Track Record – Devo

These are my gut reactions while listening to the entire catalog of Devo from start to finish.

Devolution

Devo has always been a unique band. Led by what I call the “MothersBrothers” (Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh), they aren’t just a band you want to listen to, they’re a band you want to look at: the outfits, the glasses, the videos, the art (Oh No! It’s Devo features them as spuds), and of course crazy energy dome hats! They were always out in left field, and that’s what made them special. Here are my thoughts while listening to this fun catalog of albums.

 

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978)

From the opening track to the end of the album, it’s hard to deny that this debut album is ultimately their best. The members of the band might have other opinions on this, but I’m pretty sure that when I’m done listening to the catalog, I’m going to conclude that this one’s the best. Production from Brian Eno was definitely a factor in defining their unique sound. Bowie was supposed to produce it fully, but was too busy. He did show up for some of it, and after some disagreements with Eno and the band, Bowie took over the mixing.

The songs are what I’d call Proto-New Wave, because to me they sketched out the blueprints of what was to come from other artists. What they say to me on this album is, “Don’t be afraid to be different musically and visually.” If not for the lyrics of “Satisfaction,” you’d never know it was a cover of the Rolling Stones song. The rhythm and drums are very cool. In fact, the drumming on this record is really great because it does more than just keep a beat. It deviates all over the place and breaks lots of western music rock rules.

My favorite tracks are “Uncontrollable Urge,” “Praying Hands,” “Jocko Homo,” “Satisfaction,” and “Shrivel-Up,” but this is one you can play straight through and enjoy every song. I love that when you hear the song “Too Much Paranoias” it actually sounds like the audio equivalent of paranoia. I also enjoy that the quirky song “Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy” devolves (pun intended) into a sort of punk rock bit at the end. This music is different, and that’s the point.

After hearing this album again, you fully understand why Mark Mothersbaugh went on to do a lot of soundtracks and scoring. A lot of this music sounds like things you’d hear on TV or in the movies. A few songs even sound like things you’d hear in the 1990s on something like The Kids in the Hall or shows like that. He’s a unique guy for sure. Do not be afraid to put this record on and just let it do its thing.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

Duty Now for the Future (1979)

For their second album, they went with a different producer since their experience with Eno wasn’t so hot. They are still just as peculiar on this effort. After an intro called the “Devo Corporate Anthem,” the song “Clockout” hits you like a brick. The offbeat rhythms continue with “Timing X,” which is basically a big rhythmic solo. “Wiggly World” isn’t just a fun song title. It’s got New Wave synths and Punk guitars with a driving beat that’s somehow still quirky. “Blockhead” is a fun tune with fun time changes. It’s a standout track. “The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize” is both quirky and poppy. I think that’s their superpower: music that doesn’t fall into one genre. I love that. “Pink Pussycat” is fun stuff, and the kind of thing I’d love to write if I sat around all day writing music. “Red Eye” is a good closer.

All in all, this is like a part two to the first album, which makes sense since most of it was material they had already been playing before they were signed to a label. Listening to these albums is like watching science fiction. I like science fiction.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

Freedom of Choice (1980)

The band hits the big time on this third album. From what we know, the band would never recapture the success of this album. It’s pretty hard to top this, though. It’s a very tight album. The guts of Devo are there: the oddball singing, the weirdness, the synths, the jerky rhythms, and so on, but it’s also a more complete package. The new producer probably had something to do with this. Robert Margouleff produced lots of R&B and funk.

“Girl U Want” and “Whip It” dominate, but the rest of this album is quite good also. Don’t skip tracks on this one. It’s more synthy, but the 80s had arrived and things were about to get even more synthy, so looking back, this doesn’t seem so bad at all. “Freedom of Choice” is a good track with a good message. I like the track “That’s Pep!” with its sneaky riff. I really like Alan Myers as a drummer. He’s the star of the show for me. I like this album!

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

New Traditionalists (1981)

The band opted for self-production this time. You can tell the difference, but I’m not sure it’s a big deal. “Through Being Cool” is a great opener and a nerdy anthem. I was bopping my head to it immediately. “Jerkin’ Back n Forth” is when you realize that this is a more synth-driven album than any of the previous ones, but it’s still fun to me. “Beautiful World” is a track I’ve always liked, and I like the closer called “Enough Said.”

The rhythms aren’t as quirky this time, and there aren’t as many time changes and things like that. Maybe because there are drum machines happening and what not. I still like these songs, but you can definitely notice a shift in tone and sound. They’re still Devo and very recognizable. It’s not a bad album at all.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

Oh, No! It’s Devo (1982)

When I was a kid, this was the first album cover by Devo I had seen, and it cracked me up. I still think it’s hilarious. This album’s even more synth-based, and they opted not to produce themselves this time. I miss all the funky drums of the first few albums, but the songs aren’t bad. They’re just more straight ahead, and you can definitely hear a lot of drum machine, but I think everyone was doing that around this time.

“Peek-a-Boo!” and “That’s Good” are the major highlights (and singles) from this album. Both are fun tracks. When you put on Devo, you know what to expect by this point. “Time Out for Fun” is a good opener.  I think this one’s a little better than I remembered. I’m good with it!

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

Shout (1984)

This is where things start to get blah for me. The band has now gone total 80s. This self-produced album has that big sound that the mid-80s is so famous for. I’m trying to keep an open mind, but I don’t like the mixes on these tracks. Instead of being weird and quirky, everything just sounds clean and goofy. They’re almost a parody of themselves here. It’s like background music for bad 80s movies. It’s very computer-like. De-evolution has failed here.

I’m not sure I can pick out a highlight. A lot of these songs sound alike, and they also sound like a lot of other bands that were out there doing the same thing. I’m getting Oingo Boingo vibes here. The riff from The Beatles’ “Day Tripper” mysteriously shows up in the middle of “The 4^th Dimension” for some reason. I also think they tried to replicate the success of their earlier cover of the Stones’ “Satisfaction” by covering Jimi Hendrix’s “Are You Experienced.” I don’t think this experiment worked. The only thing that was accomplished is that it sounds nothing like the original, much like their Stones cover. So that’s cool, but it’s very electronic and not very exciting.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Alan Myers – drums

 

Total Devo (1988)

Drummer Alan Myers had finally had enough and departed, and you can see (and hear) why. Computers and drum machines have mostly taken hold, so there was little for the guy to do. David Kendrick took over and you can tell that he’s actually playing drums. This is all a shame for Myers who, if he had stayed, might have been able to play live drums again.

I like this album better than the last one. Maybe some live drums in the mix triggered something in my subconscious. It still sounds computery, but not as bad. “Baby Doll” kind of grabbed me right away. It reminds me of their earlier songs without the chaotic drums. I’d say it’s my favorite track. “Disco Dancer” was the big single from the record. It has the sound of the last album at times, but there’s some funky guitar in the background which is fun. They did that thing again where they cover a tune and try to make it unrecognizable. This time, it’s Elvis’ “Don’t Be Cruel,” but it’s a little more faithful. “I’d Cry If You Died” tugged at my ear a bit. The album peters out after that, but it’s still listenable. “Blow Up” isn’t too bad, but it has electronic echoes of “Whip It” going on.

All in all, this album proved to me that they are still capable of writing good songs that aren’t universally accessible or critically acclaimed, and that’s fine. It’s what they’ve always done. They’re just using different tools and technology to do so, which seems very Devo.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• David Kendrick – drums

 

Smooth Noodle Maps (1990)

This album was considered a dud critically. That said, “Stuck in a Loop” isn’t a bad opener. “Post Post Modern Man” has what sounds like acoustic guitar in the background, which took me by surprise. Not a bad track. “When We Do It” has some cool guitar riffs so I’m liking that track a bit. It sounds like INXS or something. So the album starts off strong, as most of their releases do. “Pink Jazz Trancers” has a cool piano solo. “Jimmy” sounds like something from the first album with a more modern sound.

I’m not sure I agree with the critics on this one. The rest of the tracks are upbeat and the lyrics aren’t bad. I’m noticing more guitar blended in with the electronic stuff. I mean, it’s not going to be my go-to Devo album, but this is not as bad as the critics would have you believe. It’s better than Shout, in my opinion. It’s like they finally figured out how to mesh together computer stuff, guitars, real drums, drum machines, sequencers, and whatever else to create something that’s not so distracting.

That said, these later albums are a far cry from the fun and excitement of those first few records. I prefer those, but this stuff isn’t bad. I enjoyed listening to this one more than I thought I would.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• David Kendrick – drums

 

Something for Everybody (2010)

The band disappeared for a long time, but returned with a bold effort. People had time to digest and ultimately respect Devo. Josh Freese takes over on drums. The opening track (“Fresh”) describes the album perfectly. It’s a fresh take on the band. It’s like they took all of their different albums and sounds and made something fun. As usual, the tracks are upbeat. “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man)” is great fun. I’m not 100% sure, but I think the drums on the track “Sumthin’” are actually the drums from “Whip It.” Either that, or Freese mimicked them. There are even whip-crack noises on the track.

The band released a companion piece to this three years later called Something Else for Everybody, which was a digital only album. Those tracks didn’t make the record the first time. I wasn’t going to include this, but gave it a quick listen. It’s cool stuff, on par with this album.

So it turns out that despite a few blips on the radar, Devo managed to produce consistent thought provoking, quirky, comedic, nerdy, new wave music, albeit with different deliveries. I’m pleasantly surprised at this catalog listen, and I’m glad I gave the later stuff another chance.

Line up:

• Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Gerald Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
• Bob Mothersbaugh – lead guitar, vocals
• Bob Casale – rhythm guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Josh Freese – drums