#442 – Devo, ‘Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!’

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 28 August 1978
Label: Warner Bros.
Genre: Punk rock, new wave, post-punk
Producer: Brian Eno

For fuck’s sake. This is just ker-razy. I had like really been looking forward to listening to Devo. Not just because of “Whip It”, maybe the only song that I actually knew, but just generally because I thought this would be great fun. I like new wave, I love Brian Eno, the title of the album is complete gold, and the band’s ethos is pretty awesome (down to their name even).

But man, on the first few listens this was tough going. It’s all insane time signatures and disjointed vocals. It sort of sneers at you, daring you to bother listening. Without having the luxury of growing up with it, the virginal listen-through was a disaster. This seemed like CRAP: I HATED the cover of “Satisfaction”. I can only imagine parents at the time being disgusted.

But it grows on you. Keep going. It’s funny (it’s actually really funny), it’s cool, it’s punk and it’s actually pretty listenable once you get used to it. I wouldn’t try and make someone else listen to it, it’s an acquired taste, but you can absolutely hear the influence that Devo have had on a lot of music today and the music I like most nowadays. It is a bit same-y, like it goes nowhere, but it is pretty fun. Seminal, if you can get used to it.

Top tracks: “Jocko Homo” (the best name of a song ever), and maybe “Shrivel-Up” which has a slightly different vocal and tempo.

#448 – The Police, ‘Synchronicity’

Synchronicity (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: 1 June, 1983
Label: A&M
Genre: New wave, reggae rock, post-punk, soft rock
Producer: The Police, Hugh Padgham

I came to Synchronicity with a basic dislike of The Police, and especially of front man Sting. I know they were once the biggest band in the world, I could just never understand why – but reggae has never been a sound I’ve warmed to. And I’ve just never loved Sting’s voice (or name), and, well, I just don’t like this band. Pushing through this album isn’t that bad.. and of course objectively it’s good. There’s still too much reggae influence (which I’ve read  was actually dialed down for this final record), and the pace is too quick – too many syllables packed into each line of every lyric – and the new wave sound just isn’t new wave enough, and Sting remains an issue in general for me. All that being said, I didn’t hate this like I thought I might, and somewhere one-day, I might even grow to like it.

Top tracks: Of course, the über-creepy “Every Breath You Take”.

#461 – Public Image Ltd., ‘Metal Box’

Metal Box (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Released: March 23, 1979
Label: Virgin Records (UK), Warner Bros. Records/Island Records (USA)
Genre: Post-punk, experimental rock
Producer: Public Image Ltd

If recent past experiences were anything to go by, I shouldn’t have liked Metal Box, but happily I do. Comparing it to Bunnymen’s Heaven Up Here, there’s more of a point to this album, more anger, more grit, more punk and less self-indulgent nonsense, and this is a much better listen. Don’t get me wrong, this is a dense, self-indulgent, moody, wanky record, but it’s hard not to love the sheer fuck-you of it all. The synth sounds are interesting, the bass is deep and the guitars crash like all hell. John Lyndon/Johnny Rotten’s voice is brilliant – what a sneer.

The fuck-this attitude extends to the concept of the original packaging (ergo the record’s title): a three-record vinyl set, coming in a metal canister, à la a film reel, the records’ so tightly packed that you’d scratch them taking them out, and each side containing only 10 minutes of music so you’d have to constantly change the record to listen to it. There was talk of the album being presented in a sandpaper case, which would wreck anything it was stored next to but this was shelved. Absolute gold.

Top tracks: The opening “Albatross”, all 10 minutes it, and I like “Socialist” with it’s randomised space sounds, and the contemptuous “The Suit”. But “Radio 4” is gorgeous: a diamond in the rough, it’s so British somehow, a bit ageless, sweeping and mournful but still uplifting and a little bit perfect.

This week: Christmas parties have come and gone and it’s days not weeks until Christmas and a short break. New Year’s resolutions will be next. Did I make any this year? How’s my year been? Methinks a retrospective is called for. Oh, and that’s thirty forty albums done!

#463 – Echo and the Bunnymen, ‘Heaven Up Here’

Released: May 30, 1981
Label: Korova
Genre: Post-punk
Producer: Hugh Jones, The Bunnymen

I have a dear friend who loves Echo and the Bunnymen. In fact, from what I’ve heard, it’s probably her favourite band. So it’s with trepidation I write this. It’s easier to dumbly criticise music when no one who you really like really-likes it.

To my friend, and to anyone, know this: this project is as much about learning about music than it is about anything. I used the work criticise before, but that’s the wrong word. Being critical infers an authority, and that I don’t have when it comes to music. But I did preface it with ‘dumbly’… So maybe it’ll be the right word for my writing when we get to the pointy end of this list, but it’s not right now and it’s not right yet.

Now, perhaps this just wasn’t the right time for this kind of music (and so I wonder what thats says about my mental health when I was listening to The Smiths..) but this record is a monumental drag, and unless you need to come down from a massive high or you’re looking for something to play alongside your suicide, then I’d say avoid this like the plague. Stylistically I can see where this came from, but man, this is really, really depressing stuff. Don’t expect anything that you can sing along with or much that you’ll want to remember.

Sorry friend!!

#483 – Gang of Four, ‘Entertainment’

Released: September 1979
Label: EMI, Warner Bros.
Genre: Post-punk, experimental rock, dance-punk
Producer: Andy Gill, Jon King and Rob Warr

I’ve been looking forward to some punk for a while (ok, this is post-punk, and one day I’ll understand the difference), and on the whole this didn’t disappoint. There’s crashing guitars and some fuck-the-world anger, and I love the Northerners accents coming through, be it sung or spoken. Sneering attitude with political and social lyrics, and heavy bass. Yep, I liked it.

Top track: “Natural’s Not In It” or the album’s opening “Ether” or the very good “Damaged Goods”.

This week: I’m well aware that I’ve been filling this with a weekly account about work, which seems unfortunate, but it’s what’s dominating my headspace at the moment, though this time, at least, not in a very destructive way. And so it continues. But I’ve been back to hip hop class (harder this week!), saw a play and some comedy this weekend, and am preparing to start a part time graphic design course, plus we booked our New York accommodation for September. Sweet.