Cinque pazzi ragazzi! Cinque pazzi! Dalla capitale americana della gomma, ladies and gentlemen...i Devo! composti da i gemelli Bob e Jerry Casale (rispettivamente chitarra e basso), i fratelli Bob e Mark Motherbaugh (voce e tastiere) ed Alan Myers (batteria), esordiscono nel 1978, prodotti dal solito "ci sto sempre io" Brian Eno, con un album incredibile, innovativo, pregno di carattere Krafterkiano, con un gusto per il garage rock. Synth disturbanti in contrasto ritmicamente con gli strumenti acustici, e mai come banale sottofondo; cantato nervoso a scatti, colleghi di David Byrne, e tanta ma tanta ironia e demenzialità, che emerge soprattutto negli incredibili testi e nei live, in cui i nostri eroi, si mostravano con tute gialle e occhiali antiradiazioni, suonando strumenti modificati e da un design spaziale.
Prima di arrivare a questo disco, i Devo impostarono la loro immagine, e la loro teoria, purtroppo veritiera.
"La De-evoluzione" che non è la devolution di Bossi, ma la filosofia secondo la quale "la specie umana stia mutando per adattarsi all'ambiente tecnologico. De-evoluzione è allora la scomparsa delle emozioni, è l'affermarsi di una mediocrità uniforme in cui l'individuo è soltanto un numero, è la progressiva cieca fiducia nella macchina- risolutrice d'ogni problema (fino al punto in cui il rapporto servo/padrone si fa ambiguo e indefinibile), è la coscienza di non avere nulla da temere dalla tecnologia" (Piero Scaruffi).
Da allora scoppiò la moda del cantato e delle movenze da robot, influenzando artisti anche italiani come Alberto Camerini (rock n'roll robot).
Q: Are we not men? A: We are Devo!, parte con "Uncontrollable urge", un punk-rock che prenderebbe a calci gente come Offspring e compagnia bella. Si prosegue con la fantastica cover ultramodificata di "(I can't get no) Satisfaction" dei Rolling Stones, riconoscibile solo dal testo, e "Praying heads". Ritmi spezzati e synth dissonanti, come in "Space Junk". I due brani che affermano positivamente il disco sono "Mongoloid" (mongoloid he was a mongoloid happier than you and me), giro di basso devastante e strumenti inseguitori, e "Jocko homo" manifesto dei Devo, in cui oltre a citare nelle liriche il titolo dell'album, si espone la teoria della "De-evoluzione". Brano quest'ultimo, dall'arrangiamento robotico, con un variazione fuori di testa nel finale, in cui synth, basso, chitarre e batteria si alternano, creando un atmosfera inquietante e ossessiva. I restanti brani sono una sintesi delle caratteristiche pocanzi elencate, dove bisogna citare l'ossessiva ed emozionante "Gut feeling (Slap your mummy)", dove un arpeggio ripetuto all'infinito sviluppa una corsa strumentale magnifica, conclusa da un finale sonico e disturbante.
Questo è il capolavoro dei Devo, dove gli aggettivi si sprecano per poterlo definire. Un pugno in faccia alla standardizzazione compositiva, al prog, agli assoli, e alla melodia fine a se stessa. I padri della multimedialità musicale. Strano si, ma facilmente memorizzabile. Io preferisco sinceramente il loro successivo album "Duty now for the future" in cui si tolse dalle palle Brian Eno, per costituire un secondo disco, dove il sound robotico e spigoloso, e la commistione rock'n roll/elettronica, diventa la massima espressione. Ma la copertina e la musica di questa geniale opera è storia e quindi importanza. La parola "consiglio" è superflua. 5/5 meritati!
Elenco tracce testi samples e video
01 Uncontrollable Urge (03:10)
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah!
Got an urge got a surge and it's out of control
Got an urge I wanna purge 'cause I'm losing control
Uncontrollable urge I wanna tell you all about it
Got an uncontrollable urge make me scream and shout it
(chorus)
He's got an uncontrollable urge (''I've got an uncontrollable...'')
He's got an uncontrollable urge (''I've got an uncontrollable...'')
It's got style it's got class
So strong I can't let it pass
I gotta tell you all about it
Make me scream and shout it
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah!
Got an urge got a surge and it's out of control
Got an urge I wanna purge 'cause I'm losing control
Uncontrollable urge I wanna tell you all about it
Got an uncontrollable urge make me scream and shout it
(chorus)
I got an uncontrollable urge I wanna tell you all about it
An uncontrollable urge make me scream and shout it
And I say yah (''he says yah!'')
And I say yea-ah (''he says yea-ah!'')
And I say yah (''yah!'')
And I say yea-ah (''yea-ah!'')
And I say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeah yeahyeah!
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeahyeahyeahyeah!
03 Praying Hands (02:48)
YOU GOT YOUR LEFT HAND
YOU GOT YOUR RIGHT HAND
THE LEFT HAND'S DIDDLING
WHILE THE RIGHT HAND GOES TO WORK
YOU GOT BOTH HANDS
YOU GOT PRAYING HANDS
THEY PRAY FOR NO MAN
O.K....RELAX...
ASSUME THE POSITION
GO INTO DOGGIE SUBMISSION
04 Space Junk (02:14)
SHE WAS WALKING ALL ALONE
DOWN THE STREET IN THE ALLEY
HER NAME WAS SALLY
SHE NEVER SAW IT
WHEN SHE WAS HIT BY SPACE JUNK
IN NEW YORK MIAMI BEACH
HEAVY METAL FELL IN CUBA
ANGOLA SAUDI ARABIA
ON XMAS EVE SAID NORAD
A SOVIET SPUTNIK HIT AFRICA
INDIA VENEZUELA (IN TEXAS
KANSAS)
IT'S FALLING FAST PERU TOO
IT KEEPS COMING
AND NOW I'M MAD ABOUT SPACE JUNK
I'M ALL BURNED OUT ABOUT SPACE JUNK
OOOH WALK & TALK ABOUT SPACE JUNK
IT SMASHED MY BABY'S HEAD
AND NOW MY SALLY'S DEAD
05 Mongoloid (03:44)
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
HAPPIER THAN YOU AND ME
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
AND IT DETERMINED WHAT HE COULD SEE
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
ONE CHROMOSOME TOO MANY
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
AND IT DETERMINED WHAT HE COULD SEE
AND HE WORE A HAT
AND HE HAD A JOB
AND HE BROUGHT HOME THE BACON
SO THAT NO ONE KNEW
MONGOLOID, MONGOLOID
HIS FRIENDS WERE UNAWARE
MONGOLOID, MONGOLOID
NOBODY EVEN CARED
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
ONE CHROMOSOME TOO MANY
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
AND IT DETERMINED WHAT HE COULD SEE
AND HE WORE A HAT
AND HE HAD A JOB
AND HE BROUGHT HOME THE BACON
SO THAT NO ONE KNEW
--Solo--
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
HAPPIER THAN YOU AND ME
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
AND IT DETERMINED WHAT HE COULD SEE
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
ONE CHROMOSOME TOO MANY
MONGOLOID HE WAS A MONGOLOID
AND IT DETERMINED WHAT HE COULD SEE
AND HE WORE A HAT
AND HE HAD A JOB
AND HE BROUGHT HOME THE BACON
SO THAT NO ONE KNEW
MONGOLOID
06 Jocko Homo (03:39)
They tell us that
We lost our tails
Evolving up
From little snails
I say it's all
Just wind and sails
Are we not men?
We are Devo!
Are we not men?
D-E-V-O!
Monkey men all
In business suits
Teachers and critics
All dance the poot
Are we not men?
We are Devo!
Are we not men?
D-E-V-O!
Are we not pinheads?
We are Devo!
Are we not men?
D-E-V-O!
We're pinheads now
We are not whole
We're pinheads all
Jocko Homo
Are we not men?
We are Devo!
Are we not men?
D-E-V-O
God made man
but he used the monkey to do it
Apes in the plan
we're all here to prove it
I can walk like an ape
talk like an ape
do what monkey do
God made man
but monkey supplied the glue
Are we not men?
We are Devo!
Are we not men?
D-E-V-O
We must repeat!
We are Devo!
We must repeat!
D-E-V-O
Okay! Let's go!
Some versions of this song include a second bridge:
I got a rhyme that comes in a riddle
O-Hi-O
What's round on the end and high in the middle?
O-Hi-O
07 Too Much Paranoias (01:57)
THINK I GOT YOUR DIAL TONE
THINK I GOT BILLY BAXTER'S BONE
THINK I GOT A BUBBLE-SAC
THINK I GOT A BIG MAC ATTACK
HOLD THE PICKLES HOLD THE LETTUCE
SPECIAL ORDERS DON'T UPSET US
ALL WE ASK IS THAT YOU LET US
SERVE IT YOUR WAY
TOO MUCH PARANOIAS
MY MOMMA'S AFRAID TO TELL ME
THE THINGS SHE'S AFRAID OF
I BEEN DIPPED IN DOUBLE MEANING
I BEEN STUCK WITH STATIC CLING
THINK I GOT A RUPTO-PAC
THINK I GOT A BIG MAC ATTACK
09 Come Back Jonee (03:48)
JONEE WENT TO THE PAWNSHOP
BOUGHT HIMSELF A GUITAR
NOW HE'S GONNA GO FAR
YOU GOTTA LOVE 'EM AND LEAVE 'EM
SOMETIMES YOU DECEIVE 'EM
YOU MADE HER CRY
JONEE YOU'RE BAD
YOU'RE GONNA MAKE HER SAD
JONEE JUMPED IN HIS DATSUN
DROVE OUT ON THE EXPRESSWAY
WENT HEAD-ON INTO A SEMI
HIS GUITAR IS ALL THAT'S LEFT NOW
HE MADE HER CRY
NOW SHE CALLS HIS NAME
JONEE YOU'RE TO BLAME
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