Ohio eccentrics Devo may have been initially perceived as a comedic or novelty band due to their energy-dome hats, plastic wigs, eccentric characters, and unconventional music videos. However, as they celebrate their revolutionary and de-evolutionary career with the comprehensive boxed set “50 Years of De-Evolution: 1973 – 2023,” and plan a highly anticipated documentary slated for the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, their message resonates more powerfully today than ever before. So, we couldn’t help but wonder, how does it feel for band members Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale to be vindicated, so to speak, half a century later?
“Not good!” Casale quips.
“It’s depressing. We were hoping that our fears were just a little too exaggerated,” Mothersbaugh confesses to Yahoo Entertainment.
“I mean, humans just keep proving us right, you know?” Casale shrugs.
“Dubbed as a joke or dismissed for our sense of humor, many people failed to understand our message from the very beginning,” Mothersbaugh points out. “There were those who simply viewed us as a joke, and the record company even labeled us as ‘quirky,’ effectively defusing any seriousness we brought to the table.”
“Our intention was to draw connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, to encourage innovation and independent thinking. That was the real warning. We wanted people to break free from conformity and start thinking for themselves,” Casale elaborates. “We always envisioned ourselves as a multimedia performance band, not just another rock ‘n’ roll act. Devo was a collaborative effort among artists.”
“We saw ourselves as contemporary Dadaists in a true sense. It wasn’t just about playing a guitar in the corner,” Mothersbaugh explains. “Our message served as a manifesto for a new perspective on the future and a way to navigate through the obvious challenges facing society. We advocated for positive mutation initially, but it’s true that we questioned the anthropocentric mindset that humans were the most important species on this planet, when in reality, we might just be the most dangerous.”
One of the ways Devo effectively communicated their ideas was through their groundbreaking music videos, many of which were directed by Casale. Examples include “Freedom of Choice,” which featured professional Dogtown skateboarders of that era, and “Girl U Want,” starring skateboarders who returned in drag to portray fervent Devo fans. “Fortunately, our ideas didn’t require a substantial budget most of the time. We were a DIY band from the start. We didn’t need A-list directors to dress us up and reproduce what other bands had done in their music videos,” Casale states.
It was around the time of MTV’s debut in 1981 that the world finally caught up with Devo, and the band unexpectedly found themselves as popular mainstream pop artists following the success of their massive hit “Whip It,” from their 1980 album “Freedom of Choice.” Consequently, MTV requested a video for the song. Casale’s creation, which had a modest budget of $15,000 and depicted an S&M-themed peep show on a dude ranch populated by beer-swilling cowboys and cowgirls, didn’t exactly meet the network’s expectations.
“The idea was to create a video that almost ridiculously emphasized every lyric, giving radio programmers exactly what they had in mind,” Casale recalls with a laugh. “During interviews, people would ask, ‘Hey, are you guys whipping it?’ while making inappropriate gestures. They assumed the song was about masturbation or sadomasochism. When we tried to explain its true meaning, they became disinterested and disillusioned. So, I made sure the video incorporated all those misinterpretations.”
As it turns out, “Whip It,” like most Devo songs, was subversive but in a multi-layered manner that most listeners and viewers overlooked. “It was a humorous critique of America’s obsession with excess. The lyrics parodied the go-get-’em culture that idolized winning and individualism,” Casale explains.
“We even jokingly attributed the song to Jimmy Carter, because during our tours, we discovered that people worldwide thought his foreign policy was irrational and ineffective. We wanted to motivate him to defeat Reagan in the 1980 presidential election,” Mothersbaugh reveals.
Certain editions of the “Whip It” single featured a B-side cover of the Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” widely regarded as one of the most radical reimaginings in music history. Devo had the support of numerous classic rock artists. For instance, David Bowie and Iggy Pop played key roles in helping Devo secure a record deal. They also appeared in the movie “Human Highway” alongside Neil Young, who was inspired to name his album “Rust Never Sleeps” after noticing the phrase on Mothersbaugh’s underpants. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the Rolling Stones fully endorsed Devo’s cover. Mick Jagger even showcased his famous chicken-dance moves while listening to their version.
“Back then, when you wanted to rearrange someone’s song, you had to obtain permission from the original songwriter. We wanted to include our cover on the album, so Gerry and I visited the Rolling Stones’ manager’s office in Manhattan,” Mothersbaugh reminisces. “Jagger was there, and as he listened to the song, he got up and started dancing around the room…”
“…in his trademark Mick Jagger style,” Casale adds.
“He gave an impressive performance of himself,” Mothersbaugh chuckles. “I read an interview where he revealed that our cover was his favorite Rolling Stones cover.”
Those skeptics who dismissed Devo as a joke band likely assumed they were mocking the Rolling Stones. However, Mothersbaugh and Casale vehemently deny this. “Since we gained a reputation as smart alecks or people who lacked respect, others believed we were mocking the original song. But that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Casale clarifies. “Like millions of others, we viewed that song as the epitome of rock, incredible in every way. It was audacious of us to venture into covering it, but we were fearless. So, we went for it.”
“We wanted to update it. It was a decade after the song’s release, and we decided to put our own spin on it,” Mothersbaugh adds. “We were in a storage room for a car wash, and snow was piled up to three feet outside. We were freezing, so we all played while wearing coats and gloves. Then, Bob Casale started playing a little riff, and everyone started joining in, eventually adding the lyrics of ‘Satisfaction.'”
Tragically, Bob Casale, Gerald’s younger brother, passed away in 2014 due to heart failure. Mothersbaugh had his own brush with mortality in May 2020 when he contracted a severe case of COVID-19. He spent 18 days on a ventilator in the ICU at Los Angeles’s Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He still experiences lingering effects from the virus.
“It was not a pleasant experience,” Mothersbaugh states bluntly. “Gerry and I both got infected, but he sought medical attention promptly. I was isolated and kept thinking, ‘Oh, I’m just tired because I’ve been working so hard.’ I ignored it for at least a week while…”
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