Customer Reviews

Devo - Live 1980

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As other people have commented, it's a relief to see a whole live performance with a minimum of footage wasted on the live audience. We witness Devo proving what artful craftsmen they were onstage - this is professional showbusiness (but performed with obvious joy). Video quality is very good - and totally appropriate to the audio...neither are pristine, but you wouldn't expect or want that anyway.

I like that on the DVD-Video side you're given the choice of two very different treatments of what was clearly originally a mono recording. I much prefer the soundtrack treatment by Devo's Bob Casale which is an impressive and convincing recreation of the room ambience you'd expect from that venue. (You can choose stereo or 5.1 versions of both treatments). Chapters marks are placed perfectly and the titles are discrete and effective.

The CD side sounds great too. In every respect a superb product and an invaluable complement to their music video collection.

There are plenty of unofficial live recordings of Devo out there, but not many visual recordings. Lately that has changed with the release of several excellent DVD's.
This one however takes you right back to their most successful stage in their career with a recently discovered live taping of their live show. The picture quality is acceptable - not perfect - considering it's been around since 1980. The sound quality is also good, but what is the biggest attraction to this DVD is the high level of energy that oozes from the band, who whip through a great set of songs with great character.
The entire set is on the DVD, with a couple of extras, which makes it a worthwhile addition to ANY Devo collection. From the first notes, it is impossible not to tap along, and if you know the words to many of their songs - like I do - you'll find yourself singing along as well. On the other side of this DVD is the audio of the show (so a normal CD) so you basically get 2 for the price of 1... excellent!!!
Buy it now and you won't regret it.
I can see the comment from the person who said it was out of sync - there are a few moments when the camera is far from stage where the sound is not equal to the movements, but the close up during the same son are, so this is not a big issue at all.
Enjoy!

Geez, considering the slagging DEVO (and by extension, their fans) took during their heyday, it's amazing to realize that there is a wealth of material back on the racks in the past few years. Almost their entire catalog is back in print (and all the Warners albums), a series of DVD releases and even a tour! And as for the slew of concert discs to hit the market of late, "Live 1980" is a genuine treasure. It captures DEVO just around the time their national fame was snowballing, on the "Freedom Of Choice" tour. (Think red Energy Domes.)

It makes the DVD a very interesting document in the fact that the band is still pretty raw. In fact, if there is any detriment to this DVD, it is that the recording quality isn't up to snuff for the sound. There are frequent splatters of distortion and the mix isn't always perfect, but this was a punky band live! So for the viewing sequences, you can overlook the sonic flaws; but it does make the CD side a ragged listen. If you really want a strong document of roughly the same concert, Rhino Handmade offers the "Dev-O Live" full length concert.

But you wanted to WATCH, eh, spud? Then "Live 1980" will fill you up. Opening with "Whip It," the band cascades through early material from the first three albums, including "Pink Pussycat" and "Swelling Itching Brain" from "Duty Now For The Future." Mark Mothersbaugh proves that he may be one of the most underrated frontmen of all time with his quirky automaton style, and the band zaps and squanks its way through with those primitive synths.

Also interesting is that this was obviously not being shot for commercial release 25 years ago. The lack of intercut audience shots is very conspicuous and most welcome. You have the cameras trained the entire time on the band and not on goofball audience members with pumping fists and home-made energy helmets. It makes the concert that much more watchable.

And finally, the final proof that De-evolution is very real; The opening "Star Wars" crawler that describes the tension of free thinkers during the age of Reagan, and then points out that things have since continued rolling backwards with "Emperor W" and his extremist enemies. It gets the show rolling with a sly snicker at our not so recent history. So...say it with me, ya'll....are we not men?

In response to the first review, there is no problem with the synch. He has a bad player or a defective disc. I read a review on another site from someone complaining that the camera shots are blurry. Only the far shots are blurred but it doesn't take anything away from the performance because the editing is so quick, the far shots are only a few seconds at a time. The picture is excellent for footage that is 25 years old. The close-up footage is clear. The sound is incredible, especially if you have a multi-speaker system. For $10-$12, this dvd is a steal and a must for any Devo fan. You will NOT be disappointed and unlike some live dvds, this one begs for repeat viewings. An amazing document, I can't recommend it enough.

I have watched this DVD on multiple players and computer screens, and the synch is perfect - the problem one user witnessed was a fluke. Plus there are tons of excellent media reviews and all of these are very good, none of them mention any problem with synch.

The program is great - I knew Devo as the MTV band with the crazy vids, never knew what a great live band they were. Excellent performance, executed with so much energy & passion. And considering this is early videotape, it looks & sounds fantastic.

before buying the disc i noted [in earlier reviews] the mention of the star wars style screen crawler at the beginning, and the comments about "age of reagan". i've bought the disc and watched that screen crawler. it mentions the date of the concert [august 17, 1980] and "in the age of reagan" and actually mentions that he was president at the time.

this is incorrect as reagan was elected in november 1980 and started serving in office in january 1981.

maybe it sounds like i'm splitting hairs - it's just that i'm a long-time devo fan. those devo guys always get their facts right. kind of amusing that no one checked - it makes me assume that the screen crawl wasn't written by anyone connected with the band.

in august 1980 we really didn't know what we were in for as far as any "age of reagan".

nonetheless, this video is a gem. a must have. i guess i'm an old timer as i saw this tour, in dallas - not arizona. they came to the agora ballroom in summer 1980. one of the best concerts i've ever attended. it was always a bit dissapointing to watch the "from the land of the rising son" dvd - having seen them when they were on fire. BUT NOW WE HAVE THIS. i'm glad it's available - they should let that "rising son" thing go out of print.

if you like devo - you need this. if you like quirky late 70s new wave before it was at all corporate [or if you just think you might] - you need this too.

DEVO has always been at their best in a live setting. There's something about the studio that takes a bit of the energy out of DEVO's music. Even on their two recent tours, as old men, back in the yellow suits, they still have more energy and more raw power than even most younger bands. In fact, I've only seen one band live that can match DEVO for stage energy... little Japanese act called POLYSICS. Check them out.

Anyway, I'm getting distracted here.

It's a crying shame that, despite DEVO's incredible live shows, video documentation is sorely lacking. There's "The Men Who Make The Music" which documents the 1978 tour, but the DVD release seems to be in Perpetual Limbo. I think Rod Rooter is working for Rhino these days. There's no video of the '79 tour, just clips from Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. No footage from '81 except live performances on Friday's. There's a bootleg of the '82 tour, and bootlegs of '88 and '90. The first, commercially released, professionally shot DEVO live video was from 1996 for Bob's sake!

Well, amazingly, there was documentation of the 1980 Freedom of Choice tour. This DVD, lost even to the band, is an amazing find. It shows DEVO at the height of their live act, right on the transition from the bare-stage of their punk rock shows of the 70s and the sets and synchronized video of '81 and '82. When you watch this performance, don't think of it as a rock concert. Think of it as Performance Art. Note the clever choreography, the mechanical precision and logic behind where each member stands on stage, and when, and the play of lights on the stage. This is no ordinary rock show.

Back in the late 60s, Pink Floyd member Syd Barrett said: "We feel that in the future, groups are going to have to offer much more than just a pop show. They'll have to offer a well-presented theatre show." DEVO provides that theatre show. There is a build-up, a series of acts, and even a story of sorts that can get lost in the shuffle if you just view this as a punk rock show.

Far too many view DEVO as some sort of novelty act with silly costumes and jokey lyrics. Nothing could be further from the truth. DEVO was a cohesive, artistic entity with a mission: Spread the TRUTH abotu DEVOLUTION. Understand that their lyrics bely a harsh social criticism. Their music deconstructs rock and punk into their base components. Just listen to that cover of Satisfaction. That DEVO got misinterpreted as Pop shows the multiple layers of meaning on their music. Sure you can listen to DEVO as pop music, but you miss out.

Watch with wide eyes. Grab you little brother or nephew who listens to Blink-182 and Green Day, and strap 'em "Clockwork Orange" style to the Barcalounger and make them watch this video. See the choreography, listen to the lyrics, understand the message of DEVO's work. This is powerful stuff, and it will blow your mind if you let it.

And you should let it.

For the already Devolved, this is essential viewing, as well. Here you can see, at last, the entire 1980 show, live. Sure, it's a two-camera edit. Sure, the balcony shots are a bit blurry, and sure the audio is a bit thin, but these are minor gripes. It's worth the already low price of admission just to see DEVO at their best.

Oh, and if you ever watched the "Tour Film" on "The Complete Truth about Devolution" (also included in "We're All DEVO"), you'll be in for a treat as well. This DVD includes the long lost "Tunnel of Life" encore, based around that tour film. Now you can see the second half, and lear Booji Boy's fate. Don't you think it's worth buying just for that?

Having seen DEVO live waaaaay back in 1981, I can say that this DVD truly shows the SPUD's at thier best!

And, having seen DEVO in August 2005, I can easily see how far they have DE-volved themselves!

Yes! We are all DEVO!

OK, I'm a Devo fan. It wasn't all that easy back in the late 70s as they were not highly respected among died-in-the-wool rock fans. But I loved the New Wave Era and Devo was an integral part. I purchased all of their records at the time and loved listening to them. Sure, they were quirky, but quirky in a very refreshing way. Then, in 1979, Devo came through San Diego and put on an excellent concert at the San Diego State Open Air Theater. A friend and I attended. It was one of the more bizarre concerts I've attended, that's for sure. A lot of people showed up in costumes and there were even some quintets showing up in identical costumes. Strange scene! But it was a great concert and I remember it well to this day.

I just recently became aware of this Devo-Live 1980 concert DVD. Of course, I had to have it. It wasn't the same tour I attended and they weren't wearing their "energy domes" as yet, but the 1980 concert is a close approximation to my own experience. My wife and I watched it the other night. She thought Devo was a really strange rock act, which, of course, they were. I loved it! This DVD is very well done and I'm going to get a lot of use out of it. The video is not particularly good. The sound is not up to the quality of the records. Who cares? It was great to see these guys in action and the concert itself was excellent. These Spuds really move me!

Gary Peterson

I got no beef with the audio. My beef ain't with the picture quality per se. My beef's with the editing.

The August 17, 1980 performance of "Gut Feeling/Slap Yer Mammy" included on this "LIVE 1980" DVD can also be found on the "DEVO: RISING SUN" DVD as a bonus feature. The "RISING SUN" version shows only what a single hand-held camera photographed from the foot of the stage, but slaps yer mammy twice as hard as the "LIVE 1980" version. Why? Because the "LIVE 1980" edit interpolates this tune, and every other, with blurry long shots of the entire stage, shot by a locked-off camera in the balcony. If you've ever fantasized about watching a concert entirely by security cam, this DVD brings you one step closer to your dream.

As presented on "RISING SUN", however, "Gut Feeling/Slap Yer Mammy" consists of one long, unbroken piece of film. The shot is by no means static; the cameraman creates one composition after another with attentive pans and zooms. The unbroken shot brings the viewer up-close-and-personal with the archetypal New Wave nutjob: Mark Mothersbaugh, his ramen noodle coif tossing sweat across the lens, banishes all doubt that he's had just about all he can take, and can't take it no more.

Even when, technically, he's marking time until the next lyric comes along, he stays in ferocious character. The unblinking camera captures each twitch. It's at these brief, dramaturgical moments that the "1980" editors get bored and throw in those lousy-looking long shots.

The people who put this DVD together had the raw material to create something extraordinary, something exciting and organic, but because you can't make the obligatory, coked-up edit from one camera's images alone, all available filler, Grade-Z or lower, is loaded into the grinder.