One advantage of moving from analog to digital instrumentation was in creating perfect production. While there are obvious disadvantages to non-human identity musical performances, at least MIDI pre-programming ensures that every note is played at precisely the right moment. As is every drumbeat.
Because no drummer is that perfect.
With one exception.
Devo has had several drummers over the years (including the other Mothersbaugh brother Jim), but their drummer during their most renowned period was Alan Myers. He’s the one wearing glasses who is NOT Mark. This is what Jerry said:
“When you see and/or hear Alan perform live in DEVO performance videos or on our records from our heyday it’s somewhat mind-boggling to think that Alan drummed the way he did, when he did. I have flippantly referred to him in interviews as “the human metronome.” It was a comment meant to bequeath giant praise. Clearly his precision and power eclipsed whatever advantages that soulless drum machines can ever offer.”
During his years with DEVO, the band evolved from a live mostly-guitar band to one in which an entire album centered around the Fairlight CMI. And this, um, evolution affected Myers.
“The man who was considered the human drum machine had been pretty much replaced by actual drum machines on Devo’s 1984 album Shout, leaving him creatively disillusioned.”
So he left the band, presaging events nearly 40 years later when humans were replaced by non-humans.
Yeah, I knew I could shove this square peg into Bredemarket’s round hole.
Whoops, MTV won’t allow that.
“The cable channel had a problem with the animated crinkle cut french fry entering the doughnut hole….They really had a problem with the following shot of the woman with an ecstatic look on her face.”
Anyway, here’s a fun video…not a good video. And not “Peek-A-Boo”; that one freaked me out.
Bredemarket 