Devo: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution is a re-issue by MVD Visual of the 1993 home video featuring past work by art-punk video pioneers Devo, originally put together by LaserDisc. This "video album" shows off their most remembered songs featured throughout their career, a treat for devotees, in light of the recent passing of Bob Casale, Jr.
Referred as "the seminal new wave audio-visual concept band," Devo got its start 40 years ago as Kent State students Gerald Casale and Bob Lewis used the slang "de-evolution" referring to the political and social woes of 1960's America. The two recruited Gerald's brother Bob and Mark Mothersbaugh, along with two others, and began as an on-campus sextet, performing shows throughout several line-up changes. By 1977, Devo consisted of Gerald and Bob Casale, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Alan Myers. They had also recorded their first ground-breaking album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, putting them in the spotlight as one of the premiere bands for new wave. Sparks drummer David Kendrick later joined the group.
Devo: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution contains several videos Devo had done between 1976-1990. The first two tracks (Secret Agent Man and Jocko Homo) were shot as part of The Truth About De-evolution, an experiment film the band shot which caught attention from the media, starting their career as a musical group. Early MTV gems "Whip It," "Through Being Cool," and "Peek-a-Boo" are also featured. Their version of Jimi Hendrix's "Are U Experienced?" is still forbidden like it also had been in the 2003 Rhino DVD re-issue due to copyright grounds, but the "Dr. Detroit" movie theme is restored.
Lots of new bonus material is part of this latest MVD Visual release, such as early live gigs, gallery and commentary with Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale, an interview with director Chuck Statler, and more. Fans of the original LaserDisc release will be pleased with this new re-issue considering the bad remaster job done by Rhino in 2003. MVD Visual's Devo: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution is still a collector's classic, and with the exclusive extras, more so now a must-have for the old and new devotee cult following.
