Emily: Dundundundundun…crack that whip! Okay, so that lyric
is about all Devo is known for. That and some funny cone-shaped hats to go
along with said lyric. But Devo is a surprising prolific and accomplished band.
Mark Mothersbaugh, the lead singer and songwriter, even wrote the Rugrats theme
song! And it all started with this early New Wave album. The stilted, manic
delivery over basic synth grooves hits on some songs, and misses on just as
many. Such inconsistency is expected for a debut, but some of the misses were
just grating to listen to. The hits, however, are fun, bouncy nuggets of New
Wave that to me seemed perfect for an awkward kid dance party. Funny hats not
included.
Favorite Tracks:
Mongoloid; Come Back Jonee; Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy
Zack: Quick! Name three new wave bands! Chances are
Devo made your list. At the very least, had you held a gun to my head (a
shockingly frequent occurrence), Devo would have been mentioned. So imagine my
surprise when this album wasn’t nearly as new wavey as “Whip It” would have led
me to believe. For starters, there were exactly 0 songs about whipping it
(good). But I wouldn’t exactly describe it as post punk, a line which many
important bands from this era straddle quite precariously it seems. It just
seemed to be a rock album with a healthy dose of 80s corniness. That said,
there was at least one trait you’d expect from a Devo album. It was kind of
weird in an alien kind of way. This weirdness occasionally
works, but most of the time it’s mearly meh-ish. I didn’t hate this album as I
have some previous new wave experiences (I’m looking at you, Soft Cell) but I
wasn’t blown away or even happy with the investment of time (I’m looking at
you, Duran Duran and a-ha). All I felt was a state of ambivalence that you
wouldn’t expect from a band known best for pyramid hats.
Favorite Tracks: (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction; Shrivel Up;
Mongoloid
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