"We were punk scientists! We were doing something that looked wrong, sounded wrong, we talked about things that nobody was talking about." Brilliance.

Gerald Casale is too smart ,,They should show this in to art schools as a MUST

the most articulate, smart rock musician I've ever seen interviewed. I can't even hear the questions most of the time, but it doesn't matter at all. Total respect

Gerald is a genius and Devo has always been under-rated. De-evolution is truly here…..just look around you.

Devo is still light years ahead of everyone 45 years later..

Easily one of the SMARTEST musicians of all time. Amazing interview.

"The expression of art, music, dance- it's getting worse. I see less creativity, less diversity..." More true every day. De-Evolution is real.

For whatever it's worth....Gerald Casale is my hero.

This is such a delight. I'm a professor and this is one of the best lectures I've ever heard. I would put Gerald Casale up against any theorist today worth his/her weight in salt.

I love that he called out Byrne. He was totally imitating Mark, it's so completely obvious in Once In A Lifetime.

DEVO, ideas formed from junk. And thats genius

I never understood them for years when I first heard Whip It, thinking it was some song related to bondage. Now I know Devo’s songs and performances are a satire, a parody of the worse excesses of establishment. It took me years to understand them. I am catching up with their work and I love them. Their live acts are amazing.

Having seen the shows in the early 80's it's sad they got panned. The experience was magical.

I will never forget seeing them on Saturday night live. I had never heard of them. After about 10 seconds of W.T.F is this. I loved it.

I've been playing music for 35 years and I don't think I've ever met any musicians who haven't been in a band that was paid to leave at least once.

I have to admit, when I saw "oral history" and Devo in the same sentence, I wasn't sure what the hell I'd get. This is really fascinating.

that rarest of things, an intellectual discussion about popular music, thanks Devo

My life would not have been complete without having known Devo my mom and dad divorced back in 79 and those were my go-to people I love Devo very much thank you for everything

"Really being smart but appearing stupid." I've been trying to figure out DEVO for 30 years and that comment summed it up. I've always loved them but now I understand them.

Fascinating interview. Extremely insightful. Gerald Casale is very intelligent, articulate, and has a deep understanding of the business, while maintaining the "artist's" perspective. ...and he's absolutely correct, they were never punk; they were completely different from the punk scene, both musically and aesthetically.

I'd love to see a movie about the band. Call it Devolution.

Devo needs to be inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Along with Kraftwerk. .. just shameful they arent already.. Ohio ;)

Feeding a guy in gimp suit with an enema bag at an art show. The image in my head is so horrific l can't stop laughing. XD

Thank you for this great interview. Its really helping me comprehend Gerald’s potato

What a wonderful, patient interviewee!!He indulges the interviewers questions even though hes probably answered them more times than hed like in the past.Have to admire Casales humility.

While I identified with punk I, without shame or fear, fully embraced Devo while staying true to punk circa 1978. In retrospect there was never a more original band to ever exist in sound, cadence, style, and intention. That includes Eno. Hats off. Thank you for the music and this interview.

I met and had a drink with this genuine, professional awesome man....

Devolution is REAL.

I have fallen back into a deeper love with DEVO and what thoughts they tried to illicit. Wow! He and Mark have blown my head open!

I'm so happy to hear this that I'm crying. This is gold.

25 years after this took place and I enjoyed every second of this. Love these guys.

Wow. The most articulate I have seen anyone be. I can’t get enough of interviews with this group and Gerald Casales.

I'm sure he and I occupy different parts of the philosophical spectrum -- but wow, I could listen to this dude all day. This far exceeded my expectations. 👍

As I'm watching this on KZfaq, I see the following video ads on the right: Visit Fukushima, Why People Are Eating Tide Pods, Horseshoe Crabs Saved My Life. So in 2018, Gerry is right on the mark.

Everything Gerald says is absolutely exactly how I feel, right down to his feelings on grunge "music". Unfortunately, humanity had already devolved to a level of minimal understanding of the depth and meaning of Devo.

“We were having fun at the time making people angry.” That was punk in a nutshell, at least for us in the mid 80s

Happy to have found this interview. Fortunate enough to see Devo in '79. This interview, discussing music creativity and reinvention, is as relevant today as 1995.

Great interview! Everything he says is even more apropos today than it was then! DEVO FOREVER!

Still WAY ahead of the times.

I took my future wife to Metro (Chicago) in 88 (?)- best first date possible. Awesome concert- super energy, great music. I always loved DEVO through the early 80s in rural wisconsin high school. It warped me in the best way. I can never repay the debt.

we Always need people like Gerry Casale around !

I've seen a few interviewsd of Mark Mothersbaugh and I found him to be a little more leveled and unpretentious if maybe a tad Aspbergers-esque at times. Gerry Casale is pretty smart though but I can kind of see him being the business brains of Devo

I love DEVO. DE-evolution...is very real.

Finally somebody compiled the full interview in one video. You have won the youtubes.

YES! Roxy Music.. I was at art college in Cleveland 74-79 and DEVO played there early on. Two school mates became huge Devo fanatics and would crash campus/Dorm parties in Devo gear and take over the sound system, driving the students crazy but I loved it. They were like our first pre-Punks.

an amazing interview that makes DEVO as a band even more amazing...... way ahead of their time Musically and Politically... they have a simple common sense that reflects how humanity has DE-EVolved and fails to see so.

31:20, "Stupid, spiritless people". Wow,,,spot on and look at what we have today. Thank goodness someone tells the truth about Beevis and Butthead; the mass marketing of idiocy. I didn't care for that cartoon and things have only gotten worse, such as reality t.v. shows. I see the result of the mass marketing of idiocy at my job also. Now days, acting stupid is the norm. Thank you Jerry!

Devo: Hard work, perseverence, innovation, creativity. God Bless America, God Bless Devo

incredibly interesting interview. devo were most certainly ahead of their time - and right on the money when it comes to de-evolution!

Fascinating interview - so much inside/early info from Casale - a feast for true DEVO fans.

What a band , pioneering and headstrong.

I was 10 when "Whip It' came out. It literally swept the nation by storm. SNL shortly after. That was big time. I was never old enough to understand the concept. I dove back in about a year ago and stumbled on this. SO glad I did. Thanks guys.

Really interesting interview, I occasionally listen to devo , usually uncontrollable urge but I think they were one of the most original bands to come out of America from that era, devo and talking heads were the 2 that stood out. I didn't know Brian eno produced them until now 👍

Devo and Pere Ubu make me proud to be a musician from Ohio.

I KNEW IT! These guys were on the RED pill since the '70's. They always seem to know something the rest didn't. LOVE DEVO!! ALWAYS HAVE, ALWAYS WILL !!!! DEVO FOREVER!!

..."I think David Byrne was imitating Mark"... totally agree. Watch "once in a lifetime" video and you'll agree too

Watching this interview in July 2024. Gerald is/was 50 years ahead of his time.

Thanks for posting this. Fantastic!

Prophetic words when viewed in 2021. I had their albums back in the early 80's and knew they were special and different. Eventually saw them in SF in the early 90's with a housemate who had dated one of the band in LA. It was a fantastic show. This video is just blowing my mind and makes perfect sense when I look back. Some of thee questions at the end were formulaic and uncomfortably idiotic. Casale must have felt like a Miss Universe contestant.

This is the best hour ive seen in a long time

love the cigar lighting moment

I like that Jerry looks at things philosophically instead of politically - in this interview anyway. Its smart, and refreshing to hear someone who views things objectively - even though DEVO is based on group conformity.

This was 1996.. And he is correct. Music started to decline, and look at what we have now.

Damn, Great watch. Well worth the time.

Absolutely fantastic interview...intelligent, informative, amusing at times!!!

grew up in Akron. i wish i had known more about DEVO then. i wasn't ready.

As a kid in Canada I set out to "become New Wave" in 1981 and my first two albums were Blondie and Devo's Duty Now For The Future. I became an artist and ever subversive person as an adult. I am sometimes surprised a twenty something knows a Devo song these days but Devo stands the test of time!

Once again, life imitates art. DEVO were years ahead of their time, and have proven that Devolution is a very real thing. We may be pinheads all, but the lads of DEVO were/are geniuses all, and I thank them for that.

Brilliant interview. Saw them on my 21st birthday at the Ritz. Thank you DEVO

Great interview, thanks for sharing! ;)

this man is a truth teller and warrior

You guys were my 80’s. I was asleep but somehow internally aware that something wasn’t right on Earth. Devolution-I get it! We’re witnessing this right now. Thank you 🙏

Thank you so much. This is so awesome. Duty now.

I just turned 60 and I'm still a spud. Why isn't this guy teaching a university course on de- evolution? Especially these days? I think it's absolutely valid and accurate. The man's busy enough though. ALL HAIL DEVO

My favorite band in high scool . I never understood the weirdness . The politics until even now. Just the complexity of the music and an escape from top 40. This is an adventure . An experiment . An understanding of what we are experiencing in 22 , Are we not men ?

One of the most thoughtful bands ever! We are Devo and many of us don’t even realize it!

this interview is just tremendous

Amazing. Thank you for sharing

This group will never Die. DEVO keep rocking.

this is excellent, thank you

Still listening to and digging DEVO at 66

I love that he repeatedly mentions David Bowie as an influence. In my opinion he couldn't have found a better mentor. Mr. Cassale is a very interesting man. I was the only one of my friends who bought Devo albums. All my friends were into AC/DC and Zep. I listened to it alone in my room. Couldnt get anyone into them at parties. I didn't care. I love Devo. It was perfect for my hs band kid sensibilities. It was just so different. The other band i was really into was the Tubes. Another band i couldnt get my friends to listen to. I love what he said about performing at CBGBs...he's so right about their performing at that punk club. It was just too intelectually and painterly different for the punk bands and the mass media to get.

Wow--just spot on from start to finish

Great interview. A very intelligent man!

I saw you in on the Big Mess tour with all.the screens and big tech. I must say. 81 in the small auditorium at U of H I thought you guys were better. you had better sound than you gave yourself credit for. I was there, You had great big clean sound. Everyone danced to each and every song man. That's the original Devo tours I remember.

DEVO seemed to break many molds and listening to him talk they are one of the most intellectually advanced artists out in the past and now. A lot of people try to be unique and the use DEVO as a template but will never be as good. DEVO is definitely the ever devolving element in the soundtrack of our lives. ARE WE NOT MEN?

I love DEVO! Been a fan since '81.

Influenced by Roxy Music.. I knew I liked Devo!

Gerald and Mark are great men and turned protests and expression into an artform.... Their canvas is silence their Brushes are sound.....

Devo was always a huge influence for me. I still compose music for our films & videos with a slight 'Devo tinge'!

Very very interesting...unmistakably original

29:24 "OK, Casale. I know what you're trying to do. I saw the french fry going through the donut!"

When in doubt. Ask yourself . What would DEVO do?

Sensacional!!!! Devo.... Rio de Janeiro. Brasil Vós ouço todos os dias!!!! Tenho 63 anos.

Total brilliance, so funny when people can't step outside their comfort zone and just laugh at it and ourselves.

This was awesome.

DEVO are the true punks!!!

excellent interview/oral history. great, even if you do not particularly like devo.

Bright, articulate, inspired. Love the marriage of high and low art. And of course he smokes cigars. 😇

8:14 Love how Gerald mentioned Roxy Music with Brian Eno.If it wasn't for them,in particular Eno,I wouldn't know who Devo were,nor would've I been interested if I discovered them through Whip It.I always knew Devo had a harder sound.One of the best and greatest bands ever,loved them.