Devo: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution

The rise of Devo marks, more or less, the rise of the conceptual music video. And in the best B-movie tradition, the earliest Devo clips are triumphs of invention and sheer heart over budget constraints. The group’s 1976 short-film manifesto, In the Beginning Was the End: The Complete Truth About De-Evolution, sets the tone, defining Devo’s faux-fascist, futuristic visual sensibility and introducing the Booji Boy character. Later, better-known clips, such as “Whip It” and “Freedom of Choice”—though eked out with better production values—can be seen in the context of the group’s conceptual continuum. This DVD reissue heaps on scads of bonus stuff: an audio commentary by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale, footage of the band’s first show circa 1972, photos and related rarities. Recommended.