Friday, October 29, 2010

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



A1Uncontrollable Urge 3:08
A2(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 2:38
A3Praying Hands 2:47
A4Space Junk 2:13
A5Mongoloid 3:42
A6Jocko Homo 3:38
B1Too Much Paranoias 1:56
B2Gut Feeling / Slap Your Mammy 4:54
B3Come Back Jonee 3:46
B4Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin') 2:37
B5Shrivel-Up 3:05

"Produced by Brian Eno, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was a seminal touchstone in the development of American new wave. It was one of the first pop albums to use synthesizers as an important textural element, and although they mostly play a supporting role in this guitar-driven set, the innovation began to lay the groundwork for the synth-pop explosion that would follow very shortly. [..]There was an almost unbearable tension in the speed of their jerky, jumpy rhythms, outstripping Talking Heads, XTC, and other similarly nervy new wavers. And thanks to all the dissonant, angular melodies, odd-numbered time signatures, and yelping, sing-song vocals, the tension never finds release, which is key to the album's impact. It also doesn't hurt that this is arguably Devo's strongest set of material, though several brilliant peaks can overshadow the remainder."


-p


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