They treated the synth like a noise generator, disjointed time signatures like an extra member, and made early fans out of David Bowie and Brian Eno, producer of their debut LP. Yes, Devo might be one of the most misunderstood acts to come to fruition during the 1970s – but they achieved a kind of alternative stardom nevertheless. Over four decades after their creative heyday, that legacy finds them headlining 2023’s Green Man festival, and Emma Way hailing them for this month’s Take Five.
Initially forming as an artistic response to the deadly Kent State University shootings of 1970, and later developing a tight grasp on electronic music and how to successfully market an obscure energy dome hat, Devo honoured their “devolutionist” philosophy in multiple ways – through their name, their chronic cynicism or their uniform, awkward appearance. The Akron, Ohio band had essentially bypassed the need for punk before punk was even a household name.
1. Uncontrollable Urge
Stabbing, in-your-face guitars, animated vocals and creative drums made up a varied arrangement on Uncontrollable Urge, a jerky Devo staple. Rejecting the popular rock music styles of the time, the song featured on Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, the band’s 1978 debut album – produced by Brian Eno, though Devo found themselves heavily resistant to Eno’s experimental ideas in production after honing these same songs over several years.
2. Girl U Want
Freedom Of Choice, from 1980 and Devo’s third album, featured one of their best known songs in Girl U Want: instantly recognisable from its robotic synth lines, pop melodies and stop-start sensibilities. The song failed to chart but has since been covered by Soundgarden, Superchunk and even the late MOR rock smoothie Robert Palmer.
3. Penetration In The Centrefold
After perusing a copy of Hustler, at the time very much the US market leader in hardcore nude periodicals, Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh was inspired to write Penetration In The Centrefold, which would in due course become the B-side to the band’s 1979 single The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprize.
4. Whip It
Mothersbaugh’s choppy new wave guitar was funnelled into this dance-rock number – Devo’s first top 20, certified gold hit single. What would become the band’s biggest track of all time featured a literal whip crack and glued together four contrasting pieces of music. An unlikely hit, and one which saw Devo moving away from their earlier, punkier sound.
5. Gut Feeling
There’s a black and white YouTube video of Devo playing this song circa 1977, at New York venue Max’s Kansas City, that’s so animated I’m not sure if it’s the quality of the video or the band’s eccentric performing style. Gut Feeling is a three-minute intro of garage/punk guitar building to the climax of Mothersbaugh’s opening lines: “Something about the way you taste makes me wanna clear my throat!”
Devo headline Green Man, Glanusk Park, Crickhowell on Fri 18 Aug.
Tickets: £205/£179 NUS/£137 under-18s/£32 under-13s (all categories sold out). Info: greenman.net
words EMMA WAY
