Devo was as much a concept as a band, a kind of proto-performance art unit that used music as its vehicle. As pop icons, the group defined a kind of computer nerd, geek-boy '80s cool that both parodied and celebrated the personal computer revolution. As a band, they were early and consistent innovators in music video, making heavy use of blue screen and computer animations. The spud boys even used early film experiments, employing elaborate costumes and image changes to extend their ideas. As documented on the laserdisc Devo: The Complete Truth About Devolution, over the course of Devo's career, its members mutated from paper-suited clean-room refugees to coiffed, futurist Euro-trash hipsters.
Because Devo was such a visual package, it's easy to forget that they also penned some extremely fine pop tunes, such as "Whip It," "Through Being Cool," and "Beautiful World," as well as successfully covering classics like "Satisfaction" and "Are You Experienced," gracefully stripping down the older tunes and torquing them in their own signature shapes.
As with many Voyager laserdiscs, this one contains extra goodies. Along with Devo's complete video output, you get a second analog soundtrack on which band members Mark Mothersbaugh and Chuck Statler talk about the ideas behind the music and images. Also included is a gallery of Devo album cover art, T-shirts, posters, and bootleg albums. There's even an explanation of how Devo signed its first record deal, a convoluted tale that's both amusing and useful to all aspiring musicians and spud-boy wannabes.
Devo: The Complete Truth About Devolution: US$49.95. The Voyager Company: (800) 446 2001, + 1 (310) 451 1383.
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