Reviews (page 2 of 8)
Bit weird album, luckily quite short. Like a very mediocre version of Talking Heads. Cannot imagine that Mick Jagger approved this terrible cover of Satisfaction. Some nice guitars keep it from a 1 . So ⭐️⭐️
Blind album, know who DEVO is. Glad I finally listened to this to check it off, but not sure I will revisit this whole album honestly. I see the appeal, but it aint for me.
"Le metí el pito a la tostadora y me tienen que cortar el nepe": La portada.
It's hard to believe this was produced in 1978 with how much it sounds like an encapsulation of the sound of the 80s. This is not the best listen of my life, but I feel like this album achieves everything Devo went out of their way to do. It's weird, funny, colorful, never boring. I knew them from "Whip It", but I have to admit that that song feels incredibly safe and commercial compared to what's on this album.
Nothing on here is as good as Whip It, I guess I should listen to Freedom of Choice instead.
I’m guess the British weren’t the only ones making annoying shit during this era… uncontrollable Urge keeps this from a one, but damn these guys were the worst kind of nerds.
This one's a 2
Started fun and stayed weird
Some of the songs were a nice discovery but after 3 songs it was just too repetitive
Got teleported back to my 14 year old self watching hours of ridiculousness with the first song. Wasn’t very good after that. 2 stars for the trip down memory lane.
This goes hard! Very punk rock. I was already familiar with some of the tracks, and enjoyed the entire listen through. I think that as problematic as the track ‘Mongoloid’ may be, it works so well because the title character isn’t merely happy, he’s likely living a more spiritually fulfilling life than the rest of us, despite his limitations. The transgressive title attacks our virtue-signaling and our erudition and asks if the character’s very existence is something we find offensive. It’s legit one of my favorite songs ever also it rocks. The other songs also subvert our idea of civilization/civility. Devo show they’re capable of making catchy pop music, and then they deliberately make it weird and kinda off-putting. Good stuff.
Punk rock album. Such good energy, catchy tunes, and a fun experience all around.
Devo? Devo. Devo Devo Devo Devo Devo Devo Devo Devo. Devo! Devo Devo! Devo. Devo? Devo? DEEEEEEEEEEVOOOOOOO!!!
This is one of my all-time favorite rock albums. Amazing that it still provokes mixed reactions after nearly 50 years! That's the brilliance of Devo. They were so ahead of their time, even though all of their themes are more relevant than ever before. So, what attracts me to this oddball of an album? First off, THE GUITARS. As a guitarist myself, I simply love how much work was put into the melodies and hooks and rhythms. I've never heard many supposedly pop/rock albums that have such weird riffs, tempos, chords, and structures. They are as far from traditional "pop" as possible, yet the clean mix and premise of normal pop music is what lures you in. However, as the songs go on, it's clear that it's a clever bait and switch. They were already experimenting with eccentric synth sounds and keyboard focused songs, which would continue in their next few albums (especially as they would become more mainstream). Here, we're seeing a facinating transition from rock to punk to experimental music to something else. Devo basically invented this, from their sound to their outfits to their sociopolitical message, with Mark Mothersbaugh as the demented preacher. Whether it's exploring human carnal urges to the point of stupidity ("Uncontrollable Urge", "Too Much Paranoias"), the "devolution" of mankind ("Jocko Homo", "Praying Hands"), or just distorted, f'd up jukebox music as society degrades around us ("Shrivel-Up", "Space Junk"), his grunting, yelping, and howling vocals really send an urgent message. These songs are so screwed up and weird. I just love it. Brian Eno did a wonderful job getting the dynamics and noise to work. That Stones cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is so odd and hilarious, while "Gut Feeling" starts so beautifully and epically with bright guitars and keyboards only to degrade in noise and depravity. Even the straightforward surf-guitar/jukebox songs are intentionally destroyed. More importantly, what on earth is happening throughout "Too Much Paranoias"?? I love this album so much, artistically, politically, and culturally speaking. In the current age of divisive and stupid politics, it sounds as fresh as ever. A perfect album that Devo would never (in my mind) repeat again in their career.
2.5
Not my favourite Devo album, but it's still Devo.
Kulmikasta post-punkkia ja uuden aallon outoilua. Talking Heads tuli mieleen tätä kuunnellessa. Kummatkin bändit tekivät yhteistyötä Brian Enon kanssa. Jotkut yksittäiset biisit toimivat tosi hyvin, kokonaisuutena vähän työlästä kuunneltavaa.
Terceira tentativa de achar algo interessante neste disco, sem sucesso. Fraquinho!
2/5
So weird. The first song actually sounds like Car Seat Headrest. Bizarre. Wonder if they were influenced by Devo?! Ha! Devo is a weird band. Are they just being tongue in cheek? Are they serious? At moments they are good. At others they are just silly.
Heard many times; 4; One of my favorite albums. Perfectly nails the strange, herky jerky sound without being too weird and while still being catchy. Very tight songs with fun, spastic riffs that seem to come out of nowhere and disappear. It's like there's blasts of instruments all layered together. You can feel the nervousness in the songs, very much a build up and release of energy. I really enjoy the Rolling Stones cover - feels like the perfect subversion of this song, and in some ways, I think it's a better representation of the meaning of the song. Favorite Song: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
I like Devo in short bursts. For the first half I was enjoying the album, but quickly found myself becoming a bit more annoyed as the album went on. I can appreciate what they do, but no thanks to sitting through whole albums
A seminal new wave/art punk album that starts out with the infectious "Uncontrollable Urge" and then just gets weirder. A hiccuping cover of "Satisfaction." A paen to getting hit by "Space Junk." The bizarre call and response of "Jocko Homo." And then there's the very uncomfortable (for men anyway) album closer "Shrivel-Up." I loved it and so much of it reminds me of early Talking Heads but even more angular and arty. They were much more than "Whip It."
Music by freaks for freaks. These guys would've been (probably still are) a lot of fun to see live. I love a lot of songs here, especially Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy) and of course Uncontrollable Urge.
This is a record that has been in my collection for at least a couple decades. Apparently there was a lot of resistance to Eno's suggestions for this recording, a decision the band apparently regrets, but I tend to think that they were right. That Eno influenced album probably would have been pretty fantastic and there's a good chance it would have been more financially successful as well. However, I appreciate having a recording of the grimier and more punk influence side of the band. It's more of a warts and all kind of recording, rather than the streamlined sound they would later develop and I'm glad we have a recording that reflects that. Eno's contributions definitely improve the album, but I'm glad that they didn't overwhelm the band's project at that time. I had tended to think of the songwriting as a bit inconsistent, but that wasn't my experience this time around and I really enjoyed the entire thing.
Probably a good album that's just not for me.
i like the concept of devo more than the music but postpunk is just like that sometimes
Back to YouTube for another album- about time something was put in place to get these albums on Amazon! Anyway adverts disrupted the flow as did buffering but I got there eventually! And what the hell did I listen to, it was absolutely bonkers. All over the place but for some strange reason I found myself really liking it! Not enough to head back to YouTube to listen but enough to score it well. Best track- ‘jocko homo’ absolutely crazy! Worst track- ‘satisfaction’ what a god awful cover of a pretty terrible song to start with… 7/10
Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo Another great example of a gem I'd have never looked twice at. All I had ever heard of Devo was the Stones cover. And that is, by far, the weakest track here. The rest is rock n roll that feels like it has been dissected and then put back together but with the skeleton on the outside so all you see are the ankles, elbows, knees and all the other knobbly bits. But through the minimal, spikey cage of noise there still beats the hearts of the likes of Buddy Holly and The Beatles. And over and over, I kept hearing early Roxy Music so I wasn't too surprised when I read later that Brian Eno produced this. Anyway, yes I really enjoyed this. Uncontrollable Urge, Praying Hands, Space Junk all really strong but the pick for me was Come Back Jonee. Again a reference to the past and a reply to 'Go Johnny, go go go', perhaps? Didnt enjoy the Stones cover and the closing Shrivel-Up was a bit weak. Really good. Listened twice. Will go back to it again. 8/10
Kjennskap: 0% Litt artig, litt slitsomt.
Excellent production quality and better than I expected, but a bit too weird for me for it to be something I’d regularly listen to.
I listened to this for the first time all the way through about 3 years ago, and it was a very fun experience and opened my eyes a bit to how original they were and still consistent, at least on this album. They lost the thread on later albums, but I think this album stands up as a fun post-punk album that inspired and impacted a lot of people. I think every song has value and there is even more variety in style across the album than I originally expected.
I didn't get into this one. It just didn't work for me. Also, it seems more punk than new wave which I'm not a massive fan of.
Not my favorite style of music but I appreciate the ground breaking style
I'm out on this sort of sound, didn't get through this one. Not for me. Shout out Rob Dydrek tho
favs: praying hands mongoloid gut feeling/ (slap your mammy) rating 1.4/5
Some more punk. I really don't understand why so many of these are on this list, what is the importance of this as album? It really was ok, and that's about it.
Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (1978) On Day 216, I dove into a genuinely great New Wave record that strongly reminded me of David Bowie's work. I really liked how groovy it was, as well as how experimental the instrumentation and overall production capability felt throughout the session. The tracklist had a solid run of standouts for me. "Uncontrollable Urge" was great, a track I recognized from The Wolf of Wall Street, followed by their brilliant take on "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." "Space Junk" and "Mongoloid" were both super groovy and funky, alongside "Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)." But my absolute favorite of them all was "Come Back Jonee." A super fun, experimental, and infectious listening experience.
I’m not entirely sure because I haven’t listened to their other albums, but so far DEVO seems like a one-hit wonder with Whip It. I didn’t like this album too much.
A supremely fun and energetic effort. Favorite track: Uncontrollable Urge
Very dated and crude.
Weird
Uncontrollable Urge is a great opener. The rest of the album is decent, definitely one of a kind, some good licks and rhythms, not something I'm likely to revisit any time soon.
Supremely idiotic. And you can bet your bottom dollar Brian Eno was behind it. Junk singing, junk goofy music and the dumbest cover of Satisfaction ever. This album doesn't even have Whip It, their one nerd rock anthem. No way that these guys aren't a one-hit wonder, and this album doesn't even have that one hit.
Catchy riffs I like the length of the album The vocals and lyrics are a little odd Immediately ruined by Track 5 being outright ableist and mean
Fun, spastic, weird, poppy, punky. Angular guitar and jerky rhythms with Mothersbaugh wails in a ranting sort of way. It’s silly but not in an outwardly joke way… it’s hard to explain but it feels like there’s more to the ideas and music than the goofiness that underlies it. But it’s just a good time and interesting listen for those who mainly know Devo from Whip It - these guys could run with the tops of the post-punk iceberg.
It's ok.
Liked this more than I expected. Lots of fun New Wave- reminiscent of the B52s. Bordered on cheesy sometimes but overall enjoyable
More less.
Somehow utterly 80s and far ahead of their time.
Man, this one takes me back. It was one of the five CDs I had in my jeep, way back in the day. The others were Songs in the Key of X, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, Horses by Patti Smith, and a John Coltrane compilation. I miss that jeep. First car I really owned.
Some pretty nice guitar I have to say. Definitely very unique. Fav song is ‘Sloppy’.
A lot of classic songs.
I dunked on the first Devo album, but enjoyed this one. Hard for an album to overstay welcome if it’s only 38 minutes long.
Points for being one of the first new wave albums but no points for the songwriting
Wtf is this album cover
Gotta give it up for any band from Ohio that makes this list. But still not my thing.
This albums sounds like it was so much fun to make.
i dont care for devo
Devo aus Akron, Ohio, lieferte mit ihrem Debütalbum eine der radikalsten Neuerfindungen des Rock-Vokabulars der späten Siebziger. Aufgenommen im Februar 1978 in Conny Plank's Studio bei Köln – ergänzt durch Sessions in den Different Fur Studios in San Francisco – und produziert von Brian Eno, verbindet das Album die maschinelle Präzision deutscher Studiotechnik mit dem hysterischen Witz amerikanischer Vorstadt-Paranoia. Erschienen bei Warner Bros. in Nordamerika und Virgin in Europa, positionierte sich die Band damit sofort außerhalb des gängigen Punk- oder New-Wave-Rasters. Musikalisch ist „Q: Are We Not Men?" ein Angriff aus lauter kurzen, zuckenden Kanten: eckige Gitarrenriffs, stotternde Synthesizer-Einwürfe und Vocals, die zwischen Robotik und Nervenzusammenbruch pendeln. „Uncontrollable Urge" eröffnet mit korrumpierten Beach-Boys-Harmonien, „Jocko Homo" liefert mit seiner Frage-Antwort-Struktur die Konzept-Hymne der Band, und die verzerrte Version von „(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" nimmt den Rolling-Stones-Klassiker auseinander, bis nur noch das nervöse Skelett übrig bleibt. „Mongoloid" wiederum zeigt, wie unbequem Devo sein konnte, ohne je plump zu werden. Was das Album trägt, ist seine Konsequenz: Eno wollte offenbar mehr experimentieren, doch die Band bestand auf ihren kantigen, disziplinierten Arrangements – und genau diese Sturheit macht die Platte so zeitlos. Es ist ein Debüt, das nichts erklärt und nichts entschuldigt, sondern seine eigene, leicht paranoide Logik konsequent durchzieht. Ein Manifest der De-Evolution, das nach fast fünf Jahrzehnten nichts von seiner Schärfe verloren hat.
Heard Before? Of course. Many times. Notes: - like so many things on this list, so influential that it's hard to imagine the original context. - strangled, yelping vocals, herky-jerky rhythms, counter-intuitive melodies, pristine pop structures, stinging guitar tones, zingy keyboards - what's not to love? - anchored by seemingly simple drum parts, clear production and plenty of hooks, it's awfully accessible for an album full of fan- and industry trolling. - love every use of backing vocals on this album. really drives home the try-hardy strangeness. Verdict: Protest music for dorks and ground zero for Devo. They had many great ideas in the years to come, but this is their only essential full album. Listen Again? Oh yeah.
Good sounds great title
I feel like I willed this into existence by telling Gemma she looked like a member of Devo on Wednesday night. I think I loved this album?!
So cool and a lot of fun! My dad said he think this was maybe the album that first got him into alternative music when he was in high school. None of the devo songs that I knew were on this album but still a great listen and really kept me engaged
Now this is an album. It’s sonically interesting enoughand you can feel that they’re having the time of their lives making it. Gorgeous!
The most confident possible statement of I'm not entirely sure what. So catchy and high energy and fun.
innovador para época pero no es lo mio 3.5
Not bad, not bad, liked some of it so may require a few more listens.
pissed me off
A ground breaking album for sure. Some great songs and interesting takes on music of the early 80's.
how the fuck have i never listened to a devo album before. i get the hype now i think. this album's pretty damn great. i love the energy, i love how fuckin weird they get with it. idk if there's anything else i can really compare these vocals to... the drums are also really impressive.... and there's some weird time signature stuff....... and some fun synth parts here and there......... there's so much going on. but overall it just has an incredible vibe throughout. it's all so good but my favourite track is definitely "shrivel up". its wet and scary and it rules. music that freaks me out until i like it. honestly when i started writing this review i was gonna give it a 4 on the grounds of not giving me the "i literally love music" reaction but listening just one more time was all it took to get there. its a 5 now. fuck it. i literally love music dude.....
sounds the way they look like they’d sound
loud
Futuristic riffs clearly influenced Angine de Poitrine, nice album.
Fun post punk album, really like the guitar tones
It's nice for dancing and enhancing mood but I didn't find a favorite song.
If the best song is a Rolling Stones cover, and even that one not really satisfying, you can easily die without ever hearing this album.
silly
DEVO has fun singles, but as a whole, I'm finding that I dont love their albums. They're just OK. Some goos ones, but this album fell flatter than I expected. 2.5
avant guard trend setter
Mostly, I just don't like the vocals, but sometimes I also didn't like the instrumentation either.
I fear I may not be quirky enough for Devo. Fun album, just didn't really click with me. Also didn't realize that this is where the Ridiculousness theme song came from lol
This was … interesting. I liked Space Junk. I also liked the track beginning with M before I saw the title and realised it’s name is a slur … hmmm. This was … I love the band Dutch Uncles and some songs sound like that … so … hmm … interesting … no more ellipses for me today …
Pervy retards
Needle mover within pop culture
Not as terrible as I was expecting, but will probably never listen to Devo again.
No solo no disfruto de música que no pareciera tomarse en serio, siento que además el álbum quedó estancado en su tiempo. Se me hizo una pérdida de tiempo. ↑: Space Junk ↓: Mongoloid, Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy), Come Back Jonee, Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')
Stilted melody. Hard to get past that honestly. 2 stars
Enjoyed this. Quite familiar with them anyway but not sure I’ve ever listened to a record start to finish till now. It’s exactly what I was expecting: new wave, quirky post punk. A bit ahead of its time too with the synthage. Good though, does border close to the novelty at times, but tends to pull it back in time. Very good.
Can definitely see why Devo were touring with the B-52s, similarly irreverent. Think I enjoyed them more than 52s mind, felt Devo had a better balance that was more interesting than odd. The title track is stuck in my head the most and though I'd say this again feels more influential than good I would listen again. 3.5.
I thought this was Ronnie James Dio. After getting over my disappointment, I was hit with a particularly crummy cover of (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction. I was very dissatisfied with this album.
I don't know about this.... On one hand it does feel pretty punk, but then on another it's a bit daft at times. Probably enjoyed it more than I thought I would but not sure I'd be back. Didn't on the fence. 2.5
Damn, winner winner chicken dinner for ugliest album cover. And here I thought Bandwagonesque had it in the bag. That's some 1950's era propaganda imagery. This thing is nightmare fuel. Musically it's good - creative, technical, cool tempo shifts, neat production. Having a hard time overlooking some of the language choices, though. I do not care if you're being avant-garde, "mongoloid" is a slur. And don't get me started on the word 'mammy'. -1 Otherwise, good.
One of the best albums of the 1970’s. It’s stupid and smart at the same time, a lot of modern music conventions wouldn’t exist without it, this will forever be in my top 20 albums of all time. HIGHLIGHTS: Space Junk, Praying Hands, Jocko Homo, Uncontrollable Urge
The playing in this is by far the most interesting thing about this. The lyrics and the vocals are silly. Annoying
Quite chaotic but samey
Not for me.
Dope
Bueno
Would it be a Devo album if it wasn't a little irritating?
Devo Maria
Not entirely my cup of tea, but I appreciate just how wacky and outlandish this album is -- especially with the pioneering use of synthesizers. Bumping it from 3 to 4 stars for that aspect. Also, shoutout to that reviewer who said the cover art looks like post-plastic surgery Tom Brady. Can't unsee that now, thanks.
Nice
I can't help but smile when I listen to Uncontrollable Urge and it's link to Randy Marsh in South Park. I'm not the biggest Devo fan. It's weird and eclectic, and sometimes it's great, other times it doesn't land.
Teetering on uddershite by way of new wave. DEVO can have their roses for breaking the norms of 1978 standards. It has an okay punkish sound but it ends up just being very shrill and super unpleasant. Uncontrollable Urge saved this one from 1 star for me.
God these guys were and are cool
524/1089 - There's a lot more under the surface than the energy dome hats and yellow jumpsuits. The band witnessed the Kent State shooting and named themselves after the concept of de-evolution, the idea that society has peaked and everything is downhill from here. As cynical as punk music can be, I like to imagine that Devo wanted to make something cool to combat/embrace this "de-evolution," and in the process they made one of the best American New Wave albums.
cool album but that didn't answer my question wish i liked this more. i usually like surreal silly shit like this but idk. smth about this album feels kind of empty to me idk what it is. got a few cool songs but its not realy doing it for me also i just love how i correctly guessed that this was some church of subgenious bullshit ooh i know my pop culture yyuh
Classic Devo beats in the background but the songs were otherwise super weird - not my favorite
Oh man, this album art is brutal. Devo is an act I should enjoy more but they just are not for me. I appreciate the energy and weirdness they bring. On the album there are moments I’m totally on board, the closing track specifically is awesome. I just couldn’t imagine ever throwing on a Devo album. A lot of their stuff just plays like a fever dream and stresses me out. 3 stars
Une belle Dévotion pour leur musique
Oui bon bah voilà hein Playlist pick : Uncontrollable Urge
Un peu simple, assurément court, mais avec des bonnes vibes Je n'ai pas détesté mais j'attends plus d'un album
I mean. It’s Devo. Probably wouldn’t listen again. I don’t get the jokes.
Yep, it's punk. Complete with a goofy, unwieldy title, a pop-art close-up of some dude's face, and scattershot song quality. Mothersbaugh's vocal is unequivocably crap, so it's a good thing the other instruments half-succeed at covering it up. Generally, bands endorsed by Bowie, Eno, and/or Iggy Pop have only a very low chance of actually sounding good. And it's usually the vocalist's fault. Though the actual quality of the compositions fails to pull its weight too. Aside from maybe Uncontrollable Urge, none of the songs are that interesting or coverable. Structurally very repetitive, with little variation within or between different tracks. Melody-wise, it's a somewhere between a barren wasteland and a dumpster fire. If you had to pick a song from 1978, be honest: would you really fire up Spotify and type in Shrivel Up? Or would you gravitate to Sultans of Swing, or Roxanne, or Heart of Glass, or Just What I Needed? Yeah. This album's got nothing on its contemporaries. The lead vocalist sings the quickfire "yeah"s in Uncontrollable Urge with so much conviction that one can easily ignore the fact that the singing is pretty bad. Good driving riff (though I'm sure I've heard it dozens of times before). That cover of Satisfaction... hm. The source material is great, I guess? The positives end there. DEVO's performance of this heavy 60s cultural staple is limp, thin-textured, and the vocals go all over the place without really committing to any enjoyable melody. That percussion also gets much too repetitive – making 160 seconds feel like a lot longer. A quick Google search tells me "mongoloid" is an outdated and extremely offensive term. ("It became obsolete in 1965 when the World Health Organization (WHO) officially dropped the term in response to formal complaints from the Mongolian People's Republic.") It comes across as a cheap knock-off of shock-value titles, à la Lennon's 1972 song about women. Unfortunately, it passes as one of the (sonically) better songs on the album. Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy) is another song that sounds pretty good yet I seriously hesitate to add to my Liked Songs playlist. Three later tracks – Jocko Homo, Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin'), and Shrivel-Up – take a rather opposite approach, going for both shock value and lack of quality. In Jocko Homo, we get relentless repetition of the band's apparent catchphrase ("we are Devo / we are Devo" ad nauseam). Cool, I guess. There are plenty of bands I dislike where I can at least fathom, to some extent, how other people might enjoy them. Not this one. 1/5 Key tracks: Uncontrollable Urge, Praying Hands, Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)
a waste of 34 minutes tbh, didn't like it
👍
I think I saw The Island of Dr. Moreau when I found Jocko Homo some 10+ years ago, and it's real possible I heard the album at that point because HG Wells makes things that are worth looking further into. I was impressed with how deep Devo managed to make the song (and their name) by referencing the book. That kind of intellectual fuckery is why this record stands out, it feels very experimental but thought out, seeking for the future with the past as context. It's a really cool listen, very easy to repeat, very iconic introduction that just lays out an experience for you. I love that it's just a bit longer than a half hour, so you can kind of breeze through the record as you analyze it. It's eclectic, pretty punk-y, and very fun. 3.5/5
When I was a child I saw "Whip It" during an episode of Beavis and Butthead and ever since then I've been vaguely scared of Devo. There are nice moments on this, but I overall find them a bit annoying and a bit spooky. 2.5 rounding down.
Really not my thing
Fuck me the last load of albums I've had on this have been awful... Glad I've already sunk 4 years into it otherwise I'd have given up... ... Anyway, turns out I hate Devo.
Esto se siente radical y novedoso en 2026. No me imagino lo que fue en 1978, el año de su lanzamiento. Música fresquísima, sorprendente, provocativa, pero además, siempre divertida.
First few songs- this isn’t so bad. Rest of the album - oh, never mind.
A fun, spunky debut album by Devo. I remember when Devo went mainstream in the 80’s with “Whip It” and enjoyed them back then. This isn’t my normal style of music, but I thought it was a cool alternative to the norm.
Devo is Latin for “bad punk”. Don’t be fooled.
A few solid classics kick off the album, but it tapers off to generic new wave pretty quickly.
Am I a man or am I a DEVO If I'm a DEVO then I'm a very manly DEVO Am I a DEVO or am I a man If I'm a man that makes me a DEVO of a man Okay so this was a fun and unique album. I could see how the weirdness would turn off other listeners, but I loved it. The only downside is that Uncontrollable Urge imo is by far the best song on the album, so the rest of the album does not reach that same energy. Still a good album, this was my second listen and I appreciated it more this time. One day I will buy a record of this. Favorite Track - Uncontrollable Urge Least Favorite Track - Space Junk ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 (rounded up because come on) DEVOBRIANENO!! I have been anticipating this album since we started this list (although two months isn't all that long compared to the, like, three thousand years we have until we finish the list), and judging from how balls-to-the-wall Satisfaction, Mongoloid, and Gut Feeling are, I was expecting this to be a solid four. Unfortunately, this one's yet another where I'd heard all of my favorite songs first, though not nearly as severe a case as, say, Clash's London Calling, most recent- and egregious-ly. This one was a lot of fun and scratches the uptightness itch I have for most post-punk stuff. Between Devo and Talking Heads, a lot of my faves owe a lot of their fame to this period (Oingo Boingo? They Might Be Giants? XTC? The Feelies?). Maybe it's not the most technically inventive, but that's never what makes an album great. The way they destroy "Gut Feeling" and then coalesce again is THE. SHIT. 1: Bad | 2: Okay, No Desire to Revisit | 3: Good, Conditionally (OR Inconsistent Mix of Qualities) | 4: Great (OR Technically amazing but missing the sauce emotionally) | 5: Amazing
WE ARE DEVO! I guess?
Not for me. DEVO sounds over-intellectual, under-produced. Annoying vocals.
Delightfully weird. Will I listen to it again? I have no idea. But this is a 70s album that isn't annoying and boring! That deserves 4 stars.
odd but not distasteful mostly
The voice is not helping.
Something something David Byrne something something Brian Eno
It’s kind of taken me by surprise how much I have enjoyed the New Wave stuff on this thing. This one doesn’t do it for me however. The singer’s voice is unappealing and I find the music quite strident and lacking in whatever it is that makes me want to revisit an album. I imagine they were more fun live with their daft hats and boiler suits
Fun, goofy album. I enjoyed it
Most of my impressions of Devo have been from their later work, but I really loved this album. It has all the quirky quality of their later works, but it feels more down to earth and less self aware. I will return to this album for sure!
Very Unique album, Devo always deliver some weird music, but in the best way possible.
I liked this album more than I thought I would. It’s way better than Whip It.
Good.
Ngl, I didn't get this. It sounded interesting but I just don't understand post-punk and new wave like that ig.
Mark Motherbaugh was a frequent guest on one of the best children’s show ever - Yo Gabba Gabba. That has nothing to do with my review I am just hoping someone reads this and discovers that show! This was a surprisingly fun and pleasant surprise of an album. Melodic, upbeat, energetic, and very easy to digest.
I have an Uncontrollable Urge to listen to more nerdy surf punk from the late 70's
- "Uncontrollable Urge" has a fun, memorable hook. - "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" should've been left to the Rolling Stones. - There is such a thing as too much DEVO, and that amount is about 3/4 of a song.
Mechanical is greatest way and danceable every way.
Ridiculousness mentioned?!?!?!? Idk but I’ve just never been able to get into Devo but it’s not necessarily bad
I like the fella on the cover art. This is a fun, creative collection of early synth pop tracks, and the Eno production really shines. It’s definitely not boring, but also nothing that got me super excited. Good all around.
Weird
wow.... this is really an album I was looking forward to because so many tastemakers and critics have this thing on their walls. it's.....fine at best and annoying at worst. this is definitely one of those albums people have collectively pretended is good to appear unique.
Whilst the uninformed may just see Devo as a novelty act, Devo are so much more than that. Although they may appear silly on a surface level, their songwriting skills are seriously impressive. Even when you strip away all the goofy hats, songs like "Mongoloid", "Uncontrollable Urge" and "Jocko Homo" all hold up on their own. Producer Brian Eno added his synths to many songs and it furthers the futuristic vision. This record is only a little over half hour and it is an important stop gap between punk and the soon to be emerging new wave. I was a fool to not check it out until today!
Pleased I still enjoyed it. Mongoloid is a great track and a shame it can't played anymore. Great cover of Satisfaction too. Still stands up
Aggressively New Wave
I wasn't expecting to, but I quite enjoyed this. It did rankle somewhat to see a song called Mongoloid and, although the lyrics involved didn't seem mean spirited, they did come across as pretty ignorant.
wtf
Solid devo
Very unexpected beats. Quite out-of-the-box. It really is very innovative. I hope I didn't screw it up by listening to the compilation (from 1993) on Spotify... First time using the shortcut to the album on this page XD
A weird and eccentric album, but sort of mixes rock with post-punk. Not one of my favourites, but I did enjoy this one. An interesting listen, and I'd listen again for that reason.
good listen, still some songs were off. Its a good band though
Cualquiera como los outfits de Taro para salir a buscar minas.
No, no me gustó. No es algo terrible, pero llegué a un punto que no quería ni terminar de escucharlo, sabía que no iba a haber sorpresas.
No conocía esto, la verdad está bien, es una música amigable y un ritmo movido. No es algo que escucharía en el día a día pero es algo diferente sin dudas. No tengo mucho más para agregar, pasable pero debería de ver más de ellos para hacer una reseña interesante. Top Pick: Uncontrollable Urge Mongoloid (intro espectacular) Lo que siento que muchas veces los sintetizadores o samples la cagan un poco, sonarían mejor si fueran más instrumentales.
I was surprised by how many of these songs I'd actually heard before. They just have an iconic sound to them.
Actually one of the more interesting punk records I’ve listened to thus far. It’s rather funny but it has catchy moments here and there, especially when they cover the Rolling Stones.
Devoid of any listening pleasure. Mongoloid is poor taste now, but it was even then to be honest.
Concepts that I like put together in a way that just didn't click at all with me
Pretty wacky. Sometimes a little too much so Fav track: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
Not bad
“Yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah, yeah! Got an urge, got a surge and it's outta control. Got an urge I wanna purge!” The surreal and beautifully dysfunctional Akron art rock that took the world by storm!
4/10
Fairly groundbreaking at the time, but not the sort of thing that calls you to listen. It's fun and they really leaned into their campy, sci-fi thing. When I first saw them on some show when I was a teen, I was amazed that they did "Satisfaction" It was so weird and I loved the insane way they did it. But it was purely a novelty. I wouldn't ever think, "I should go grab that album and listen to that again!" It's one of those things that fun to share with people and have a laugh, but not the best driving or chilling album. While they bring some unique styling and I'm really happy they did it, I'm not sure if anyone just pops it on to vibe out too. Since it's pretty same-y throughout, I find it gets a little annoying too. So, in small doses, for some anarchy and fun sharing, it's good. I have to give it a 3.
Not the biggest DEVO fan, couple of good tracks on here ⭐⭐⭐
Never warmed to Devo, this listened didn't change. Hadn't realised Eno produced this. Mongoloid was always a track I liked. The rest is meh new wave that seems flat and detached. 3 Heard before? Some Owned: No 78/309 (25%) Will I get: No
Q: is this album great? A: yes
I have friends that adore Devo. I get why they have so much hype. I admire their reason for their art, but the art itself doesn't do much for me. I considered increasing my rating by one star because BRIAN ENO but sorry no.
Maybe I am not a man. Maybe I am Devo
Okay 1001 we had our fun. We can stop doing weekly genre pulls. This album annoys me. There’s nothing fun here. It wants to be cute and quirky but it’s just awfully annoying background music. Actually can it even be background music? Too much paranoias was such a tough listen. It makes sense that the most popular song off the album has no singing until half way thru. This feels really punky but also has a lot of poppier Elvis Costello type tendencies. The only issue is it’s just not good. I wish I had more of a write up, I just really didn’t enjoy 🤷♂️
A surf rock inspired rock. It’s so California you can feel the overpriced housing and tungsten lights. It has it moments and plays into its musical theatre vibe hard but it’s just so weird it’s ramones inspired it’s silly. It’s not forgettable and it is different it just doesn’t resonate with me. It seems to want to play punk rock and surf but seemingly doesn’t really leave me with much of a impression instead feeling a bit scared and annoyed. The worst offender is too much paranoias and shrivel up the vocals just screech and while I like the guitar work and bass it doesn’t help save the other aspects this is cool to hear about the new wave influence on America but the quirky new wave doesn’t work for me because it’s trying to have its cake and eat it! I like some songs and I like what it’s trying to do but I don’t care for this band just because they do something interesting.
So, my goal is to not miss a single day with these albums, but I'm currently a day behind, and I'm scared that an album won't generate if I haven't submitted my rating/review for the album two days prior. So I'm not even done with the Devo album...but I like it! I'm listening right now! It's kind of already what I expected, but it's a little more rocking than that. It still has the stiff and uptight grooves that I expect from Devo, and I wasn't necessarily excited for it, but you know what, it's alr--wait why the fuck is this song called Mongoloid
Are We Not Men? has to be one of the most confident debuts of the new wave era. Devo had a message, a plan to execute it, and unleashed it on an unprepared music industry. I love this album and I wish that the flip side of it was as good as Side-A, but it's still a sadly prophetic album about the direction they saw humanity headed.
This did nothing for me
It was ok, some fun songs in there.
I was somewhat charmed by the eccentricity, but did grow a bit tired by the end
The first song on this album is exceptional. I thought to myself that this was going to be a surprising four star. Unfortunately, there's a lot of material that I just didn't care for. The stones cover was pretty awful. Overall a fun lesson then. I'm glad I got to hear.
What a fun album. It's been a while since I've listened to a whole Devo album and boy that is a shame for me. Missing out on great music.
Enjoyed the punkiness of it.
9/10
Okay
Repeat listen
No. I don't like it. I don't get what I should like. It feels sloppy, amateurish, and uninspired.
Gonzo art rock...I like this album but it hasn't aged very well. Dodgy bullying lyrics in several places. But the title track is great in 7/8, and the covers are good too. Not as good as split enz. But very influential on my favourite music
Brilliant debut, such a great mix of tuneful and super weird. The fact that the inverted post punk cover of "Satisfaction" is front and centre at track 2 is enough to sell it as one of the all time classic albums for the rest of us.
Ok, Devo were probably the first “weird” band I encountered as a kid and as such have a special place in my heart. It’s still kind of neat.
La verdad buenisima!!!!!!!!!! por la tapa del disco pense que iba a ser otra onda. Se nota lo experimental. me guuuuuuuusta
This is #day649 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… here's a good specimen of American new wave, right? I'd never really explored Devo, even though they've always been somewhere on my radar. I guess all things take time, and music is no exception. This record is some great quirky, danceable, punky stuff... late-'70s weirdness in full display. This is also the day I finally completed my poetry manuscript, and it's ready to be sent to publishers. I guess I'm finally happy. Just wanted to leave that here for the record. Otherwise, this is a 4 out of 5. Looking forward to #day650.
There’s a lot on here that I like in theory, the angular guitars, dissonance, the general weirdness. But it’s just a little too zany for my taste. It reminds me of Oingo Boingo in a way, I can support it in spirit but I don’t want to listen to it again.
Impossible to sit still while listening. You will also have a big smile on your face.
I don´t think I get it.
Satisfaction is a great cover. The rest of the album is good, though not in my wheelhouse. Devo definitely unique. High 2s.
I liked this album more than I expected. Quirky punkish sound with propulsive beat on songs. Singer’s voice is odd but works with the music. Even if I didn’t know the release date it sounds late 70s early 80s.
Never heard of album or band. Right off the bat I recognize the first song. Great guitar on uncontrolable urge. Not neccasarily the best written but it’s a stadium banger. Really good somgwriting on satisfaction. This is another classic. Not sure if I’ve heard this version but I like it a lot. Really good production. Super cool production again on prayer hands. Cool vocals. Space junk is a very generic pop/rock song. It’s fine. Really cool production again on mongoloid. Goofy lyrics but it works. Not a fan of jocko homo. Way too choppy. Ending is a lot better. I like the guitar a lot on gut feeling. This is a very fun song. Come back jonee is very 70s. Good enough song, nothing life changing. I like the guitar on sloppy, vocals are bs. Similar feeling with shrivel up. Fun production but bs lyrics. Front half of this album is much better than the back half. Overall good not great album. 3/5.
This album should not have grown on me this much. I in real time went from complaining about how repetitive and samey it sounded to suddenly fully understanding it. It’s peak new wave, with interesting messages and philosophies about humanity (even if the ways it expresses them haven’t aged well at all). Musically, it bridges old-school styles of rock with sounds that still seem futuristic even today. Just a really unique and fun sound!
Kinda only like uncontrollable urge
Meh
The wild, wacky, amazing world of the criminally underrated Devo. WE ARE DEVO!!!
Not for me. 1/5
Favorite Song: None
Like a mix between talking heads and the Ramones? I don't know, kind of like the talking heads but less funky/interesting. I don't care for the singing, though I appreciate the creative songwriting and instrumentation, the combination of production and live elements. Strong 2 to a light 3
This is another late 70s album that was too weird for teenage me, but which I came to like later - although, unlike (e.g.) Talking Heads and Elvis Costello, I still felt ambivalent toward Devo into my 20s; I think I like them slightly more now. Maybe now I care even less about weirdness? Plus, maybe now, with the passage of time, I can see that something truly different and original doesn't come along all that often. Also, kind of like with the Pogues, I give them a small bonus for just making me happy that they exist. So, rather than 3 stars (a few of the songs are kind of forgettable), I'll give them 4 stars. (I say forgettable, although, I suspect, if I heard even one of the weaker songs on the album by itself -- without ever having heard anything else by Devo -- I'd probably think: hey, that's kind of cool, kind of different. A small bonus, too, for the videos -- I was only half watching them, but what I saw seemed funny and cool and different (in a good way).
Hard one for me to rate. It's like meta-music. Not very beautiful or human, but I don't think they're trying to be. In a way, it is very human; the message is more important than the medium I was smiling and chuckling. I enjoyed the synthesizers and goofy vocal inflections. As I often do, I wish I could have experienced this album when it came out, in its chronological context. As it is, for me it's hard not to see it as a quirky relic
Я хз, если честно. 5/10.
Would I listen again: sure It was like talking heads but I prefer talking heads. lol
I have mixed emotions with this one. Like a reviewer resumed: "a crazy mix of the ramones and the beach boys". At the one hand a fun discovery but unfortunately it is sometimes even too crazy. 2,5
Oh, what a delightful sonic adventure! Devo has been summoned by the algorithms, and I am not disappointed. A perfect blend of the best of the '70s punk with that certain je ne sais quoi that makes it uniquely Devo. There's something undeniably charming about it. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions - Uncontrollable Urge - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction - Mongoloid - Gut Feeling" / "(Slap Your Mammy)
Quirky
I’ve been meaning to give this album a listen for years, but it’s the sort of music I have to be in the right mood for. The music itself is great and a lot of fun, but sometimes the silliness has been a little too intense. It’s a little like B-52’s for me in that way. I can get behind almost everything here and I really enjoyed Uncontrollable Urge and Mongoloid this time through. I’ve always liked their deconstructed version of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction more than the original. The best song I’d never heard before was easily Shrivel-Up. Great music and a nice bleak message. Gut Feeling has a great groove too though I could probably do without the Slap Your Mammy bit at the end. It’s probably never going to be one of my favorite post-punk records, but it’s a really strong album I can finally admit probably belongs in my vinyl collection… to be brought out occasionally!
I can do about 2 tracks and enjoy them but then his voice pisses me off too much.
Marqueur d’une époque mais nul 2-/5
Muy buena banda sonora, pero tiene temas un poco extraños. Escuché más de este artista y no fue el álbum que más destaco, así que la puntuación es baja aunque había arrancado bien
This album's so fucking wacky. I love it so much. It sounds like 80's King Crimson but with even more fun vocals. This record was pretty much nothing I expected. Some songs are straight insanity, but it works surprisingly well. Even better, it has the genuine great tracks to back it up so I know they're actually musically guided and capable and not just dicking around, so it gives support and back to the nonsense. I don't know if it was because I was sick when I listened, but everything about the zaniness automatically clicked the minute I started it. However, some tracks are a little repetitive, which isn't too bad due to the album's overall short length. Ridiculous stuff.
Enjoyable melodic new wave/punk strong blend if guitars and synthesisers. Enjoyable.
Freaky new wave/punkish album. Really recommend it.
not the best average
Well that was fun. Some obtuse, hard to lock into grooves and a bright sound. Not as much synth as I expected, which is a bummer but that's okay. I like Mark Mothersbaugh's sing shouting thing here. Doesn't work on every album, but it does on this one.
The soundtrack to wedgies.
I only ever knew that Whip It song before this. This was nice and weird and cool. When I was a kid I had a Weird Al tape with Dare to be Stupid which I heard was in the style of Devo, and now finally all these years later I'm like Oooohh, I see, haha.
4/10… art punk / new wave / *1978
Favorite Track: Uncontrollable Urge
I honestly wonder what i was on when i was listening to Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo because my oh my was this album weird. It always felt like each song was doing at least one thing to give it a very weird vibe through things like certain vocal touches, unorthodox melodies and sounds that really made this stand out. I was kinda mixed on the weirdness as sometimes, it worked pretty well but other times, it got too much. I can easily admit that this is an album that won't be for everyone as it really does a lot of stuff that can be an acquired taste to some. However i still enjoyed it to a mild extent and can see why some people would absolutely get a kick out of this. Best Song: Shrivel-Up Worst Song: Mongoloid
Lots of fun.
Can see what sort of music it inspired, but this is weird new wave punk that's just too early to be any good.
I’m not sure I ever got Devo. They didn’t really sound like punk rock, at least the songs I heard, like Whip It, didn’t. I know the name is short for Devolution, as in humans are devolving rather than evolving? That case can probably be made for sure now. Or, maybe it’s a double meaning and they devolved what music had become by that point in time. In 1978, we had disco, and these big, bombastic rock bands and slickly produced pop music all warring against each other for the listener’s ear. This was their debut album, again, released in 1978, and Brian Eno produced it. And someone by the name of David Bowie also helped with the album, it's been said. At the time, I was four years old, and Brian Eno’s name wouldn’t have meant anything to me. Now, I realize he must have been the perfect man for the job. Though, according to our good friends Wikipedia, Eno and the band clashed. I think Eno wanted to get really crazy, and the band was like, no, we know what we're doing here. As per usual, the Brits got what Devo was up to, as this album went to number 12 on their charts/ It only got up to number 81 on the U.S. charts. The U.S. usually makes things cool or invents the next fad or scene, but we always seem to lag behind the Brits in musical taste. Though we usually catch on, and when we do, that's when a band blows up. The band is made up of two sets of brothers, Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob and Gerald Casale. Then there’s the drummer, Allen Myers. I wonder how many ties he had to break between the brothers? Mark and Gerald seemed to be the two brothers who were the main songwriters, but everybody except Myers had at least one songwriting credit on the album. Okay, enough stalling. Track 1 is Uncontrollable Urge and I’ve heard this track. It’s the Ridiculousness theme song. Now this does sound like a punk song. Mark M. is singing, and he’s not singing so much as yelling in a robotic voice of some sort. I can see how people disillusioned by the music scene at that time would gravitate to this weird band. This song is good. Great way to kick off the album and give people a taste of what’s to come. Wait? Is that alarm on the song or from my computer? It’s weird. Just an alarm sound out of nowhere. Track 2 is (I Can’t Get) No Satisfaction, and this was written by Mick Jagger and Keef Richards. Yes, it’s that song. Devo certainly makes the song their own. Very tight and staccato notes. It’s essentially the exact opposite of the Rolling Stones’ version. While there’s a loose swing to the Stones' version, Devo’s has tightened all the screws and decided to make this song almost clinical. It’s so weird. I never would have thought to do it this way. As much as I want to hate it. I like it. I always say that when a band covers a song, especially a monster song like this, they need to make it their own without losing its identity. Playing it straight like a karaoke band is too little, but turning it into something unrecognizable is too far. Devo did it just right. Track 3 is Praying Hands, and the first song I’m not sure I’ve heard. Oooh. This song has a bit of a groove. The riff is sweet. Then, of course, it blasts off to space with weird synths. It’s almost a reggae groove, but again, tightened up. It seems the song is targeting televangelists at the time, and how some people believed these charlatans. As the song goes on, it more and more resembles a real song. That sounds so weird to say. Maybe I had Devo wrong all this time. This might be my favorite on the album so far. Track 4 is Space Junk. Devo is like music with all the fun and spontaneity taken out of it. There are no drum fills, no guitar solos, just straight playing. Which sounds very different. The song’s about space junk falling from the sky and killing a woman. Devo were very topical, it seems. Though everything they wrote seemed to reflect the feeling at the time. Again, I was just 4, but that time had a feel. The 80s felt different than the 90s, the 90s felt different than the 2000s, but since around 2005, maybe 2010, it feels like we’re stuck. Or maybe I’m the one who’s stuck. Hmmmm, best to not focus on that too long. Track 5 is Mongoloid. Is that word still usable today? This song starts out with a killer bass line, and then it builds into a great guitar riff with swirling synths. This song sounds great. The song is about a mentally handicapped person fitting in better with society than most people. It was a different time. Not that it was a better time, of course. Beyond the title, the song is really good. I can see how the Cars were inspired by DEVO. Track 6 is Jocko Homo. The song lays out how human society is devolving. “They tell us that we lost our tails Evolving up from little snails I say it's all just wind in sails Are we not men? We are Devo Are we not men? D-E-V-O We're pinheads now, we are not whole We're pinheads all, Jocko Homo” It seems Jocko Homo means monkey man. The song is really good. I guess I’ve matured enough to get their satire and the way they are deconstructing rock music. Track 7 is Too Much Paranoias and it’s weirder than most songs on here. There’s a breakdown in the song that is odd? The main riff is quite good. The song is about our fast-food society and how it causes paranoia. It’s weird. Track 8 is Gut Feeling/(Slap Your Mammy), and it starts out like a regular song, which, for Devo, is weird. Very punk rock vibe, like Bad Religion. This is just a lovely change from the previous songs. There’s a piano in the mix, which I’m not sure I’ve heard before in this album. It’s got kind of a modern take on old 50’s rock and roll. Gut Feeling is about a person discovering their partner is “rotten to the core.” It’s a toxic relationship. The song devolves into noise rock, before a fast punk riff starts, and the chorus repeats over and over. "Slap your mammy down Slap your pappy down again" Some interpret the song (Slap Your Mammy) as a satire on masturbation. I’m not smart enough to get there. But I think this is a really good song, both are, actually. Track 9 is Come Back Jones and it starts out with a lot of drums. The song has a great riff, and the bass is really holding things together. This is a parody of all those 50s rock songs in which someone dies, like Leader of the Pack. “With eyes full of teardrops Jonee jumped in his Datsun Drove out on the expressway Went head-on into a semi His guitar is all that's left now He made her cry And she calls his name Jonee, you're to blame Come back Jonee” It’s actually pretty funny and cool. Track 10 is Sloppy (I Saw MY Baby Gettin’). The song is about a dude’s girlfriend spending all her money on a car, and then it breaks down. From there it devolves into sexual innuendo? Or something. The song is weird. Track 11 is Shrivel Up, and I just realized Whip It isn’t even on this album. What? Shrivel Up begins with what sounds like an out-of-tune guitar. What’s really odd about this song is that Mark Mothersbaugh seems to be singing in a real voice, rather than his Devo voice. The song appears to be about people moving to the suburbs and shriveling up. Devo may be too smart for me. Okay, did I enjoy this album? Kind of. There are some fun songs on here, and I can see how Devo influenced the new wave and art rock of the future. But they aren’t a band to throw on at a party, at least not for a whole album. If you’ve never heard Devo or heard of Devo, I think you should check this album out, if for no other reason than to expand your musical knowledge and palate. I’m not sure I’ll ever listen to this album again, but I’m glad I did at least once.
this really surprised me
2/5
I loved Mark Mothersbaugh in Yo Gabba Gabba!
Uncontrollable Urge
Q: How good is your album? A: Quite frankly, it's kinda mid.
I fully comprehend that this album is quite early for new wave, and will therefore be described as an influential and important album. I'm just seeing if I like the albums or not, and I wasn't wowed by this. Just quite a lot of noise with talk singing in the background. Ew. But there were some interesting musical choices sometimes
Quirky and fun. Nice to have something not so serious in what's been a pretty serious week. 5/5
Dieses album ist sogar im Bereich von 4.5/5, weil einfach fast jeder sogar sehr catchy ist und DEVO's gesamte discography ja dafür bekannt ist, das sie so experimentell ist. Fand ich richtig gut!
As soon as the recons started playing I was immediately thinking of queens of the Stone Age. I liked it. This was more guitar based than I thought.
this album is about me
An absolute classic, one of a kind.
Devo certainly had their predecessors and influences, but they are utterly unique to my ears. There just isn't another record that I've ever heard that sounds like this music. And maybe it's polarizing, but I absolutely love it. There isn't a cover anywhere that does what Devo did to Satisfaction. Just completely turned it on its head, not just musically but tonally. The ultimate cock rock anthem turned into a nervous breakdown. Mark Mothersbaugh is a genius
I enjoy DEVO, hard not to. I'd go so far as to call them underrated. This debut is a twist on punk and a start on the 80's sound wrapped into one. Innovative for the time and it still holds up pretty well. Solid listener counts from top to bottom, no track under 1.1M listens. "Uncontrollable Urge" is best known as the theme song for Ridiculousness, and introduced Devo to a completely new audience. Their version of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" was one of the original MTV videos and a great take on a classic Stones song. "Mongoloid" & "Jocko Homo" are fan favorites and always part of their live set. "Gut Feeling/Slap Your Mammy" has a cult following. I loved the "Oh, No, It's Devo" album when I was a kid. It's loaded with good songs and full of funness. There's a bit too much craziness on this one (see "Jocko Homo", "Too Much Paranoias", "Sloppy", songs that are fast-forward-worthy) Is it a must hear, not sure, but it's enjoyable and it was cutting edge when it was released. Influential, yes, and it contains a few radio songs. 3 stars
Not my style but a few good songs. How is it that this is the 4th album I hear from diffrent band all with a slightly other interpretation of I cant get no satisfaction?
Still tight as a tripwire and infectious as a dystopian biotoxin. Devo forever!
The tension on Are We Not Men? is palpable, broken only occasionally, such as on the riff opening “Gut Feeling” — and even there, it’s short-lived, dissolving into a frantic tempo, squalls of guitar feedback and Mark Mothersbaugh’s howling vocals. It’s like a paranoid amphetamine jag set to great, off-kilter, angular tunes and backed by the band’s mesmerizing visual identity and heady devolutionary concept. One of the finest examples of what would eventually be called post-punk from this side of the pond.
No one understands my potato.
Ok
Tightly wound new wave rock. The opening string of songs really had me going and bobbing my head, though the album lost me a bit in the middle with some less palatable tracks. Still, I love the energy of this overall. It’s angsty, horny music. I just recently discovered Devo’s cover of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" because I heard it in the Martin Scorsese movie "Casino" and loved its use in that. It’s a pretty wild and weird cover on its own but I like it.
Devo is a great quirky band, and maybe one of the more known quirk bands from the decades of 1970-2000. Most people know them for "Whip It", but "Uncontrollable Urge" is really a great song too. There's a lot of bands that have come since Devo that probably owe a lot to them in terms of coming up with a whole audio visual experience. It's cool.
Devo in general is so nostalgic since my mother used to play it all the time. Not my favorite, but gets an extra star because of the nostalgia.
uncontrollable urge
This is really fun
Nope, not great
Thank our lucky stars for this album.
Whenever I consider my seemingly unfounded hesitancy to check out Devo, I always forget about how much I love "Uncontrollable Urge". What a killer tune. There are actually quite a few killer tunes here: "Space Junk", "Mongoloid", and "Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy)" all do it for me quite a bit. I think they strike a pretty great balance on this record of humor, energy, quirkiness, and accessibility. Also, I know I've heard this "Satisfaction" cover before, but it really stood out to me as a highlight this time around; it takes a lot of balls not just to cover such an iconic song, but completely turn it on its head, and I think they succeed with flying colors here. The one more well-known song here that I'm not as high on is "Jocko Homo", but I don't have too many complaints past that. Interested to keep returning to this one and see how/if my opinions evolve. 4/5
7/10 Hadn’t listened to a lot of Devo and was pleasantly surprised.
This is really fun, a good example of synth use to enhance the rock game that's already going strong. Good set of songs and weird lyrics.
Still subversive, otherworldly and idiosyncratic.
More zany music, please!
2.75
Great
Yeah it's not bad. It's not amazing but I enjoyed it. Fun little record. The instrumentation is cool, very surf rock with some surreal keyboard thrown in. Good production, good musicianship, good satirical lyrics. A lot of cool ideas going on here, not all of them hit (Satisfaction, Sloppy), but the overall majority do. They own the weirdness and it works most of the time. Sometimes it's a bit irritating but maybe it's intentional, you know what these artsy types are like when they want to labour a point. It's like they go so far to the weird side that the weirdometer ticks over and goes back to cool again. It's like if Talking Heads had ADHD as well as autism, and then went surfing.
I’m sure Devo have better albums than this so not sure why this is on the list TBH
I wish I had heard this when I was 17 instead of now, I think i would have been super into it. Its good. Really good, but I just feel like it would have made more sense to me earlier in life.
Komisch abgehackt
DEVO er gøy! Jeg glemmer hvor bra den skiva er, men hver gang jeg oppdager det, binger jeg den. Høy replay-verdi! Lærte ikke før nå at Brian Eno var involvert. Eller at de hadde jamma med Holger Czukay og Dieter Moebius mens de venta på at bassisten skulle komme seg til Berlin for å spille inn skiva. Ting faller på plass.
Jeg koser meg med Devo og de er definitivt en av de beste i klassen på nevrotisk new wave-vokal. "Uncontrollable Urge", "Mongoloid" og "Gut Feeling" er certified fresh. Til tider kan det bikke over i fjolleri, men overall gøy plate.
this is what happen when that weird friend who have a voice they think is hilarious but is just annoying make a album. Devo did have some cult following and cultural significance but this album don't include their most famous track. I don't get the humour to be honest it's mostly annoying, so to me it feels like a failed humour band.
Ett mästerligt album, som Devo aldrig överträffat
En 1978, débarquent cinq hurluberlus d’Akron, Ohio avec une théorie : la Dé-évolution. L’idée que l’humanité a atteint son pic et qu’on est maintenant en train de redescendre l’échelle de Darwin à toute berzingue. Et pour illustrer ça, ils nous pondent Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!. Quand on pose le saphir sur ce skeud, on a l'impression d'ouvrir une boîte de Pandore remplie de ressorts rouillés et de circuits imprimés qui court-circuitent. Le son est sec, aride, c’est de la musique de robot qui aurait trop bu de caféine et qui ferait une attaque cérébrale en rythme. Les guitares de Mark Mothersbaugh et Bob Mothersbaugh ne "swinguent" pas. Elles découpent et hachent le temps comme des couperets industriels. On est loin des solos de branleurs de manche qui durent quinze minutes. Ici, tout est chirurgical, nerveux, presque insupportable pour celui qui cherche du confort. Et puis il y a Brian Eno à la production. Le mec sortait de ses collaborations avec Bowie à Berlin et il a essayé d'apporter sa touche "européenne", son vernis de génie des textures. Mais Devo, c’est des têtus, ils voulaient que ça sonne comme un jouet cassé, pas comme une cathédrale sonore. C'est cette tension, entre le producteur qui veut faire de l’art et le groupe qui veut faire du sabotage, qui donne à l’album cette texture unique, ce côté "futuriste mais déjà obsolète". On ne peut pas parler de cet album sans parler du crime de lèse-majesté commis sur "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction". Prendre l’hymne ultime des Rolling Stones, le monument du rock hormonal, et en faire une marche épileptique, déshumanisée, où le riff est transformé en un hoquet mécanique... C’est génial, c’est un majeur dressé à la face de toute l’histoire du rock. Ils ont pris le sexe et la frime de Jagger et ils les ont remplacés par de la frustration pure et dure. C’est la version pour les mecs qui ne baisent pas, les mecs qui bossent à la chaîne, les mecs qui buggent devant leur télé. C'est ça, Devo. C'est la bande-son de la frustration moderne. "Mongoloid", "Jocko Homo", "Uncontrollable Urge"... Ces titres ne sont pas juste des morceaux de musique, ce sont des slogans. Et "Are we not men? We are Devo!", c’est le cri de ralliement de tous ceux qui ne rentrent pas dans les cases. Quand on écoute "Jocko Homo", avec son rythme en 7/8 qui te force à boiter si tu essaies de suivre la cadence, on comprend que le groupe se fout de notre gueule. Ils ne veulent pas qu'on danse, ils veulent qu'on se rende compte qu'on est des automates. C’est un album qui pue l’intelligence mal placée. C’est caustique, c’est méchant, et c’est surtout incroyablement visionnaire. En 1978, ils prédisaient déjà l’ère de l’idiotie généralisée, de la consommation débile et de la régression intellectuelle. Regardez autour de vous aujourd'hui : ils avaient raison sur toute la ligne. On est en plein dedans. On est tous Devo, mais on ne porte pas tous la combinaison jaune fluo. Ce qui me troue le cul avec ce disque, c’est sa cohérence. Tout est lié, les visuels, les films (parce que Devo, c’était aussi de la vidéo avant l’heure), les textes, et cette musique qui sonne comme si elle sortait d'une game boy avant l'invention de la game boy. C’est un album qui refuse de plaire. Il est agressif par son absence totale d’émotion traditionnelle. Il n'y a pas d'amour ici, pas de tristesse, juste de l'observation froide et un sarcasme qui te décolle la rétine. Un 5/5 parce que c’est un disque qui a redéfini les frontières de ce qu’on pouvait appeler le "rock". C’est l’acte de naissance de la New Wave, mais une New Wave qui aurait encore des dents et qui n'aurait pas peur de mordre. Ei tu n'écoutes pas ce disque avec le sourire aux lèvres en te disant "mais qu'est-ce que c'est que cette connerie ?", c'est que tu es déjà mort. Devo, c'est le test de Turing de la musique : si tu n'y réagis pas, tu es probablement un robot, et pas un robot cool comme eux.
Saved? ✅ Would listen again? 🤔 Would recommend to anyone? 🤔 Would buy on Vinyl? 🤔
Absolutely nothing about this album piqued my interest. Not the vocals, not the production, not the composition... absolutely nothing.
Listening experience Uncontrollable Urge: 1st song sounds great! Loving this. Vocals are funny, but I can’t understand what he is saying. What kind of urge does he have? lol. Yaya ha yaya ha (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction: Cool drums. Dissonant guitar but it’s funky and the vocals are nice. Nice, he has a TV. Ends suddenly, I like the first track better. Praying Hands: Sounds like surf rock, it sounds happy and the synth comes out. It’s very strange, I’m but I’m tapping my foot to it! Cool drum groove. These lyrics are weird LOL! Yeah well what if I have 3 hands! Also ends suddenly. Space Junk: I’m liking this, I think more than the first track. Cool guitar, lyrics are funny. Sputnik Sputnik Sputnik! TEYXAS KAYNSAS Cool synthesizers. Cool guitar. S P A C E J U N K Cool drum fill at the end. Uh oh, I think this song has given me a case of Kessler syndrome! Mongoloid: Sounds badly, strange sounding drums and nice guitar. I like the synthesizer. Unintelligible lyrics though… I think mongoloids like bacon, I’m not sure though… Weird sounding synth and MONGOLOID!!! I won’t lie there’s nothing too special about this song, but it’s alright! Mongoloids have jobs too and they seem to like wearing hats, maybe I should wear hats while working. Nice ending. Cool synthesizer! Jocko Homo: Wow, very weird sounding. Oh really? Damn, I also think it’s wind and sails, and D-E-V-O! Yes, we are pinheads. Are we not men? We are Devo! Very weird sounding, I don’t know if I like this. Cool. Bass drum sounds cool, weird sound effects, they sound like the ones in Richard Dawson’s The Fool. What if a glue supplied the monkey? We are DEVO! Definitely the weirdest sounding track on the record, but I have mixed feelings about it. Too Much Paranoias: Dissonant. Man, who is scream- oh wait! AHHHHH! Very strange, also mixed feelings about this. I can’t even understand the lyrics. Cool sound effects, sounds like I’m in space. Yeah no, this is not for me. Gut Feeling / (Slap Your Mammy) I like the everything, it’s very nice. Cool sounding piano. I think this is my favorite track so far! It just keeps building and building! is it speeding up? Ok I won’t lie, this lyrics kind of stink. Music makes up for it though! Uh oh, I don’t think he can take it anymore! And I also guess he’s got a gut feeling! Weird sounding guitar. Is he laughing or screaming? Wow nice turnaround. This is nice! Ends suddenly. Come Back Jonee: Sounds very different from the rest of the album. It’s fast… wait a second! JOHNNY B. GOODE? This sounds happy and exciting. Oh wait, it’s not Johnny B. Goode, it’s Jonee. D’oh! Cool sounding guitar lead. I SWEAR HE SAID JOHNNY B. GOODE Oh wait, he’s saying Jonee be good. Ohhhhhhhhh! New singers. Cool sounding drums, but it ends suddenly. Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin’): Also sounds different. I think the mix is just quieter, and what is his baby doing? Nice sounding synths, and she said sloppy! Wait… what are these lyrics? Never mind, it’s probably just me. I thought it ended! Lol! Now it ended, and it ended suddenly! I think that was alright! Shrivel-Up: Sounds weird. I’m gonna loose my ma? Damn, no need to shove it in my face man! I don’t know if I like this… Dying under daddy’s cap? What? Pooty-poo? Yeah no I don’t really like this. I think Album could’ve ended a lot better. Conclusion: I think this album was in the middle of a 3 and 4. It was very unusual and weird sounding, but that’s not a bad thing. But I’d rather listen to Bitches Brew which is way weirder sounding but sounds better. I think the lyrics were mid and they were ever poor in some songs, and some songs had some parts that id say… were somewhat awful. At least the other songs on the record make up for it!
This was an awakening for me. After cutting my teeth on Kiss and Foreigner in middle and high school, this album opened my eyes. Being weird and a nerd could also make you a punk and cool.
I don’t feel any particular way about this album.
Devo are one of those bands that get talked about a lot, but I'm not sure if I've ever knowingly listened to them before. It's good! It teeters on the edge of silliness, for which - see entries passim - I have a very low threshold, but it just about stays on the right side of the fun line. It's got great hooks and melodies throughout - you get the sense, like you do with someone like Steely Dan, that everything is precision engineered.
Disappointing. I hadn't heard this album, but I was aware of it's good reputation. I found parts of it to be irritating and smug. Other parts were decent and rocking, but not enough to save it.
Fantastically weird Midwest rock debut from a band that arrives completely realized. Though the band apparently frustrated him by rejecting a lot of his ideas, Eno here crafts a presentation for the songs that somehow retains the high energy without becoming exhausting, with more than a passing resemblance to Talking Heads. I always assumed the oddball essence of Devo would feel forced in its application but that’s not the case on this album.
It aight. I may come back later and give this a proper review later. I’m tired. 3/5 ⭐️ 83/1089
I preferred the Pere Ubu record
4.2
Great stuff.
Fue una buena sorpresa este disco, es movido y con estilo.
Devo More like De-No
I would rate this a zero if I could
Wtf is this
I thought I would like this album more than I did. Love the 2 songs I had heard (“Uncontrollable Urge” and the very unique cover of “Satisfaction”). The rest were, I am sure, as avant garde as Devo, but didn’t do much for me.
Pretty solid album. Tyler Myers on the cover too!
Enjoyed this one
This was pretty good!
I don't like these guys
I know of Devo, but I’m not really familiar with their music. Looking at their Spotify, they sang Whip It, which everyone knows, and there’s a cover of Satisfaction on this album, but I don’t know any of their other songs by name. • Oh, the first is the Ridiculousness song? This is a cool one, I’ve never heard the full song but I’m not surprised by how the rest sounds • This is a really interesting cover of Satisfaction. It’s very identifiably the song, but it takes it in a completely different direction • I like the surf vibe in Praying Hands • Space Junk sounds very Talking Heads-esque, I’m definitely hearing the New Wave in this song • Jocko Homo is an interesting song. About halfway through I checked how long the song was, and was surprised to see it had only been playing for a minute and a half. It wasn’t wearing on me, but it felt longer than it is • Come back Jonee is really energetic • Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin’) is a wild song title, but it’s a fun song. The bass is prominent throughout it which I like • Shrivel-Up is a very different vibe to end the album with, but I like it. I really love mouth harps, so hearing it in the back of this song is great. I liked this album. It’s a bit different than what I usually listen to, since new wave isn’t really my go-to music choice, but that doesn’t make it bad by any means. I don’t know if I’d revisit many of the songs here, but they made for a fun listen. Favourite song: Uncontrollable Urge
More enjoyable new wave than lots
epic greatness
appreciate experimenting but this is just too quirky for me
Damn fine men, these! ★★★★
This is a seriously weird album, in all the good ways.
I do not feel much about this