The Definitive 1000 Songs Of All Time 1955 to 2005: Number 797

Sunday, September 24, 2006

Number 797 - Devo

Number 797

Devo

"Whip It"

(1980)
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Genre:Alternative

Devo to me, were just plain weird, with their odd hats and quirky songs, it was hard for this diehard Neil Young fan to grasp this concept.

But i did, only that it was 20 years later. Oh well, they say its better to bloom than never leaf at all.

Nike's new motto in 2009 "Just Whip It" (love to see a graphic for that)

"One of new wave's most innovative and (for a time) successful bands, Devo was also perhaps one of its most misunderstood. Formed in Akron, OH, in 1972 by Kent State art students Jerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo took its name from their concept of "de-evolution" -- the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society. Their music echoed this view of society as rigid, repressive, and mechanical, with appropriate touches -- jerky, robotic rhythms; an obsession with technology and electronics (the group was among the first non-prog rock bands to make the synthesizer a core element); often atonal melodies and chord progressions -- all of which were filtered through the perspectives of geeky misfits. Devo became a cult sensation, helped in part by their concurrent emphasis on highly stylized visuals, and briefly broke through to the mainstream with the smash single "Whip It," whose accompanying video was made a staple by the fledgling MTV network. Sometimes resembling a less forbidding version of the Residents, Devo's simple, basic electronic pop sound proved very influential, but it was also somewhat limited, and as other bands began expanding on the group's ideas, Devo seemed unable to keep pace. After a series of largely uninteresting albums, the band called it quits early in the '90s, and Casale and Mothersbaugh concentrated on other projects" ~ [All Music Artist]

For Neil Young see Number 938 & Number 677

Rolling Stone Top 500 Songs ranked this song at Number (Um ... No) and the Album ranked at Number (However, "Granny State" Rolling Stone liked their first album)

This song has a crowbarred rating of 64.2 out of 108 pts

Devo - Whip It
Uploaded by Dan_of_the_Land

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