Search - Devo :: Something for Everybody

Devo 3.0

A. Meador | Morgan Hill, CA USA | 06/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Alright, I've been a Devotee for something like 32 years. But let's not get straight to the heart of the matter. Where does this album fall in the scheme of all things Devo? The first 2 albums were guitar driven uber-nerd and quirky affairs. This is where I first fell for Devo. Freedom of Choice was where the boys had said they wanted to go - a keyboard driven band. Some fans were taken aback, was this a sellout? Yes and no. Devo if you recall had their own corporate anthem in 1979. They were always about pop culture and marketing. More on this below. So we embraced the new Devo. Then came New traditionalists. The first truly lateral step, but still good stuff this. Then came Oh No, It's Devo. Hmm. Love it or leave it, this was where fans began to rift. I still loved it. But alas, I fear the boys had run out of things to say - or perhaps we had really just caught up. Shout had its moments, but from here on the world seemed to be moving by. And so it passed.



Now comes Devo 3.0. (we shall never speak of Devo 2.0). A sharply honed purpose driven, lean and hungry new Devo. A Devo with a plan. A Devo shaped and polished by the infamous Focus Group with 88% approval*. Not a "reimagining", nor a "reboot", this is Devo for 2010. Sarcastic, witty and angular - this is the Devo we've been waiting for a long, long time. They have something to say and songs to play with an energy I personally thought was lost. Remember, these are the guys that used to do jumping jacks on stage if they weren't doing anything else. And it sounds as if they could do it again!



Will this create a whole new legion of Devotees? I don't know, but if you're new to Devo I'd say this is as good a starting point as any - and I never thought I'd say that about any "band reunion" album. The sound is the same in that you'd spot it a mile away, and yet has the vitality and strength of any newcomer. You'll hear Mark yelping as if it were 30 years ago. You'll hear spastic guitars. You'll hear wild and weird noises and samples.



Personal listening impressions? It's hard to rate or place it compared to previous efforts, but after tidbits like the Wipeouters and Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers I wasn't really prepared to be sucked in like this. Color me surprised. Okay, the album fades a bit in the second half, but not by much; similar to the way Freedom of Choice goes into a bit of cruise control on the second half. But if you're reading this, then just know you'll be sorry if you don't pick this beast up and set it spinning out of control. It has all the elements of the first 3 albums blended together in a foamy frothy mix; it sounds like what Shout should have been 26 years later. The fact that they chose to not include "Watch Us Work It" (the recent single from the Dell ads) speaks volumes (IMHO) of the quality of songwriting.



In the end, it turns out Devo was simply pointing the way for us 30 years ago, and have been waiting for us to arrive; so here we are. Welcome home. See? We told you so.



Another reviewer here mentioned not liking the album cover - it wasn't Dada enough. Devo was never really into Dadaism per se, it was all part of their marketing. Devo was ALWAYS about marketing, right after DNA modification that is. Look at the power dome. The Devo Corporate Anthem. No, the cover is about selling it. Gorgeous minimalistic lines, simple use of primary colors. Message received and understood.



Don't you want some? Sure you do. It looks good doesn't it? Try a little, you'll like it. Mmmmm, tasty tasty Devo.



-Update-

There seems to be some confusion on the CD content and song order, so here it is:

1) Fresh 2) What We Do 3) Please Baby Please 4) Don't Shoot (I'm A Man) 5) Mind Games 6) Human Rocket 7) Sumthin' 8) Step Up 9) Cameo 10) No Place Like Home 12) March On

Songs that didn't make the CD cut are available on MP3 or iTunes.



Hope that helps!



* Only 88% focus group approval because the song order was changed to "partnership approved" content, meaning Devo and/or WB decided the focus group wasn't entirely correct!



"

Thank you D-E-V-O

Mason Williams | Mars | 06/15/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Something For Everybody is popular music's finest hour. It's the fountain of youth. An instant classic. I used to drive my parents batty back in 1980 jumping around the house singing Whip It and Uncontrollable Urge now my kids jump around the house singing "What we do is what we do"... My 9 year old said "this music is too good to be new"... the torch has been passed. Something for Everybody serves to ease the pain for all of us suffering through these musical dark ages."

Devo that will make you proud

Vstmxo | USA | 06/16/2010

(5 out of 5 stars)

"They're back. And this time, they mean it. With this album Devo aims to set us straight on who's the boss in laying down ironic beats. Back in their heyday Devo proclaimed "It's a beautiful world we live in." Today they shout "What we do is what we do. It's all the same, ain't nuthing new." Both statements are the opposite of true. Several tracks on this album offer a whole lot of new. First, if you're buying the Standard ("Corporate") album, skip over Fresh. It's a Devo classic rave-up, with a wonderful stuttering chorus, but it sets the wrong tone for the newness to come. Start up with Step Up, a rocker with wicked swing. You haven't heard this from Devo before. Then continue with March On, a synth opus that could pop the tiles off the dance floor. After that, check out Human Rocket, another swinging rocker that mixes electronica with rockabilly, and offers lyrics that make you smile. After Human Rocket, just dig in. Some of the cuts sound (wonderfully) like old Devo on steroids (Don't Shoot... and the omnipresent Fresh). Mind Games is pure 80s power pop (also new for Devo) and perhaps we could have done without it. The biggest surprise -- and quite a departure for Devo -- is the gripping "There's No Place Like Home," in which Devo frames the most devastating assessment ever of human stupidity in a satirically pretentious pseudo-Rush power ballad. It's $#!@ BRILLIANT. And Devo can play! At its best, classic Devo made you think. Sometimes it made you cringe. On this album, Devo makes you proud."