The Friday Morning Listen
Published February 20, 2004
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We are Devo!
Two of the most jaw-dropping musical guests I've ever seen on Saturday Night Live: The B-52's and Devo.
I'd read nothing about either group before seeing them on the tube. The B-52's were so odd-looking. I can't remember the first tune they played but I do remember my reaction: it was "What the...?!".
Devo on SNL was another matter. My reaction was to just sit there with my jaw hangin' open. To this day, Devo's first record (which I also own on pink marble vinyl) remains one of my favorites. It's got just the right amounts of blippy synths, odd lyrics (delivered via Mark Mothersbaugh's freaky robotic voice), rockin' and sometimes dissonant guitar, and plain old weirdness.
And even with all of the weirdity, it's still a great party record.
Oh yea, it also has the best (or worst!) cover of the Stones' "Satisfaction" ever made.
(First posted on Mark Is Cranky)
Mark Saleski is a writer and music obsessive based out of the Monadnock region of New Hampshire. On his best day, he hopes to channel the ghosts of Lester Bangs and Jack Kerouac. He spends the hours of 9:32PM to 1:37AM carving out music reviews and essays for Jazz.com, Blogcritics.org and other publications.
- The Friday Morning Listen
- Published: February 20, 2004
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- Section: Music
- Part of a feature: Friday Morning Listen
- Writer: Mark Saleski
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I used to be pretty good friends with Gerry Casale, although I haven't talked to him in a few years. I don't think I've ever asked him about where the rhythm came from, though.
I assume you're also aware that two of the leads of Devo are responsible for the "music" on the Rugrats show on Nickelodeon?
Interesting guys...
I once almost saw Devo in Montreal, but the club (which was a second floor walkup on St. Catherine St.) was overbooked, so we sat on the stairs and listened to them perform "Satisfaction".
The second Devo moment was in a bar in Puerto Rico, where we plugged enough quarters into the jukebox to play "Whip It" about 25 times in a row until the bar owner unplugged it and threatened us with a shotgun.
THe first song the B-52's played on SNL was "Planet Claire".
SNL was really great at bringing new bands to the public eye, and seeing DEVO and the B-52's as well as the Talking Heads and Elvis Costello, definitely showed me there was an alternative to REO Speedwagon and disco.
Maybe it was "Dance this Mess Around", not "Planet Claire". My memory gets worse every day.
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Exactly right about both Mark: still astonishing on every level, and how they came up with the demonic rhythm for "Satisfaction," I don't want to know.