Are We Not Men? We Are Devo!

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Q: Are We Not Men?
A: We Are Devo!
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 28, 1978 (1978-08-28)
RecordedOctober 1977 – February 1978
GenrePunk rock, post-punk, new wave
Length34:24
LabelStiff
ProducerBrian May
Devo chronology
Mechanical Man EP
(1977)
Q: Are We Not Men?
A: We Are Devo!
Duty Now for the Future
(1979)
Singles from Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
  1. "Jocko Homo"
    Released: February 17, 1978[1]
  2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
    Released: April 14, 1978[2]
The correct title of this article is Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
"
Q:" makes a link to Wikiquote.org when it is used in an article title.

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the first album released by the American new wave music band Devo. This album was produced by Queen guitarist Brian May, recorded mostly in London, England and released in the U.S. by Warner Bros. Records company in 1978.

The album received mixed reviews from critics when it was released. It reached number 12 on the UK album charts and number 78 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Recent reviews of the album have been mostly positive. This album is included on many "best of" lists from magazines such as Rolling Stone, Pitchfork Media and Spin.

Devo played the whole album live on stage for the first time on May 6, 2009. It was a part of the Don't Look Back (concert series)|Don't Look Back concert series. On September 16, 2009, Warner Bros. and Devo said they would re-release Q: Are We Not Men? and Freedom of Choice, and that Devo would tour and perform both albums.[3]

Reception by critics[change | change source]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic4.5/5 stars[4]
Cokemachineglow[5]
PopMatterspositive[6]
Robert ChristgauB+[7]
Rolling Stonemixed[8]

The first reaction by critics to Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was mixed. Tom Carson, wrote in Rolling Stone that "There's not an ounce of feeling anywhere, and the only commitment is to the distancing aesthetic of the put-on", and opined that "Devo lacks most of May's warmth and much of Bowie's flair for mechanized melodrama. For all its idiosyncrasies, the music here is utterly impersonal."[8] Critic Robert Christgau gave the album a positive rating of a B+, but noted, "In small doses it's as good as novelty music ever gets, and there isn't a really bad cut on this album. But it leads nowhere."[7] It was voted one of the best albums of the year in the Village Voice's Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1978.[9] In January 1980, Trouser Press also named it one of the best albums of 1978.[10]

Later reception of the album has been mostly positive. Steve Huey of the online music database Allmusic scored the album four and a half "stars" calling it "arguably Devo's strongest set of material, though several brilliant peaks can overshadow the remainder", and "a seminal touchstone in the development of American new wave."[4] Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is on "best of" lists, including Spin's 50 Most Essential Punk Records, Pitchfork Media's top 100 albums of 1970s and Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.[6][11][12] It is also listed in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Track listing[change | change source]

Vinyl Record[change | change source]

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Uncontrollable Urge" (Mark Mothersbaugh) 3:09
2. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (Mick Jagger, Keith Richards) 2:40
3. "Praying Hands" (Gerald V. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh) 2:47
4. "Space Junk" (G.V. Casale, B. Mothersbaugh) 2:14
5. "Mongoloid" (Gerald V. Casale) 3:44
6. "Jocko Homo" (M. Mothersbaugh) 3:40
Side two
No. Title Length
1. "Too Much Paranoias" (M. Mothersbaugh) 1:57
2. "Gut Feeling" / "(Slap Your Mammy)" (M. Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh / G. V. Casale) 4:54
3. "Come Back Jonee" (G. V. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh) 3:47
4. "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" (M. Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, G. V. Casale, Gary Jackett) 2:40
5. "Shrivel-Up" (G. V. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh) 3:05

Band Members[change | change source]

  • Bob Casale – rhythm guitar player, also plays keyboards, sometimes sings background vocals
  • Gerald V. Casale – bass player, also plays keyboards, sings main vocals
  • Bob Mothersbaugh – main guitar player, sings background vocals
  • Mark Mothersbaugh – main keyboard player, sometimes plays guitar, sings main vocals
  • Alan Myers – drum player

Album producer and engineers[change | change source]

Singles[change | change source]

  • "Come Back Jonee" / "Social Fools"
  • "Praying Hands" / "Come Back Jonee"
  • "Mongoloid" / "Jocko Homo"

Charts[change | change source]

Album

Year Chart Peak
Position
1978 Billboard Pop Albums 78[13]
1978 UK Albums Chart 12[14]

References[change | change source]

  1. Strong 1998, p. 200
  2. Strong 1998, p. 201
  3. "Warner Bros. and Devo press release on re-release and tour". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  4. 4.0 4.1 "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! > Review". Huey, Steve. allmusic. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
  5. Hepburn, Peter (September 1, 2005). "Devo: Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!". cokemachineglow.com. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Devo : Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! > Review". PopMatters. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Robert Christgau : CG: Devo". Village Voice. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  8. 8.0 8.1 "Devo : Review: Rolling Stone". Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 6, 2008.[permanent dead link]
  9. "The 1978 Pazz & Jop Critics Poll". The Village Voice. New York. January 22, 1979. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  10. "Best Albums of the 1970s". Trouser Press. January 1980. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  11. "Top 100 Albums of the 1970s: Pitchfork". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on December 9, 2008. Retrieved December 6, 2008.
  12. "447) Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!". Rolling Stone. No. Special Issue. Straight Arrow. November 2003. Archived from the original on December 27, 2004.
  13. "allmusic (((Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums)))". Retrieved May 16, 2008.
  14. "UK Top 40 Hit Database". Archived from the original on May 12, 2008. Retrieved May 16, 2008.

Other websites[change | change source]