Devo - Devo - Greatest Hits [Warner Brothers]

Even after all of the musical trends, fads, waves, genres, and sub-genres, Devo still sound fresh. There was a certain zeal and enthusiasm that went into works like "Satisfaction," "Through Being Cool," and "Gates of Steel" that belied all of their cynicism. "Greatest Hits plays exactly like its title suggests--Devo's radio hits at their finest. While they may never have succeeded in completely de- evolutionizing man, music, or machine, Devo brought an urgency--as well as a new way of looking at the pop craft--to "Peek-A-Boo!" "Beautiful World," and yes, even "Whip It." Thankfully, "Jocko Homo" and "Gut Feeling" are included, as is the spastic "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA." Other fine moments can be found on Greatest Misses. --Steve Gdula Amazon.com

All Their Hits In One Spot

A great collection of all the Devo songs the average listener would want. This CD also serves as a career spanning overview for the serious fan. This disc almost never leaves my car CD changer. Grab a copy for a quick Devo fix. February 18, 2008

Brains, Beats, and Biscuits

It's just great to hear a grand old collection of smart funny music again! These guys cranked it out and kept us moving with a smile on our face. I always loved the sci-fi angle and costumes. Dig those Not-Men! And I was also happy to finally discover that a contemporary of theirs - the Cosmopolitans - also with deadpan laffs and great dance grooves, finally got a CD out, Wild Moose Party: Pom Pom Girls Gone New Wave NYC 1980-1981.
Viva la fun - from the real deals! May 22, 2007

Exercise your freedom of choice to buy this CD

(4.5/5 stars) This CD is a very good introduction to the world of Devo, which can be described as bizarre, off-kilter, humorous, proudly geeky and just plain fun. The music is not entirely electronica, not altogether pop or rock either. Some of it is an acquired taste, though most of this greatest hits collection is accessible. Devo never takes itself (or anything else, for that matter) too seriously, and that is partly what makes their music so fun. "Here to Go (Go Mix)" is a great tune to begin the CD because it is guaranteed to get you moving. "Through Being Cool" is their proclamation embracing geekdom, while "Big Mess" is a first-person account of a psychotic "boy with a gun" and "a picture in my pocket of the lucky one" he is going to shoot. The lyrics "It's a Beautiful World for you / but not me" appear to appeal for pity, as does Jagger/Richards' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." It fits with their persona of the hopeless nerd, which was likely rooted in reality at one point. Like their spoof band from "Revenge of the Nerds," however, these guys put together some genuinely good, crowd-pleasing music. "Whip It" is a prime example of this, though pretty much every song in this collection fits this description. It is difficult to ascertain what statement they are making, or even if they are trying to make any at all. "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA" has Devo as martyrs for mankind, which goes along with their vaguely science fiction-based persona. Did anyone read the poem from "ancient Rome, about a dog who found two bones / He picked at one / He licked the other / He went in circles / Until he dropped dead"? I sure didn't, but apparently Mothersbaugh et al did, perhaps at Kent State University, which is where the group formed. Devo is the quintessential product of Ohio, which is to say not cosmopolitan enough to be cool, yet not provincial enough to be authentically earthy. What choice did they have except to become one big parody, a musical joke if you will? Epitomizing this facet of the group is the song "Jocko Homo," which is their defining song ("we are Devo!"). The title is derived from an anti-evolution pamphlet called "Jocko-Homo Heavenbound," which was penned by Christian writer, preacher and fellow Ohioan Dr. Bertram Shadduck in 1924. Its lyrics, "They tell us that / We lost our tails / Evolving up / From little snails / I say it's all / Just wind in sails," are juxtaposed with the refrain, "God made man / But he used the monkey to do it / Apes in the plan / We're all here to prove it." What does Devo actually think, and what is their concept of "devolution"? It might not be entirely clear, but you'll have fun trying to found out.

February 3, 2007

Devo never goes out of style

I bought this CD for my brother for Christmas. He's a father of two (6 and 10) and even the kids loved this CD. We ended up listening to it on Christmas day in my nephew's new CD player. It has all of their hits! Even if you don't remember the names of the songs, once you hear them, you'll remember them and love them just as much today as you did then. January 9, 2007

greatest 80's hits

l really enjored the cd and the process of getting it through Amazon was great an easy. August 21, 2006

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