portrait of this blog's author - by Stephen Blackman 2008

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Definitely bought this when it came out after 'Jocko Homo' (which probably stands as one of the strangest singles I ever bought) but 'Satisfaction' was a hoot . . . Great stuff I miss them . . . . .various folks went on to work on The Rugrats cartoon which I adored and watched with my kids . . . . . . 

On this day in music history: August 28, 1978 - “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!”, the debut album by Devo is released. Produced by Brian Eno, it is recorded at Conny’s Studio in Köln, Germany and Different Fur Studios in San Francisco, CA from October 1977 - February 1978. The groundbreaking first album by the Akron, OH based new wave band quickly establish their unique sound and visual image. The band record the album with producer Brian Eno before they are actually signed to a record label. Their demo tape is heard by David Bowie and Iggy Pop (by way of Tin Huey bassist Michael Aylward’s wife). After seeing Devo perform in New York, an excited Bowie initially plans to produce their album, but scheduling conflicts prevent him from taking more than a minor role in its creation. Working with Bowie during this period, Eno steps in and takes over the main production duties, financing the project himself. The album is anchored by their innovative cover of The Rolling Stones “Satisfaction”, which earn the band a large and loyal fan base. The albums iconic cover art features a caricature of pro golfing legend Chi Chi Rodríguez. In 2009, when “Q: Are We Not Men?” is reissued by Rhino Records (on CD and clear yellow vinyl), Devo performs it live in its entirety when they embark on a tour to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of its release. The CD edition also includes a live performance of the complete album recorded at the HMV Forum in London in May of 2009. “Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!” peaks at number seventy eight on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold by in the US by the RIAA.



Not sure entirely what the notes from Jeff Harris' blog 'Behind The Grooves' are going on about the cover here but it came out first in the UK and singles on Stiff and Virgin picked them up after the interest from Brian Eno and Bowie.
The album looked like this:




The first single I bought was on Stiff and looked like this . . . . . . 




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