According to the story told by Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO had to get permission from the Stones to release this. So they went to New York and played this for Mick Jagger and their manager. Jagger danced around the room and said it was the best rendition of the song he had ever heard, so they were able to release it with permission
You don't have to get permission to release a cover of a previously released song. You have to get permission to get a *decent deal* on releasing a cover (more than the statutory rate). Also, if you actually watched the video, JP covers the Jagger story.
@@twenty3enigma Right. I'd have been happy too. I still just enjoy picturing Mick, all stoic and weirded out at first, then suddenly, without a word, jumping up and doing some sort of weird Jagger dance, then handing his pepsi over to some intern, walking out saying "I like it. Send it." Intern: "Uh, Mr. Jagger?" Mick [from the hallway]: "SEND IT!"
I saw Devo at the Paramount Theater in Portland around 1979. They were totally awesome! This song was played and the audience including myself went wild.
Totally agree ! Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now for the Future and Freedom of Choice are the essence of this band. The albums that followed certainly contain some nice songs but only reproduced the same formula, minus the freshness !
@@TheProgCorner The albums from New Traditionalists onwards are more robotic and focused on drum machine and synths whereas drummer Alan Myers had more freedom just as we heard a lot more of Bob Mothersbaugh's guitar on the first three albums and it still makes a big difference !
Personally, I prefer this cover to the Stones' original. I highly recommend you check out the 1978 live performance from Saturday Night Live. The video is on TH-cam, and it's a great insight into the band's vibe from their early pre-helmet days. (Their performance of their song "Jocko Homo" from the same night is also excellent, the best version of the song they ever played. But you can only view it by illegal means.)
You gotta admit it's pretty ballsy for a band on their first album to do a cover of an iconic song by an iconic band, and then throw away one of the iconic riffs of rock and roll (with just a 3 note hint near the end). And where Mick repeats, "baby, baby," Motherbaugh repeats it 33 times! Pure DEVO
'And where Mick repeats, "baby, baby," Motherbaugh repeats it 33 times!' - and he performed it the same live - well at least he did when I saw them in 1980 - I'm not sure whether his lungs would hold out now!
@@Elvin_Pelvin I've never been sure if he actually sang it or if it was an effect. I saw them live, twice, back in the 70s, and I couldn't tell - but I was probably too stoned to tell.
The original version by the Stones is certainly emblematic but I've never had the desire to listen to it again for several decades while I have never tired of this cover reimagined by Devo since its release. They really made the piece their own !
Devo was so much fun! But they were also making a point with their antics and musical direction. They deconstructed not only music, but also society into what they saw as the basic elements. And then they projected that back to us. Great band!
Justin, I was a Devo fan, and wondered for years what the Stones thought of this cover, and when I finally read the story about Jagger, I just laughed my ass off. The thought of that iconic guy just sitting in silence, then suddenly breaking into some kind of freaky dance is just too hilarious and perfect.
They did another pseudo cover, Secret Agent Man, on their second album, Duty Now Gor the Future. It shows off what great musicians they were. You would LOVE the song Block Head from that quirky LP. It's simply brilliant. The 3rd record was their biggest, with the MTV smash, Whip It. I personally liked Freedom Of Choice and Gates of Steel. I hope you continue on this new wave journey.
I agree. Sadly for me, it seems that after the F.O.C. album, the band spent the next few albums drifting away from the guitar sound and into drum machines, apparently searching for 'the next Whip It' hit single.
I don't know what album it's on, unless there's a soundtrack album, but DEVO also did a cover of the late 50s-early 60s song "Working in a Coal Mine" that was used in the first Heavy Metal movie that's pretty good as well.
They were a whirlwind of unique "Sounds, Fun & Stage Presence" !!! As with many other bands Justin .... A must to watching them "Live" you miss so much with bands like this not seeing them ! : D
This is one of the best covers ever! I remember seeing them on SNL at a bar in college. I was already aware them, but the performance stopped everyone. Some people loved it, some people hated it. I loved it. Their whole de-evolution concept and side kick, boogie boy, was exciting and new. There is much more to them then "novelty" songs. Thumbs up for Devo!
I love this cover so much! I think the Stones have much better songs than this one though. Devo really made it their own song musically and vocally. Pretty sure when I first heard this at a club in the early 00s, I had only heard "Whip It" and I was pleasantly surprised by this song. You can really get down to this song 😆
One of the seminal moments of my childhood was staying up late as an eight year old and watching them on SNL. This was back when you only heard your favorite bands and did not see them unless you saw them live, for the most part. So when they came out in the De-Evolution suits and played this song I was blown away and became a DEVO fan for life. Will never forget it.
Another of my 8track bricks that I drove around with. I found an old empty electrical junction box that I used as my 8track case. SNL> 8track > ❤️ Devo Peace and cover Music
It's Very Rare When An Artist Can Make A Cover True & Respectful To The Original & Yet Make It Totally Thier Own,, But This Group Does Just That,, The Stranglers "Walk On By" (Original By Dionne Warwick)..A MUST HEAR!!
Emerson, Lake & Palmer got high praise from the composer of "Fanfare for the Common Man" (I want to say Aaron Copeland but I may be wrong) for their version. He apparently was in the audience on the tour and was waiting in their Green room when they got off stage.
I'll admit that Devo are different. They are an acquired taste. Not everyone gets it. I got it immediately and loved the new sounds they produced. People are always asking which are the best cover versions of all time. I always make the argument that it is a close battle between this song and "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix. If you are going to cover a song, make it different. Make it your own version.
JP, I just want to thank you and point out the HUGE difference between you and other TH-cam reactors: you LISTEN! You don't stop the track every 20 seconds to grace us with your every random thought about how you think you might have heard something like this when you were a kid, or that it reminds you of another band that you can't think of right now or oooooh that riff is fire! I appreciate you!
Yep. I get why some will pause the song, but once is enough. Another irritant is the whole chair dancing thing, seemingly making the reactor the show, but maybe that’s just me.
Just this morning I was thinking that not enough reactors are reacting to Devo and this song specifically. Then I see this. I'm thinking I'm psychic. LOL
When I think of "good cover version" I immediately think of this. They made a well known tune into their own thing and I love it. I have always loved this album. I listen to it every year at some point :)
You did a great job analyzing that... Deconstructed and De-atomized... 👍 Back around 2005, I hadn't heard this song in many years, and a drummer explained to me how each instrument is in its own time signature, yet they somehow make it all mesh. It amazes me how Mark is able to do the vocals so crazy, but he hits the beat when it all comes together for a moment. Genius song! 🤘😎
That's why DEVO is such and innovative and unique band. NOBODY will EVER sound like or copy them. They were experimenting with different instruments and recording techniques
Devo's arrangement of this song was part of XTC's inspiration for the unusual drum arrangement on "Making Plans for Nigel". Incidentally, XTC recorded their own wildly reimagined cover of a beloved 60's classic around the same time as Devo's, with "All Along the Watchtower". You might be interested in doing a little tour of that song, from Bob Dylan's 1967 original to the great and very different covers by Hendrix (1968) and XTC (1977).
Now that you've covered THIS cover, gird yourself for true: The Residents released their version of the tune prior to this one in 1976 with one Snakefinger on guitar.
Justin, you just HAVE to find the video for this Devo classic. I remember seeing it performed on SNL after spending another Saturday night out on the town and somewhat buzzed on this and that. Then I saw…. This. I remember thinking, “what… in…. The …. World…????” It has to be seen!
Being A Former Singer/Songwriter/Musician Myself,, There Are Really 2 Ways To Go About A Cover,, Either You Keep It True & Respectful To The Original Or You Make It Completely Your Own.
This song live is absolutely insane, because that super loose guitar bit at the start is turned into this modulated solo that references the original Satisfaction riff before going *completely* bonkers and bending up and down.
This whole album is probably their best work, quirky goodness...the heart of New Wave music of the time. Freedom of Choice is a song for our current time and worth a listen... You'll notice the riff and the drum beat is actually reversed from the Stones Satisfaction. DEVO was all about the de-evolution of mankind while technology advances.
I also really enjoy their cover of Johnny Rivers' 60s hit Secret Agent Man. The original is good too but completely different if you haven't heard it. I also really love GirlUWant and Freedom of Choice. There were 2 sets of brothers in the band, the Casales and the Mothersbaughs. The other brothers were both named Bob, so they called them Bob 1 and Bob 2, along with Gerald and Mark and drummer Alan Myers, who passed from cancer and replaced by Josh Freese in more recent performances. Bob Casale also passed away from a heart attack.
I have a suggestion. A completely original and exciting band for you to discover on the channel is The Residents. Check out my favourite album of theirs; Duck Stab/Buster & Glen. It’s like entering a whole new world
There you go! Wondering if someone would state the obvious. I commented that the next obvious place to go after this is the Rez version of this song. And then of course, all of Snakefinger's albums. :)
Saw them live in 2009 and it's still the weirdest concert I've ever been to. It was awesome! My favorite is 'Commercial Album', though I'm not sure how JP could make a reaction out of that. Regardless, I second the Residents. If nothing else, it'd be a nice segue to another Primus reaction 😜
Other Devo covers: Working in a Coal Mine and Speed Racer (kind of). There was an album We Are Not DEVO (1997) which had other bands doing covers of their songs with lots of them speeded up and Mongoloid in Spanish.
Yeah, great cover as well ! They had even made a video for this cover but the Hendrix estate lawyers did not consent to the video being included in The Complete Truth About De-Evolution DVD mistakenly thinking that Devo was making fun of Jimi Hendrix !!! What a bunch of fools !
@@a.k.1740 That's the video with the inflating shoulders, right? I think that's the best way to describe that video, I haven't seen it for a while. I'm in Canada so maybe the lawsuit you mention didn't cover us?
@@kdpflush This applies to all countries. This video for the Hendrix cover only appears on The Complete Truth About De-Evolution Laserdisc released in 1993 but not on the DVD released in 2003 ! I don't know why there was no complaint from the Hendrix estate in '93 for the Laserdisc release and why there was a protest from them ten years later for the DVD release !!! it's total nonsense. Anyway, you can still see this video on TH-cam.
@@kdpflush In 1984 precisely but when Devo compiled their videos on Laserdisc in 1993 the video concerned was there but not on its DVD equivalent released in 2003.
Thank you for this! You can really hear how the guitar riff connects to the original in this performance. Edit: Actually, after listening again with a clearer head (just woke up), it was a bit of a nod to the original as they returned to the normal riff shortly after. So ignore me! Lol
I like the lead singer's guitar, and how it's wired up with all of those Borg-like implants! And also how the rhythm guitarist is in a trance, with his Telecaster hanging in front of him.
Punk, New Wave - Devo was on a completely different planet and started that style years before New Wave became a thing. Punk and New Wave just gave them an audience.
The original De-Evolution video version of this song is striking. Lead Singer Mark Mothersbaugh'd delivery and stage presence make you sit up and take notice, this is something very different, and very cool. i still have the Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo album on my shelf. Best band from Akron, Ohio and Kent State University.
THAT drum beat. It's incredible. I cannot think of any other track with anything like that pattern. The downbeat is the snare then beat 2 is the kick. I love it.
Saw their appearance on SNL when I was a teen, and it changed everything for my musical tastes. So new, original, talented, fun, and funny, too. Great album with a lot of cool drum and guitar work.
I get the original is iconic, but I've listened & enjoyed this cover far more than the Stones original. A cold & mechanical sound befitting of the songs message, which also sounds much more real coming from Mark Mothersbaugh than a young rock n' roll sex symbol
I know what they're doing. :) I do a risible "cover" of The Andy Griffith Show theme, only as whistled by Philip Glass. The notes are all the same, but equalized in every other way into a minimalist bolus of lukewarm larks tongues, encased in amber aspic, afloat in a tub of Glastonbury rosewater and orchid petals.
I saw Devo when this album came out, and they acted the entire show moving as if they were robots. There is a clip of Devo on Saturday Night Live doing this song in 1978 that you should check out to see their stage act.
Two other great Devo covers are Workin' in a Coal Mine, originally by Lee Dorsey, and Secret Agent Man, originally by Johnny Rivers. Also check out these Devo originals: Girl U Want, That's Good, and Watch Us Work It.
I was one of many people who first heard of Devo when they appeared on SNL, back when that show was more influential. They played this song along with Jocko Homo (one of several self-referential DEVO songs, and the one with the 'are we not men? We are DEVO' lyrics). "Satisfaction" was just about universally familiar to rock fans, so this version got a big reaction.
I'm not a Devo fan, but I quite liked this when I first heard it late 70s, still like it now. If you cover a well known song it should still resemble the original but have the quirks of the covering artist. This has that. My favourite cover song is Wimoweh, an Eno single from 1975.
Another excellent critique of my childhood heroes, Justin. I remember when I got into DEVO in late 1978 thinking, ‘I’ll never be able to appreciate a’normal’ band again’. Two years later, when I went to see them live at Newcastle City Hall, I arrived early enough to stand by the stage door and hear them sound checking this absolute masterpiece. Alan Myers didn’t earn his ‘human metronome’ tag for nothing, and Gerry’s punchy bass line was woven indelibly into my heart and veins that very day. Thanks once again, Justin - I’m witnessing your journey with great relish. 👍
Yes, Devo did indeed totally deconstruct this one. Some people liked it back then, some hated it, but the general opinion was "wtf?". You know who also did a cover of "Satisfaction"? Barbara Dennerlein. Here a link: th-cam.com/video/I1_uxIOonj8/w-d-xo.html
Jerry Casale , Bob Lewis and , Mark Mothersbaugh were students at Kent State University School of Art when 4 students at an anti - Vietnam War rally were killed by the national guard. Crosby, Stills , Nash and , Young wrote the song Ohio about it .
I loved the spastic rhythms directly on first listen. Talk about making a song their own. Cardigans made a lounge pop version of Black Sabbaths Iron Man. That's fun too.
Both are really good, the Stones one feels like they're serious and establishing an attitude trying to be themselves. The lyrics have a sort of satirical quality that you don't really notice until you hear the DEVO version. It's like there was this other song hiding in the one the Stones wrote that DEVO found. As you say both very different and both very cool in different ways.
This was a single and was included on their first album. It may take some effort or time to become accustom to their musical approach. I liked them right away and thought this song was great. They performed in a robotic manner, and Mark had his effects boxes duct taped to his guitar. And of course they wore yellow hazmat suits. They had a philosophy they called Devolution which is expressed in their song 'Jocko Homo'. Several other good songs on the album. I would suggest 'Mongoloid' and 'Blockhead'.
What makes a great cover is when you can take a song, make it completely different, yet Still recognizable as the same song, and still be just as good, if not better than the original. This is perhaps the greatest cover in history. UB40s covers of Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe and I Can Help Falling In Love are up there too. Covers like I Shot The Sherriff by Eric Clapton and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston are excellent, but don't change the original that much and arguably aren't any better than the originals.
I had a friend who used to play "Red Red Wine" while busking. He was both thrilled and aghast when some younger people (under 25) came and told him how great it was he was playing a UB40 song. He reared up on his hind legs to lecture them on the glory of Neil Diamond vs those young upstarts in UB40 (he could be a bit pompous with little good reason).
@@maruad7577 I liked a lot of ND but had not heard the original. Of curse, UB40’s version was played constantly. It changed the band in my opinion, pre RRW is my favorite era.
Amen! You correctly define a great cover. And this is one. A good one is Aimee Mann Covering "One," which was made famous by Three Dog Night but was written by Nilsson. Another: "Pressure Drop" by The Clash. Originally done in reggae by Jimmy Cliff if I remember.
This is a fun comparison. For me it is an example of having fun with the music, whilst making it your own. I love cover comparisons. Nazareth vs Jon Mitchell, Blue Cheer vs Eddie Cochran or Faouzia vs Eiffel 65. I am certain there are so many more to consider.
'Ole Audiophile to JP: You are tip-toeing in my back yard. DEVO is from right here, Akron, Ohio. Seems I remember James Gang not too far back, Cleveland may be listed but Joe Walsh started from this area at a Kent, Ohio college-bar as a member of the house band "The Measles". Devo played the Akron local bars around Akron University & downtown.
I was reading the book "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by HG Wells, when I got to a part where a character known as The Sayer of the Law was reciting the laws to a group of beast-men that had been created by Dr. Moreau. "What is the Law? Not to go on all fours. That is the law. ARE WE NOT MEN?" At the end of each of the laws he repeated "ARE WE NOT MEN?" I'm thinking maybe that was the inspiration for the cover of the 1st DEVO album.
you're correct on that being the origin of the lyrics to Jocko Homo (which is where the album title comes from). For a bonus, check out the Oingo Boingo song No Spill Blood
The boys from Akron - this was the first "punk/tech/alternative/new wave" band that I was ever introduced to... by my brother. I also worked with Mark Mothersbaugh's aunt one summer - she was the sweetest lady ever.
Afternoon, Justin. Dave from The Old Haunt. I agree it's an interesting cover (and was a minor UK hit) but there's an irony here. Most of the songs on this album are riff based, but their take on Satisfaction mostly removes the trademark Stones riff (just a hint at the end). So my vote goes with the Stones version, much as I like other Devo songs on Are We Not Men. P.S. my song ref The Old Haunt is by The Dear Hunter.
Speaking of Devo and cover songs, turnabout is fair play: Soundgarden do a HEAVY version of "Girl U Want". Not quite the restructure Devo gives "Satisfaction", but they do run it through the grinder. I picture Devo and Soundgarden in High School; they steal the song from the nerd's lunchbox and make it dangerous.
Pendulum swinging; that's an apt description for original versions, best-loved versions and covers that are true to the original as well as covers that "go in a different direction". For a good example of this, try John Cale's cover of Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Peace.
DEVO is short for DE-EVOLUTION. They deliberately deconstructed rock and rearranged it to suit them. There's a video movie called De-evolution. It's worth watching!
Devo- Mark Mothersbaugh(sic) used to own the soundtrack to my ex-wife's nightmares! If you were a parent of a certain age, Mark did the music in many of the children's shows in the late ''80s-'90s (Rugrat's, Clifford the Big Red Dog). He also scored a number of Wes Anderson's movies, the theme for Pee Wee's Playhouse and Thor Ragnarok, not to mention video games like Crash Bandicoot, and The Sims2. To get going for all this work he must really 'Whip It'! Peace
It's true that Robots Can't get no Satisfaction. Some of the new wave were noticing that we were getting more mindless technology, and these smart guys decided to take it to the next level. Mothersbaugh went on to become a very prolific soundtrack writer.
The appropriate word, JP, is (of course) DEVOLVED.😉 Do yourself a favor and find the official video for this song. One of my favorite covers, period. Devo cover other songs that are also fun but I don't think they ever did it better than right here. You've got so much fun ahead digging into these guys - don't stop now!
![[MV] A leap of faith...ความเชื่อใจครั้งสุดท้าย (From "Petrichor the series")](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/U1piZH2CNXA/mqdefault.jpg)
Devo - my gateway drug to punk / new wave. Changed the trajectory of my life.
According to the story told by Mark Mothersbaugh, DEVO had to get permission from the Stones to release this. So they went to New York and played this for Mick Jagger and their manager. Jagger danced around the room and said it was the best rendition of the song he had ever heard, so they were able to release it with permission
You don't have to get permission to release a cover of a previously released song. You have to get permission to get a *decent deal* on releasing a cover (more than the statutory rate). Also, if you actually watched the video, JP covers the Jagger story.
Mick and Keith just had to love the sudden spike in royalty income, 'cause this song got a lot of radio & MTV plays.
@@twenty3enigma Right. I'd have been happy too. I still just enjoy picturing Mick, all stoic and weirded out at first, then suddenly, without a word, jumping up and doing some sort of weird Jagger dance, then handing his pepsi over to some intern, walking out saying "I like it. Send it."
Intern: "Uh, Mr. Jagger?"
Mick [from the hallway]: "SEND IT!"
"It's such a fine line between clever and stupid." -David St.Hubbins
@@rollomaughfling380 It was because their lawyers were trying to claim it was parody
I saw Devo at the Paramount Theater in Portland around 1979. They were totally awesome! This song was played and the audience including myself went wild.
The first three Devo albums were amazing!!! ❤️❤️❤️
Totally agree ! Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now for the Future and Freedom of Choice are the essence of this band. The albums that followed certainly contain some nice songs but only reproduced the same formula, minus the freshness !
@@a.k.1740 They never released a "bad" album but those first three are sooooo good!!!
@@TheProgCorner The albums from New Traditionalists onwards are more robotic and focused on drum machine and synths whereas drummer Alan Myers had more freedom just as we heard a lot more of Bob Mothersbaugh's guitar on the first three albums and it still makes a big difference !
I'd say so too, but my favorite Devo album is Oh No! It's Devo!
I'd throw New Traditionalists & Oh No It's Devo into the 'amazing' column. Especially the latter with its anxious synth-laden goodness
“They really Devo’d it up.”
That about says it all. Your reactions reminded me of my first time hearing it.
Personally, I prefer this cover to the Stones' original.
I highly recommend you check out the 1978 live performance from Saturday Night Live. The video is on TH-cam, and it's a great insight into the band's vibe from their early pre-helmet days.
(Their performance of their song "Jocko Homo" from the same night is also excellent, the best version of the song they ever played. But you can only view it by illegal means.)
You gotta admit it's pretty ballsy for a band on their first album to do a cover of an iconic song by an iconic band, and then throw away one of the iconic riffs of rock and roll (with just a 3 note hint near the end). And where Mick repeats, "baby, baby," Motherbaugh repeats it 33 times!
Pure DEVO
'And where Mick repeats, "baby, baby," Motherbaugh repeats it 33 times!' - and he performed it the same live - well at least he did when I saw them in 1980 - I'm not sure whether his lungs would hold out now!
@@Elvin_Pelvin I've never been sure if he actually sang it or if it was an effect. I saw them live, twice, back in the 70s, and I couldn't tell - but I was probably too stoned to tell.
@@izzonj I saw them a dozen times and it's him. Plus they play it so much faster.
That's how you do a cover song. 😀
Now you have to see the video for this.
The original version by the Stones is certainly emblematic but I've never had the desire to listen to it again for several decades while I have never tired of this cover reimagined by Devo since its release. They really made the piece their own !
Devo was so much fun! But they were also making a point with their antics and musical direction. They deconstructed not only music, but also society into what they saw as the basic elements. And then they projected that back to us. Great band!
Justin, I was a Devo fan, and wondered for years what the Stones thought of this cover, and when I finally read the story about Jagger, I just laughed my ass off. The thought of that iconic guy just sitting in silence, then suddenly breaking into some kind of freaky dance is just too hilarious and perfect.
They did another pseudo cover, Secret Agent Man, on their second album, Duty Now Gor the Future. It shows off what great musicians they were. You would LOVE the song Block Head from that quirky LP. It's simply brilliant.
The 3rd record was their biggest, with the MTV smash, Whip It. I personally liked Freedom Of Choice and Gates of Steel. I hope you continue on this new wave journey.
I agree. Sadly for me, it seems that after the F.O.C. album, the band spent the next few albums drifting away from the guitar sound and into drum machines, apparently searching for 'the next Whip It' hit single.
I don't know what album it's on, unless there's a soundtrack album, but DEVO also did a cover of the late 50s-early 60s song "Working in a Coal Mine" that was used in the first Heavy Metal movie that's pretty good as well.
@@fredzeppelin3969 yeah, that 80's production drove me nuts.
They were a whirlwind of unique "Sounds, Fun & Stage Presence" !!!
As with many other bands Justin .... A must to watching them "Live" you miss so much with bands like this not seeing them ! : D
This is one of the best covers ever! I remember seeing them on SNL at a bar in college. I was already aware them, but the performance stopped everyone. Some people loved it, some people hated it. I loved it. Their whole de-evolution concept and side kick, boogie boy, was exciting and new. There is much more to them then "novelty" songs. Thumbs up for Devo!
I love this cover so much! I think the Stones have much better songs than this one though. Devo really made it their own song musically and vocally. Pretty sure when I first heard this at a club in the early 00s, I had only heard "Whip It" and I was pleasantly surprised by this song. You can really get down to this song 😆
One of the seminal moments of my childhood was staying up late as an eight year old and watching them on SNL. This was back when you only heard your favorite bands and did not see them unless you saw them live, for the most part. So when they came out in the De-Evolution suits and played this song I was blown away and became a DEVO fan for life. Will never forget it.
Another of my 8track bricks that I drove around with. I found an old empty electrical junction box that I used as my 8track case.
SNL> 8track > ❤️ Devo
Peace and cover Music
It's Very Rare When An Artist Can Make A Cover True & Respectful To The Original & Yet Make It Totally Thier Own,, But This Group Does Just That,, The Stranglers "Walk On By" (Original By Dionne Warwick)..A MUST HEAR!!
Emerson, Lake & Palmer got high praise from the composer of "Fanfare for the Common Man" (I want to say Aaron Copeland but I may be wrong) for their version. He apparently was in the audience on the tour and was waiting in their Green room when they got off stage.
I'll admit that Devo are different. They are an acquired taste. Not everyone gets it. I got it immediately and loved the new sounds they produced.
People are always asking which are the best cover versions of all time. I always make the argument that it is a close battle between this song and "All Along The Watchtower" by Jimi Hendrix. If you are going to cover a song, make it different. Make it your own version.
JP, I just want to thank you and point out the HUGE difference between you and other TH-cam reactors: you LISTEN! You don't stop the track every 20 seconds to grace us with your every random thought about how you think you might have heard something like this when you were a kid, or that it reminds you of another band that you can't think of right now or oooooh that riff is fire! I appreciate you!
Yep. I get why some will pause the song, but once is enough. Another irritant is the whole chair dancing thing, seemingly making the reactor the show, but maybe that’s just me.
@@sgtBelson
Bobbleheads anyone?
@@-davidolivares An ‘A&A’ reference?
@@sgtBelson
Oh yeah.
Sometimes I get sea sick.
Just this morning I was thinking that not enough reactors are reacting to Devo and this song specifically. Then I see this. I'm thinking I'm psychic. LOL
When I think of "good cover version" I immediately think of this. They made a well known tune into their own thing and I love it.
I have always loved this album. I listen to it every year at some point :)
Year before 1976 he was watching sex pistol and liked that he younger music great songs and want with The Rolling Stones
You did a great job analyzing that... Deconstructed and De-atomized... 👍
Back around 2005, I hadn't heard this song in many years, and a drummer explained to me how each instrument is in its own time signature, yet they somehow make it all mesh.
It amazes me how Mark is able to do the vocals so crazy, but he hits the beat when it all comes together for a moment. Genius song! 🤘😎
I remember when this video got heavy rotation in the early days of MTV. Love it!
They Devo-ized it. Ingenius.
That's why DEVO is such and innovative and unique band. NOBODY will EVER sound like or copy them. They were experimenting with different instruments and recording techniques
First heard this when they performed it on SNL... loved it and was a fan immediately.
Devo's arrangement of this song was part of XTC's inspiration for the unusual drum arrangement on "Making Plans for Nigel". Incidentally, XTC recorded their own wildly reimagined cover of a beloved 60's classic around the same time as Devo's, with "All Along the Watchtower". You might be interested in doing a little tour of that song, from Bob Dylan's 1967 original to the great and very different covers by Hendrix (1968) and XTC (1977).
This was a really groundbreaking album. The whole album is worth a serious listen.
Now that you've covered THIS cover, gird yourself for true: The Residents released their version of the tune prior to this one in 1976 with one Snakefinger on guitar.
i think the vocals on that Residents cover probably inspired some black metal vocals
I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords
"Devo" stood for de-evolution. Their cover of Are You Experienced is just as good.
Justin, you just HAVE to find the video for this Devo classic. I remember seeing it performed on SNL after spending another Saturday night out on the town and somewhat buzzed on this and that. Then I saw…. This. I remember thinking, “what… in…. The …. World…????” It has to be seen!
You want an amazing cover version try Jah Wurzel's cover of Wuthering Heights. It's awesome imo.
The drummer is so underrated. He's so great.
The drummer is EXCELLENT.
This was my intro to DEVO - the SNL performance. Been a fan ever since.
Being A Former Singer/Songwriter/Musician Myself,, There Are Really 2 Ways To Go About A Cover,, Either You Keep It True & Respectful To The Original Or You Make It Completely Your Own.
For those interested, the Residents do an even unhinged version of this song.
This song live is absolutely insane, because that super loose guitar bit at the start is turned into this modulated solo that references the original Satisfaction riff before going *completely* bonkers and bending up and down.
Years before the formation of either band, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo & Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders were in a band together.
absolutely BRILLIANT
I have a great recommendation. It’s a studio recording with DEVO and Neil Young doing Hey Hey. Brilliant 🎉 great show
Junior yr in hs when these guys came out right on the cusp of the punk rock craze
This whole album is probably their best work, quirky goodness...the heart of New Wave music of the time. Freedom of Choice is a song for our current time and worth a listen... You'll notice the riff and the drum beat is actually reversed from the Stones Satisfaction. DEVO was all about the de-evolution of mankind while technology advances.
I also really enjoy their cover of Johnny Rivers' 60s hit Secret Agent Man. The original is good too but completely different if you haven't heard it. I also really love GirlUWant and Freedom of Choice.
There were 2 sets of brothers in the band, the Casales and the Mothersbaughs. The other brothers were both named Bob, so they called them Bob 1 and Bob 2, along with Gerald and Mark and drummer Alan Myers, who passed from cancer and replaced by Josh Freese in more recent performances. Bob Casale also passed away from a heart attack.
I have a suggestion.
A completely original and exciting band for you to discover on the channel is
The Residents.
Check out my favourite album of theirs;
Duck Stab/Buster & Glen.
It’s like entering a whole new world
There you go! Wondering if someone would state the obvious. I commented that the next obvious place to go after this is the Rez version of this song. And then of course, all of Snakefinger's albums. :)
YES! The Residents have done some fantastic covers, they also have a cover of Satisfaction which JP may like to compare/contrast.😀👁🎩
Although The Residents "The Third R3ich 'n Roll" may be too much for an introduction, we need to break him in gently.
Saw them live in 2009 and it's still the weirdest concert I've ever been to. It was awesome!
My favorite is 'Commercial Album', though I'm not sure how JP could make a reaction out of that. Regardless, I second the Residents. If nothing else, it'd be a nice segue to another Primus reaction 😜
Such a great cover version! Love the video for it, too..
Other Devo covers: Working in a Coal Mine and Speed Racer (kind of). There was an album We Are Not DEVO (1997) which had other bands doing covers of their songs with lots of them speeded up and Mongoloid in Spanish.
Their version of Are You Experienced from Jimi Hendrix is really good
Yeah, great cover as well ! They had even made a video for this cover but the Hendrix estate lawyers did not consent to the video being included in The Complete Truth About De-Evolution DVD mistakenly thinking that Devo was making fun of Jimi Hendrix !!! What a bunch of fools !
@@a.k.1740 That's the video with the inflating shoulders, right? I think that's the best way to describe that video, I haven't seen it for a while. I'm in Canada so maybe the lawsuit you mention didn't cover us?
@@kdpflush This applies to all countries. This video for the Hendrix cover only appears on The Complete Truth About De-Evolution Laserdisc released in 1993 but not on the DVD released in 2003 ! I don't know why there was no complaint from the Hendrix estate in '93 for the Laserdisc release and why there was a protest from them ten years later for the DVD release !!! it's total nonsense. Anyway, you can still see this video on TH-cam.
@@a.k.1740 The video i'm thinking of came out in the 80's
@@kdpflush In 1984 precisely but when Devo compiled their videos on Laserdisc in 1993 the video concerned was there but not on its DVD equivalent released in 2003.
Great song...great band! I remember seeing them on Saturday Night (th-cam.com/video/04pbtf5t_LU/w-d-xo.html)! I was blown away! Thank's JP!
Thank you for this! You can really hear how the guitar riff connects to the original in this performance.
Edit: Actually, after listening again with a clearer head (just woke up), it was a bit of a nod to the original as they returned to the normal riff shortly after. So ignore me! Lol
I like the lead singer's guitar, and how it's wired up with all of those Borg-like implants! And also how the rhythm guitarist is in a trance, with his Telecaster hanging in front of him.
🙏
Introduced by Fred Willard..😃
And, of course, the official video is iconic early MTV regular material. Now you should listen to Devo’s cover of NIN’s “Head Like a Hole.”
Punk, New Wave - Devo was on a completely different planet and started that style years before New Wave became a thing. Punk and New Wave just gave them an audience.
The original De-Evolution video version of this song is striking. Lead Singer Mark Mothersbaugh'd delivery and stage presence make you sit up and take notice, this is something very different, and very cool. i still have the Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo album on my shelf. Best band from Akron, Ohio and Kent State University.
THAT drum beat. It's incredible. I cannot think of any other track with anything like that pattern. The downbeat is the snare then beat 2 is the kick. I love it.
Saw their appearance on SNL when I was a teen, and it changed everything for my musical tastes. So new, original, talented, fun, and funny, too. Great album with a lot of cool drum and guitar work.
I get the original is iconic, but I've listened & enjoyed this cover far more than the Stones original. A cold & mechanical sound befitting of the songs message, which also sounds much more real coming from Mark Mothersbaugh than a young rock n' roll sex symbol
I know what they're doing. :) I do a risible "cover" of The Andy Griffith Show theme, only as whistled by Philip Glass. The notes are all the same, but equalized in every other way into a minimalist bolus of lukewarm larks tongues, encased in amber aspic, afloat in a tub of Glastonbury rosewater and orchid petals.
That was beautiful. Thank you.
You’re obviously a GP (Goddamn Poet)
Subtle reference to King Crimson and possibly Pink Floyd buried in your comment?
@@pentagrammaton6793 Thank you! Love yer guitar work.
@@seandrew7837 :)
I saw Devo when this album came out, and they acted the entire show moving as if they were robots. There is a clip of Devo on Saturday Night Live doing this song in 1978 that you should check out to see their stage act.
Two other great Devo covers are Workin' in a Coal Mine, originally by Lee Dorsey, and Secret Agent Man, originally by Johnny Rivers. Also check out these Devo originals: Girl U Want, That's Good, and Watch Us Work It.
This was the song they did for their TV debut on SNL. If you loved the audio, FIND THIS VIDEO.
I was one of many people who first heard of Devo when they appeared on SNL, back when that show was more influential. They played this song along with Jocko Homo (one of several self-referential DEVO songs, and the one with the 'are we not men? We are DEVO' lyrics). "Satisfaction" was just about universally familiar to rock fans, so this version got a big reaction.
I'm not a Devo fan, but I quite liked this when I first heard it late 70s, still like it now. If you cover a well known song it should still resemble the original but have the quirks of the covering artist. This has that. My favourite cover song is Wimoweh, an Eno single from 1975.
Another excellent critique of my childhood heroes, Justin. I remember when I got into DEVO in late 1978 thinking, ‘I’ll never be able to appreciate a’normal’ band again’.
Two years later, when I went to see them live at Newcastle City Hall, I arrived early enough to stand by the stage door and hear them sound checking this absolute masterpiece.
Alan Myers didn’t earn his ‘human metronome’ tag for nothing, and Gerry’s punchy bass line was woven indelibly into my heart and veins that very day.
Thanks once again, Justin - I’m witnessing your journey with great relish. 👍
so innovative this is. that drum beat is up there with the Police and Rush.
Otis Redding also had an iconic cover of this song - both the studio and Monterey Pop Festival versions
Yes, Devo did indeed totally deconstruct this one. Some people liked it back then, some hated it, but the general opinion was "wtf?".
You know who also did a cover of "Satisfaction"? Barbara Dennerlein. Here a link:
th-cam.com/video/I1_uxIOonj8/w-d-xo.html
Yesss I’ve been waiting for more reactions to Devo! :)
Jerry Casale , Bob Lewis and , Mark Mothersbaugh were students at Kent State University School of Art when 4 students at an anti - Vietnam War rally were killed by the national guard. Crosby, Stills , Nash and , Young wrote the song Ohio about it .
I loved the spastic rhythms directly on first listen. Talk about making a song their own. Cardigans made a lounge pop version of Black Sabbaths Iron Man. That's fun too.
One of the best albums from my college days 😁❤️
Both are really good, the Stones one feels like they're serious and establishing an attitude trying to be themselves. The lyrics have a sort of satirical quality that you don't really notice until you hear the DEVO version. It's like there was this other song hiding in the one the Stones wrote that DEVO found. As you say both very different and both very cool in different ways.
You should check out some of their live shows ;-)
This was a single and was included on their first album. It may take some effort or time to become accustom to their musical approach. I liked them right away and thought this song was great. They performed in a robotic manner, and Mark had his effects boxes duct taped to his guitar. And of course they wore yellow hazmat suits. They had a philosophy they called Devolution which is expressed in their song 'Jocko Homo'. Several other good songs on the album. I would suggest 'Mongoloid' and 'Blockhead'.
What makes a great cover is when you can take a song, make it completely different, yet Still recognizable as the same song, and still be just as good, if not better than the original.
This is perhaps the greatest cover in history. UB40s covers of Red Red Wine, I Got You Babe and I Can Help Falling In Love are up there too. Covers like I Shot The Sherriff by Eric Clapton and I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston are excellent, but don't change the original that much and arguably aren't any better than the originals.
I had a friend who used to play "Red Red Wine" while busking. He was both thrilled and aghast when some younger people (under 25) came and told him how great it was he was playing a UB40 song. He reared up on his hind legs to lecture them on the glory of Neil Diamond vs those young upstarts in UB40 (he could be a bit pompous with little good reason).
@@maruad7577
I liked a lot of ND but had not heard the original. Of curse, UB40’s version was played constantly.
It changed the band in my opinion, pre RRW is my favorite era.
Amen! You correctly define a great cover. And this is one.
A good one is Aimee Mann Covering "One," which was made famous by Three Dog Night but was written by Nilsson.
Another: "Pressure Drop" by The Clash. Originally done in reggae by Jimmy Cliff if I remember.
This is a fun comparison. For me it is an example of having fun with the music, whilst making it your own. I love cover comparisons. Nazareth vs Jon Mitchell, Blue Cheer vs Eddie Cochran or Faouzia vs Eiffel 65. I am certain there are so many more to consider.
Beck vs Bowie, Diamond Dogs
Wallflowers vs Bee Gees, I Started A Joke
Los Lobos vs Richard and Linda Thompson, Shoot Out The Lights
Budgie :
Baby Please Don’t Go ( who else recorded it ? )
Nazerath & Bob Dylan: the Ballad of Hollis Brown
@@HippoYnYGlaw muddies waters, lightning Hopkins, them(van morrison) chicago, AC DC
The first LP, Are We Not Men?, is truly amazing.. Check out "Come Back Jonee", or "Gut Feeling"..
'Ole Audiophile to JP: You are tip-toeing in my back yard. DEVO is from right here, Akron, Ohio. Seems I remember James Gang not too far back, Cleveland may be listed but Joe Walsh started from this area at a Kent, Ohio college-bar as a member of the house band "The Measles". Devo played the Akron local bars around Akron University & downtown.
I was reading the book "The Island of Dr. Moreau" by HG Wells, when I got to a part where a character known as The Sayer of the Law was reciting the laws to a group of beast-men that had been created by Dr. Moreau. "What is the Law? Not to go on all fours. That is the law. ARE WE NOT MEN?" At the end of each of the laws he repeated "ARE WE NOT MEN?" I'm thinking maybe that was the inspiration for the cover of the 1st DEVO album.
you're correct on that being the origin of the lyrics to Jocko Homo (which is where the album title comes from).
For a bonus, check out the Oingo Boingo song No Spill Blood
The boys from Akron - this was the first "punk/tech/alternative/new wave" band that I was ever introduced to... by my brother. I also worked with Mark Mothersbaugh's aunt one summer - she was the sweetest lady ever.
Afternoon, Justin. Dave from The Old Haunt. I agree it's an interesting cover (and was a minor UK hit) but there's an irony here. Most of the songs on this album are riff based, but their take on Satisfaction mostly removes the trademark Stones riff (just a hint at the end). So my vote goes with the Stones version, much as I like other Devo songs on Are We Not Men. P.S. my song ref The Old Haunt is by The Dear Hunter.
Speaking of Devo and cover songs, turnabout is fair play:
Soundgarden do a HEAVY version of "Girl U Want". Not quite the restructure Devo gives "Satisfaction", but they do run it through the grinder.
I picture Devo and Soundgarden in High School; they steal the song from the nerd's lunchbox and make it dangerous.
Pendulum swinging; that's an apt description for original versions, best-loved versions and covers that are true to the original as well as covers that "go in a different direction". For a good example of this, try John Cale's cover of Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel. Peace.
There is another totally different and interesting cover of this song by P J Harvey and Björk. However, it seems only be available live on youtube.
DEVO is short for DE-EVOLUTION. They deliberately deconstructed rock and rearranged it to suit them. There's a video movie called De-evolution. It's worth watching!
Unfortunately minus Jimi Hendrix's cover "Are You Experienced?" which is not present on the DVD !
This is my favorite cover of all time!
SPOT ON
Devo- Mark Mothersbaugh(sic) used to own the soundtrack to my ex-wife's nightmares! If you were a parent of a certain age, Mark did the music in many of the children's shows in the late ''80s-'90s (Rugrat's, Clifford the Big Red Dog). He also scored a number of Wes Anderson's movies, the theme for Pee Wee's Playhouse and Thor Ragnarok, not to mention video games like Crash Bandicoot, and The Sims2. To get going for all this work he must really 'Whip It'! Peace
I found it. Couldnt find it before . Ya great cover
Devo Was One Of Those Groups With No Real Middle Ground,, People Either Loved Them Or Hated Them.
It's true that Robots Can't get no Satisfaction. Some of the new wave were noticing that we were getting more mindless technology, and these smart guys decided to take it to the next level. Mothersbaugh went on to become a very prolific soundtrack writer.
For the algorithm. Thank you.
They made it a really fun song
Their sound has already been sanitized by Brian Eno's production at this point. Listen to "Hardcore Devo" compilations to hearing the real Devo.
Great reaction Justin! I'm getting some Primus vibes on the version. I like it!
The appropriate word, JP, is (of course) DEVOLVED.😉 Do yourself a favor and find the official video for this song. One of my favorite covers, period. Devo cover other songs that are also fun but I don't think they ever did it better than right here. You've got so much fun ahead digging into these guys - don't stop now!
Keith Richard's said that this was the best cover of this he had ever heard.
This is the only version that’s real