DEVO…BLOCKHEAD!

What a great song, righting all of society’s wrongs. In short, the ultimate corporate anthem; and I am being entirely serious. We are talking about the “Duty Now for the Future” release in the year of our L. Ron 1979. This is some funky disco nightmare, it is edgy and to the point, robotic and sexy, a nude photograph of a Chevy. Bob Mothersbaugh’s fractured lead guitar bits are worthy of Lou Reed at his most disjointed. The song’s title ends in some sort of anthem or chant. It’s pretty up-tempo and thoroughly neurotic. DEVO were quite well evolved (ha-ha?) at Pop structure, but especially in relation to their earliest material, the experimental vibes remained at the core of their little 3 minute jaunts. Mark’s vocals are especially emotional on this cut, sounding like less of a cyborg and more of a Theatre Arts major.

Every good Christian knows that “Duty Now for the Future” was the second fully realized effort by DEVO, a sort of transitional record that said good-bye to the nervy Rock of their Brian Eno-produced debut and hello to the full-on New Wave frenzy and whipping capabilities of 1980’s “Freedom of Choice”. The elderly gents of DEVO still perform “Blockhead” when participating in computer-sponsored events. “Blockhead,” just dig it.

Devo, Mark Mothersbaugh

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