Devo - Oh No It's Devo
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Free Music Notes for Oh No It's Devo
Free Music Review: A forgotten and ignored classic
Hit: 5 Stars
Devo was my first concert, just a couple of months after the release of this album. I saw them in December, 1982. It seemed like a great show at the time, but of course I had nothing to compare it to. Regardless, I went on to enjoy this album more and more until I completely forgot about Devo a few years later.
Fast forward to a few years ago. I bought the import CD that has this album and Freedom of Choice on it. I figured it was a great attempt to recapture something I had forgotten. Unfortunately, I think the sound on this CD is sub-par, and when I recently listened to it again, I decided I had no choice but to go out and find it in its original form... vinyl. Much better. (Don't waste your money on that import like I did!)
Now, I've heard all Devo up to this point. Beyond this, I've heard nothing of theirs. As everybody knows, Mark Mothersbaugh has gone on to write music primarily for kids shows (Rugrats, etc.) If you've ever heard these tunes, you can definitely hear the same sort of slight weirdness that Devo was so well known for.
I like older Devo as much as the next guy. Yes, it was edgy and different at first. Sure, Devo began catering to a more pop-oriented audience with this album, but don't let that fool you. These guys were master song writers by this time. The key to enjoying Devo is to not read too much into what they're saying and just take it for the entertainment value it provides. Don't be mistaken. "Oh, No! It's Devo" fulfills that promise of entertainment. Try not to listen to this album and tap your feet the entire way through. It's hard, and That's Good.
Free Music Review: One of my favorite DEVO releases
Hit: 5 Stars
Even though this album continues the mostly guitarless electronic new wave that started with Freedom Of Choice and went full circuit with New Traditionalists, but unlike NT this album is extremely varied in sound and atmosphere. In my review of NT I called a number of its tracks 'filler', but this album is all very strong, lyrically and musically.
The music is often pretty quirky (Speed Racer, Time Out For Fun, That's Good) while others are much more serious (Explosions, Patterns); overall the album is less a recap of everything they've done before but more an electronic progression of such things. This album also has some of the catchiness tunes they've ever made, at least in my opinion; with NT I feel a lot of tracks really fall short of melody and any strong musical structure, but every track in Oh No! is cleverly written, with intelligent usage of percussion and keyboards/synths and samples, and some of the most memorable vocals in the DEVO catalogue (Peek A Boo, Speed Racer, Time Out For Fun, which has an interesting intro to the song/album).
Lyrically, as I said, it goes from quirky to serious, in between those extremes and simultaneously. From the first track you can tell DEVO was more interested in doing something fun, but this lighter side of DEVO still retains the satirical DEVO mentality. The whole thing is sort of 'We still aren't happy with the world, but we can make fun of it and no one's the wiser'.
This is probably the one DEVO album that I have no problems listening all the way through in one sitting, without skipping a track.
Free Music Review: i thought peopole loved this album??!! i did..
Hit: 5 Stars
ok so i listened to devo while i skateboarded down the street in 8th grade pissing out the left leg of my OP shorts on a CASTER skateboard in VANS hightops. so yeah, im old in pre 20th century terms; BUT; i listened to all the first three albums with clean, un-jaded ears (between kiss & punk rock) & later (after picking up tapes from thrift stores) was under the impression that "oh no it's devo" was the album that followed "freedom of choice". because i thought it was the most complete and thorough sounding. as opposed to "new traditionalists" which to my (young?) mind seemed lack luster and mellow..(though i love it now). i guess all im trying to say (tho maybe very poorly) is that in my mind, rock lover and all, is that "oh no its devo" is one of the best records devo ever made! ( and i love the first 2 and experimental music in general!!) it is so solid. each song, is the next best song you want hear. please if you love the idea of devo, listen to this one, because it is a culmination of all that they aspired to be [ version 5.0 ;) ]. five good albums in a row aint bad. what other bands have achieved that??!! after this one, your on your own tho..
ps.people are saying this suffers from "gimmicks"? what??? this is solid song writing!! and anyway what great pop song doesn't technically contain a "gimmick"? have fun..
Free Music Review: time out for a deceptively serious album
Hit: 5 Stars
Devo has always been good at tackling serious (or semi-serious) subject matter under the veil of silliness, but I think this is their best attempt at such. While New Traditionalists is normally mentioned as Devo's "dark" album, I think this one tops it in that area. Themes of impending mental collapse, paranoia, social decay, and various forms of mental illness are explored liberally throughout the album.. same as any other Devo release on the surface, but the music is so danceable and deceptively innocent that it may take several listens to pick up on the various layers of meaning in these ostensible pop songs. The most blatant examples of this are "Big Mess" and "I Desire" the lyrics of which were culled from crazy letters written to the band by an obsessed fan, and the journal of would-be Reagan assassin John Hinkley, respectively.
In any case, this is probably not the "best" Devo album, strictly speaking, but it is the one that gets the most play at my house. In spite of, or probably because of, its brilliantly disguised lyrical content, it's still the most fun of all of the band's albums for me.
This is an easy 5 stars, as is every Devo album that came before it.
Free Music Review: This is DEVO at their zaniest.
Hit: 5 Stars
I can still remember the days when MTV would play DEVO videos, and this new release had a couple of video hits that were played quite a bit, That's Good, and Peek-A-Boo! Both are great videos and great songs, but the rest of the album is just as good. Songs like Time Out For Fun, Explosions, and Speed Racer are particular favorites. But really, there isn't a bad track on this album. If you like some of DEVO's other music, and are looking to add more to your collection then you can't go wrong here.