New Traditionalists
Encyclopedia
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave
rock band Devo
, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice
, with synthesizer
s moved to the forefront and guitar
s more subdued. Some of the tracks feature drum machines for the first time on a Devo record. In addition, the lyrics are frequently dark and vitriolic.
With the success of "Whip It
" and its associated album Freedom of Choice
, Devo attracted a new, more pop-oriented audience that was less interested in Devo's artistic theories and intelligent lyrics. In response, New Traditionalists was aimed to be a much darker, deeper and serious album. The lead-off track, "Through Being Cool," is a direct attack at Johnny-Come-Lately fans who didn't understand Devo's message.
As with every Devo album and tour, the band developed a new look for the album, eschewing the Energy Dome
headgear, and replacing it with the plastic "New Traditionalist Pomp," modeled after John F. Kennedy
's famous hairstyle
. On stage, Devo wore what were called "Utopian Boy Scout Uniforms," consisting of a gray button down shirt, gray slacks, and black patent leather shoes. They also wore a blue V-neck tee shirt with the New Traditionalists logo on the black sleeves. This can be seen on the US and Australia album covers. On the European cover, Devo wears a "Sleeveless Maxi-Turtleneck Sweater." The t-shirts, turtlenecks, and plastic versions of the pomps were available through Devo's fan club catalog.
Most of the songs on the album are very dark with the lyrics lacking the irony
and wit that Devo was known for. The exception to this is "Beautiful World." At first listen, the song seems very upbeat and happy, until the line "It's not for me," which reveals the more cynical side of the song. This is made much clearer by the song's video (see below). On "Enough Said," Devo becomes political, making fun of world leaders and the political process: "Take all the leaders from around the world / Put them together in a great big ring / Televise it as the lowest show on Earth / And let them fight like hell to see who's king."
New Traditionalists was not quite as much of a success as the Freedom of Choice LP, peaking at #23 on the Billboard
charts. The non-album single "Working in the Coal Mine
" (a cover of the Lee Dorsey
song, written by Allen Toussaint
) peaked at #43 on the Pop Singles chart. The album and its singles continued Devo's success in Australia, with "Beautiful World" peaking at #14 and "Working in the Coal Mine" at #20. "Going Under" appears in Miami Vice
episode "Heart of Darkness".
of the band's cover of "Working in the Coal Mine." According to a 2008 interview with Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo had originally intended to include the song on the album but were thwarted by Warner Bros. The band was then approached by the makers of the animated film Heavy Metal and asked if they had a song to donate for a sequence in the film involving a house band in outer space. Devo offered them the unused "Working in the Coal Mine," and as a fluke the song ended up being the only charting song on the soundtrack album. Since the song was now a "hit," Warner Bros. pressed up thousands of two-sided 7" singles and included them with initial copies of the LP. Most CD and cassette pressings of New Traditionalists include "Working in the Coal Mine" as a bonus track, although the recent 2005 issue from Collectables Records
contains only the album's original tracklist.
The original LP bonus package also included a poster drawn by a member of the Church of the Subgenius
. It portrays the band on stage, with some iconic American characters (a Native American, a Pilgrim, a cowboy, a hippie, a punk rocker and a modern housewife) in the audience.
In "Love Without Anger," Devo acts as a Greek chorus
to a bizarre love story between two humanoid chickens. It also features a stop motion video by Rev. Ivan Stang
(Church of the SubGenius
) of Barbie
and Ken fighting each other and removing each others' body parts. A portrait of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs is on the wall above the couch.
"Beautiful World" is considered by many fans and critics to be Devo's greatest music video, setting the tune to a series of connected images from film archives. The video features Booji Boy
prominently, as he initially watches scenes of beautiful women, futuristic cars, and other happy elements, which by the end of the song have been replaced by images of race riots, the Ku Klux Klan
, World War I, famine in Africa, car crashes and nuclear explosions, which puts a much darker slant on the song's lyrics. The video was slightly censored for broadcasts on the ABC-TV
music show Countdown. A small segment of archive footage depicting a woman on fire was considered unsuitable for the show's early evening timeslot—despite the fact that the 'flames' were animated, not real—and this censored version is still screened occasionally on the ABC's music video series Rage
, including a mid-1990s episode hosted by Devo.
s in front of a Greek Temple
styled structure. Behind the members, between the pillars, small screens displayed rear-projected images. Devo carried an impressive sound system on the tour as well. Professional footage was shot during the tour, but it was destroyed due to an electrical short. However, Devo appeared on the TV show Fridays in 1981 and performed five songs with a full stage set and this has been archived. Several audio bootlegs of the tour are also available, varying in quality.
and Gerald V. Casale
except as noted.
Single
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
rock band Devo
Devo
Devo is an American band formed in 1973 consisting of members from Kent and Akron, Ohio. The classic line-up of the band includes two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs and the Casales . The band had a #14 Billboard chart hit in 1980 with the single "Whip It", and has maintained a cult...
, released in 1981. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice is the third album by New Wave musicians Devo, released on May 16, 1980. It saw the band moving in more of an overt synthpop direction, even though guitars still played a prominent role....
, with synthesizer
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s moved to the forefront and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s more subdued. Some of the tracks feature drum machines for the first time on a Devo record. In addition, the lyrics are frequently dark and vitriolic.
With the success of "Whip It
Whip It
"Whip It" is the title of a 1980 single by the American New Wave band Devo. It appears on the album Freedom of Choice. There were two 7" single releases of "Whip It", one backed with a remix of the track "Snowball" and one backed with "Turn Around"...
" and its associated album Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice
Freedom of Choice is the third album by New Wave musicians Devo, released on May 16, 1980. It saw the band moving in more of an overt synthpop direction, even though guitars still played a prominent role....
, Devo attracted a new, more pop-oriented audience that was less interested in Devo's artistic theories and intelligent lyrics. In response, New Traditionalists was aimed to be a much darker, deeper and serious album. The lead-off track, "Through Being Cool," is a direct attack at Johnny-Come-Lately fans who didn't understand Devo's message.
As with every Devo album and tour, the band developed a new look for the album, eschewing the Energy Dome
Energy dome
Energy dome refers to the red terraced headgear first worn by Devo during their Freedom of Choice years. Other incorrect names include "power dome" and "flowerpot" . Energy Domes have been a regular part of Devo's stage costumes since 1980, worn in their 1982, 1988, and 1990 tours, as well as most...
headgear, and replacing it with the plastic "New Traditionalist Pomp," modeled after John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
's famous hairstyle
Hairstyle
A hairstyle, hairdo, or haircut refers to the styling of hair, usually on the human head. The fashioning of hair can be considered an aspect of personal grooming, fashion, and cosmetics, although practical, cultural, and popular considerations also influence some hairstyles.-History of...
. On stage, Devo wore what were called "Utopian Boy Scout Uniforms," consisting of a gray button down shirt, gray slacks, and black patent leather shoes. They also wore a blue V-neck tee shirt with the New Traditionalists logo on the black sleeves. This can be seen on the US and Australia album covers. On the European cover, Devo wears a "Sleeveless Maxi-Turtleneck Sweater." The t-shirts, turtlenecks, and plastic versions of the pomps were available through Devo's fan club catalog.
Most of the songs on the album are very dark with the lyrics lacking the irony
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
and wit that Devo was known for. The exception to this is "Beautiful World." At first listen, the song seems very upbeat and happy, until the line "It's not for me," which reveals the more cynical side of the song. This is made much clearer by the song's video (see below). On "Enough Said," Devo becomes political, making fun of world leaders and the political process: "Take all the leaders from around the world / Put them together in a great big ring / Televise it as the lowest show on Earth / And let them fight like hell to see who's king."
New Traditionalists was not quite as much of a success as the Freedom of Choice LP, peaking at #23 on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts. The non-album single "Working in the Coal Mine
Working in the Coal Mine
"Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the...
" (a cover of the Lee Dorsey
Lee Dorsey
Lee Dorsey was an African American pop/R&B singer during the 1960s. Much of his work was produced by Allen Toussaint with instrumental backing provided by the Meters.-Career:...
song, written by Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint
Allen Toussaint is an American musician, composer, record producer, and influential figure in New Orleans R&B.Many of Toussaint's songs have become familiar through numerous cover versions, including "Working in the Coalmine", "Ride Your Pony", "Fortune Teller", "Play Something Sweet ", "Southern...
) peaked at #43 on the Pop Singles chart. The album and its singles continued Devo's success in Australia, with "Beautiful World" peaking at #14 and "Working in the Coal Mine" at #20. "Going Under" appears in Miami Vice
Miami Vice
Miami Vice is an American television series produced by Michael Mann for NBC. The series starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas as two Metro-Dade Police Department detectives working undercover in Miami. It ran for five seasons on NBC from 1984–1989...
episode "Heart of Darkness".
"Working in the Coal Mine"
New Traditionalists was originally packaged with a bonus 7" singleSingle (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
of the band's cover of "Working in the Coal Mine." According to a 2008 interview with Mark Mothersbaugh, Devo had originally intended to include the song on the album but were thwarted by Warner Bros. The band was then approached by the makers of the animated film Heavy Metal and asked if they had a song to donate for a sequence in the film involving a house band in outer space. Devo offered them the unused "Working in the Coal Mine," and as a fluke the song ended up being the only charting song on the soundtrack album. Since the song was now a "hit," Warner Bros. pressed up thousands of two-sided 7" singles and included them with initial copies of the LP. Most CD and cassette pressings of New Traditionalists include "Working in the Coal Mine" as a bonus track, although the recent 2005 issue from Collectables Records
Collectables Records
Collectables is a reissue record label founded in 1980 by Jerry Greene. Greene was previously associated with New York City's Times Square Record Shop, Philadelphia's Record Museum retail chain, and the Lost Nite and Crimson record labels....
contains only the album's original tracklist.
The original LP bonus package also included a poster drawn by a member of the Church of the Subgenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
. It portrays the band on stage, with some iconic American characters (a Native American, a Pilgrim, a cowboy, a hippie, a punk rocker and a modern housewife) in the audience.
Promotional music videos
Devo made three music videos for the album. "Through Being Cool" had Devo taking a limited role, focusing on a team of kids clad in Devo "Action Vests" attacking arrogant and ignorant people with spudguns.In "Love Without Anger," Devo acts as a Greek chorus
Greek chorus
A Greek chorus is a homogenous, non-individualised group of performers in the plays of classical Greece, who comment with a collective voice on the dramatic action....
to a bizarre love story between two humanoid chickens. It also features a stop motion video by Rev. Ivan Stang
Ivan Stang
Rev. Ivan Stang, born Douglass St. Clair Smith August 21, 1953 in Washington, D.C., raised in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended the St. Mark's School of Texas. He is best known as the author and publisher of the first screed of the Church of the SubGenius...
(Church of the SubGenius
Church of the SubGenius
The Church of the SubGenius is a "parody religion" organization that satirizes religion, conspiracy theories, unidentified flying objects, and popular culture. Originally based in Dallas, Texas, the Church of the SubGenius gained prominence in the 1980s and 1990s and maintains an active presence on...
) of Barbie
Barbie
Barbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
and Ken fighting each other and removing each others' body parts. A portrait of J. R. "Bob" Dobbs is on the wall above the couch.
"Beautiful World" is considered by many fans and critics to be Devo's greatest music video, setting the tune to a series of connected images from film archives. The video features Booji Boy
Booji Boy
Booji Boy is a character created in the early 1970s by American New Wave band Devo. The name is pronounced "Boogie Boy"—the strange spelling "Booji" resulted when the band was using letraset to produce captions for a film, and ran out of the letter "g"...
prominently, as he initially watches scenes of beautiful women, futuristic cars, and other happy elements, which by the end of the song have been replaced by images of race riots, the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
, World War I, famine in Africa, car crashes and nuclear explosions, which puts a much darker slant on the song's lyrics. The video was slightly censored for broadcasts on the ABC-TV
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
music show Countdown. A small segment of archive footage depicting a woman on fire was considered unsuitable for the show's early evening timeslot—despite the fact that the 'flames' were animated, not real—and this censored version is still screened occasionally on the ABC's music video series Rage
Rage (TV program)
Rage is a popular all-night Australian music video program broadcast on ABC1 on Friday nights, Saturday mornings and Saturday nights. It was first screened on the weekend of Friday, 17 April 1987. With Soul Train no longer being produced, it is the oldest music television program currently still...
, including a mid-1990s episode hosted by Devo.
Tour
The "New Traditionalists" tour was a large undertaking. Devo performed on treadmillTreadmill
A treadmill is an exercise machine for running or walking while staying in one place. The word treadmill traditionally refers to a type of mill which was operated by a person or animal treading steps of a wheel to grind grain...
s in front of a Greek Temple
Greek temple
Greek temples were structures built to house deity statues within Greek sanctuaries in Greek paganism. The temples themselves did usually not directly serve a cult purpose, since the sacrifices and rituals dedicated to the respective deity took place outside them...
styled structure. Behind the members, between the pillars, small screens displayed rear-projected images. Devo carried an impressive sound system on the tour as well. Professional footage was shot during the tour, but it was destroyed due to an electrical short. However, Devo appeared on the TV show Fridays in 1981 and performed five songs with a full stage set and this has been archived. Several audio bootlegs of the tour are also available, varying in quality.
Covers
- In 1982, Toni BasilToni BasilAntonia Christina Basilotta , better known by her stage name Toni Basil, is an American singer-songwriter, actress, filmmaker, film director, choreographer, and dancer, best known for her multi-million-selling worldwide #1 hit "Mickey" from 1982.-Early life:Basil was born Antonia Christina...
released a cover of "Pity You" on her album Word of Mouth, retitled as "You Gotta Problem." The instrumental track of this version was re-recorded by Devo and the album was engineered by Bob Casale. - The song "Beautiful World" was covered by the indie rock band Harvey DangerHarvey DangerHarvey Danger was an American indie rock band that formed in Seattle, Washington in 1993, and rose to prominence in 1998 with the single "Flagpole Sitta." On August 29, 2009, the band played its final show at the Crocodile Cafe in Seattle....
and rap/rock group Rage Against the MachineRage Against the MachineRage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
on their final studio album Renegades. - "Love Without Anger" was covered by The AquabatsThe AquabatsThe Aquabats are an American rock band formed in 1994 in Orange County, California. They have released five full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. They are best known for their mythology, in which they claim to be superheroes on a quest to save the world from evil through music...
for the We Are Not Devo tribute album. - "Through Being Cool" was covered by They Might Be GiantsThey Might Be GiantsThey Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell were frequently accompanied by a drum machine. In the early 1990s, TMBG became a full band. Currently, the members of TMBG are...
for the soundtrack for the Disney movie Sky HighSky High (2005 film)Sky High is a 2005 American comedic superhero family film about an airborne school for teenage superheroes. It was directed by Mike Mitchell and written by Paul Hernandez, Robert Schooley, and Mark McCorkle...
with altered lyrics. Some of these altered lyrics were carried over into the (also Disney) Devo 2.0Devo 2.0Devo 2.0 was a quintet, created for Walt Disney Records , of child actors who sing, dance, and mime playing instruments along to songs re-recorded by some of the original members of Devo...
project. - "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" was covered by POLYSICSPolysicsis a Japanese new wave and rock band from Tokyo, who dubs its unique style as "technicolor pogo punk". It was named after a brand of synthesizer, the Korg Polysix. The band started in 1997, but got their big break in 1998 at a concert in Tokyo...
and is featured on their single for XCT. - The drum machine track for "The Super Thing" was reused in Devo's newest single "Watch Us Work ItWatch Us Work it"Watch Us Work It" is a single by the US New Wave band Devo, produced by Teddybears. It was originally released in 2007, and was featured in a commercial for Dell. It was subsequently re-released, on vinyl, in 2008. The song was included on the deluxe version of the band's ninth studio album...
," which was remixed by TeddybearsTeddybearsTeddybears is a Swedish band formed in 1991, known for mixing pop, rock, hip-hop, electronica, reggae, punk and many other genres.-History:...
.
Track listing
All songs written by Mark MothersbaughMark Mothersbaugh
Mark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
and Gerald V. Casale
Gerald Casale
Gerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
except as noted.
- "Through Being Cool" (Gerald V. Casale, Mark MothersbaughMark MothersbaughMark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
, Bob MothersbaughBob MothersbaughRobert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
) – 3:14 - "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" – 3:05
- "Pity You" (M. Mothersbaugh) – 2:47
- "Soft Things" – 3:27
- "Going Under" – 3:26
- "Race of Doom" – 3:44
- "Love Without Anger" – 2:37
- "The Super Thing" – 4:21
- "Beautiful World" – 3:35
- "Enough Said" (M. Mothersbaugh, G.V. Casale, General BoyGeneral BoyGeneral Boy is a character created around 1975 by New Wave band Devo. He is usually seen portrayed by the father of both Devo's lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh and lead guitarist Bob Mothersbaugh, Robert Mothersbaugh, Sr....
) – 3:26
- "Working in the Coal Mine" was available as a bonus 7" single with initial copies of the album. It was included on the original cassette release, and has been appended to most CD issues of the album.
CD releases
- The 1993 UK CD re-issue on Virgin RecordsVirgin RecordsVirgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
paired this album with Duty Now for the FutureDuty Now for the Future-Compact disc releases:* The 1993 UK CD issue on Virgin paired this album with New Traditionalists and included Devo's cover of Allen Toussaint's "Working in the Coal Mine" from the movie Heavy Metal that was included in the original LP album release of New Traditionalists.* The 1995 US CD issue...
, and also included the single a-side "Working in the Coal Mine".
- In 1997, Infinite Zero Archive/American Recordings issued a remastered version of this album on CD with three bonus tracks: the single a-side "Working in the Coal Mine," the b-side of the "Jerkin' Back and Forth" single, "Mecha-Mania Boy," and the spoken word b-side of the "Beautiful World" picture disc, "Nu-Tra Speaks."
- In 2005, Collectables Records released a digitally remastered CD of this album, without bonus tracks or "Working in the Coal Mine."
- In 2008, the album was digitally remastered and released individually and as part of the box set This is the Devo BoxThis is the Devo BoxThis is the Devo Box is a seven disc Box set, released only in Japan, featuring digitally remastered versions of the first six studio albums by Devo. It also contains an expanded and remastered version of DEV-O Live, identical to the Rhino Handmade release. The albums are packaged in miniature LP...
in Japan. This release added "Working in the Coal Mine."
- On March 29, 2010, Warner Bros. Records announced it would be issuing a newly remastered and expanded edition of the album on CD. Released on May 18, the bonus tracks included on the release are the spoken word piece "Nu-tra Speaks," "One Dumb Thing" (which first appeared on the compilation Pioneers Who Got ScalpedPioneers Who Got ScalpedPioneers Who Got Scalped is an anthology by the rock band Devo, released in 2000. 17 of the 50 tracks are previously unissued on CD, including b-sides, remixes, soundtrack songs and spoken word material...
), "Modern Life" and "Faster and Faster" (both of which first appeared on the compilation Recombo DNARecombo DNARecombo DNA is a collection of studio demos and unreleased tracks by the band Devo. It was released in 2000 by Rhino Handmade and limited to 5,000 copies....
), "Psychology of Desire" (a demo of "The Super Thing" with alternate lyrics, also from Recombo DNA) and the E-Z Listening DiscE-Z Listening DiscE-Z Listening Disc is a 1987 compilation album released by American New Wave band Devo. It is a disc of instrumental versions of classic Devo songs performed in the style of easy listening Muzak or New Age music...
version of "Beautiful World." Oddly enough, "One Dumb Thing," "Modern Life" and "Faster and Faster" are all outtakes from the Oh, No! It's DevoOh, No! It's DevoOh, No! It's Devo is the fifth studio album by Devo. By the time of its 1982 release, Devo were a full-fledged synth-pop act, with New Wave pushed more towards the background...
sessions. (All three tracks were restored and overdubbed in 1998 for inclusion in the PC CD-ROM game Interstate '82Interstate '82Interstate '82 is a computer game for the PC. It was developed by Activision and released in 1999.-Synopsis:The game is set in the southwest United States of America in an alternate version of the year 1982, during the Reagan Administration. The game is less complex than its predecessor,...
.) This edition does not include "Working in the Coal Mine."
Personnel
- Mark MothersbaughMark MothersbaughMark Allen Mothersbaugh is an American musician, composer, singer and painter. He is the co-founder of the new wave band Devo and has been its lead singer since 1972. His other musical projects include work for television series, films, and video games....
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Bob MothersbaughBob MothersbaughRobert Leroy "Bob" Mothersbaugh, Jr.,, or "Bob 1", is the lead guitar player and occasional vocalist for Devo and younger brother of lead vocalist Mark Mothersbaugh...
– guitar, keyboards, vocals - Gerald CasaleGerald CasaleGerald Vincent Casale , often known as Jerry Casale, is a vocalist, bass guitar/synthesizer player, and a founding member of the new wave band Devo...
– keyboards, vocals - Bob Casale – guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Alan Myers – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Karat Faye - engineer
Singles
- "Through Being Cool (Dance Velocity)" / "Going Under (Dance Velocity)"
- "Working in the Coal Mine" / "Planet Earth"
- "Beautiful World" / "Nu-Tra Speaks"
- "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth" / "Mecha-Mania Boy"
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | US Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Top 100 |
23 |
| US Record World Record World Record World magazine was one of the three main music industry trade publications in the United States, along with Billboard and Cash Box magazines. It was founded in 1946 under the name Music Vendor, but since 1964 changed it to Record World, under the ownership of Sid Parnes and Bob Austin, both... Top 100 |
24 | |
| UK Music Week Music Week Music Week is a trade paper for the UK record industry.Founded in 1959 as Record Retailer, it was relaunched on 18 March 1972 as Music Week . On 17 January 1981 the title was again changed, owing to the increasing importance of sell-through videos, to Music & Video Week... Top 100 |
50 | |
| New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 | 6 | |
| Australia ARIA ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... Top 100 |
3 | |
| Canada RPM Top 50 | 32 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | "Jerkin' Back 'n' Forth/Through Being Cool/Going Under" | US Billboard Club Play Singles | 32 |
| "Working in the Coal Mine Working in the Coal Mine "Working in the Coal Mine" is a song with music and lyrics by Allen Toussaint.After Toussaint returned to New Orleans from the Army , he formed a production company, Sansu, with partner Marshall Sehorn. A number of singles, performed by Lee Dorsey, followed in 1965-66, including "Working in the... " |
US Billboard Club Play Singles | 30 | |
| US Billboard Mainstream Rock | 53 | ||
| US Billboard Pop Singles | 43 | ||
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 36 | ||
| US Record World Top 100 | 27 | ||
| New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 | 8 | ||
| Australia ARIA Top 100 | 20 | ||
| Canada RPM Top 50 | 17 | ||
| UK Music Week Top 100 | ? | ||
| "Beautiful World" | US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles The Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States. It lists the top 25 singles below number 100 that have not yet charted on the Billboard Hot 100. Sometimes, however, singles halt their progress on this chart, and never appear on the Hot 100... |
102 | |
| Australia ARIA Top 100 | 14 | ||
| 1982 | New Zealand RIANZ Top 50 | 15 | |
| "Through Being Cool" | US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100 | 107 |