Devo 2.0 - PLEASE MAKE IT STOP!!!

Despite the official release date of March 14th, you can buy this now from the TV offer. I should know, we have Aunt Claudia who likes to shop on TV and sends us stuff like this whether we like it or not...

It was 1980. I was in ninth grade and I had my first exposure to punks. There were these two older kids who dressed up all in black, had weird haircuts, put safety pins in their ears and were always pulling stunts like eating live goldfish. They rode skateboards with margarine containers glued on to the bottom (I guess to hold their drugs). They wore ripped Sex Pistols t-shirts and wrote DEVO on their skateboards. And then "Whip It" became a huge radio hit and their world was shattered. Everyone in school like that song and even when the Army band came to play at a school assembly, the band covered it. Of course the two punk kids went crazy against the song. They felt betrayed that something they liked was finding acceptance with the general public. If these two are still alive they'll probably fall over when they hear about Devo 2.0 - some hired kids to pose as the band and rerecord Devo's hits.

"Are we not men?
We are devo!
Are we not men?
D-e-v-o
God made man
But he used the monkey to do it
Apes in the plan
We’re all here to prove it
I can walk like an ape
Talk like an ape
I can do what a monkey can do
God made man
But a monkey supplied the glue
We must repeat
O.k. let’s go!"

If my memory serves me correctly, I recall the original Devo had a theory behind the band. They believed in concept of de-evolution. As in mankind had actually reached the end of his evolution and was now evolving backwards. Not a bad theory actually especially if you spend any time in sports bars or buy any of these new CDs made for kids. If the original Devo of the 70s and 80s hadn't been involved with this project they probably would have considered this effort from Disney to be a de-evolution of their music. A giant step backwards. Well, I always thought of Devo as being very tongue in cheek so they are more likely just laughing all the way to the bank. Hey, if I was an aging musician facing dwindling royality checks and Disney knocked on the door with this idea I think I'd jump on it a flash. Especially when you see all the money that is flowing into the Kidz Bop coffers these days. Well, at least Disney invited the original artists to participate in the destruction of their songs unlike the Kidz Bop recording factory which just licenses the songs.

Honey, I've Shrunk Devo!

So what exactly is this Devo 2.0? Its a slick repackaging of Devo's hits into a kid friendly format. Just like the uber-successful yet utterly distestable Kidz Bop, Devo 2.0 consists of early teen kids singing the twenty year old hit songs. The only twist here is that they are trying to create a new band as if one of Devo's theories came true and the band did a Tom Hanks Big move and shrunk down to kid size. Of course its a Sucrose Sweet Disney confection all the way. Smily kids in cute matching uniforms bouncing around with those cute Devo flower pot hats on their heads. Sanitized Devo for the Neo-1950s conservatism parenting generation of media raised kidbots.

Of course, like Kidz Bops this entire package is sold non stop via remant advertising space so you can't escape its mind numbing power. De-evolution indeed!

DEVO 2.0 CD TRACK LISTING

1. That’s Good
2. Peek A Boo
3. Whip It
4. Boy U Want
5. Uncontrollable Urge
6. Cyclops
7. The Winner
8. Big Mess
9. Jerkin Back N Forth
10. Through Being Cool

11. Freedom of Choice
12. Beautiful World

"Eliminate the ninnies and the twits
Going to bang some heads
Going to beat some butts
Time to show those evil spuds what’s what
Chase down mister hinky dink
So no trace can be found
Put the tape on erase
Rearrange a face
We always liked picasso anyway
Mash ’em" - Through Being Cool

Overall I think this act bothers me less than Kidz Bops because first off the band Disney choose was kind of cartoonish to begin with. Devo's lyrics were not as offensive as much of what the Kidz Bops factory chooses . Most of Devos lyrics were kinda nonsensical (think Talking Heads Art School education) to begin with and I always thought "Whip It" was a positive message about whipping drug addiction.

Disney also gets points for involving the band with the overall project. Sure Disney has its hands all over this project and its merchandising but at least the band has some input into how their life's work gets repackaged and sold.

But the idea of turning these 80s bands into the next generations Micky Mouse Club or Monkees rings false. Are we really going to see this Devo 2.0 on tour? Are these kids hired to play Devo 2.0 really going to start believing that they are something original? This really proves that the music industry has reached its evolutionary peak! And it certainly doesn't give today's youth much credit for finding their own musical voice.

MORE TO COME...

Expect more CDs of this ilk in the future. Disney Sound a new division of Walt Disney Records is planning a series of CDs to bring original bands of iconic groups (i.e. stuff your parents remember) and redo them with kids. Rumor has it that the Go-Gos is next. Now what is wrong with the original Go-Gos music? Wasn't that kid friendly enough already? Probably is that Disney isn't getting a cut of it.

All of this business of repackaging parents music to their offspring just reminds me of what spurs great music in the past. It was a rejection of the status quo. Its call REBELLION cause when parents try to make all of the choices for the next generation instead of letting them figure things out for themselves. Think about it. Why do things like the Care Bears come back? Because the toy companys are selling to the parents. Same thing here. Disney is packaging this music in a parent friendly way. Look out adults, when a generation raised on this crud starts to rebell its going to make the 60s look like a tea party. After all the Mickey Mouse Club was just one spark that lighted a rock and roll explosion in the form of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrick, The Rolling Stones, Led Zepplin etc.

Why I hate this...

1. It cheapens the original music
2. Its such an obvious money grab
3. The original songs are so much better
4. The musicians are just hired guns who have no emotional investment in the songs
5. Music is at written in a certain time in the writer's life and at a certain time in history, removing that element takes away from the impact of the music

Some things Devo fans might like about this:
The CD does features two brand new Devo tracks "Cyclops" and "The Winner" and the DVD has animated and live-action videos for each track directed by Devo bassist Jerry Casale.

ORIGINAL DEVO:
Mark Mothersbaugh (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Gerald V. Casale (vocals, bass, keyboards), Bob Mothersbaugh (guitar, vocals), and Bob Casale (guitar, keyboards, vocals).

CLONE DEVO: Kane (drums), Nicole (vocals), Michael (bass), Nathan (guitar), Jackie (keys). No last names? Are they ashamed to be part of this or does Disney think its easier to sell these kids with simple first name? Maybe its part of the de-evolution.

Value

This new Devo package costs nearly $20. Mostly because they include a DVD of videos. The DVD appears to be made the same day of the recordings. It appears that they hired the kids for perhaps a day or two and get all the recording and video taping done. Maximize profits! At least that's how it appears to me. This way they can sell this thing for $20 and parents think its such a deal. In addition to the videos you get all kinds of moronic behind the scenes interviews with members of the band talking about how into Devo they are despite not even being born at the time Devo first came around!

Is it just me or has the Disney image for providing quality childrens media really gone downhill over the last 10 years or so? The company seems more interested in the bottom line then quality.