Devo

Whereas their previous homevideo, The Men Who Make the Music, was a hodgepodge of both promo clips and live performances, 1983's We're All Devo (re-issued in '90) compiled most of their videos from 1976-1982. Like it' s predecessor, peculiarly humorous short clips are inserted between each song, as well as sketches. Cameos by such notables as Timothy Leary and original Saturday Night Live castmember Laraine Newman are included, as well as appearances by such wacky characters as a sleazoid record company mogul named Rod Rooter, Booji Boy, and General Boy (the latter played by the Mothersbaughs' father, Bob Sr.). The clips show why Devo is considered video pioneers by many - they were the first band to break away from the boring format of early music videos (which usually consisted of just a band lip-synching the song on a stage), injecting humor and wit into video-making. The whole video is consistently entertaining and funny, but specific highlights would have to include "Satisfaction," "Girl U Want," "Freedom of Choice," "Love Without Anger," "Peek-A-Boo," "That's Good," and "Through Being Cool." Spuds everywhere are hereby commanded to purchase a copy of the exceptional homevideo We're All Devo. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide