NYC 1977

France 1978

Band: Devo
Song Gut Feeling
Writers: Mothersbaugh, Casale
Year Released: 1978
Genre: New Wave/Punk/Garage

Why it’s a “Penn’s Pick”:

February 17th brought some sad news in the world of Devo, with the announcement that founding member Bob Casale had passed away from heart failure.

Casale, along with his brother Gerald, Alan Myers and brothers Mark and Bob Mothersbaughs formed the band back in 1972, eventually going on to become one of the most eccentric, unique and popular bands to emerge from the late 70’s / early 80’s Post Punk / New Wave scene.

Songs like Whip It, Mongoloid, and their bizarre reworking of the Stone’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction showcased a style that was (and still is) all their own, enabling the band to carve out its own unique niche in the history of popular music.

In honor of Bob Casale who played both guitar and keyboard for the band, we’re going to feature 2 performances of my personal favorite Devo song (which I also think is one of their best), Gut Feeling.

Besides being a totally infectious New Wave/Punk/Garage song that’s right up there with the best of them, it also possesses a unique nature which enabled it to stand out amongst its contemporaries, including a 3 minute intro which builds into an incendiary climax (talk about breaking the rules!), as well as an opening line that reads , “something about the way you taste makes me wanna clear my throat.”  You know you’re in store for something completely left of center when you hear that!

The 2 performances that we’re featuring include the alleged live debut of the song back in 1977 (this one has the 3 minute intro that I was talking about), as well as a stellar performance of the song in France, 1978.

The quality of the videos aren’t so hot, but the performances are blistering!

Enjoy, and RIP Bob Casale.