Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo? (1978)

“Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo?” by Devo (1978)

Release Date: August 28, 1978
Produced by Brian Eno, David Bowie (additional co-producer)
Genre: New Wave, Electronic, Punk Rock
Label: Warner Bros, Virgin

Chart Positions: #7 (New Zealand), #12 (UK), #57 (Australia), #78 (US)
Certifications: Gold (US), Silver (UK)

Singles: “Mongoloid” (No chart data)
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” #41 (UK), #48 (Netherlands), #98 (Australia)
“Jocko Homo” #62 (UK)
“Come Back Jonee” #60 (UK)
Other Charting Tracks: N/A
Best Tracks: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” “Uncontrollable Urge,” “ Space Junk,” “Mongoloid,” “Jocko Homo,” “Come Back Jonee”

“Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo?” (Click Here)

In 1977, David Bowie and Iggy Pop received a tape of Devo demonstration songs from the wife of Michael Aylward, guitarist in another Akron, Ohio band, Tin Huey. Both Iggy and Bowie, as well as Brian Eno and Robert Fripp, expressed interest in producing Devo's first release. At Devo's New York debut show in 1977, Bowie proclaimed that "this is the band of the future, I'm going to produce them in Tokyo this winter." Eventually, Eno was chosen to produce the album in Germany. Bowie was busy filming "Just a Gigolo," but helped Eno produce the record during weekends. Eno paid for the flights and studio cost for the band, confident that the band would be signed to a record contract. In return for his work on the album, Eno asked for a share of any subsequent deals.

Brain Eno envisioned many sides of Devo after he first heard their music, he stated, 'What I saw in them always happens when you encounter something new in art - you get a feeling of being slightly dislocated, and with that are emotional overtones that are slightly menacing as well as alluring. This induced a stiffening effect because with Devo you have something that makes your body move in a new way."

The album quickly became a cult sensation in part because of it's highly stylized visuals - videos, album art and costumes which made the band members look alike. The album was a touchstone in the development of American new wave. It was one of the first pop album to use the synthesizer as a prominent feature in their music. Devo was pivotal in the explosion of synth-pop that would soon follow.

Devo’s quirky version of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” was the second single from the album and chart debut and was originally from their “Be Stiff” EP released in 1977. Music History professor, Theo Cateforis had recognized that Devo's rendition of the Rolling Stones classic was a satirical contradiction of African American and Caribbean rhythms in a sense a parody of the nervous bodily awkward "whiteness" of the white male man machine torn between discipline and the urges of the flesh.

"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" (1978)

Their first single from the album was “Mongoloid” also from the “Be Stiff” EP.

"Jocko Homo," one of the album's several highlights was written in an unnerving and unusual 7/8 time which keeps the rhythm quirky on a level that outstrips any sort of quirky rhythms delivered by The Talking Heads or XTC.

Mark Mothersbaugh was a student at Kent State when he received a religious pamphlet from afraid titled "Jocko Homo" in which it debunked the theory of evolution. This was right after the students had been killed on campus at Kent State. The song was written based on a series of discussions Mothersbaugh and his bandmates had. They decided that what was happening to the planet and what they were seeing in the news was not evolution but more appropriately de-evolution. Hence the name Devo (which is short for de-evolution).

Devo (1978)

Link to “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo?” (Click Here)

DEVO

Rolling Stones - Some Girls (1978)

“Some Girls” by The Rolling Stones (1978)

Release date: June 8, 1978
Produced by The Glimmer Twins (aka Mick Jagger and Keith Richards)
Chart Positions: #1 (US, Canada), #2 France, New Zealand, UK), #3 (Australia, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden), #4 (Austria), #5 (Spain), #6 (Italy, Germany), #11 (Japan), #83 (Belgium) #48 (Switzerland in 2011 reissue)
Certifications: 6xPlatinum (US), Platinum (New Zealand), Gold (France, Netherlands, UK)

"Some Girls" by Rolling Stones (Click Here)

During the mid 1970s the Rolling Stones went from releasing an album or two per year to one every two years. “Some Girls, their 14th studio album, was released 26 months after “Black and Blue.” Including the mega-hits “Miss You,” “Beast of Burden” and “Shattered,” “Some Girls” was Rolling Stones’ biggest selling album of their entire career.

Mick Jagger took a lead role on the album, mainly because Keith Richards had been arrested for drug possession in Toronto the previous year, and it was unclear what his sentence would be. Facing a maximum of life in prison, Keith had other things to worry about besides making an album. After this was released, the Canadian judge sentenced Richards to continue his addiction treatment and play a benefit concert for the blind.

The album cover for Some Girls was conceived and designed by Peter Corriston, who would design the next three album covers. An elaborate die-cut design, with the colours on the sleeves varying in different markets, it featured the Rolling Stones' faces alongside those of select female celebrities inserted into a copy of an old Valmor Products Corporation advertisement. The cover design was challenged legally when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli (representing her mother Judy Garland), Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe threatened to sue for the use of their likenesses without permission. Similarly, Valmor did take legal action and were given a monetary award for the use of their design.

The album was quickly re-issued with a redesigned cover that removed all the celebrities, whether they had complained or not. The celebrity images were replaced with black and punk style garish colours with the phrase Pardon our appearance - cover under re-construction. Jagger later apologised to Minnelli when he encountered her during a party at the famous discothèque Studio 54. The only celebrity whose face was not removed was ex-Beatle George Harrison. As with the original design, the colour schemes on the redesigned sleeves varied in different markets.
A third version of the album cover with hand-drawn women was found on the 1986 CD reissue.

The album received a Grammy Award nomination for “Album of the Year,” the award that year went to the “Saturday Night Fever” soundtrack.

In May 1978, the first single from the album, "Miss You", a prowling, moody number built on a stripped-down disco beat and bluesy pop harmonies, was released to very strong response, garnering the Rolling Stones their last US #1 hit and reaching #3 in the UK. The bass line, horns and drums gave this a disco sound. It alienated many of their fans, but also propelled it to the top of the charts. The Stones thought of it as more R&B than disco. "Miss You" was written by Mick Jagger jamming with keyboardist Billy Preston during rehearsals for the March 1977 El Mocambo club gigs, recordings from which appeared on side three of double live album Love You Live (1977). Keith Richards is credited as co-writer as was the case for all Rolling Stones originals written by either partner or in tandem. “Miss You” was an international hit reaching #1 (US, Canada), #2 (Netherlands), #3 (Belgium, Ireland, UK), #4 (France), #6 (Sweden), #8 (Australia, New Zealand) #11 (Norway, Switzerland) #12 (Germany), #13 (Austria),#18 (Italy) #19 (Finland). The single was certified Gold in the US and Silver in the UK.

"Miss You"

The second single “Beast Of Burden” only charted at #8 in the US but failed to chart elsewhere. “Respectable” was released as a single in Europe where it charted much better than “Burden.” The song made it to #23 (UK), #16 (Ireland, Netherlands) #91 (Australia). The fourth and final single “Shattered” reached #31 (US).

Other album highlights include a great remake of the Temptations 1971 classic “Just My Imagination (Running Away From Me)” and the country-blues tune “Far Away Eyes,” the Stones, longtime country music fans, incorporated many aspects of Bakersfield-style country music into this song. “Far Away Eyes” was used as the b-side to the single “Miss You.”

Rolling Stones (1978)

Link to “Some Girls” (Click Here) 

ROLLING STONES