Image
Classic Albums

Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are DEVO!

On August 28th, 1978 DEVO released their debut LP Are We Not Men? We Are Devo!. The album was produced by Brian Eno and David Bowie, the latter of which had wanted to produce the band since he and Iggy Pop received a demo tape in 1977, and had also seen the band featured in the short film The Truth About De-Evolution.

In fact, Bowie had expressed his desire to produce the band at Devo’s NYC debut show in 1977, proclaiming that “this is the band of the future, I’m going to produce them in Tokyo this winter.”

The album was instead produced at Conny Plank’s Studio in Cologne Germany, primarily by Brian Eno, with Bowie stopping by to assist part-time on weekends. Eno championed the band on this recording, by paying for the all the flights and studio time, confident he would make the money back when the band acquired a record deal.

The band, comprised in their classic lineup with two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaugh’s (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers on drums chose name DEVO which is short for De-Evolution, as featured in the title of the Chuck Statler directed The Truth About De-Evolution.

The film was shot in Akron, and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, the hometown of most members of the band. It was essentially promotional videos for two songs “Secret Agent Man” and “Jocko Homo”. The latter of the two-song would be released as a single and featured on the band’s debut LP.

It is the refrain from this song, “Jocko Homo” “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo?” that the album takes its name.

“Jocko Homo” was recorded for DEVO’s debut LP, with the original version being the b-side for “Mongoloid”, which was also featured on the album.

The video for Mongoloid was one of the first made using collage and was created by assemblage artist and experimental filmmaker Bruce Conner.

Also featured on DEVO’s debut is the cover of The Rolling Stones classic song “Satisfaction”, for which there is also a music video, where the band wears their trademark yellow jumpsuits.

And finally the video for the album’s single “Come Back Jonee”.

post-punk.com

From the Editor at Post-Punk.com

Recent Posts

  • Bands

Qual Unleashes Sci-Fi Apocalyptic Video for Primal EBM Jam “Funeral Fashion”

Sarcophagus golden carcass Sarcophagus rigor mortis Drenched in cataclysm and curled in dystopian dread, Qual—William Maybelline’s fierce alter ego—seizes the…

5 hours ago
  • Bands

Los Angeles Duo Faith In Flesh Inject Chilling EBM and Darkwave into Their Unsettling Video for “Psychodermatology”

Skin sloughed off Exposed rot Sickness spied Wet, weak eyes Lacerated soul Psychodermatology is a medical field that studies the…

18 hours ago
  • Bands

Philadelphia’s Cigarettes for Breakfast Prescribe Heartrending Shoegaze Panacea “Numb the Pain”

Loving something you shouldn’t is like clutching a live wire—painful, charged, and impossible to release. You know it’s wrong, yet…

20 hours ago
  • Album Streaming

Swiss-German Darkwavers Emily Kinski’s Dead Release “Black Light District” — Watch Video for “The Mirror in Me”

In tracing the roots of German-Swiss trio Emily Kinski’s Dead (Oliver Spring, Thomas Kowa, René Ebner), one senses their fierce…

21 hours ago
  • Bands

Mind Over Matter — Midwest Darkwaver Twice Dark Releases Resilient New Single “Telekinetic”

Fighting for my life alone, Begging for a place to call my home I’m standing in my way, Don’t want…

22 hours ago
  • Bands

Strange Boutique Returns in Shimmering Twilight With Their Video for “The Night Birds”

Maybe it’s just me Or the Devil in the trees This silence is raven The fear of breaking out Grief…

23 hours ago
Sticky Footer Banner with Close Button