Devo
50 Years of De-Evolution 1973-2023
(Rhino/Warner Brothers)
3 out of 5 stars
Videos by American Songwriter
Has Devo really been active for fifty years? Well, officially, although the band only recorded a handful of little heard singles before releasing their 1978 debut. And with multiple hits and rarities collections already available, including but not limited to 2000s lavishly constructed and annotated, nearly definitive 50-track double Pioneers Who Got Scalped/The Anthology, is there any need for yet another?
The short answer is no.
This is not to say that this golden anniversary collection doesn’t do a perfectly respectable job. It collates the Ohio-based Spud boys’ best-known titles, tosses in obscurities from soundtracks along with single B sides and other musical ephemera, and then remasters the audio. But with only one album of original material since the compilation in 2000, and a startling lack of liner notes in the 23-page booklet (the previous one boasted a book twice as long and far more comprehensive), there is little reason for this to exist other than to rake in some bucks by repackaging content any fan already has or for whoever doesn’t already own this material.
To recap, Devo’s convoluted theory of de-evolution (the concept that “society is regressing rather than progressing”), represented by the quintet’s herky-jerky rhythms, soulless yet compelling vocals, and stripped-down, often synth-based instrumentation, clicked with the masses when MTV jumped on the still edgy “Whip It” video. That typically tongue-in-cheek ditty from their third outing helped the 1980 Freedom of Choice, its associated album, peak at No.22 on Billboard’s pop chart, the highest showing of their career. Despite a handful of decent albums after that (and some disappointing ones too), Devo never regained momentum and finally dissolved following the 1990 substandard Smooth Noodle Maps. They regrouped with three original members for the surprisingly sprightly Something for Everyone in 2010 (three of whose songs appear here), but there has been no new music since.
These 50 tracks adequately capture the best, and rarest, of Devo’s output over five decades, although they weren’t active for that entire duration, with a gap of new music spanning two decades from 1990-2010. But those first hearing of the experimental band, famous for their hazmat suits, flowerpot hats, quirky yet cool image, and catchy, futuristic melodies, should search out the nearly identical 2000 package, if only for its superior graphics, including a flashy 3D lenticular cover and more exhaustive liner notes.
Photo by Richard Creamer/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
