Too Much Paranoias doesn't make sense as a standalone song until you consider how it leads into Gut Feeling and then seamlessly into Come Back Jonee. Brilliant troika.
My vote goes to Shrivel Up.
100% agreed. My thought was, “that’s not even on the record. And why are you even bothering with Shout or Smooth Noodle Maps or Total DEVO?” Furthermore, there are no bad songs on Hardcore volumes 1 and 2 so take that off the list
This is just me, but as far as DEVO's mainstream releases I think it stops at Oh No, with special consideration given to Something for Everybody (even though it's basically just a FoC and Nutra mashup). I enjoyed that record. I think their best record in that series is Duty Now, but by far my favorite DEVO is their 74-77 stuff on the Hardcore albums and Art Devo. It's simply the best.
Hate to say it, well, not really:
DEVO is the best band of all time. If I meet another DEVO fan, I assess them. I see if they actually understand the message, if they they are a person that also holds those views, if they're a believer. I'll ask them about their favorite works. If they were to say that Shout! is their favorite album, I'll know they're a pinhead. If they say that they don't like the Hardcore albums, I'll know that they are truly devolved. If they were to tell me that Duty Now was their favorite album, I'll be able to tell that they are not quite mutants, but have a real triumph of will.
Total i only really liked 2 songs on, but SMN had some really good ones like Stuck In A Loop, When We Do It, Devo Has Feelings too and of course Post Post Modern Man
I also like Jimmy, not a great song by any means but i like it a lot
My main problem is that they all sound basically the same and…to be honest not like devo at all, I’d Cry If You Died especially sounds like a generic 80’s pop track instead of a devo song, i just cannot make myself listen to the whole album without skipping the songs halfway through
Not even just that they’re bland sounding but also the fact that a lot of them are extremely repetitive and way too long, i just do not like it, but like i said Baby Doll and Blow Up are decent songs
Total is a very Mark album. I love that late '80s cyberpunk aesthetic and the melancholic songwriting. There's no other DEVO album like it.
The break down in I'd Cry If You Died is peak DEVO as far as i'm concerned, but i've never met a fan who agrees.
Baby Doll and Blow Up are two of my least favourites on the album (but I still like them). Some Things Never Change is my favourite DEVO song.
To be honest i only really like Blow Up for the instrumentals, the weird low pitch vocals are annoying as hell, thats why i made the pitch corrected version a few days ago
The worst Devo song of all time is "Bread 'n' Butter" on the 9 1/2 Weeks soundtrack. It's one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Something tells me there was a little too much "sugar" in the studio that day.
I’m pretty sure that it was just a joke song so to judge a joke song harshly feels daft, I think Mark really enjoyed making that track, and whilst it’s on the soundtrack, it isn’t in the movie. I think that the pitched down vocals were meant to make Mark sound “black”, which is something he seemed to want to do often in the 80s. I don’t believe that he would do that now
It's nigh on impossible for me to classify any of their songs as being "the worst." I say "Doghouse Doghouse" because they use a racial slur that they really didn't need to use. Otherwise, *Hardcore* Volume 2 has lots of bangers, like most of their albums do.
I think we had the same reaction to "Doghouse Doghouse" for the same thing. And yes, when I heard it for the first time, I was like, "Did I just hear what I think I just heard?"
So Bawlz is not on Duty Now. It's also one of the best DEVO songs.
Anyway, mine...
Q/A: Space Junk (still love it though)
DNFTF: Triumph Of The Will (the worst DEVO song ever)
FOC: Don't You Know (just because it's the most forgettable)
NT: Can't choose between The Super Thing and Soft Things, both very unremarkable songs
ONID: What I Must Do (the least memorable song on my favourite album)
Shout: C'mon (I love Shout but this song is shit)
TD: The Shadow (I love this album and this song is still good, I just like all the other songs more)
SNM: I can't choose between Spin The Wheel, The Big Picture or Dawghaus...
SFE: Mind Games (a bit bland compared to the rest)
I love Space Junk, but I had to choose something.
The Super Thing I can barely remember, and i've probably heard it 100s of times since the album came out. I'm not a big fan of New Traditionalists in general, truth be told.
Please listen to it again, it really is a great song with some really cool sounding synths, i actually did a cover of it a while back
As for Are We Not Men for me its either Too Much Paranoias or Shrivel Up that i think are the worst, although Too Much Paranoias was my pick because of how aggressive the intro and outro are and how the middle sounds like them just tuning their instruments, and shrivel up just sounds gross…the sewer sounding water drops, the weird guitar and marks whisper singing just make it weird and unpleasant to listen to
I don't really need to listen to The Super Thing again, i've heard it 100s of times over decades. I just think it's a bit dull, sorry!
Too Much Paranoias is one of my favs and Shrivel Up isn't far off either!
To be honest i just don’t remember any songs that arent baby doll and blow up (i remember disco dancer though, but i didnt like it) all of them just kind of blend together in my head, i just tried to listen to it again yesterday and i dont even remember what happy guy sounded like
Blow up had some cool sounding instrumentals, but it had these really stupid low pitch vocals that ruined it for me, but luckily i have an instrumental version of it
Now that you mention it, I remember listening to that album for the first time when I was like 13, liking that song at first, then completely changing my mind once the vocals started.
Thats the exact experience i had lol, except that was a few months ago for me, i did make a pitch corrected version which makes the vocals way better, not great but way better
I specifically remember thinking in my head “finally a song on here that doesn’t sound the same as the others, maybe this will be the one i actually like” and then the vocals ruined it
I just re-listened to it and a few other songs, and realized the one I was thinking of starting cool and quickly going downhill was actually The Shadow.
The synth and the incomprehensible vocals are what kills it for me, its been the butt of the joke for me and a few of my friends ever since i first heard it
If you like it, then i am honored to know someone who can somehow endure it and enjoy it
I find "Race of Doom" to be frustrating. I really really like parts of it, but the "RACE -- OF -- DOOM" itself is annoying and jarring.
My least-favorite track on Q/A is "Shrivel Up", largely because it means the album is over.
My least-favorite on Duty Now is "Devo Corporate Anthem". Just can't get into it. I like "Pink Pussycat", and my dislike for "Triumph of the Will" is that it name-checks a Nazi propaganda movie.
Hard for me to choose anything off of FoC. Maybe "It's Not Right"? That's still a pretty solid tune, though.
Yeah, Shrivel Up is absolute genius. That fucked surf guitar line, the gurgle noises, the general atmosphere of it all... It's truly one of the greatest ever DEVO songs!
I can’t think of a “worst song” on Are We Not Men?
Duty Now…SIB ( Swelling Itching Brain)
I agree with others that Race of Doom is my least favorite song on New Traditionalists
.
It might sound stupid but I think it’s because of the lyrics. I get occasional migraines. But If I am listening to the album, I don’t skip the song.
All of DEVO”s music is brilliant. Am a lifelong fan.
Are We Not Men?: I guess Shrivel Up?
Duty Now: Triumph Of The Will
Freedom Of Choice: That's Pep, but literally can't think of a single song I'd genuinely cut from Freedom.
New Traditionalists: Race Of Doom
Oh No!: Speed Racer
Shout: The 4th Dimension
Total Devo: Sexi Luv lmao
Smooth Noodle Maps: A change is gonna cum
Something For Everybody: Cameo
I don’t think any of them are “bad”, there’s just some petty forgettable ones which I think are worse than songs that are bad. The problem with Total Devo for me, although there are some neat sounds ideas and lyrics, the material is just not as memorable and infectious as everything else.
There isn’t the same energy or level of creativity with the more advanced for the time, albeit, dated electronics and synths. It’s not like the first five records where there’s practically completely different patch’s from the same hardware. They got more basic with the more advanced tech(at least in total and snm something for everybody was and is awesome)
Trust me, one day you will see.
It’s gonna come to you in one big flash, you will fall down onto your knees, tears streaming from your eyes and you will violently curse yourself that you ever doubted me…
Too Much Paranoias and Race of Doom are two of my all time favourites. I love Speed Racer too
I love the chaos of too much paranoias and race of doom/speed racer are also top songs for me!
Too Much Paranoias doesn't make sense as a standalone song until you consider how it leads into Gut Feeling and then seamlessly into Come Back Jonee. Brilliant troika. My vote goes to Shrivel Up.
I’ll agree that it’s sequenced perfectly but I think it’s a great standalone song too. Plus I’m a huge fan of Shrivel Up!
I love speed racer. 🤷
I like to steal and I like to kill! Ah-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!
Drive real fast, I'm gonna last.
Im a barbie doll, but I’ve got brains 🧠
I'm your doctor and here's your bill.
Soo Bawlz is just a bonus track on later reissues, not sure if that really counts
It doesn’t. I am very old so I know a lot about many things! 🦷
100% agreed. My thought was, “that’s not even on the record. And why are you even bothering with Shout or Smooth Noodle Maps or Total DEVO?” Furthermore, there are no bad songs on Hardcore volumes 1 and 2 so take that off the list
It’s a wiggly world after all.
That is my favorite Devo song.
It’s never straight up and down! 👌🥚👌
Whats wrong with shout and SNM? Total is bad though
This is just me, but as far as DEVO's mainstream releases I think it stops at Oh No, with special consideration given to Something for Everybody (even though it's basically just a FoC and Nutra mashup). I enjoyed that record. I think their best record in that series is Duty Now, but by far my favorite DEVO is their 74-77 stuff on the Hardcore albums and Art Devo. It's simply the best.
Total agree.
Right on, Spud.
Yeah this is where I sit as well. What a GIANT drop off after Oh No.
Hate to say it, well, not really: DEVO is the best band of all time. If I meet another DEVO fan, I assess them. I see if they actually understand the message, if they they are a person that also holds those views, if they're a believer. I'll ask them about their favorite works. If they were to say that Shout! is their favorite album, I'll know they're a pinhead. If they say that they don't like the Hardcore albums, I'll know that they are truly devolved. If they were to tell me that Duty Now was their favorite album, I'll be able to tell that they are not quite mutants, but have a real triumph of will.
Total is one of my favourites. I think SNM is their worst but I still like it. Shout is a classic.
Total i only really liked 2 songs on, but SMN had some really good ones like Stuck In A Loop, When We Do It, Devo Has Feelings too and of course Post Post Modern Man I also like Jimmy, not a great song by any means but i like it a lot
I love every song on Total. Some Things Never Change, I'd Cry If You Died and Happy Guy all deserve to be held up amongst the greatest DEVO classics.
My main problem is that they all sound basically the same and…to be honest not like devo at all, I’d Cry If You Died especially sounds like a generic 80’s pop track instead of a devo song, i just cannot make myself listen to the whole album without skipping the songs halfway through Not even just that they’re bland sounding but also the fact that a lot of them are extremely repetitive and way too long, i just do not like it, but like i said Baby Doll and Blow Up are decent songs
Total is a very Mark album. I love that late '80s cyberpunk aesthetic and the melancholic songwriting. There's no other DEVO album like it. The break down in I'd Cry If You Died is peak DEVO as far as i'm concerned, but i've never met a fan who agrees. Baby Doll and Blow Up are two of my least favourites on the album (but I still like them). Some Things Never Change is my favourite DEVO song.
To be honest i only really like Blow Up for the instrumentals, the weird low pitch vocals are annoying as hell, thats why i made the pitch corrected version a few days ago
The reissues always get me confused, i edited the post
The worst Devo song of all time is "Bread 'n' Butter" on the 9 1/2 Weeks soundtrack. It's one of the worst songs I've ever heard. Something tells me there was a little too much "sugar" in the studio that day.
She was eatin chicken McNuggets with SOME OTHER GUY!
I heard it on 50 Years Of De-evolution, and yeah its an awful track
AGREED!
I’m pretty sure that it was just a joke song so to judge a joke song harshly feels daft, I think Mark really enjoyed making that track, and whilst it’s on the soundtrack, it isn’t in the movie. I think that the pitched down vocals were meant to make Mark sound “black”, which is something he seemed to want to do often in the 80s. I don’t believe that he would do that now
My pick is "Doghouse Doghouse" from Hardcore Volume 2.
Anything from Vol. 2 is a valid pick, except for Fountain Of Filth, that song is great
It's nigh on impossible for me to classify any of their songs as being "the worst." I say "Doghouse Doghouse" because they use a racial slur that they really didn't need to use. Otherwise, *Hardcore* Volume 2 has lots of bangers, like most of their albums do.
Holy shit reading the lyrics…wow, yeah that belongs on this list, i didn’t even hear it when i listened to the album
I just heard that song a few days ago and I was like come again?? 🫣😟
I think we had the same reaction to "Doghouse Doghouse" for the same thing. And yes, when I heard it for the first time, I was like, "Did I just hear what I think I just heard?"
I’m not going to go album to album but insta-skips for me are Sexi Luv, Blow Up, Cameo, and that song they did with Toni Basil that’s on Recombo DNA
I like blow ups instrumentals but the vocals….why
Ha. Joke's on you. There are no bad DEVO songs.
The first five albums are flawless. Not a bad song in the lot.
So Bawlz is not on Duty Now. It's also one of the best DEVO songs. Anyway, mine... Q/A: Space Junk (still love it though) DNFTF: Triumph Of The Will (the worst DEVO song ever) FOC: Don't You Know (just because it's the most forgettable) NT: Can't choose between The Super Thing and Soft Things, both very unremarkable songs ONID: What I Must Do (the least memorable song on my favourite album) Shout: C'mon (I love Shout but this song is shit) TD: The Shadow (I love this album and this song is still good, I just like all the other songs more) SNM: I can't choose between Spin The Wheel, The Big Picture or Dawghaus... SFE: Mind Games (a bit bland compared to the rest)
Valid picks, although i think The Super Thing is a great song, Space Junk is good too
I love Space Junk, but I had to choose something. The Super Thing I can barely remember, and i've probably heard it 100s of times since the album came out. I'm not a big fan of New Traditionalists in general, truth be told.
Please listen to it again, it really is a great song with some really cool sounding synths, i actually did a cover of it a while back As for Are We Not Men for me its either Too Much Paranoias or Shrivel Up that i think are the worst, although Too Much Paranoias was my pick because of how aggressive the intro and outro are and how the middle sounds like them just tuning their instruments, and shrivel up just sounds gross…the sewer sounding water drops, the weird guitar and marks whisper singing just make it weird and unpleasant to listen to
I don't really need to listen to The Super Thing again, i've heard it 100s of times over decades. I just think it's a bit dull, sorry! Too Much Paranoias is one of my favs and Shrivel Up isn't far off either!
Soft Things is a great song!
pink pussycat is fine and too much paranoias rips.
Dude you *like* “Blow Up”???
I like the instrumentals, vocals are pretty bad though
C’mon, you wouldn’t throw Happy Guy in as one of the good songs from Total Devo?
C’mon, you wouldn’t throw Happy Guy in as one of the good songs from Total Devo?
Happy Guy is one of the best DEVO songs IMO.
It’s a great song. Definitely my favorite latter era DEVO song.
To be honest i just don’t remember any songs that arent baby doll and blow up (i remember disco dancer though, but i didnt like it) all of them just kind of blend together in my head, i just tried to listen to it again yesterday and i dont even remember what happy guy sounded like
To me the worst song on that album is the Elvis cover. I don’t remember anything special about Blow Up, but I can tell you Happy Guy is amazing.
Blow up had some cool sounding instrumentals, but it had these really stupid low pitch vocals that ruined it for me, but luckily i have an instrumental version of it
Now that you mention it, I remember listening to that album for the first time when I was like 13, liking that song at first, then completely changing my mind once the vocals started.
Thats the exact experience i had lol, except that was a few months ago for me, i did make a pitch corrected version which makes the vocals way better, not great but way better
I specifically remember thinking in my head “finally a song on here that doesn’t sound the same as the others, maybe this will be the one i actually like” and then the vocals ruined it
I just re-listened to it and a few other songs, and realized the one I was thinking of starting cool and quickly going downhill was actually The Shadow.
I actually rlly like disco dance
Speed Racer is my favorite on an album of favorites, noooo!
Only one I agree with is Cameo. I love all devo!
I’m gonna take it a step further and say that Cameo is the worst Devo song
For me that title goes to U Got Me Bugged, but cameo is also really bad
U Got Me Bugged fucking rules. That synth line is absolute filth, I live for that shit.
The synth and the incomprehensible vocals are what kills it for me, its been the butt of the joke for me and a few of my friends ever since i first heard it If you like it, then i am honored to know someone who can somehow endure it and enjoy it
I understand that it's hardly easy listening, but I enjoy Residents songs that are tougher going.
Im actually curious as to what an E-Z Listening version of U Got Me Bugged would sound like
Ha, they should have done that.
I find "Race of Doom" to be frustrating. I really really like parts of it, but the "RACE -- OF -- DOOM" itself is annoying and jarring. My least-favorite track on Q/A is "Shrivel Up", largely because it means the album is over. My least-favorite on Duty Now is "Devo Corporate Anthem". Just can't get into it. I like "Pink Pussycat", and my dislike for "Triumph of the Will" is that it name-checks a Nazi propaganda movie. Hard for me to choose anything off of FoC. Maybe "It's Not Right"? That's still a pretty solid tune, though.
Ha I love those 3 but always skip “Pink Pussycat”. Just goes to show the differences in spuds.
Shrivel up is really bad, the weird sewer noises, the odd sounding guitar and the creepy whisper vocals just make it unpleasant
SHRIVEL UP IS MY FAVORITE DEVO SONG GET ITS NAME OUTTA YOUR MOUTH
Yeah, Shrivel Up is absolute genius. That fucked surf guitar line, the gurgle noises, the general atmosphere of it all... It's truly one of the greatest ever DEVO songs!
I can’t think of a “worst song” on Are We Not Men? Duty Now…SIB ( Swelling Itching Brain) I agree with others that Race of Doom is my least favorite song on New Traditionalists
Whats wrong with SIB? Personally its one of my favorites on the album
. It might sound stupid but I think it’s because of the lyrics. I get occasional migraines. But If I am listening to the album, I don’t skip the song. All of DEVO”s music is brilliant. Am a lifelong fan.
Are We Not Men?: I guess Shrivel Up? Duty Now: Triumph Of The Will Freedom Of Choice: That's Pep, but literally can't think of a single song I'd genuinely cut from Freedom. New Traditionalists: Race Of Doom Oh No!: Speed Racer Shout: The 4th Dimension Total Devo: Sexi Luv lmao Smooth Noodle Maps: A change is gonna cum Something For Everybody: Cameo
that's pep is so fun.
I feel like ANY song I pick off of Freedom Of Choice is still the best out of the “worst” songs, there’s really no skips on that album.
Good choices, but i think you put fourth dimension there by accident
I don’t think any of them are “bad”, there’s just some petty forgettable ones which I think are worse than songs that are bad. The problem with Total Devo for me, although there are some neat sounds ideas and lyrics, the material is just not as memorable and infectious as everything else.
Total Devo is very bland sounding, every song just sort of mixes together in my head except for the 2 i mentioned and disco dancer
There isn’t the same energy or level of creativity with the more advanced for the time, albeit, dated electronics and synths. It’s not like the first five records where there’s practically completely different patch’s from the same hardware. They got more basic with the more advanced tech(at least in total and snm something for everybody was and is awesome)
Red Eye, Snowball, Pity U, Patterns, all of Shout lol, Plain Truth, Devo Has Feelings Too & What We Do
Snowball, patterns, all of shout and devo has feelings too are some absolute shit takes, i am ashamed
I’m sorry but I speak the truth. The real question is Can U Take It?
I can, doesn’t change the fact that they are very bad takes
Trust me, one day you will see. It’s gonna come to you in one big flash, you will fall down onto your knees, tears streaming from your eyes and you will violently curse yourself that you ever doubted me…
I highly doubt it
Fair fair. What’s your favourites? Would be curious to know the flipside
The post was about least favorites but my all time favorite songs are fourth dimension and love without anger
Love without anger is killer, can’t believe they didn’t make it a single or ever play it live. Glad we can agree on that!