s sinking in how good this is - very faithful to the album version while not trying to be a straight mimic of the studio recording, so much energy and passion but never breaking from their core concepts. I love it!
Unquestionably the most unique band ever in my life time
Don't forget the B-52 !
PURE Magic. These guys at their peak. Loved them. Still do. These times brought me here.
Are We Not Men? WE ARE DE-VO... The De-evolution of Man.
This song and Devo's performance of it live in Seattle 1981, was the best musical performance I have seen in my life! I will never forget it.
I was there too!
DEVO took the bull by the horns and defined a new age of music !!!
ARE WE NOT MEN
WE ARE
D E V O !!!
I've always loved the choreography whenever they perform this song, especially when they come together into a tight group at the end and head toward the audience. Brilliant.
Agreed.
Yes it is very hard to do that tight choreography and also play guitar.
this is one of the greatest live performances in the history of television
Kinda always thought of DEVO as the techno version of the Ramones, or the Ramones as the punk version of DEVO, either way.
No slight to either one, absolutely love both.
As Garth would say, "Good call!"
Couldn't agree more, similar to how Dolly Parton is the country version of Slayer and Slayer is the speed/death metal version of Dolly Parton.
Except the Ramones knew just 3 chords.
Devo was definitely punk. Not only that but one of many to pioneer synthetic music in that genre and era. Check out The Screamers, definitely not as digestible but one of many examples. I would say however that Devo may have been the most talented
This song has a very "Rock n Roll High School" type riff. I agree!!!
This is wicked good. Great energy and choreography. I don't know what exactly it is, but synchronised movements by a band that aren't quite dancing, but are very purposeful and dynamic, really add another dimension to performances.
Check out a new band called Snapped Ankles.
The synchronized treadmills.... sensational all around.
Well said. Definitely takes the experience of a live show to a new level, wouldn’t work so well for certain genres though
When we were young and skinny. Can you imagine how much practice and rehearsal that took? At the time they were a radical departure from the boring corporate rock groups of the early 70s (Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, etc.).
Freedom of choice is truly one of the great albums ever . Long live Devolution
This whole album still thrills me every time I hear it. Who could hear 'Gut Feeling' and not realise what a significant work it is? Like bad acid surf punk rock or SOMETHING!!
I was hooked on DEVO the first time I heard them on KROQ.
I turned 18 in 1978. Saw them live in those early years many times.
I'd time-travel back in a heartbeat. DUTY NOW FOR THE FUTURE.
Saw them in concert and can honestly say I've never seen a performance like it. I just stood there in amazement at how cool they were in their blatant attempts to be as uncool as humanely possible. It also helps that the songs are great and the lyrics caught me up.
"Freedom of choice
Is what you got
Freedom from choice
Is what you want"
2:38 hits you like a refresh button.
Awesome performance!!! I love the animated way they perform. I'll be 65 in 2 days and I love to hear Devo! They have long been missing from my playlist. NO MORE!
Born in ‘62 with a need for great music. The 60’s were nice, the 70’s were groundbreaking, the 90’s were rebellious but the 80’s were the Most Creatively Innovative. Love it!!
Thank you
Born 6/62
Born in '65. I used to think the 80's were the most amazing, but, the more I've listened to 60's music, I have come to feel that they were at least the equal of the 80's, and possibly even more creative.
i'm child of the 60's. they're playing in my town tomorrow eve, never seen them before. and tho i know there has been some passage, i cannot wait to experience devo. first time.
To this day, I get a kick out of Devo dressed in yellow coveralls, sporting 3D goggles and behave like robots when they perform live tunes. One of the best bands from the New Wave era.
I remember them saying that people should get some 3D glasses for their 2D lives.
Stunningly brilliant spud boys!
They sacrificed for their art!
@@zregime, Did they? They appeared to be enjoying performing.
Where's the red flower pot hats?
Yellow hazmat suites !!
I love the fact that I have been around to experience so many awesome things. Sometimes I wish I had been born in a different time, but I'm glad I got to grow up in the 70s and 80s.
I have always loved Devo, I've seen them I think 3 times, with all their glorious de-evolved sweetness & their dancing girls, I bought a Greatest Hits album entitled Essential Devo, but to my great chagrin this song !Uncontrollable Urge! ! was not on it, I was aghast! how could that be, for me this song is their true essence, Yea, Yea ,yea ,yea ,yea ,yea ,yea, yea,yea,yea,yea... Also all you folks who love absurdity in their tunage, another of my fave bands, XTC..Colin Moulding & Andy Partridge, so good so great, Cheers!💞💓
Never imitated because it was impossible. No one was Devo. No one. Saw them once live in 1979. If you ever saw them you know what I am going to say: indescribable.
Shame I only found them after their main touring days. I'd have given anything to see a proper live show.
Unless you count Weird Al making the most perfect Devo pastiche
DEVO was so unique and different from every other band and did things their way even when they covered bands like the Rolling Stones or Jimi Hendrix, the coolest punk geek band ever. I have an Uncontrollable Urge to say if you got to grow up in the 50's through the 80's YOU were blessed!
Love seeing the legend Mark Mothersbaugh who has become one of the most prolific composers of film and television music of all time. He's literally been everywhere and accomplished everything, as it relates to musical influence in Media.
Crazy sick I keep going back to this every 3 years or so
The 80s is my golden age of original music. Entering a new and completely different era of psyche. 🤗🤗 🎸 🎹 And DEVO was , and is , in the forefront ; and still remains .
I was a teen in the 80s didn’t care for them then . Love em now. As we grow ,we have a greater appreciation for art and creativity.
In the early 80s I thought they were ok, most people sorta laughed nervously out of confusion, a lot of people simply didnt 'get' them or fully appreciate this band until later. Once a little perspective was added you quickly realized just how unique, innovative and great these guys really were, hindsight being 20/20. Now I love them and I'm stunned by their originality and how much these guys ROCKED. ...and it really pisses me off because I had several opportunities to drive a few hours and see them live back then! 😩
This also shows what an incredible drummer Alan Meyers was. Mark called him "The Human Drum Machine".
Yep. And it was a damn shame they basically phased out his great talents as the 80's wore on and they de-evolved (intentional pun) into a tepid dance-beat band.
RIP Alan Meyers.
More accurately he called him the human metronome.
Saw them live and the drummer was absolutely great. So underrated that almost no one knows who he is.
Best devo drummer he could play anything! Rip to Alan!!
When DEVO was new rock critics said "fun, but is it really rock?"
This song gives the answer. Not classic rock, but they def rocked.
Love their cover of Satisfaction!
So true they rocked! Mark plays a little synth at the beginning, but otherwise this performance is all guitar. And the guitarist does that little Chuck Berry move at one point.
@@ricrox67 Bob 1
Electronic punk
You can feel the old school rock elements in the song, and yet they are destroyed by Devo's energy and talent. It's fused together in a way only Devo can present it.
I saw DEVO in 79 and 81 they were brilliant, great music and one of the most fun bands live. You danced your ass off. Miss those days!
I love that the microphone gives a little squeal when DEVO's about to melt our faces
Definitely one of the strangest and wonderfully creative bands to come out of the 80s. Glad I was there to witness it!
1970s. They formed in 1972. Their first two (and best) albums were released in 1978 and 1979, respectively.
@@mournblade1066 Exactly. You beat me to it. I hate it when people talk like DEVO never existed before "Whip It".
@@Brewzerr Yeah, to be honest, I find their third album, _Freedom of Choice_ (on which "Whip It" is a track), to be the least of their first four albums. I like _New Traditionalists_ (their fourth) much more. I mean, it's got a few great tracks--"Girl U Want," "Whip It," and "Freedom of Choice," but it pales in comparison to _Duty Now for the Future_, which is my favorite.
@@mournblade1066 We're definitely on the same page. Not only do I agree that the first 4 albums are where it's at, but I also feel that Freedom Of Choice is the weakest of those 4 (though by no means do I think it's bad or weak album). I also agree that New Traditionalists was an improvement over FOC. Some really great tracks on that one. However, after New Traditionalists it all went downhill pretty fast. Aside from only 2 songs, I thought "Oh No It's DEVO" was pretty tepid and forgettable. And then "Shout" was completely forgettable. They started downplaying one of their greatest assets -- Alan Myers. Bad idea.
Duty Now... is also my favorite DEVO album. That was the tour I saw them for the first time on, in the summer of '79. To this day it remains one of the greatest gigs I've ever seen by any band, and it was also a big game-changer for me.
@@Brewzerr Yeah, Jerry Casale said he begged Alan to stay, but Alan didn't feel like he had anything more to contribute as they brought in more synthetic drumming.
_Oh No It's DEVO_ has a few decent tracks--"Peek-A-Boo" and "That's Good" come to mind. _Shout_. . . well, I haven't listened to that album in probably over 25 years. The only song I recall like was the title track.
Their last album, _Something for Everyone_ (I think that's the title), is surprisingly good. Easily the best thing they've done since _New Traditionalists_.
I want a time machine and I want it now.
stereopolice surely it's irrelevant when you get it?
Me too I was 16 in 1976 what an incredible time to be part of this new wave punk scene in NYC Jersey philly I consider myself blessed.
RUclips is your time machine
Can I take my skateboard with me?
@@mikeysclips Absolutely!
I have a "Back to the Future" skateboard I bought on clearance at Kmart....
Unfortunately, I trimmed the width to narrow it, so it's no longer 100% original.
They are valuable.
This version of UU is super TIGHT. It blew my mind when I saw it air on ABC as a kid.
Still tight as fuck! Like an elastic band waiting to snap back into place! Feel the TENSION!!
There's another great video of them performing this which is equally amazing, along with another two songs from the same set - go check out the youtube user DaisyPumpkin23!
It seems like the guitars aren't plugged in. Idk maybe they were bluetooth, but at the time it was very common for only the vocals to be live. Or only the instruments. Kinda strange now that I think about it.
Yes! I remember watching this very episode as it aired... and also the Stray Cats on Fridays. FANTASTIC memories.
@@stephenbianchi7141 Nady wireless.
This is peak 7 year old me with a mom and stepdad into new wave and drugs. What an amazing performance! So glad to be coming conscious in the outskirts of this era!
Stone dead killer riff.
Played to perfection.
So glad I can come back and see this every time I need a lift BC it sure does.
The choreography is top tier. Not easy at all. The restraint. My god.
When I'm down I listen to Devo then I am happy again
Devo, Cars, Talking Heads, The Police..yep, that was the early 80's. All great music!
Really, it all got going in the mid/late 70s, when the radio & clubs were saturated in stadium rock, brainless disco, and schmaltzy ballad pop. These bands, and others (Ramones, The Clash, Joe Jackson, The Stranglers, etc.) found their niche by countering the dumbed-down & over-produced corporate pablum with pared-down rock with basic music featuring raunchy guitars & angry social commentary, or they created snappy, tight, pared-down rock laced with witty (often tongue-in-cheek) lyrics, or by embracing technology & creating spare but imaginative synth rock/pop (Gary Newman. etc), or by returning to the roots of R&B & in some cases, injecting spoken word over pared-down R&B. ☺ Sadly, the cycle would repeat itself in the mid-80swith creative & edgy New Wave increasingly being replaced by dumbed-down, politically inert, over-produced music. Eventually, only Rap remained 'controversial' & politically-outspoken, until Grunge came along in the late 80s/ealy 90s...
All of those bands' best work was recorded in the 70s. You were just late to the party discovering them in the early 80s.
Or rather the mid-to-late 1970s. I started my freshman year of college in Fall of 1980, and the best of Devo and The Police was already in the rearview mirror. The Police's "Roxanne," "Can't Stand Losing You" and "So Lonely" were 1978, and "Message in a Bottle" was 1979. Some of the best of The Cars was in the late 70s too, including Just What I Needed, My Best Friend's Girl, Good Times Roll, Let's Go and It's All I Can Do. Of course they continued into the 1980s and The Talking Heads was all 80s onward, but if you listen to the other groups' 70s tunes you hear a bit more of that 1970s New Wave sound to them, as 80s New Wave was generally more pop and mainstream and less punk than 70s New Wave.
If you like that sound don't miss The Knack's "Good Girls Don't" 1979 and Cheap Trick's 1978 album "Cheap Trick at Budokan." Honestly, back in the actual 1970s, more people sang along with Cheap Trick's "Surrender" than ever sang along with Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." But it's got to be that Live at Budokan version of the song, no studio version or any other version, only that one version off of that one live album. "I Want You To Want Me," on that same album, was another song that became a big sing-along at a lot of drunken high school parties. (And there were a lot of those back then, remember, something close to half of all high school seniors turn 18 during their senior year, and that was legal enough to buy alcohol in the 1970s. AS IF anybody cared enough to really care much in those days, so yeah, often enough16 and just looking 18 was good enough. That and at bars, even when bartenders actually cared, then they only cared that the person actually paying for the pitchers was 18, even if the rest of the table was younger, like late Jr. High on up, everybody had a glass in front of them, just the person paying had to be 18. So there were high school hangout bars.)
You almost have to have lived the 1970s to really get it, BUT realize that at the time, in the actual 1970s, Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" charted two places higher in America than Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" did. It wasn't until SNL's Wayne's World in the 1990s that "Bohemian Rhapsody" became such a big deal. In the actual 1970s it was Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" and " Surrender" that drunken high schoolers liked to sing. And some other songs here and there. Maybe some Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd, but Queen, not so much, honestly.
Anyway, you call all of those groups 1980s, even when for some of them all of their best was in the 1970s. That, and apparently how people today like to think of the 1980s and 1970s is often somehow quite different than how either of those two decades actually were. SNL's Wayne's World was SNL's Wayne's World, but in the actual 1970s people were like at least 10 times more likely to sing along with something off of the Rocky Horror Picture Show album than anything Queen did.
The jam the clash the damned early u2 etc
Elvis Costello, XTC, Flock of Seagulls, Thompson Twins.
My fave Devo song..
Once I saw them live I was hooked.... I didn't want to go at first, but I'm glad my brother talked me into going...
"marianne, you are a warm and beautiful human"
*band wordlessly leaves*
"this is really how i feel"
Me my sister and brother who unfortunately suffered a ?a major stroke 3 years ago travelled from Liverpool to London Hammersmith Apollo 2 weeks ago (19/8/24) he has seen them live 9 times starting in 78 (me a lowly 4😂) the thing is we told him we were only going sightseeing he had no idea,his 2 lifelong mates fellow spuds were willing to carry him up 74 flights of stairs BUT someone was watching over us that night because with 20 mins before the gig was about to start we found out 2 people had cancelled thier disabled seats and sold us them for £20 a pop! We had t-shirts and everything specially made up with my bros name and DEVO on them we finally suprised him with 10 mins before the gig and he burst into tears (of joy)DEVO were on POINT AND SMASHED IT AS PER the band the fans made it an UNFORGETTABLE night!!! Boogey Boy made an appearance at the end with a rendition of its a beautiful world.To all my fellow spuds reading this i send virtual love and respect you all have exceptional taste! Increase the peace!! ARE WE NOT MEN?!!!!!❤
I´m from South Brazil...miles away from but...i´m waiting for 40 years a DEVO concert in my city...Porto Alegre...i´m still wait...but i saw you guy in Amsterdam in 1991...sittl one of he best gigs ever!!! Pink Pussy Cat is the best!!! Cheer´s
I used to watch Fridays always as a 13 year old man I miss the 80s gen x baby 🤘🤘🤘
I have no doubt that Devo had an impact on Prince. The driving Punk groove of 'Uncontrollable Urge' reminds me of bit of P's freaky ode to incest 'Sister' from his 'Dirty Mind' record(1981). Respect to the highly influential Devo.
So ORIGINAL, A very talented bunch of smart men, and who were right on their music game for sure, Awesome band
I've been loving that song since I was probably 12.
STILL freaking awesome!
Before mad TV we had Fridays 🤘🤘🤘 Gen x baby!!!
Happy 71st Birthday Mark Allen Mothersbaugh May 18, 1950.. Thank you for all the life long memorable songs you created with Devo for all of us to enjoy. After all.. Enjoyment is what it's all about..
Vote for DEVO for The class of 2022
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Thank you
I remember watching them on Fridays, so good, every time. They were just so tight. Nothing like them before or since. And not underrated, maybe under appreciated by the masses. They got plenty of love from critics and contemporary musicians. And there is a large number of people in music now that were influenced by Devo.
Insanely catchy, wonderfully off kilter, fun and serious all at the same time...Classic Devo!
I saw Devo in concert in the mid eighties. I was surprised at what a great live band they were and what a spectacular show they put on. Second only to The Rolling Stones for live excitement.
Have you heard the Devo cover of Satisfaction ?!!
@@PP-kp4dd Yes I have. I like it.
Only DEVO could unapologetically lift the opening lick from Led Zeppelin's 'Misty Mountain Hop' and mutate it into this epic in your face power pop gem. I've been lucky to see Devo live more than 10 times through the years and this one always goes off hard. DEVO is probably the most criminally underrated band of all time. The fact that they are still not in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame single-handedly brings down the legitimacy of that institution.
RR HOF is a joke with regard to who got in early, who is just getting in, and who's not in. I refuse to visit and I love Ohio (HTC80)
Mark Mothersbaugh said in an interview on Marc Maron's WTF that the riff for Uncontrollable Urge was a take on "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and the "Yeah yeah yeah" was from "She Loves You." John Lennon saw them at Max's Kansas City in the 70s, and after the show, after the band had loaded up the van and was ready to go, Lennon came over to Mark, who was in the van, and through the window screamed "Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah!" Mark said that after that happened, "That was it. I could just drive off an enbankment, and it would be fine."
It's a parody of Ped Zep. I left the "o" out of that first word.
Devo and their music change my life.💯💯💯👏👏👏💯💯💯💯💯💯
One of the most awesome things I've ever seen, ever heard...now I've got an uncontrollable urge.
Me and my friend were high as fuck and freaking out over how he could do that leg thing at 3:37 without breaking something, our attempts were unsuccessful, DEVO are the true kings of rock n roll.
Yeah! 😨😨
1:48 Got to love those refined jaw muscles from an absolute dedication to nail on-point "YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH" s!
What a great band! Pure art! Just discovered these guys...
These guys may have been weird, but they were great musician and gelled so well as a band. The drummer had the epithet 'the human metronome' and if anybody doubts that, just listen to his work on this video, It is pure drum perfection!
I am almost 60. Saw them 2014 in SF just before they lost Bob Casale to heart failure. They rocked the house and my feet hurt the next day from punking out in combat boots, blue jeans and old sleeveless Clash Rock the Casbah t-shirt. Are we not men!? We are DEVO.
You can’t not feel this at some point in your life. Sexy, nerdy, groovy, etc. One of the most fun bands you can see live
I have a mate who's a synth addict and a programmer who we call Devo
@@md-vq8sp Hell yes :)
The greatest band ever from the USA bar none, these guys were just so good still love them 40 years later
never realized how talented and innovative Devo was back in the 70's, 80's, wasn't paying much attention. I am now. They are fantastic!!!
Lesbian school graduation tomorrow and you are invited
This band is so awesome! Been listening since 81🤟
Still the same fresh original sound one of a kind band love from Scotland
One of the greatest concerts I've ever seen.
My favorite band in 1980. "Fridays" was such a great show.
They had Devo on THREE times, and Fridays wasn't even on that long!
I liked it better than SNL
@@TheFranksantana So true! Fridays was much fresher than SNL.
Yaa maan,,,,, now how do we cook da fish man ? Do we FRY the fish man? No, No , No , do we bake da fish man? No, No,No, do we "SMOKE" Da fish man, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah man, GIMME GANGA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@@user-ru6mq5sc5n Nat E. Dred,, and the DRUGED OUT Pharmacist!
Will always be a fan. ✝🇺🇸✝
Mas que demais!!! Marcou uma geração. Rio de Janeiro. Brasil 👍
I'm watching this clip from my self-imposed covid-19 quarantine. Seeing guys performing in hazmat suits and eye-pro four decades ago is just another example of how far ahead of the curve DEVO were.