There’s a ton of great DEVO footage floating around the youtoobs, but this Don Kirshner ‘79 stuff is by far the best of the bunch. This captures them at what I’d consider their peak era. Most people would argue that would be a year or two before this, but not in my eyes and ears. This was after they had relocated to L.A. and had been energized by the punk scene that was blowing up all around them there, which resulted in my favorite DEVO album - Duty Now For The Future. I say “peak” because after this they really did start to de-evolve. Each successive album was a step or two down from the one before. My personal cut-off point is New Traditionalists. However this footage here is our favorite spudboys at the absolute top of their game.
Totally agree. I love Are We Not Men and my favourite song of all time is on that album, Gut Feeling. But Duty Now For The Future is also for me their peak. Well, actually, as far as their commercial peak was concerned that was obviously Freedom of Choice, which is a fantastic album. However, for me, Duty Now has an energy and feel that Are We Not Men was leading up to but Duty Now delivered it. There were other great punctuations later on, Going Under is a synth classic and Peak A Boo, for me, was a reminder of what they were. It's no surprise, at least for me, that the tail off started happening when Alan was being pushed out by the drum machines. Once Alan had gone, it wasn't really DEVO for me anymore. This video and the other tracks from the rest of this Don Kirshner set, are without a doubt some of the best DEVO performances ever. At this point they were well oiled and totally locked in. I sill love them now and they will always be my favourite band. However, performances like this get to me every time and take me back to a very magical time. We're All DEVO.... Cheers, Dave.
''Oh No' is where they peaked for me! most every song was chock full of the delicious vicious subversion that I've come to love from these lads!! plus, I just dig the tunage ... 🏒🚨🏒🥔👁️🍅🍅
Duty now is my favorite of the original releases and blockhead one of my all time favorites. Just an angry, aggressive, DEVO swipe that captures what this band can do when provoked. That said, I still have love for their later stuff. It’s different, but I still enjoy Babydoll and Fresh.
@@elosoguapo8137 I’ve tried with the later stuff, but each time it just does nothing for me. I’ll admit that there are a couple of songs on “Oh No…” I don’t mind, but as I said before, New Traditionalists is really about as far as I go. However at this particular point in ‘79 they were just so unbelievably good that words fail me. There were only 3 other bands that equally impressed me at this time, and they were Wire, Joy Division, and The Damned. All very different bands, and all equally mind-blowing.
The more live performances I see of Duty Now songs, compared to how the studio album of Duty Now sounds, I am convinced that either, A). The producer and/or Warner told the Devo boys to muffle their potential as much as possible, or B). The producer had no idea who he was working with and what they were capable of. Just imagine what Duty Now could've been if Rick Rubin or Butch Vig had produced it...
I seldom listen to the album tracks on "Duty Now" because the live tracks are SO much better. They sound bored on the album version of Blockhead but they are seeting with disdain on this version.
1979 was it for Devo for me. Once they started wearing flower pots I was done. The image went over board in a bad way then. They were power pop punk and tech. Then they became garbage 80s cheese.
Though I essentially agree that Freedom Of Choice was the turning point where they started to live out their own de-evolution theory, I don’t just completely write them off right there and then. In spite of nonsense like Whip It, they still had some great tunes, and still put on a great live show. I’m good all the way up to New Traditionalists (though by that point I have to cherry-pick songs). After that one I got off the boat.
The film editor on this show deserves an award, it captures the frantic energy of the performance perfectly.
Bob #1 moves forward, shreds on lead guitar for a few seconds, then calmly steps back like he's standing in a Costco checkout line. So awesomely Devo.
It's the best punctuated solo I know of.
There is nothing like DEVO !
Alan was such an amazing drummer, holy shit. Powerful and precise in equal measures. Definitely one of the greats in my book.
You put some fuckin respect on DEVO.
There’s a ton of great DEVO footage floating around the youtoobs, but this Don Kirshner ‘79 stuff is by far the best of the bunch. This captures them at what I’d consider their peak era. Most people would argue that would be a year or two before this, but not in my eyes and ears. This was after they had relocated to L.A. and had been energized by the punk scene that was blowing up all around them there, which resulted in my favorite DEVO album - Duty Now For The Future.
I say “peak” because after this they really did start to de-evolve. Each successive album was a step or two down from the one before. My personal cut-off point is New Traditionalists. However this footage here is our favorite spudboys at the absolute top of their game.
Totally agree. I love Are We Not Men and my favourite song of all time is on that album, Gut Feeling. But Duty Now For The Future is also for me their peak. Well, actually, as far as their commercial peak was concerned that was obviously Freedom of Choice, which is a fantastic album. However, for me, Duty Now has an energy and feel that Are We Not Men was leading up to but Duty Now delivered it. There were other great punctuations later on, Going Under is a synth classic and Peak A Boo, for me, was a reminder of what they were. It's no surprise, at least for me, that the tail off started happening when Alan was being pushed out by the drum machines. Once Alan had gone, it wasn't really DEVO for me anymore. This video and the other tracks from the rest of this Don Kirshner set, are without a doubt some of the best DEVO performances ever. At this point they were well oiled and totally locked in. I sill love them now and they will always be my favourite band. However, performances like this get to me every time and take me back to a very magical time. We're All DEVO.... Cheers, Dave.
''Oh No'
is
where they peaked for me!
most every song was chock full of the delicious vicious subversion that I've come to love from these lads!!
plus, I just dig the tunage ...
🏒🚨🏒🥔👁️🍅🍅
Duty now is my favorite of the original releases and blockhead one of my all time favorites. Just an angry, aggressive, DEVO swipe that captures what this band can do when provoked. That said, I still have love for their later stuff. It’s different, but I still enjoy Babydoll and Fresh.
@@elosoguapo8137 I’ve tried with the later stuff, but each time it just does nothing for me. I’ll admit that there are a couple of songs on “Oh No…” I don’t mind, but as I said before, New Traditionalists is really about as far as I go. However at this particular point in ‘79 they were just so unbelievably good that words fail me. There were only 3 other bands that equally impressed me at this time, and they were Wire, Joy Division, and The Damned. All very different bands, and all equally mind-blowing.
Top tune these spuds know how to mash
tight.
Real tight.
Nice shades
Robert Strange McNamara’s favourite band.
Thanks for posting this classic!
This is rad. Such a nasty guitar solo
My friend never new how many guitars were in the band
Cuts right through, doesn’t it?
So stiff, so mechanical. Totally the opposite of disco. That's why I grew to love them as soon as I saw then on Saturday night live.
The more live performances I see of Duty Now songs, compared to how the studio album of Duty Now sounds, I am convinced that either,
A). The producer and/or Warner told the Devo boys to muffle their potential as much as possible, or
B). The producer had no idea who he was working with and what they were capable of.
Just imagine what Duty Now could've been if Rick Rubin or Butch Vig had produced it...
I seldom listen to the album tracks on "Duty Now" because the live tracks are SO much better. They sound bored on the album version of Blockhead but they are seeting with disdain on this version.
les tauliers
1979 was it for Devo for me. Once they started wearing flower pots I was done. The image went over board in a bad way then. They were power pop punk and tech. Then they became garbage 80s cheese.
You know you like Whip It, don’t lie now.
So, you are saying they basically devolved?
@@monty70 horrible song
Though I essentially agree that Freedom Of Choice was the turning point where they started to live out their own de-evolution theory, I don’t just completely write them off right there and then. In spite of nonsense like Whip It, they still had some great tunes, and still put on a great live show.
I’m good all the way up to New Traditionalists (though by that point I have to cherry-pick songs). After that one I got off the boat.