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another musician has passed, another drummer. I saw this band play live once in their heyday and they were tremendous !! tight, tight choreographed show with video montages and backdrops which were cutting edge at the time. I"m talking early 80's here. RIP mr. myers and thanks for the music !
Devo drummer Alan Myers dead of brain cancer after career of whipping it good
Stickman drummed on all of the post-punk band's seminal albums, starting with 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'
Comments (5)
By Jim Farber / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 4:53 PM
Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013, 5:15 PM.
Alan Myers of the new wave punk music group Devo, pictured in 1979, died Monday of brain cancer.
Alan Myers, whose quirky and askew drumming goosed the hits of Devo, died of brain cancer Monday, it was announced Wednesday.
He was 58.
Myers joined Devo in 1976, before their classic major label debut, “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” He worked with the band on all their major albums, becoming their best-known stickman.
Devo’s Bob Mothersbaugh, Mark Mothersbaugh, Alan Myers, Gerald Casale and Bob Casale helped poke at the pretentions of the late ‘70s music scene.
Myers specialized in jerky and brusk beats, as heard in the band’s classic reconfiguration of The Stones’ “Satisfaction.” Their version moved it from a sexy rocker to a new wave freak-out. Myers’ beats in hits like “Whip It,” or touchstones like “Girl U Want,” also put the emphasis in odd places, creating original beats.
Jazz musician Ralph Carney, a friend of Myers who announced The Devo member’s death on his Facebook page, called him the band’s “best drummer and the one of the first people to teach me about jazz.”
Myers named as his role model Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band’s John “Drumbo” French. Tellingly, French created some of the most disruptive rhythms in rock history, heard on classic Beefheart albums like 1969’s “Trout Mask Replica.”
Myers left Devo after the 1987 album “Shout,” citing his lack of creative fulfillment. More and more of the band’s beat work was being achieved by machine. After leaving Devo, Myers recorded a demo with the band Babooshka. He continued to play in the Los Angeles music scene until his death. Since 2005, his band Skyline Electric played local art galleries and music clubs.
He worked, by day, as an electrician.
Devo co-founder, Gerald Casale sent out several tweets on Myers' passing "RE: Alan Myers. I begged him not to quit Devo. He could not tolerate being replaced by the Fairlight and autocratic machine music. I agreed.
“I had the privilege to play with him for 10 years. Losing him was like losing an arm.
“U were born to drum Devo!"
jfarber@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/devo-drummer-alan-myers-dead-51-brain-cancer-article-1.1383330#ixzz2XYRKvAML
Peace, TED
[/img]another musician has passed, another drummer. I saw this band play live once in their heyday and they were tremendous !! tight, tight choreographed show with video montages and backdrops which were cutting edge at the time. I"m talking early 80's here. RIP mr. myers and thanks for the music !
Devo drummer Alan Myers dead of brain cancer after career of whipping it good
Stickman drummed on all of the post-punk band's seminal albums, starting with 'Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'
Comments (5)
By Jim Farber / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Wednesday, June 26, 2013, 4:53 PM
Updated: Thursday, June 27, 2013, 5:15 PM.
Alan Myers of the new wave punk music group Devo, pictured in 1979, died Monday of brain cancer.
Alan Myers, whose quirky and askew drumming goosed the hits of Devo, died of brain cancer Monday, it was announced Wednesday.
He was 58.
Myers joined Devo in 1976, before their classic major label debut, “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” He worked with the band on all their major albums, becoming their best-known stickman.
Devo’s Bob Mothersbaugh, Mark Mothersbaugh, Alan Myers, Gerald Casale and Bob Casale helped poke at the pretentions of the late ‘70s music scene.
Myers specialized in jerky and brusk beats, as heard in the band’s classic reconfiguration of The Stones’ “Satisfaction.” Their version moved it from a sexy rocker to a new wave freak-out. Myers’ beats in hits like “Whip It,” or touchstones like “Girl U Want,” also put the emphasis in odd places, creating original beats.
Jazz musician Ralph Carney, a friend of Myers who announced The Devo member’s death on his Facebook page, called him the band’s “best drummer and the one of the first people to teach me about jazz.”
Myers named as his role model Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band’s John “Drumbo” French. Tellingly, French created some of the most disruptive rhythms in rock history, heard on classic Beefheart albums like 1969’s “Trout Mask Replica.”
Myers left Devo after the 1987 album “Shout,” citing his lack of creative fulfillment. More and more of the band’s beat work was being achieved by machine. After leaving Devo, Myers recorded a demo with the band Babooshka. He continued to play in the Los Angeles music scene until his death. Since 2005, his band Skyline Electric played local art galleries and music clubs.
He worked, by day, as an electrician.
Devo co-founder, Gerald Casale sent out several tweets on Myers' passing "RE: Alan Myers. I begged him not to quit Devo. He could not tolerate being replaced by the Fairlight and autocratic machine music. I agreed.
“I had the privilege to play with him for 10 years. Losing him was like losing an arm.
“U were born to drum Devo!"
jfarber@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music-arts/devo-drummer-alan-myers-dead-51-brain-cancer-article-1.1383330#ixzz2XYRKvAML
Peace, TED
