Devo, captured live in Oakland, performing early experimental tracks written between 1974 and 1977, prior to any label deal or public success. No matter how messy, beginnings are exciting. Especially when what happens next endures the test of time. For Devo, the beginning happened in the basements and garages of Akron, Ohio. The songs they wrote were raw and unfiltered with no commercial intent. They called it Hardcore Devo. Performing 21 oddities, this is a tribute to departed, original Devo bandmate, Robert “Bob 2” Casale. Filmed live on June 28, 2014 at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California.
**Review***
In order to honor their “fallen comrade,” their late guitarist and
family member Robert “Bob 2” Casale, veteran new wave band Devo hit the road
in 2014 playing music from their formative years. Nothing written outside
1974–1977 was allowed into the set list, but as this live document –
captured at the Fox Theater in Oakland California – displays, the band don't
limit themselves to “period instruments” or the clunkiness heard on the
archival studio sets Hardcore Devo, Vol. 1 and 2. Instead, forgotten favorites
like “Midget,” “Baby Talkin' Bitches,” and “Stop Look and Listen”
come with a punch that reflects the current gear and a sharpness that comes from
a veteran band. Mixed in are early numbers that later became standards
(“Satisfaction,” “Uncontrollable Urge,” and “Jocko Homo”) plus
others that became B-sides or otherwise deep cuts (“Soo Bawls,” “Be
Stiff,” and “Clockout”).In order to honor their “fallen comrade,”
their late guitarist and family member Robert “Bob 2” Casale, veteran new
wave band Devo hit the road in 2014 playing music from their formative years.
Nothing written outside 1974–1977 was allowed into the set list, but as this
live document – captured at the Fox Theater in Oakland California –
displays, the band don't limit themselves to “period instruments” or the
clunkiness heard on the archival studio sets Hardcore Devo, Vol. 1 and
2. Instead, forgotten favorites like “Midget,” “Baby Talkin' Bitches,”
and “Stop Look and Listen” come with a punch that reflects the current gear
and a sharpness that comes from a veteran band. Mixed in are early numbers that
later became standards (“Satisfaction,” “Uncontrollable Urge,” and
“Jocko Homo”) plus others that became B-sides or otherwise deep cuts (“Soo
Bawls,” “Be Stiff,” and “Clockout”). – D. Jeffries
Cover artwork not final