9. DevoFreedom of Choice
Since I was little, I loved Devo – but as a little kid you don’t really realise how crazy people are, you just like it. But then as I got older I realised that they are the weirdest people in the world. And I love them so much because of the angular sound of their music – everything is so straight, and so no-frills. I love the guitar solos, because they don’t sound at all like guitar solos – they’re not all about skill. They’re just awkward, and I love that! It’s like a guitar solo that makes you laugh – but it’s still good, just it’s unexpected. The best thing about Devo? Their lyrics. They’re so good at writing lyrics! They write great pop songs but they’re so weird that they never make it as pop songs (aside from ‘Whip It’). But they’re structurally brilliant. They talk about things in such a funny way – they’re so crass and rude and so on point – it’s like the best social commentary. Comedian-style funny commentary. So true, so right, so playful. And also their stage show, their videos. Devo is one of the first bands that I knew who did their art across the board: their costumes, their photos, their videos – it was all so true to their whole vision.
