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Duty Now for the Future | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 1, 1979 [1] | |||
Recorded | September 1978 – early 1979 | |||
Studio | Chateau Recorders, Hollywood | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 38:56 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | Ken Scott | |||
Devo chronology | ||||
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Singles from Duty Now For the Future | ||||
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Alternative cover | ||||
Duty Now for the Future is the second studio album by American new wave band Devo,released on June 1,1979,by Warner Bros. Records. Produced by Ken Scott,the album was recorded between September 1978 and early 1979 at Chateau Recorders in Hollywood. The majority of the songs on the album had been performed in Devo's live set as early as 1976. [2]
A majority of the album's tracks had already been written and performed live before the release of the band's first album, Q:Are We Not Men? A:We Are Devo! . The earliest song,"Smart Patrol",was debuted live in April 1975. [3] At the time,Devo were a quartet consisting of bassist Gerald Casale,keyboardist Mark Mothersbaugh,guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh,and percussionist Jim Mothersbaugh. [4] The quartet line-up is featured in the group's short film The Truth About De-Evolution ,in which they perform an early version of "Secret Agent Man." [5]
In December 1976,the group formed the quintet line-up found on this album,with drummer Alan Myers replacing Jim Mothersbaugh and multi-instrumentalist Bob Casale joining. By this point,the group were performing "Clockout","Timing X" and "Blockhead" live. "Clockout" and "Timing X" had been written by Gerald Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh respectively,while Bob and Mark co-wrote "Blockhead". [4] "Clockout" took advantage of this expanded line-up and featured Bob Casale playing bass instead of Gerald. [6]
From this period until March 1977,the group performed regularly at a local venue in Akron,Ohio,named the Crypt [3] [7] and filmed part of a short documentary on the band there,which featured "Devo Corporate Anthem" and an excerpt from "Mr. DNA". [8]
By December 1977,the group had relocated from Akron to Los Angeles,where they had already begun recording their first album. [9] That month,they performed at Max's Kansas City in New York and debuted the Mothersbaugh brothers' "Wiggly World" and "Pink Pussycat". [7]
The song "Red Eye" was first played live as the encore to the Q:Are We Not Men tour in October 1978. [10] It features Devo mascot Booji Boy (portrayed by Mark Mothersbaugh) on lead vocals. [11] The newer songs on the album,such as "Red Eye","S.I.B." and "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize",relied more heavily on synthesizers than their earlier guitar-based material. [11] [12]
Both Duty Now for the Future and its predecessor,Q:Are We Not Men? A:We Are Devo!,contained material from a backlog of songs the band had written between 1974 and 1977. [13] While the song selection for both albums was devised ahead of time,Mark Mothersbaugh brought three new compositions ("The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize","S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" and "Triumph of the Will") in for the second album's sessions and elected to abandon some of the previously chosen songs. [13] [14] Bob Mothersbaugh later stated that "We had been touring extensively after the first album;maybe we rushed to get another album out." [14] In a 2015 interview,Gerald Casale said that the new material "was kind of still incubating and probably wasn't ready" at the time of recording. [13]
"Devo Corporate Anthem" and its accompanying video were a nod to the 1975 film Rollerball ,in which the titular sport is preceded by players and the audience standing solemnly while listening to a regional "corporate hymn". [15] "Triumph of the Will" takes its title from Leni Riefenstahl's Nazi propaganda film of the same name. [1] Music historian Andy Zax stated that,"On the surface,'The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize' seems like one of Devo's happiest,bounciest pop confections,but a closer look reveals peculiar things lurking beneath." [1] The band's cover of Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man" features a rare lead vocal from Bob Mothersbaugh. [1]
Duty Now for the Future was produced by Ken Scott. Like Brian Eno,who had produced Q:Are We Not Men? A:We Are Devo!,Scott had also worked with David Bowie,most notably on The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973). According to Scott,Devo were "quite professional in the studio" and he "loved every minute" of the sessions. [16]
Recording for the album began in September 1978,a month after the release of their first album. [17] Scott discussed his role in the recordings and how Devo came to choose him for the album:"I know they chose me because of the Bowie records I did,but I don't know if it was a direct recommendation from Mr. Jones. Devo always wanted to learn. That's why they worked with each producer only once." [18]
Duty Now for the Future found the band bringing synthesizers more into the forefront than before. [19] Additionally,guitar sounds were often manipulated;in a 1979 interview with BAM magazine,Gerald Casale stated,"A guitar can only do what a guitar does. It's like only one tiny piece of a synthesizer. On this album,we did much more with the guitars,too. Sometimes you don't know that they're guitars." [20] According to Scott,to record the solo for "Secret Agent Man",they "overloaded mic amps and fed the signal through headphones which were taped to the mic." [16]
Several band members voiced dissatisfaction with the sound of the album in retrospect. Gerald Casale has stated that "Scott wanted something processed. We wanted something aggressive." [14] Bob Mothersbaugh felt that Scott did not understand the band's "ideas and vision." [14] Mark Mothersbaugh recalled that,at the time,he thought Scott had erred in recording the album one instrument at a time to a click track rather than recording the band live. [21] Mothersbaugh ultimately felt that the results were not as satisfying as playing the material on the following tour. [21]
The band were excluded from the final mixing process,with Gerald Casale later stating that they "barely knew how bland it sounded",and that,for the most part,Scott did not take their suggestions. [14]
The album cover was designed by Janet Perr,based on a concept by Devo. [22] Universal Product Codes were a then-new,phenomenon and the band devised a satirical fake code for the front cover. [23] The cover also featured a punch-out postcard,which according to Mark Mothersbaugh was "a piece of art that you could take away,a repurposed album cover." [23] Although Warner Bros. originally rejected the idea,saying it was too costly,Devo instructed the label to use the band's own money to pay for it. [23] The "Science Boy" logo originated from a science pamphlet the band had found in the late 1970s in Akron. [24] After first using it on a promotional item for Virgin Records,the band were contacted by the original organization that had used the image as their logo,which resulted in them acquiring the rights to the image. [24]
The photograph of the band was taken by photographer Allan Tannenbaum for the SoHo Weekly News in New York City. It was used in the album artwork by simply taking it from the front page of the newspaper in the exact same dimensions,unbeknownst to the photographer. When he discovered this,he contacted the record company and was paid for its use.[ citation needed ]
The inner sleeve included the lyrics of all the songs printed in a single block of closely printed text. The sleeve also featured a West Hollywood address from which one could request information and news about the band. In addition,an address was included to allow purchasers to order a copy of the Devo-vision videocassette from Time Life. This tape was never actually made available from Time Life and was a few years later issued under the title The Men Who Make the Music via Warner Home Video.[ citation needed ]
Devo produced one music video for this album. "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" combined animation with blue screen effects of the band performing. In this video,Devo chiefly wore white shirts and pants and silver 3D glasses. Also of note is the appearance of Alex Mothersbaugh,the daughter of Bob Mothersbaugh. [25] Alex would later be featured on the back cover of Devo's 1984 album Shout .
A short clip of the band standing at attention and then saluting was filmed to accompany "Devo Corporate Anthem",which was used in concert performance. [26]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [27] |
Christgau's Record Guide | B− [28] |
The Daily Vault | A [29] |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [30] |
MusicHound Rock:The Essential Album Guide | [31] |
Pitchfork | 6.6/10 [32] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [33] |
Smash Hits | 6/10 [34] |
Spin Alternative Record Guide | 8/10 [35] |
Duty Now for the Future was on the Billboard charts for 10 weeks,peaking at No. 73. [36] In Canada,the album reached number 87. [37]
Dave Marsh,writing in Rolling Stone ,condemned the album,feeling that "inspired amateurism works only when the players aspire to something better." [38] Robert Christgau of The Village Voice panned side one as "dire" and "arena-rock",but felt that "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" and "Secret Agent Man" were "as bright as anything on the debut,and the arrangements offer their share of surprizes." [28] Red Starr of Smash Hits described it as "unimpressive",but noted that the "change of style definitely grows on you". They went on to say that,although the album was more accessible,it was "lacking the zany magic of old". [34]
Scott Isler of Trouser Press stated that the album "doesn't score as many bull's-eyes as the first but includes two anthems of malaise,'Blockhead' and 'S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)'",and noted the band's "disturbing signs of portentousness". [39] [40] The Boston Globe dismissed Duty Now for the Future as "largely a failure." [41] Among positive reviews, The New York Times deemed the album "undeniably catchy and fun." [42]
In a retrospective review for AllMusic,reviewer Mark Deming opined that the album "captures the group in the midst of a significant stylistic shift",while contending that "Triumph of the Will" "embraces fascism as a satirical target without bothering to make it sound as if they disapprove." [19]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Devo Corporate Anthem" | Mark Mothersbaugh | 1:16 |
2. | "Clockout" | Gerald Casale | 2:48 |
3. | "Timing X" | M. Mothersbaugh | 1:13 |
4. | "Wiggly World" | Bob Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 2:45 |
5. | "Blockhead" | B. Mothersbaugh, M. Mothersbaugh | 3:00 |
6. | "Strange Pursuit" | G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh | 2:45 |
7. | "S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" | M. Mothersbaugh | 4:27 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "Triumph of the Will" | M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 2:19 |
2. | "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" | M. Mothersbaugh | 2:42 |
3. | "Pink Pussycat" | M. Mothersbaugh, B. Mothersbaugh | 3:12 |
4. | "Secret Agent Man" | P. F. Sloan, Steve Barri; arr. M. Mothersbaugh | 3:37 |
5. | "Smart Patrol"/"Mr. DNA" | G. Casale / G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh | 6:06 |
6. | "Red Eye" | M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 2:50 |
Total length: | 38:56 |
1993 Virgin Duty Now for the Future/ New Traditionalists CD bonus track:
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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14. | "Working in the Coal Mine" | Allen Toussaint | 2:53 |
1995 Infinite Zero Archive/American Recordings CD bonus tracks:
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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14. | "Soo Bawlz" | M. Mothersbaugh | 2:24 |
15. | "Penetration in the Centrefold" | M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 2:28 |
2010 Warner Bros. CD bonus tracks: [43]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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14. | "General Boy Visits Apocalypse Now" | M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 1:47 |
15. | "Soo Bawlz" | M. Mothersbaugh | 2:22 |
16. | "Be Stiff (Stiff Version)" | G. Casale, Bob Lewis | 2:43 |
17. | "Penetration in the Centrefold" | M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale | 2:28 |
18. | "Secret Agent Man (Live)" | Sloan, Barri | 3:21 |
Credits adapted from Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology CD liner notes: [1]
Devo
Credits adapted from the original album's liner notes: [44]
Technical
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Starting only a few weeks after the conclusion of the group's previous world tour, the Duty Now tour was significantly shorter and only covered the US and Canada. [45]
As with all DEVO tours, the show opened with a showing of The Truth About De-Evolution , as well as the videos for "Satisfaction", "Come Back Jonee", and "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize". [46] The rest of the show was structured in two halves, the first half consisting entirely of material from the new album, unreleased songs (such as an early version of "Going Under", which would appear on New Traditionalists ), and singles. During this half, the group were dressed in white shirts with gray pants and silver visor style glasses. Following this half, a short film would play (later appearing in The Men Who Make the Music ), in which a dispute with their record label causes them to return to their yellow radiation suits.
After the short film concluded, the group returned to the stage dressed in the radiation suits. The second half of the show was a shortened version of the Are We Not Men? tour setlist, in which the yellow suits would be torn away until the performance of "Jocko Homo". As an encore, Booji Boy performed two songs: a cover of "In Heaven" by Peter Ivers (from the film Eraserhead ) and the unreleased original "One That Gets Away". [47]
Devo, often stylized as DEVO, is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales, along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", the song that gave the band mainstream popularity.
Freedom of Choice is the third studio album by the American new wave band Devo, released in May 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The album contained their biggest hit, "Whip It", which hit No. 8 and No. 14 on the Billboard Club Play Singles and Pop Singles charts, respectively. Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.
Oh, No! It's Devo is the fifth studio album by American new wave band Devo, released in 1982 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded over a period of four months, between May and September 1982, at Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles and was produced by Roy Thomas Baker.
"Whip It" is a song by American new wave band Devo from their third studio album Freedom of Choice (1980). It is a new wave and synth-pop song that features a synthesizer, electric guitar, bass guitar, and drums in its instrumentation. The apparently nonsensical lyrics have a common theme revolving around the ability to deal with one's problems by "whipping it". Co-written by bassist Gerald Casale and lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo recorded "Whip It" with producer Robert Margouleff at the Record Plant in Los Angeles.
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the American new wave band Devo, released in 1981 by Warner Bros. Records. The album was recorded over a period of four months between December 1980 and April 1981 at the Power Station in Manhattan, New York City. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World".
Gerald Vincent Casale is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bass player of the new wave band Devo, which released a top 20 hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It". Casale is the main lyricist and one of the primary composers of Devo's music, as well as the director of most of the band's music videos. He is one of only two members who have been with Devo throughout its entire history. Casale's brother Bob also performed with the band.
Robert Edward Casale Jr., or "Bob 2", was an American musician, composer and record producer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the rhythm guitarist and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, which released a Top 20 hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It". The band has maintained a cult following throughout its existence. He was the younger brother of their co-founder and bass guitarist Gerald Casale.
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! is the debut studio album by the American new wave band Devo. It was originally released in August 1978 on Warner Bros. in the North America and Virgin Records in Europe. Produced by Brian Eno, the album was recorded between October 1977 and February 1978, primarily in Cologne, West Germany.
Shout is the sixth studio album by American new wave band Devo, released on October 8, 1984 by Warner Bros. Records.
DEVO Live 1980 is a live album and video DualDisc release by American new wave band Devo, released by Target Video in 2005.
"Jocko Homo" is the B-side to Devo's first single, "Mongoloid", released in 1977 on Devo's own label, Booji Boy Records and later released in the UK on Stiff Records. The song was re-recorded as the feature song for Devo's first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! on Warner Bros. Records in 1978. The original version peaked at No. 62 on the UK Singles Chart.
Devo 2.0 was a pop group quintet, created for Walt Disney Records, of child actors who sing, dance, and mime playing instruments along to songs re-recorded by some of the original members of Devo. Jerry Casale directed all nine of the videos. Actress Jacqueline Emerson, who later appeared in The Hunger Games, was a member. The band split up in 2007 when lead singer Nicole Stoehr and lead guitarist Nathan Norman quit.
DEV-O Live is a live EP by American new wave band Devo. It was recorded during the Freedom of Choice tour on August 16, 1980, at the Fox Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.
Greatest Hits is a collection of songs by Devo released in 1990. The album includes several photos from previous albums, and the first half of an article on the band by Howie Klein. The second half of this article appears in the accompanying material for Devo's Greatest Misses.
Greatest Misses is a compilation album of songs by American new wave band Devo, released in 1990 by Warner Bros. Records. Greatest Misses contains lesser-known tracks and alternate versions of tracks from other albums. It has a Parental Advisory label because of the song "Penetration in the Centrefold".
Now It Can Be Told: DEVO at the Palace is a live album by American new wave band Devo, released in 1989 by Enigma Records. The album was recorded during their 1988 "comeback tour" in promotion of the Total Devo album. It contains performances of several cuts from Total Devo but largely focuses on earlier material and also contains one exclusive song, "It Doesn't Matter to Me".
Jihad Jerry & the Evildoers is the solo project of American musician Gerald Casale, best known as a founding member of the new wave band Devo. Jihad Jerry also includes contributions from fellow Devo members Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh and Bob Casale, Jerry's brother. It also features drummer Josh Freese, who had toured with Devo before becoming a member of the band.
Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology is a compilation album by the American new wave band Devo, released in 2000 by Rhino Records. 17 of the 50 tracks were previously unreleased on CD, including single B-sides, outtakes, remixes, soundtrack songs and spoken word material. The band recorded the long-time concert favorite "The Words Get Stuck in My Throat" in the studio for the first time, specifically for inclusion on this compilation.
B Stiff is the first EP by American new wave band Devo, released in 1978 by Stiff Records.
Hardcore Devo Live! is a concert film and live album, showcasing Devo's June 28, 2014, performance at the Fox Theatre in Oakland, California on the 2014 Hardcore Devo Live tour. The tour commemorates the 40th anniversary of the band and pays tribute to former band member Bob Casale, who died February 17, 2014. The set list exclusively focuses on songs written between 1974 and 1977, before Devo had a recording contract. Many of the songs had not been performed by the band since 1977. While the music is largely performed as a quartet, the band is augmented offstage by Brian Applegate on additional keyboards and bass guitar.
Bibliography