DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years
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| DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years | |||||
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| Live album by Devo | |||||
| Released | 1992 | ||||
| Recorded | 1975-1977 | ||||
| Genre | Post Punk | ||||
| Label | Rykodisc | ||||
| Producer | Devo | ||||
| Devo chronology | |||||
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DEVO Live: The Mongoloid Years is a live album consisting of recordings from three early Devo performances.
Contents |
[edit] Overview
The album presents parts of three Devo concerts from their early days, presented in reverse chronological order: Max's Kansas City in November 1977 (mislabeled as May 1977), The Crypt in Akron in December 1976, and the WHK Auditorium in Cleveland on Halloween 1975. The concerts were recorded on four-track tape by the band, and the selections are described by Gerald Casale as "the best of the only audio tapes that escaped total disintegration over the last 15 years" in the liner notes.
The album includes an essay and description of the shows presented penned by Gerald Casale, titled "The rest, as they say, is De-evolution." It describes both the environment of the shows, and the development of the early band.
[edit] Max's Kansas City NYC November 1977
Covering tracks 1 through 9, this concert is noted as being introduced by David Bowie, who called Devo "The band of the future," and offered to produce their first album. It shows an early Devo at the top of their performance. According to Casale's essay, the day after the show, in Akron, the band began to receive phone calls from record labels.
The band performed two sets at this show. The performance on the CD is the early set.
[edit] The Crypt Akron December 1976
This concert covers tracks 10 through 12 and is a performance of Devo opening for The Dead Boys. At the time, there was a feud between fans of Devo and The Dead Boys and a fist fight, allegedly started by Cheetah Chrome, occurred during the show.
This was one of the first shows with drummer Alan Myers.
[edit] WHK Auditorium Cleveland Halloween 1975
The remainder of the disc is a very early Devo concert, featuring the quartet lineup of the band which included Jim Mothersbaugh on electronic drums. The band had been hired as a joke to open for Sun Ra, and had been billed as a Bad Company cover band. They are introduced by local Ohio radio celebrity Murray Saul. Murray is known for his trademark "It's FRIDAY!" rant.
Devo performs in the guise of theatrical characters, and infuriates much of the audience into leaving before Sun Ra's set. This show was the first performance of Jocko Homo, and allegedly went on for 30 minutes. During the performance on the album, an audience member takes a stage microphone and insults the band. The set finally ends when the promoters unplug the band's equipment - though the recorder picks up an argument, and near fist-fight between Gerald Casale, and a promoter.
[edit] Track listing
- "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" [Listed as "Satisfaction (I Can't Get No"] (3:18)
- "Too Much Paranoias" (2:21)
- "Praying Hands" (4:11)
- "Uncontrollable Urge" (3:22)
- "Mongoloid" (3:27)
- "Smart Patrol / Mr. DNA" (8:02)
- "Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy)" (4:43)
- "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')" [Listed as "Sloppy"] (2:59)
- "Come Back Jonee" (4:01)
- "Clockout" (2:41)
- "Soo Bawls" (3:50)
- "Space Junk" (2:32)
- "Blockhead" (6:21)
- "Subhuman Woman" (4:43)
- "Bamboo Bimbo" (3:44)
- "Beulah" (13:14)
- "Jocko Homo / I Need a Chick" (2:32)
- The tracklisting is somewhat inaccurate. An uncredited performance of "Timing X" is on track 11. An introduction of the third show on the disc is mis-cued and added to the end of Blockhead. Portions of "Baby Talkin' Bitches" and "Chango" are played and appear at the end of track 14. The last two tracks on the album are also mis-cued, and combine the performances of "Beulah", "Jocko Homo", and most of "I Need A Chick" on one track. The track labeled "I Need A Chick" features the band attempting to play further and being kicked off the stage.
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