Devo – Total Devo – 1988
Here’s the thing about this record. Besides the fact that who the fuck knew it even existed?
It’s really boring. There’s no doubt that Devo know how to put notes together and create music or “songs”. And the first track, “Baby Doll” does contain a certain amount of nightmarish soundscaping. But, beyond that it’s a dull record.
And, most egregious, it’s almost an hour long. That’s almost TWICE the length of Oh, No! IT’s Devo, or Shout or Freedom of Choice and a full 20 minutes longer than their previous longest record, Duty Now for the Future. So, not only is it boring, it’s a LOT of boring.
That it sounds like every other third rate synth-o record from the era is an insult to Devo AND those other records. Weirdly, I think Harold Faltermeyer is to blame for most of this stuff’s success. A track “The Shadow” which incorporates that era-popular orchestral synth chord that was used to death by Trevor Horn (Or is it Rabin…?) sounds like a desperate attempt to write the soundtrack to some comedic actioner. No surprise that Devo’s foray into that world was the distant and desperate to be funny, Doctor Detroit. While the theme to that god-awful Dan Ackroyd movie was awful, we didn’t need an entire album’s worth. Let alone 58 mintues worth.
And what’s with the synthetic xylophones? Why did you ever bring this to us, Thompson Twins??? Worse, Devo, why did you appropriate them?
I’m often reminded of a great passage from a review of Adam Ant’s alter work on Allmusic where the reviewer pointed out that Adam had been rendered anonymous on his own record. I will use that here and never again offer it as anything but my own idea.
Devo couldn’t sound less like “Devo” and more like “every other band of its type” on this record. Anonymous is the perfect adjective.
From a band who, just ten years earlier were on the cutting edge of theory, ideology and cracked pop, this is an egregious offering.
Grade: D-
ASide:
BlindSide: Baby Doll
DownSide: The Shadow, Man Turned Inside Out (Adam Ant probably owes Devo some royalties because this song sounds TOO much like Room at the Top), Sexi Luv, Blow Up
