jim henson

I loves me some Devo; Always have, always will.

Back in those painfully awkward teen years, Devo came along at just the right time.
It was genuinely helpful to have a bold example declaring it was okay to be an outsider - - or even better, to just follow your passions and leave any sort of group identification behind.

And -duh- their music kicked serious ass.








Devo's 4th LP, 'New Traditionalists', came out in 1981.

(Just for kicks, there's the cover art to the German pressing ►)

There were new additions to the fan club merchandise being offered in the ads on the album's inner sleeve.

As well as the latest crop of Devo fashion accessories, now they were hawking the 'limited edition' Muzak cassette.

("Gee, remember cassettes?")

The legend is that these 'devolved' instrumental versions of their hits were played as background music before their concerts.

(click on image to ENLARGE ▼)

The muzak cassettes were an acquired taste for many of the Devotees; some hung with it and some didn't.

Certainly the music was playful and fun, and it fit right in with the band's persona, if not their customary energy level.

The sound was also fairly telling of things to come. It was generally around that same period that Devo members began delving into soundtrack music, and the 'Lounge Revival' of the '90's was still a decade away.

I loved the nods to surf music, tracks that sounded like an opening theme to a Soap Opera, and the general 'raw and lo-fi' quality.

Their reprise of 'Satisfaction' was notable, too, as they finally used the Stones' guitar riff that they hadn't in their original cover treatment.

From Devo's
'E-Z Listening Muzak' Cassette,
(Vol. 1 -1981)
Listen to:

Come Back Jonee
Satisfaction
Space Junk
Jocko Homo
S.I.B. (Swelling, Itching Brain)
Whip It
Mongoloid
Girl U Want
Pity You
It's A Beautiful World

(click for audio - - or see zipfile link below ▼)

A second 'E-Z' cassette came in 1984, still only available via mail order.

Newer material, a noticeable advance in technology, less of a raw, 'underground' quality, but still great fun.




From Devo's
'E-Z Listening Muzak, Volume 2'
Cassette, (1984)
Listen to:

Gates Of Steel
That's Good
Jerkin' Back And Forth
Shout ► (version not included on CD release)
Fourth Dimension
Goin' Under
Peek-A-Boo!
Time Out For Fun
Jurisdiction Of Luv
Shout (Hello Kitty)

(click for audio)

- - OR download all 20 tracks from both tapes in one 66.7 Mb zipfile.

The tracks from the Devo Muzak cassettes were shuffled and released commercially on CD in 1987, but that disc has sadly gone out of print.


See also:
- An interesting (if grainy) live concert video clip from 1982; Devo performs a vocal version of 'Girl U Want' with an 'E-Z Listening' arrangement

- Previously linked, 'Are You Not DEVO? You are Mutato - - How Mark Mothersbaugh, an Agent of
De-Evolution, wormed his way into America’s subconscious' - - An article / interview from the
LA Weekly, December 5, 2007

- Mark Mothersbaugh's Mutato Muzika

- Club Devo

- 'Jocko-Homo Heavenbound', the inspiration for Devo's 'Jocko Homo'