DEVO – GIRL YOU WANT (VIRGIN RECORDS)
With a well aimed and focused trajectory the spasmodic delivery of “Girl You Want” (aka “Girl U Want”) is the kind of catchy trickery that could potentially induce insanity in the listener. More or less it is the sound of a stereotype nerd wittering into your ear, in other words this is the sound of band on fast forward.
Playing at the height of their abilities this is a band delivering hardcore vocals to a new wave sound while retaining/maintaining their identity. This song is as much pop as it is a hep anthem. To some casual/lazy ears at the time this might have sounded like a sped up version of The Cars but that couldn’t be further from the truth as Devo even at this stage in the game were still changing things and evolving, taking on board the environment around them and looking to subvert it as much as ever. This is a song about longing for the girl, not actually getting her. Who wants to hear about the guy (the jock) with the success rate, don’t we have people like that shoving their personalities down our throat on a daily basis in the real world? With this song Devo represent us, the audience of battlers and those wrestling with toil looking to be set free. This is not strange, its nature.
Turning over the disc features “Turn Around”, a song that has subsequently been made somewhat more famous through its cover version by a heavyweight act. It is actually fairly reminiscent of “Whip It” with its spasmodic beats and silly intentions. Mothersbaugh telling me “take a look at yourself” is a funny gesture that could be taken two ways. As ever there is something of a hidden meaning in the tune that renders an otherwise bubblegum track subversive and important. Not that it matters. Strong stuff.
Unintentionally Tokyo.
Thesaurus moment: hanker.
Devo
With a well aimed and focused trajectory the spasmodic delivery of “Girl You Want” (aka “Girl U Want”) is the kind of catchy trickery that could potentially induce insanity in the listener. More or less it is the sound of a stereotype nerd wittering into your ear, in other words this is the sound of band on fast forward.
Playing at the height of their abilities this is a band delivering hardcore vocals to a new wave sound while retaining/maintaining their identity. This song is as much pop as it is a hep anthem. To some casual/lazy ears at the time this might have sounded like a sped up version of The Cars but that couldn’t be further from the truth as Devo even at this stage in the game were still changing things and evolving, taking on board the environment around them and looking to subvert it as much as ever. This is a song about longing for the girl, not actually getting her. Who wants to hear about the guy (the jock) with the success rate, don’t we have people like that shoving their personalities down our throat on a daily basis in the real world? With this song Devo represent us, the audience of battlers and those wrestling with toil looking to be set free. This is not strange, its nature.
Turning over the disc features “Turn Around”, a song that has subsequently been made somewhat more famous through its cover version by a heavyweight act. It is actually fairly reminiscent of “Whip It” with its spasmodic beats and silly intentions. Mothersbaugh telling me “take a look at yourself” is a funny gesture that could be taken two ways. As ever there is something of a hidden meaning in the tune that renders an otherwise bubblegum track subversive and important. Not that it matters. Strong stuff.
Unintentionally Tokyo.
Thesaurus moment: hanker.
Devo
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