447 - Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!

[csberry]

The band is the same as would later put out Freedom of Choice, but I do miss the keyboards when I listen to this earlier album. It was quite a move at the time to use keyboards as much as they did with Q: Are We Not Men?, but the instrument is still in a secondary role behind the wiggly, jittery guitars. If you ignore the vocals and lyrics entirely, they don't sound terribly different from others on the scene on this album.

Q: Are We Not Men? is filled with songs that explore what it is to be a man: the hormones, the masculinity, the humanity, and man vs. woman. Mark Mothersbaugh's vocals add its own dimension to the words he sings (sometimes in support and others in seeming contrast). Let's face it, no one is going to confuse Mark's singing with Glen Danzig or Nick Cave.

Songs I knew I liked: "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," "Mongoloid," and "Homo Jocko"

Songs I didn't know but now like: I've heard the album a few times in the past. My listening to it today didn't drastically change my opinion on any songs. I like it better overall than I did previously, though. If I had to pick one, I'd probably say that I like "Praying Hands" a bit more.

Songs I can go the rest of my life without hearing again: "Sloppy" and "Shrivel Up" really do absolutely nothing for me.