Drummer Alan Myers, Devo’s ‘human metronome’ from 1976 to 1986, loses cancer battle

[tuvor]

Source: Slicing Up Eyeballs

Alan Myers, the third and most well-known of Devo’s drummers, the so-called “human metronome” who anchored the classic albums Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now for the Future, Freedom of Choice and more, died this week, according to Ralph Carney, a jazz musician and friend of Myers’, and current Devo drummer Josh Freese.

Read more: http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/06/25/alan-myers-devo-drummer-dies/

---

Goddammit.

[calimary]

1. Sorry to hear this. Devo.

Has a special place in my heart.

Sorry to hear this.

[d_b]

2. RIP

[90-percent]

3. Yet another piece of my youth goes to dust

I remember watching SNL in my college dorm and being gobsmacked by their performance. Which was something of a national debut for them.

Devo admired Frank Zappa. When they met him, he asked; "You guys started in a garage, didn't you?"

"Why, yes we did, Frank"

"Well, that's where you belong"

-90% Jimmy

[Kolesar]

5. What did Zappa write that was ever as catchy as Gut Feeling?

How many stations still play Eat That Question or Jewish Princess?
I hated that song "Bobby Brown". Derision against homos--yeah, that breaks new ground.

[Bluenorthwest]

7. Zappa was a nasty, mean, homophobic, racist piece of shit.

He will be remembered for Valley Girl, in which he and his daughter mock their neighbors who are not as rich and famous as they are 'gag me with a silver spoon'.
An arrogant composer of pretentious tunes rescued occasionally by comedy lyrics, but those lyrics were so often bigoted and horrific that Zappa remained and will remain a musical oddity, a sort of curiosity from another time, when people with guitars were allowed to attack gay people to fill the content of their 'jazz inspired pop'.
Bobby Brown lyric:
So I went out n bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but Im still kinda cute
Got a job doin radio promo
An none of the jocks can even tell Im a homo
Eventually me n a friend
Sorta drifted along into s&m
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
Long as I gets a little golden shower

A filthy bigoted old rich white man, that's Frank. Stone calloused heart, got what he deserved as a purveyor of hate against others. His contempt for the poor always the worst, he was also very racist, constant use of slurs and stereotypes.
Frank has about a hundred fans, all burned out musicians, all men, all white. They are certain all the world adores Zappa and they do not notice the bigoted lyrics because they love that sort of thing.
A link to 'Mammy Nuns' lyrics, for those who want to read a white guy's take things:
http://www.lyricsdepot.com/frank-zappa/the-mammy-nuns.html

[xocet]

8. Another viewpoint seems to be the following...

...

His lyrics were controversial, even by today's standards. Starting with the anti-establishment/anti-war zeitgeist of the 60s, the message of his music changed over time, criticizing the United States government, religious conservatism, televangelists, and homophobia. While some of lyrics superficially appeared to be blatantly anti-Semitic, sexist, racist, and/or homophobic, the keen ear will detect the ultimately satirical nature of the songs. Zappa was usually trying to ridicule narrow-mindedness in all its forms.

...

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Frank_Zappa

Here is a archive of Zappa data:

http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/Main_Page

Does it verify your claim?

[OnyxCollie]

9. I agree with you about most things on this board,

but you are WAY wrong in your assessment of Zappa.

What you have displayed shows an incredibly limited view of the man and, quite frankly, offers an unflattering view of yourself.

Frank Zappa was a racist? Wow, I would have never guessed when I saw him play with longtime band members Ray White and Ike Willis. And George Duke should be told he is a racist supporter.

"Trouble Every Day"

Freak Out! Version

Well I'm about to get sick
From watchin' my TV
Been checkin' out the news
Until my eyeballs fail to see
I mean to say that every day
Is just another rotten mess
And when it's gonna change, my friend
Is anybody's guess

So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day

Wednesday I watched the riot . . .
Seen the cops out on the street
Watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff
And chokin' in the heat
Listened to reports
About the whisky passin' 'round
Seen the smoke and fire
And the market burnin' down
Watched while everybody
On his street would take a turn
To stomp and smash and bash and crash
And slash and bust and burn

And I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day

Well, you can cool it,
You can heat it . . .
'Cause, baby, I don't need it . . .
Take your TV tube and eat it
'N all that phony stuff on sports
'N all the unconfirmed reports
You know I watched that rotten box
Until my head begin to hurt
From checkin' out the way
The newsman say they get the dirt
Before the guys on channel so-and-so

And further they assert
That any show they'll interrupt
To bring you news if it comes up
They say that if the place blows up
They will be the first to tell,
Because the boys they got downtown
Are workin' hard and doin' swell,
And if anybody gets the news
Before it hits the street,
They say that no one blabs it faster
Their coverage can't be beat

And if another woman driver
Gets machine-gunned from her seat
They'll send some joker with a brownie
And you'll see it all complete

So I'm watchin' and I'm waitin'
Hopin' for the best
Even think I'll go to prayin'
Every time I hear 'em sayin'
That there's no way to delay
That trouble comin' every day
No way to delay
That trouble comin' every day

Hey, you know something people?
I'm not black
But there's a whole lots a times
I wish I could say I'm not white

Well, I seen the fires burnin'
And the local people turnin'
On the merchants and the shops
Who used to sell their brooms and mops
And every other household item
Watched the mob just turn and bite 'em
And they say it served 'em right
Because a few of them are white,
And it's the same across the nation
Black and white discrimination
Yellin' "You can't understand me!"
'N all that other jazz they hand me
In the papers and TV and
All that mass stupidity
That seems to grow more every day
Each time you hear some nitwit say
He wants to go and do you in
Because the color of your skin
Just don't appeal to him
(No matter if it's black or white)
Because he's out for blood tonight

You know we got to sit around at home
And watch this thing begin
But I bet there won't be many live
To see it really end
'Cause the fire in the street
Ain't like the fire in the heart
And in the eyes of all these people
Don't you know that this could start
On any street in any town
In any state if any clown
Decides that now's the time to fight
For some ideal he thinks is right
And if a million more agree
There ain't no Great Society
As it applies to you and me
Our country isn't free
And the law refuses to see
If all that you can ever be
Is just a lousy janitor
Unless your uncle owns a store
You know that five in every four
Just won't amount to nothin' more
Gonna watch the rats go across the floor
And make up songs about being poor
Blow your harmonica, son!

Why would Jimmy Carl Black play with a racist like Zappa, or as a Native American, did he hate blacks, too?

And if you're going to post the lyrics to "Bobby Brown," post all of them.

Hey there, people, Im bobby brown
They say Im the cutest boy in town
My car is fast, my teeth is shiney
I tell all the girls they can kiss my heinie
Here I am at a famous school
Im dressin sharp n im
Actin cool
I got a cheerleader here wants to help with my paper
Let her do all the work n maybe later I'll rape her

Oh God I am the american dream
I do not think Im too extreme
An Im a handsome sonofabitch
Im gonna get a good job n be real rich

(get a good
Get a good
Get a good
Get a good job)

Womens liberation
Came creepin across the nation
I tell you people I was not ready
When I fucked this dyke by the name of freddie
She made a little speech then,
Aw, she tried to make me say when
She had my balls in a vice, but she left the dick
I guess it's still hooked on, but now it shoots too quick

Oh God I am the american dream
But now I smell like vaseline
An Im a miserable sonofabitch
Am I a boy or a lady...i don't know which

(I wonder wonder
Wonder wonder)

So I went out n bought me a leisure suit
I jingle my change, but Im still kinda cute
Got a job doin radio promo
An none of the jocks can even tell Im a homo
Eventually me n a friend
Sorta drifted along into s&m
I can take about an hour on the tower of power
Long as I gets a little golden shower

Oh God I am the american dream
With a spindle up my butt till it makes me scream
An I'll do anything to get ahead
I lay awake nights sayin, thank you, fred!
Oh god, oh god, Im so fantastic!
Thanks to freddie, Im a sexual spastic
And my name is bobby brown
Watch me now, Im goin down,
And my name is bobby brown
Watch me now, Im goin down, etc.

[wtmusic]

10. Agree, mostly.

Bad boy with inflated self-opinion and limited talent.

[90-percent]

12. Racist? WTF

Last edited Thu Jun 27, 2013, 12:54 PM - Edit history (1)

http://wiki.killuglyradio.com/wiki/The_Blackouts

Zappa's band in high school in conservative Lancaster CA in 1957 contained three black guys, one mexican and two white guys.

I don't think a racist would be a part of a racially integrated band at a time in America where racism was still in full force and there was a lot of injustice and violence towards minorities all over America at the time. I also think segregation was still legal at the time of this band. Some of his bands big gigs were shut down by the racist PTB in that community. They could not support the idea of an integrated band corrupting their children. From the internet: "There was a Negro settlement outside of town called Sun Village and it was those people who supported the group. We had these huge Negro dances and this upset the people in the town. The police arrested me for vagrancy the night before one show and I was in jail overnight."

Here's a picture from June 22, 1957—The Blackouts At The NAACP 7th Annual Festival, Shrine Exposition Hall



Zappa started collecting R&B records in his early teens. He was a racist in that he wanted nothing to do with white bread R&B as covered by the white artists of the time. So you might say he was more racist towards whites than blacks.

Zappa's lyrics were based more on journalism than how he felt about things. His lyrics were reporting on things he saw and felt should be recorded for prosperity, not to broadcast his feelings.

I think he had a lot of misogyny going on, but he had a lot of respect for the minds of women back in the 60's, when it was still acceptable to treat them as second class citizens. Pauline Butcher, his British Secretary in the late 60's was taken aback at how interested he was simply in what she was thinking. He encouraged her to write and keep a diary and forty years later she wrote a book: Freak Out! My Life with Frank Zappa.

He also did a crappy job raising his kids and was very disrespectful of his wife, given his appetite for groupies. He was also less than generous to many members of his many bands over the years.

100 fans? I counted at the minimum 35 books about Zappa. That's approximately 2-1/2 books written for each of your 100 fans. Here's tour dates for Dweezil's Zappa Plays Zappa 2013 tour. http://www.zappaplayszappa.com/tourdates.html Why not go to a show near you and see if more than 100 people show up. Presuming the show in your area is not sold out.

edit - removed personal attack

I apologize for hijacking this Devo thread and I've got many fond memories of Devo from my youth. I'm done with this thread.

-90% Jimmy

[Little bob]

15. Wrong

You have no understanding of Zappos's music , politics, or social commentary. You also woefully misquote his lyrics.

[gopiscrap]

16. welcome to DU

[European Son]

17. Bluenorthwest is wrong

Zappa is a racist? Odd then that he played with non-white musicians throughout his career. Odd that he cited black artists (e.g. Johnny Guitar Watson) as his heroes. Odder still that a song on his first album has the line "I'm not black but there's a whole lot of times I wish I could say I'm not white".
Zappa is a sexist? Odd then that he never used scantily clad women to sell his records, he numbers leading feminist Germaine Greer among his fans, and most targets of his satire are men.
Zappa was homophobic? Odd then that 'Bobby Brrown' should have been a hit in gay discos and that he spends far more time sending up heteros than gays.

Blue doesn't have the faintest idea what he is talking about. He has completely misunderstood Zappa.

[rzemanfl]

18. Bookmarking.

Welcome to DU.

[marble falls]

20. Good defense of Frank, welcome!!

[shenmue]

4. Rest in peace.

Cancer stinks.

[Kolesar]

6. Featuring "Spaz Attack"--"We gotta get this guy on film before he dies"

A quote from one of the band members, probably Mark Mothersbaugh

[madrchsod]

11. .....we are devo.....

[zonkers]

13. "Gut Feeling" live 1977 NYC video. (YT link) Alan is awesome.

[Scurrilous]

14. RIP Alan Myers.

[marble falls]

19. I knew him pretty well and he was one of the genuinely nicest people I've ever known. I still ...

think about him