Devo

This has to be one of the best and most well put together movie down to the overall feel with the music and the aesthetic of DEVO absolutely is amazing. I wish this documentary would be released to the public and not just in film festivals because it has truly inspired me and I've been trying to find this documentary since i saw it for the first time. This has also striked my idea on what my style is and has changed it for the better. I love how unique DEVO is as a whole and they are truly inspiring with their visuals and music. I truly hope that this eventually comes out and this is my last resort to write a review in hopes the director sees this!

DEVO (2025). Devo was one of the most innovative bands in rock history, but their very uniqueness became a double-edged sword for they were so ahead of their time, yet they were too often dismissed as a novelty act. Chris Smith's documentary does a good job tracing the origins and inevitable frustrations of the band. A sound clip in the opening montage describes them as "The Band Who Fell To Earth" - a clear reference to the David Bowie sci-fi film (a quite appropriate reference as Bowie would play a key role in launching the band).

Before they were even a band, Devo was an intellectual art project forged by twin events for the Ohio based artists. First, they were influenced by the outre theory of De-Evolution which included a pamphlet entitled "Jocko Homo" (credit much also go to Bob Lewis who was an early collaborator). Second, key members Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were on campus and witnesses to the Kent State massacre in 1970. Add in a pinch of the classic horror film ISLAND OF LOST SOULS and what became Devo was born.

It took a few years, but Devo got seen and heard through their innovative short films which predated MTV and the music video revolution (which they became key contributors to). They made their way to NYC and got truly 'discovered' and noticed by the likes of John Lennon, Iggy Pop and Bowie (who eventually shephereded their first album in 1978 via Brian Eno). Even Mick Jagger got into the act as he personally signed off on Devo's first official single, a cover of "(Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Soon SNL called.

Smith's doc covers all of this in great detail and it makes up more than half of the running time. It's quite clear early on that Devo was never going to much more than a cult act. Their hit single "Whip It" also became a bit of an albatross as the record label kept demanding another hit (it was to be Devo's sole Top 40 record). Devo kept plugging away, touring, shooting videos, recording - rinse, repeat eventually putting out 8 albums during their initial incarnation.

In reality, by 1984 they had been somewhat abandoned by all but their most loyal fans and were dropped by their record label. Members began to quit (and sometimes come back), It may sound like a typical 'Behind The Music' career arc, but what what set the band apart was they never were really in it for the fame and fortune. They had a theory of man's de-evolutionary downward spiral and they preached and practiced it.

Devo may never get into the Rock Hall Of Fame although they've been nominated multiple times, but their experimental excellence endures. DEVO is a fine film tribute.

This documentary tells Devo's story to the drum beat of Devo. It stays true to the Devo's creative, brilliant and very quirky traits.

The story is mostly told by leading band members Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald Casale. A lot of stuff they talk about would be known to Devo fans, maybe some stories were new or defined better. They talk about their evolution from art students to bumbling musicians and how they came up with the raw Devo concept.

Right from the start Devo were very cynical and frustrated with the world, and stayed that way throughout their Devo journey. I'm not sure if they ever really thought they would alert the world and change it for the better. They take you through their clumsy early years as a band during the early to mid 1970's playing in small clubs and getting booed. Then in 1978 they gain a huge audience by playing on a TV show. A couple of years later Devo peaked with their hit song Whip it, and with some frustration they slowly faded away. Devo were innovative and excellent musicians tight and sharp, but the documentary doesn't give too much credit to this.

Once again, the documentary confirms that it is very difficult to put Devo into a musical genre, they just don't really fit anywhere. Once you see this documentary you might understand why. If you were/are a fan of Devo you should enjoy this. If you don't know or understand what Devo was all about, this might confuse you more!

As a teenager, I first heard Devo's music in 1978. I didn't know what I was listening to, but I liked it. I was drifting away from pop music and needed something else. Devo was a total different world of music. Tell people you liked Devo and most people would roll their eyes.

I spent my college years and beyond listening to DEVO and the many groundbreaking musicians and bands who emerged throughout the 70s and 80s. This documentary perfectly captures the talent, focus, uncontrollable urge, weirdness, and circumstances that shaped and catapulted DEVO. Highly recommended, even if you can't stand or understand their music. DEVO's many influences that helped shape rock 'n' roll and performance art are undeniable.

Don't get me wrong: music with a message like Devo's remains important for its subversive qualities, but this documentary doesn't exactly avoid backfiring with self-indulgence and potential hypocrisy.

Yes, mindless consumerism and toxic capitalism is bad, but the same society they lampoon has awarded them a career. They know this (the doc nods to it in the second half) and while they're by no means the most shameless paradox in music (looking at you, Rage Against The Machine), you still can't help but cringe at the bigger picture unfolding in front of you with this film: privileged Me Generation ultimately changed nothing with their complaining and became the system they hated at varying degrees.

Especially when, during one particular archived interview, the members basically concede their pleasure in profiting from their fans and justifying it by audience numbers... the same logic used by their corporate and government peers.

Another flaw: the lack of insight to their core musicality. Mostly the film likes to cover social and thematic aspects of Devo, but almost no insight is offered about their actual music, the equipment, the historical place they have during post-punk and onward.

Devo's place in pop culture shouldn't be undercut but it also shouldn't be overstated. Ethos aside, in the greater story of music, they are still mostly that one-hit wonder band that made "Whip It". This doc tries to walk the middle-ground but can't totally get away with what it's trying to do, and frankly it's on the fringes of a puff piece.