Search - Devo - Live in the Land of the Rising Sun on DVD

Still rocking hard after 30 years!

Craig S. Thom | Louisville, KY | 10/24/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this to be a completist, thinking it couldn't possibly be as good as Rhino's Devo Live DVD from the 1996 Lollapalooza tour. I was wrong. The spuds are still giving it everything they've got. The crowd was seemed very into it, although few of them were alive when Devo first toured with these songs.

They open with the General Boy (Daddy Mothersbaugh) Nutra intro and a song from that album, and there are three songs from Freedom of Choice, but the rest are from the first two. That's a Good Thing. The peformers might be a little thicker, but they aren't taking their performance any less seriously.

The 6.1 sound quality is great, although Bob Casale is a little low in the mix.

After almost three decades, things are getting good for Devo fans. If they release The Men Who Make the Music on DVD we'll be all set."

DEVO create art for art's sake

George Dionne | Cape Cod, MA | 01/30/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The Good
Live in Japan 2003
DEVO kick off their show in front of thousands of screaming Japanese fans with a montage of all their videos. The narrator tells us exactly what DEVO is all about. The band arrives on stage complete with bio-suits and `energy helmets' in tow. They kick things off with the electronic beats and monotone vocals of "That's Good". The crowd eagerly bounces to the beat of "Girl U Want". You know, I've always thought of DEVO as the "Whip It" guys, but I've realized that I know more of their songs than I thought. Speaking of "Whip It", the band gives away `energy helmets' as this favorite kicks in at only song three. The live version just might trump the studio version. DEVO cover the Rolling Stone's "Satisfaction" in their own unique way.

It's evident that time has caught up with the gang, as they appear a little `healthier' than I remember them. That doesn't stop them from nailing some cheesy choreography during "Uncontrollable Urge". Mark Mothersbaugh takes a cheerleading role, complete with pom-poms, as the rest of the band covers "Mongoloid". Can you even use that word today? "Jock Homo" might just be the DEVO anthem as they chant `We are DEVO'. The band strips out of their suits and done their classic black t-shirts, short shorts, and knee pads to close out the performance.

Extras
" DEVO goes to Japan" features various interviews with the band, most of the time they're with Mark and Gerald. Smaller clips could be seen intertwined with the live performance. Mark and Gerald talk about how the U.S. has de-evolved, despite their jokes twenty years ago that it would among other topics. Gerald's story of a night he spent with a Japanese groupie back in the eighties is priceless. There's an interview segment with DEVO's drummer entitled "David Kendrick" speaks. He discusses how he hooked up with the band, and what he did prior. They really could have edited this better, because David comes off a little awkward. There's also a rare 1980 live performance clip that features the group performing a song called "Good Feeling" I believe.

The Bad
I expected a DEVO live performance to be more visual.

The Verdict
Simply put, DEVO create art for art's sake. Even twenty five years later, they still manage to capture a crowd with their entertaining live performance. It's amazing that songs they wrote twenty some odd years ago, are still relevant today.
"

Still DEVO

C. J. Poel | Japan | 09/05/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I was at this Devo show outside Tokyo. They were great, and the video captures the essence of the show. They are slowing down a little, but the music is still fantastic. Worth buying and watching."