Last Friday was Record Store Day Black Friday, and while I actually bought a few 7″ singles and a CD – not at a record store, it must be said, I was aware that DEVO’s Gerald Casale had another EP out with the 12″ version being part of the RSD Black Friday wave. We’d remarked about Casale’s moves in the face of a seemingly moribund DEVO mothership earlier. And like the Jihad Jerry release, this new EP unites Casale with DEVO’s drummer Josh Freese and guitarist Steve Bartek of Oingo Boingo. So what’s on it?
Gerald Casale: The Invisible Man – US – CD [2022]
- The Invisible Man
- The Invisible Man [De-Construction]
- The Invisible Man [Instru-Mental]
- I’m Gonna Pay You Back [Lounge]
- I’m Gonna Pay You Back [E-Z Listening]
- I’m Gonna Pay You Back [E-Z Listening Instru-Mental]
I will admit to being fascinated that linchpins of both DEVO and Oingo Boingo are now collaborating. But the real reason why I’m discussing this today was the email I had received earlier today trumpeting the fact that “The Invisible Man” has been remixed by Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware!
Mr. Ware [no, the other one…] has been quite the vocal fan of DEVO and his podcast, Electroncially Yours, has featured Casale as an early guest and I guess having both acts represented by the same manager [Elliott Roberts] in the US back in the 80s was the impetus for their friendship. Ware has discussed touring the US with DEVO but I think that ship has sailed. So what’s that viddy like, anyway?
Yow. That was super freaky. But I don’t get out much. Your mileage may vary. The sound [and video] of Casale is cyber-drenched so it sits further left from DEVO on the Sliding Scale of Rock™. DEVO was always trying to be cyber-funk and it’s probably easier than ever, now. Did I hear Martyn Ware’s BVs in the remix? Possibly. There was a lot going on there and I’m short on time. The Cassette and CD EPs are available directly from Casale [$15.00/ea.] with an autograph option at a $49.00 premium. Hopefully not Autopenned™. But that would be thematically congruent if that was the case. The 12″ EP [$24.99] is sold out at Casale’s website but it could be sitting in your local record store in the RSD zone if you look. There’s one thing I actually wanted from RSD Black Friday, and we’ll discuss that tomorrow.
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Post-Punk Monk 
I learned about this release through an “upcoming RSD” post or something like that somewhere – yeah, I know, vague, but I don’t really recall. I do remember thinking that it was nice Devo’s GVC was pumping out more music because Jihad Jerry was a mixed bag (some really questionable content on there as well as some flashes of brilliance). Not only was I disappointed this is ultimately a 12″ maxi-single but it was a RSD exclusive (not gonna go there….). Only yesterday did I find out it was available in a version not only cheaper (relative term because this is, essentially a 12″ maxi-single) but in different formats AND AVAILABLE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC!! Not good marketing. I do plan on picking up the CD, begrudgingly, but still, I mean, it’s a tangential DEVO release.
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postpostmoderndad – You remind me to finish the posting[s] I’ve started on DEVO-tangential releases…
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So I am unclear; is the Martin Ware remix on the cd? Or is it just for the video?
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schwenko – I was wondering that myself! I just checked iTunes and Ware’s remix/instrumentals are now a single at 2:28 each with none of the tracks on the CD being that brief, so your answer is: no.
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Jeff Winner, in response to my email query: “It’s not on CD yet — we’re doing a 2-track digital release this week, so stay toon’d. Do you prefer CDs, or is Spotify good enough?”
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schwenko – Yeah, I saw that its already in iTunes. The Casale camp usually bundle releases together for CD EPs. “Invisible Man” has remixes of the last single, so it should show up sooner or later on the silver disc.
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when I filled out the contact form with my question he is the one who responded
https://www.geraldvcasale.com/pages/contact
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schwenko – Then I guess the guy who “wrote the book” on DEVO is there for a reason!
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PPM-Martyn Ware is quite prolific, lately. He has a podcast where he has interviewed almost everyone from our era; he’s also touring with Heaven 17 as headliner and as part of the fest this summer (with Soft Cell and OMD). I found out about the podcast when he interviewed MCClusky, but then his back podcast catalog included Paul Humphreys and Claudia Bruecken. Podcast name is Electronically Yours with Martyn Ware. As he is one of the electronic music gang, his interviews of his peers/colleagues are very interesting. I did not know that Paul Humphrey’s father was a WWII POW who died when Paul was two. I haven’t finished the Bruecken interview, but so far she’s been talking about how she got started and what they used to do when younger.
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Deserat – Maybe you missed this post when I first wrote about “Electronically Yours” in 2001? I know. Life just gets in the way sometimes! I’m not much of a “podcast” listener as I prefer music, but sometimes when I am working in [or most likely outside of] the home, I will burn through several of the huge backlog of Ware’s podcasts I have on occasion. So he’s finally interviewed Claudia Brücken? I need to hear that one!
Yes, Martyn keeps very busy…with everything but the next Heaven 17 album, to my consternation! And those two 12″ singles with early mixes that he put out a [long] while ago were superb!
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