During their reign as new wave kings in the late '70s and early '80s, Devo carved their own niche with offbeat philosophies and humor, stiff music, and a thoroughly entertaining live act (which included numerous costume changes and members acting as different characters). Although initially thought of as a goof band, by the early '90s it became apparent that Devo was one of the best and most influential bands of that era, with such notables as Henry Rollins, Kim Thayil, Trent Reznor, and Kurt Cobain thoroughly praising the ...
Read More
During their reign as new wave kings in the late '70s and early '80s, Devo carved their own niche with offbeat philosophies and humor, stiff music, and a thoroughly entertaining live act (which included numerous costume changes and members acting as different characters). Although initially thought of as a goof band, by the early '90s it became apparent that Devo was one of the best and most influential bands of that era, with such notables as Henry Rollins, Kim Thayil, Trent Reznor, and Kurt Cobain thoroughly praising the band. Although there are no such big names on the 1997 tribute album We Are Not Devo, 13 rising alternative bands from the late '90s pay their respects to this legendary band. Some of the artists totally reconstruct the tunes, such as a pair of salsa-flavored covers -- the Aquabats' "Love Without Anger" and Possum Dixon's cover of "Mongoloid," retitled "El Mongoloido," and a ska version of "Time Out for Fun" by the Voodoo Glow Skulls. But for the most part, the versions are close to the originals, with more distorted guitar and punk energy added -- "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprise" by the Vandals, "Uncontrollable Urge" by SNFU, and "Whip It" by Face to Face. ~ Greg Prato, Rovi
Read Less
