Happy Music Monday! DEVO is, today, much loved and well remembered. But there was a time when they were just some crazy band that looked weird. That was the band that Bob Casale played with, and the band that's mourning him right now. Bob Casale passed away last Tuesday. Today's Music Monday Scott's tribute to him, and DEVO.
Were they serious? Were they ironic? How did they so impressively predict the impending de-evolution on humanity? DEVO might be a one-hit wonder to some, but whatever. They mattered. And Bob Casale mattered right along with them.
See you after the jump!
This particular footage isn't so clear, but I'm pretty sure that's Bob2 playing guitar. Part of DEVO's magic is that they were all so visibly interchangeable. Even still, it's impossible to imagine this song without an easy-to-sing guitar part. That was Bob2's job, right?
I also can't see this one clearly enough to tell if he's on keyboards or guitar, but I kinda think it's keyboards. However, even if I'm wrong, Bob Casale did both from time to time in his DEVO stint. He also knew his way around a studio. A talented fella indeed. So talented, in fact, that DEVO wasn't the only band he helped produce...
A Disneyfied DEVO? Well, it wasn't just for the money. The band all felt that kids singing the new lyrics made it kinda funny, and the fact that some of the kids quit forever after the album flopped… well, the whole thing ends up sounding like an art project, doesn't it? One thing about DEVO, they never stopped being interesting.
While writing this Music Monday, I learned that drummer Alan Myers passed away in 2013, and I somehow missed that. So maybe consider this a chance to raise a ziggurat hat at two guys who were a little bit ahead of their time. Rest in peace, Alan and Bob2.
Let us also just remind you: some images come from the corresponding Wikipedia pages and are here under fair use. See you next week.