Worst Dev-o Album?

Billy & Julia Wiggins

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Spuds, what in your opinion is the WORST of the 8 Devo studio albums??

I'm sure we're all curious to hear your reasoning.

I have to say that despite a couple great moments, "Smooth Noodle Maps"
is their very least effort in my opine.

"Post Post Modern Man" and "Pink Jazz Trancers" are excellent songs,
among the group's best, but there is just way too much filler on the LP.

It seems to me that gradually the group's knack for catchy tunes was
less and less evident on the last 2 LP's, with too much production
trickery and wacky sound fx in its place.

Can you hum "Big Picture" or "Spin That Wheel"??? Hell no. Songs like
"Satisfied Mind", "Snowball", "Patterns", "Strange Pursuit"....these
were all LP-cut filler stuff, yet were excellent, jump-out-at-ya tunes.

It seems like they are really struggling on "Maps" when the hooks are
not there.

Your thoughts?

Billy

Rory Prendergast

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Riki riki Riki.
I like some tracks from maps. Although I hate post post modern man for
some reason. you can hum that shit. but it's fun on spin the wheel to
repeat the "You Lose" part in someone's face very loud.
I would have to say t hat their worst album is smooth noodle maps,
though.

Mitch Thomas

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Wow!! I'd have to agree that Noodle is just that, but "Pink Spaz
Cancers" is one of the main reasons I hate it. Jimmy cracks me up, and
D.H.F.T. is interesting(doesn't sound like Devo, but has alot of
energy). Total is probably equally as painful for me. Shout is
bareable. All the rest are classics. What would Noodle have been like
in '81??? Same songs, but no samplers? Alan and guitars?
Mitch/OCCUPANT

Rory Prendergast

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Rory Prendergast wrote:
>
> Billy & Julia Wiggins wrote:
> >
> > Spuds, what in your opinion is the WORST of the 8 Devo studio albums??
> >
> > I'm sure we're all curious to hear your reasoning.
> >
> > I have to say that despite a couple great moments, "Smooth Noodle Maps"
> > is their very least effort in my opine.
> >
> > "Post Post Modern Man" and "Pink Jazz Trancers" are excellent songs,
> > among the group's best, but there is just way too much filler on the LP.
> >
> > It seems to me that gradually the group's knack for catchy tunes was
> > less and less evident on the last 2 LP's, with too much production
> > trickery and wacky sound fx in its place.
> >
> > Can you hum "Big Picture" or "Spin That Wheel"??? Hell no. Songs like
> > "Satisfied Mind", "Snowball", "Patterns", "Strange Pursuit"....these
> > were all LP-cut filler stuff, yet were excellent, jump-out-at-ya tunes.
> >
> > It seems like they are really struggling on "Maps" when the hooks are
> > not there.
> >
> > Your thoughts?
> >
> > Billy

> Riki riki Riki.
> I like some tracks from maps. Although I hate post post modern man for
> some reason. you can hum that shit. but it's fun on spin the wheel to
> repeat the "You Lose" part in someone's face very loud.
> I would have to say t hat their worst album is smooth noodle maps,
> though.

I'm really sorry about my incoherent babbling. I just realized what a
grammatically incorrect and syntactically insignificant post that was.

Mike Wood

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Rory Prendergast wrote:
> > I like some tracks from maps. Although I hate post post modern man for
> > some reason. you can hum that shit. but it's fun on spin the wheel to
> > repeat the "You Lose" part in someone's face very loud.
> > I would have to say t hat their worst album is smooth noodle maps,
> > though.
> I'm really sorry about my incoherent babbling. I just realized what a
> grammatically incorrect and syntactically insignificant post that was.

I also think "worst album" is a little harsh, don't you? I really felt
sorry for them when it didn't do well. Although 'maps may not have
been as great an effort as some of their previous stuff, I thought it
was still a good piece of work overall. Although it's probably not one
of my favorite DEVO albums, it still finds it way into my stereo every
now and then...

- MW

jeff

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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Q: Weakest Dev-o Album? A: TOTAL!

Without question.

Jonathan C. Dunn

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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> Can you hum "Big Picture" or "Spin That Wheel"??? Hell no. Songs like
> "Satisfied Mind", "Snowball", "Patterns", "Strange Pursuit"....these
> were all LP-cut filler stuff, yet were excellent, jump-out-at-ya tunes.

I actually CAN hum all of those songs, yet I DO agree about the album
overall. My usual listening cycle is this:

Morning Dew, Change is gonna cum, Big Picture, Pink Jazz Trancers.

I tend to listen to these 4 songs a few times in a row. That's my 'album'.

Bob Stewart

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Sep 12, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/12/96

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I'd have to vote for Total Devo as my least favorite of the favorites.
(But I still like it). For some reason I keep Maps in my CD drive of my
computer at work and crank it up during deadline.

Bob in Texas

GLC

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Sep 13, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/13/96

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I actually feel Maps is FAR superior in hindsight to Total Devo, which was
a respectable enough comeback effort but has not aged all that well for me.
Stuck in a Loop, Change is Gonna Cum, Pink Jazz Trancers and the Morning Dew
cover stand among the boys' best work to me and I miss my copy, which burned in a house
fire, much more than the copy of TD that suffered the same fate.
--
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Visit GLC Experience Co. at http://www.io.com/~glc

Verbal Kint

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Sep 13, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/13/96

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Greetings spud brothers and sisters.
There has been a whole lot of bad talk about "smooth noodle" of
late. I kinda liked it. sorry i guess...
Anywho, my vote for worst effort lists two; "Total Devo" and "The
Mongoloid" years.
"Total devo" is just not very good in my opinion. I liked "disco
dancer" and the cover of "don't be cruel", but I thought the rest of the
album was lack-luster. The only other exception is baby doll which makes
me violently ill. This is of course only my opinion.
I know that putting "The Mongoloid years" is going to make a whole
lot of people very mad, but hear me out. Now I loved tho first thirteen
songs (the first 2 sets on the disc), but the third is well.... just not
good. The whole Beulah\jocko homo\i need a chick segment is what I am
really complaining about. I can appreaciate what the band was doing, but
dear God it's just realy extremely grating. Especially the basically
incoherant yelling that results in these songs.... Oh boy. When we have
party and we want everyone to go home, we play these songs. Once again,
just my opinion.
On a more possitive note, I must say that my two favorite albums
are "Duty Now" and "Now it can be told". Both are, once again in my
opinion, brilliant. I especially love the opening version of "Now it can
be told"...... Anywho,
Word Out
J

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chim...@delphi.com

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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jeff <pnch...@ONIX.com> writes:

>Q: Weakest Dev-o Album? A: TOTAL!
>
>Without question.

Sorry, but no cigar. Thanx for playing!
The correct answer is: Smooth Noodle Maps!

Rory Prendergast

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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jeff wrote:
>
> Q: Weakest Dev-o Album? A: TOTAL!
>
> Without question.

You're joking, right?
Please, someone tell me he's joking.

Rory Prendergast

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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aww come on you gotta love total devo
the sexy-luv/blow up combo is hard to beat.
I listened to that cd until it somehow got this damn scratch in it and
now my computer doesn't recognize it as being a cd.
It's not that I think MAPS is terrible or anything. It beats the shit
out of any alternateen-angst trash out there now, but if you had to pick
a worst album..Doghouse blues..what a stinkbomb of a song.
And I'm still going to slap that jeff guy for picking Q/A

Misteradio

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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I can't believe we're having this conversation. The sacrelige of it all!

Actually, IMHO, Total Devo, Shout (don't throw tomatoes) Freedom Of Choice
are on the bottom of my list. Ironically, SmoothNoodleMaps is close to the
top on my list - I love that disc. My all time fave is Oh, No - without a
doubt.

(only since you asked...)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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greatest party band, "The Judys"! Online now at:
http://members.aol.com/misteradio/thejudys
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jeff

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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Rory Prendergast wrote:
>
> And I'm still going to slap that jeff guy for picking Q/A

NO! I didn't mean "Are We Not Men..." I meant "Total Devo"!

-that jeff guy

Here was the subject line... "Q: Weakest Dev-o Album? A: TOTAL!"

Mitch Thomas

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Sep 14, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/14/96

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Rory Prendergast wrote:
(snip)

> And I'm still going to slap that jeff guy for picking Q/A

You missed Jeff's very Tasteful answer.
The question(Q) was: What's the worst Devo album? The Answer(A) from
Jeff was "Total". I thought it was well put, though I really love "Happy
Guy".
Mitch/OCCUPANT

Brian Saunders

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Sep 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/15/96

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I'm surprised there is so much disagreement on this. By definition, the
worst Devo album is "The Worst of Devo".

--
Brian Saunders
saun...@castor.che.wisc.edu

Rory Prendergast

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Sep 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/15/96

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Misteradio wrote:
>
> I can't believe we're having this conversation. The sacrelige of it all!
>
> Actually, IMHO, Total Devo, Shout (don't throw tomatoes) Freedom Of Choice
> are on the bottom of my list. Ironically, SmoothNoodleMaps is close to the
> top on my list - I love that disc. My all time fave is Oh, No - without a
> doubt.
>
> (only since you asked...)

what is there not to like about freedom of choice?
-one curious bastage

C Williamson

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Sep 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/15/96

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> There has been a whole lot of bad talk about "smooth noodle" of
>late. I kinda liked it. sorry i guess...

I must be the only person on Usenet who like Smooth NoodleMaps. Sure, there
are a few of sucko tracks, like post-post-modern man, but I love the rest...

]> Anywho, my vote for worst effort lists two; "Total Devo" and "The
>Mongoloid" years.

Mmmmm, I didn't like Mongoloid Years either. Total Devo I dug a huge amount,
though. Baby Doll was haunting (it's about child molestation, right?) and Sexi
Luv has this weird beat that I like a lot...

A while back word was going around that Total Devo was originally the
soundtrack for the movie Neuromancer which never got released. This would
explain the rather long playing time of the album (50-60 min.?) as opposed to
the 30 min +- albums of old. Hmm. I also heard "Some Things Never Change" was
the title track... I dunno, man.

Col

X-Bones

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Sep 15, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/15/96

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Yup, he's joking..

Total Devo was a great album!

what's the matter Baby Doll? Not a Disco Dancer huh?

On Sat, 14 Sep 1996 13:28:54 -0500, Rory Prendergast
<pren...@uiuc.edu> wrote:

>jeff wrote:
>>
>> Q: Weakest Dev-o Album? A: TOTAL!
>>

faf...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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Oddly enough, I only have three DEVO releases on CD, the rest are on tape.

The three on CD are Total Devo, SmoothNoodleMaps, and E-Z Listenign DEVO.

My favourite Devo song of all time is Devo Has Feelings Too. In fact, it
is the only DEVO song I have memorized the lyrics for. The fact that I
got the disc while studying Neuropsych at University is just another
reason why SmoothNoodleMaps is my favourite DEVO disc. Period.

I have owned and listened to Devo Hard Core volumes one and two, however,
I did not like them much at all, and gave them away. I'm sure that will
get me flamed.

(see .sig for why I don't care)

--
A wonderful world it is that has
stupid green dragons in't!
email: faf...@freenet.edmonton.ab.ca

Peter Pavlovic

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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Billy & Julia Wiggins wrote:
>
> Spuds, what in your opinion is the WORST of the 8 Devo studio albums??
>

Maps has to be one of their better ones!!!

The new drummer used fills that were new and exciting.
Spin The Wheel has got some great samples
D.H.F.T. is a great piss take

and

the neo post modern remix of Post Post-Modern Man really zings!

One of their 'better' albums - just a different sound...

----------------------------------------
Peter
WWW:............http://www.nexsol.com
Enquiries:......enquire@nexsol.com
FTP:............ftp.nexsol.com
----------------------------------------

toolrod

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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worst devo album?
how about the adventures of the smart patrol?
otherwise, i guess i'd say total devo.

jeff

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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C Williamson wrote:
>
> A while back word was going around that Total Devo was originally the
> soundtrack for the movie Neuromancer which never got released. This would
> explain the rather long playing time of the album (50-60 min.?) as opposed to
> the 30 min +- albums of old. Hmm. I also heard "Some Things Never Change" was
> the title track... I dunno, man.
>
> Col

Part of "Some Things Never Change" was used in the Neuromancer VIDEO
GAME. Parts of the work they did for the Dune movie soundtrack were
recycled into some Total material though.

JonYo

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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For those of you with some of the Devo bootleg archive audio tapes, check
out tape # A17. It looks like a bunch of stuff that WAS gonna be the
soundtrack for Dune ended up landing on Total Devo. Probably why it sounds
so rehashed to me, and is, therefore, my least favorite Devo album. My
favorite rotates between NuTra, OhNo!, Duty Now, Hardcore 1 and 2, and Now
it can be told.

- JonYo (jo...@uclink4.berkeley.edu)

David F Lynch

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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GLC (g...@io.com) wrote:
: I actually feel Maps is FAR superior in hindsight to Total Devo, which was
: a respectable enough comeback effort but has not aged all that well for me.
: Stuck in a Loop, Change is Gonna Cum, Pink Jazz Trancers and the Morning Dew
: cover stand among the boys' best work to me and I miss my copy, which burned in a house
: fire, much more than the copy of TD that suffered the same fate.

Well, I have to disagree here and say I actually kind of LIKE Total DEVO,
in a really cheesy pseudo-musical way. I heard the Hardcore CDs first,
and hearing Total DEVO after that helped me appreciate it. For instance,
if you listen to "Plain Truth", the riff is a discofied "Chango". The
one album I really couldn't listen to was Shout.

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jeff

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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Peter Pavlovic wrote:
>
> Billy & Julia Wiggins wrote:
> >
> > Spuds, what in your opinion is the WORST of the 8 Devo studio albums??
> >
> Maps has to be one of their better ones!!!
>
> The new drummer used fills that were new and exciting.

Uhhhhhhh.......drummer?
That LP is basicly a MM solo record.
It's almost entirely programmed.

jeff

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Sep 16, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/16/96

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Do you mean "Greatest Misses"? Or is "The Worst of Devo" the name of
it in another country?

Montag

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Sep 17, 1996, 3:00:00 AM9/17/96

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The worst Devo albulm is the one they haven't done yet, because
I haven't heard one they did that I haven't liked. Therefore, it
must be one that

hasn't been written,
hasn't been rehearsed,
hasn't been recorded,
what could be worse?

hasn't been marketed,
hasn't been released,
hasn't been sold yet,
an elusive beast!