Friday, October 20, 2006

NEIL YOUNG & DEVO - Johnny Spud

Sometimes this blog practically writes itself and I have a feeling today is going to be one of those days. As I mentioned in my first entry ever, I've been on a bit of a New (No) Wave kick lately and so this week (weak) I'm gonna try to cover some of my more recent finds. Today's video is something I've been wanting to write up for some time now. Winnipeg's granola boy, Neil Young together with Akron, Ohio's DEVO - as god intended it.

I should preface this by saying I know Young was born in Toronto but he grew up in our ass of the woods so as far as I'm concerned we own him... especially after seeing this fiasco. And yes, I also like DEVO. I remember the first time I saw Jocko Homo and after the full-body condom bit there was no going back. Vocalist, Mark Mothersbaugh now does much of Nickelodeon's cartoon sound work, including the brilliant Rugrats theme. Incidentally, it should be noted Mothersbaugh bares more than a passing resemblance to the cartoon's uncle figure, Drew Pickles. Latest in the devolutions includes Disney's oft misunderstood (self included) DEVO 2.0, featuring tweens covering old DEVO classics. As annoying as the end result is, I can't help but laugh when I hear those kids trying poorly to sell half-baked anti-consumerist messages and songs about masturbation to children - for Disney.

But I'm getting ahead of myself we must turn back the clock to a simpler time, a time of bad pseudo punk. Neil Young had met the members of DEVO during a protest at Ohio's Kent State University - not that protest. They immediately became good friends and Young became a HUGE fan of their music. He even made a New Wave inspired album shortly after their encounter called 'Trans'. Name sounds New Wave to me.

In 1982, Neil Young wrote, directed, produced and starred in the movie 'Human Highway'. This film displays a very unselfconscious Punk/New Wave aesthetic. It's disjointed and nonsensical, everyone's obviously having a lot of fun even if it is most painfully delivered at the audiences expense. Hey, it's got Hopper. DEVO is heavily featured throughout the 88 minutes of surrealist torture. It has it's moment, the one you are about to see, billed as a dream sequence where Neil Young jams with Booji Boy (pronounced Boogie Boy, one of Mothersbaugh's alter-egos) and the rest of the band.

No comments: