Rating: 
Summary: Incredible
Review: These videos are incredible. I have never seen such hilarious/creepy/strange music videos in my entire life before watching this DVD. You can definitely see the change in their sound from the late 70's to the 80's. The 80's all have a really rediculously funny feel to them, while the 70's material borderlines on creepy. The music is great, too!
Rating:
Summary: I've Been Waiting Years For This
Review: This DVD will make devotees happy. There are extras that will make beautiful mutants even happier. There is commentary by DEVO's big cheeses. There is an interview with director Chuck Statler. Plus much much more. So a video or two was left off; beggars can't be choosers. The Beautiful World video alone makes it worth the price.You can remain ignorant the rest of your life, or you can buy this and find out the truth.
Rating: 
Summary: Now it can be shown.
Review: Well, almost. I consider "We're All Devo" to be essential to any musicologist who really wants to know how video evolved from quirky and fun experiments into the MTV Record company commercials for bands (and eventually into 30 minute infomercials for personalities that may or may not have anything to do with music). Problem is, this being a straight transfer of the old Pioneer laser Disc - complete with uncomfortable shilling from our spudboys - it has a rather incomplete feeling to it. I'd still call it a dream for devotees, but I was hoping for so much more. On the plus side, hearing the commentary for the tracks is good fun, and reading Mark and Gerald's blurbs about how record companies consistently stuck their fingers in stupid places while spinning their heads in others is hilarious (the turmoil surrounding the first album cover in particular) and make this worth having. "Beautiful World," quite possibly the best video EVER made, is here. It's also nice to have the sound upgraded to DVD status. What we really need next is "We're All Devo" represented on DVD, along with "The Men Who Make The Music" and those nads at the Hendrix estate to open the vault on "Are You Experienced?" Also recommended (if anyone of resposibility is reading) for further releases would be the Saturday Night Live appearance, the TV show "Fridays" where the band helps in a skit before playing "Uncontrollable Urge," the TV commercial for Honda Scooters, "That's Good" performed on "Square Pegs" and, if it was video taped, the legendary Trouser Press magazine interview where Mark and Gerald sat down to chat with William Burroughs. I'm already drooling at the prospects. 5 stars for the classic videos
3 stars for the final presentation and omissions
Rating:
Summary: Now it can be shown.
Review: Well, almost. I consider "We're All Devo" to be essential to any musicologist who really wants to know how video evolved from quirky and fun experiments into the MTV Record company commercials for bands (and eventually into 30 minute infomercials for personalities that may or may not have anything to do with music). Problem is, this being a straight transfer of the old Pioneer laser Disc - complete with uncomfortable shilling from our spudboys - it has a rather incomplete feeling to it. I'd still call it a dream for devotees, but I was hoping for so much more. On the plus side, hearing the commentary for the tracks is good fun, and reading Mark and Gerald's blurbs about how record companies consistently stuck their fingers in stupid places while spinning their heads in others is hilarious (the turmoil surrounding the first album cover in particular) and make this worth having. "Beautiful World," quite possibly the best video EVER made, is here. It's also nice to have the sound upgraded to DVD status. What we really need next is "We're All Devo" represented on DVD, along with "The Men Who Make The Music" and those nads at the Hendrix estate to open the vault on "Are You Experienced?" Also recommended (if anyone of resposibility is reading) for further releases would be the Saturday Night Live appearance, the TV show "Fridays" where the band helps in a skit before playing "Uncontrollable Urge," the TV commercial for Honda Scooters, "That's Good" performed on "Square Pegs" and, if it was video taped, the legendary Trouser Press magazine interview where Mark and Gerald sat down to chat with William Burroughs. I'm already drooling at the prospects. 5 stars for the classic videos
3 stars for the final presentation and omissions
Rating:
Summary: Q: Are We Not New? A: We Are Reissue!
Review: Yep, it's a reissue of the Laserdisc, with some added stuff (and missing "Are You Experienced"! Gotta say "El Vomito" to the Hendrix estate for that one!). Wish they'd added the "Doctor Detroit" video too. Nothing on here I hadn't seen already... except for the unissued "Post Post Modern Man v.1" and the 3 "Early Gigs" Bonus excerpts. But, all things considered, In The End It Made No Difference! It's still a great DVD which will please all but the most rabid spuds (and even they should be marginally content). Like the other reviewers, I was hoping for more also. Make sure to listen to the running commentary track! That really made me sad... so much promise and fun being quashed by both Warner and MTV (especially MTV, who were just too hip to "get it"). Once MTV went national, that was it for the problematic spudboys, their donuts, and their french fries (though MTV did run the "That's Good" vid as-is in the early early days, regardless of what Jerry & Mark say on the disc). I was living in metro NYC in August 1981 when MTV first hit the cable air, and was pretty much a "local" channel back then (do you still have your MTV dial position marker??!!). The first promotion they ran was the "People Really Win On MTV" contests... a series of groups that you can win a flight to see them play & meet the band afterwards. The first band was (ugh) Journey! The second or third was: Devo!! They made a big deal with the ad spots, etc etc. But, they never did follow up and announce the winner & show them on MTV, which was part of the deal. I always assumed that the winner was an ultimate spud, and unfit for airing on MTV! Maybe someday we'll find that out too. If you don't know the story behind the 1st LP cover, that's on the DVD under "Albums/Singles" in the bonus features. Another clue from the git-go that it was gonna be a slog for poor old Devo. The only reason I give this DVD 4 stars instead of 5 is because it's a reissue and not a new package. It runs approx 95 min, and I wish they'd have added TV shots (SNL, Letterman, USA Network Night Flight) & other worldwide TV appearances, as the Beatles DVD Anthology had done. If "Freedom FROM Choice is what you want", this disc will have to do until the real thing comes along... "And That's Good!"
Rating:
Summary: The most complete Devo video collection available
Review: You can spend weeks on auction sites looking for the Devo laserdisc "The Complete Truth About De-Evolution". Or, you can grab this DVD for one tenth the price (new), and annex the need of finding and purchasing a laserdisc player. The videos, quality, and enjoyment you get will be the same. I have both DVD and laserdisc formats, and by far, the DVD gets play in my house the most.
When it comes to video, Devo are the leaders of the pack. You'll see concepts, ideas, and innovation that put them decades ahead of anyone else, and they'll leave you breathless, intrigued, or laughing your head off. They understood the video medium, and used it for all it was worth, delivering entertaining performances that will keep you watching. More importantly, you'll see the originators of video performance by musicians doing things that inspired many other musicians and video performance artists that followed.
The great majority of their earlier works, all available here, are shot on a piggy-bank budget. Devo set an example for how great an accomplishment you can achieve with so little. To think these college-aged kids could come up with "The Truth About De-Evolution", and leave a world riveted is just awe-inspiring. These are often the peices I find myself and others watching again and again, as will you.
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