Devo – Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (2LP, 45RPM)
ORDER LIMITED TO ONE ITEM PER CUSTOMER
Devo:
- Mark Mothersbaugh – vocals, keyboards, guitar
- Gerald V. Casale – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards
- Bob Mothersbaugh – guitar, backing vocals
- Bob Casale – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Alan Myers – drums
Brian Eno – synthesizer (B1 to D3), backing vocals (B1)
Written by Mark Mothersbaugh (A1, A3, B3, C1 to D3), Mick Jagger (A2), Keith Richards (A2), Gerald V. Casale (A3 to B2, C2 to B3), Bob Mothersbaugh (B1, C2, D3-4), Gary Jackett (D2)
2 LPs, Gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing
Limited to 3,000 numbered copies
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Fidelity Record Pressing
Label : Mobile Fidelity
Original Label : Warner Bros. Records (US) / Virgin Records (UK)
Recorded primarily at Conny’s Studio, near Cologne, West Germany, October 1977–February 1978; “Come Back Jonee” and “Shrivel-Up” recorded at Different Fur Studios, San Francisco, California
Engineered by Conny Plank; additional engineering by Patrick Gleeson at Different Fur Studios
Produced by Brian Eno
Photography by Bobbi Watson
Design by Erik Munsön and Donny Phillips
Graphic supervision by John Cabalka and illustration by Joe Heiner
Originally released in August 1978
Reissued in 2026
Tracks:
Side A:
- Uncontrollable Urge
- (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
- Praying Hands
Side B:
- Space Junk
- Mongoloid
- Jocko Homo
Side C:
- Too Much Paranoias
- Gut Feeling/(Slap Your Mammy)
Side D:
- Come Back Jonee
- Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')
- Shrivel-Up
Awards:
Rolling Stone – 500 Greatest Albums of All Time : Ranked #252
Rolling Stone – 100 Best Debut Albums of All Time : Ranked #98
Rolling Stone – 40 Greatest Punk Albums of All Time : Ranked #39
Pitchfork – 100 Best Albums of the 1970s : Ranked #89**
Included in “1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die”
Reviews :
“Produced by Brian Eno, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! was a seminal touchstone in the development of American new wave. It was one of the first pop albums to use synthesizers as an important textural element, and although they mostly play a supporting role in this guitar-driven set, the innovation began to lay the groundwork for the synth-pop explosion that would follow very shortly. Q: Are We Not Men also revived the absurdist social satire of the Mothers of Invention, claiming punk rock's outsider alienation as a home for freaks and geeks. While Devo's appeal was certainly broader, their sound was tailored well enough to that sensibility that it still resonates with a rabid cult following. It isn't just the dadaist pseudo-intellectual theories, or the critique of the American mindset as unthinkingly, submissively conformist. It was the way their music reflected that view, crafted to be as mechanical and robotic as their targets. Yet Devo hardly sounded like a machine that ran smoothly. There was an almost unbearable tension in the speed of their jerky, jumpy rhythms, outstripping Talking Heads, XTC, and other similarly nervy new wavers. And thanks to all the dissonant, angular melodies, odd-numbered time signatures, and yelping, sing-song vocals, the tension never finds release, which is key to the album's impact. It also doesn't hurt that this is arguably Devo's strongest set of material, though several brilliant peaks can overshadow the remainder. Of those peaks, the most definitive are the de-evolution manifesto "Jocko Homo" (one of the extremely few rock anthems written in 7/8 time) and a wicked deconstruction of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," which reworks the original's alienation into a spastic freak-out that's nearly unrecognizable. But Q: Are We Not Men? also had a conceptual unity that bolstered the consistent songwriting, making it an essential document of one of new wave's most influential bands.” AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Ratings :
AllMusic : 4.5 / 5 , Discogs : 4.48 / 5