Devo Classics Get Audiophile Upgrade For Reissues
(Scoop) Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MoFi), the leader in high-fidelity audio reissues, is proud to reissue Devo's first two foundational, genre-defining albums: their 1978 radical debut, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, and their pivotal 1979 follow-up, Duty Now for the Future, in audiophile sound, with their first-ever 45RPM vinyl editions and numbered-edition Hybrid SACDs. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! arrives on November 6, followed by Duty Now for the Future on November 27.
Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, and housed in Stoughton gatefold jackets, MoFi's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP sets afford both landmark releases the luxurious groove room of a 45RPM presentation. Benefiting from the extra groove space, enhanced definition, deep-black backgrounds, and ultra-quiet surfaces, these editions reveal previously buried nuances and expansive soundstages whose scope is limited only by the capacity of the listener's audio gear.
The satirical protest, spastic structures, and deadpan humor of Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! run so deep that it took decades for the music cognoscenti to come around and appreciate the record on its own terms. Ranked No. 252 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time and among Pitchfork's 100 best albums of the 1970s, Devo's radical debut helped steer the new-wave movement that followed. Sourced from the original master tapes (1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe) and mastered by engineer Krieg Wunderlich, the 180g 45RPM 2LP set renders in three-dimensional fashion the textures, tones, and effects critical to the music. Though Brian Eno butted heads with the band during the recording process, the merits of his production emerge like never before. From the skittering opening of "Uncontrollable Urge" and the terse minimalism of their deconstructed cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," to the synthesizer-pulsed narrative of "Mongoloid" and the signature call-and-response manifesto "Jocko Homo," the release captures leader Mark Mothersbaugh and company's prophetic vision in reference-grade sound. The numbered-edition Hybrid SACD, mastered by Rob LoVerde and housed in mini-LP-style packaging, delivers equal presence, clarity, and detail on disc.
"Pop music needs a big enema." Devo created Duty Now for the Future with that mission statement, relayed to the press by co-founding bassist/vocalist Gerald Casale, firmly in mind. Serving as the capstone to Phase One of the band's career, the transitional album spurred the group's interest in electronic instrumentation, extended its penchant for biting social satire, and married gritty, punchy guitars with expansive keyboard canvases.
Sourced from the original master tapes (1/4" / 15 IPS Dolby A analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe) and mastered by Wunderlich, MoFi's 180g 45RPM 2LP set spotlights the merits of Ken Scott's production with direct immediacy. The restored sound brings explosive urgency to anti-corporate anthems like "Clockout" and "Blockhead," the hard-hitting punk fury of "Wiggly World," the fan-favorite "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA," and their transformative cover of "Secret Agent Man." The companion numbered-edition Hybrid SACD, mastered by LoVerde and housed in mini-LP-style gatefold packaging, captures the crisp arrangements and lurking edginess with pinpoint accuracy. Pre-order here
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