Devo - "Working in the Coal Mine"

[sleepy time]

This is basically an "I LOVE DEVO" thread, but I didn't want to put "Whip It" because that song is kind of boring to me and it became their "novelty" song but they had so much more to offer as a band than just that song (in my opinion).

"Working in the Coal Mine", "Mongoloid", "Gut Feeling", "Jocko Homo", "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", "Secret Agent Man".... and yes I know a lot of them are covers, but still. I could listen to "Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!" all day long and not get tired of it. It was such an innovative and amazing album.

I think they get written off as one hit wonders for "Whip It" and that kinda sucks because for that 5 or 10 year period from the late 70's to the mid 80's they put out some AWESOME albums.

[halo19]

I enjoy everything I have heard from this band. I remember when someone heard NIN's pretty hate machine that they thought it sounded a lot like Devo.

It seems like other than "Whip It" that their most popular is "Freedom of Choice". That's probably my favorite Devo song.

The song you made this topic on was a pretty-well done remake. I think it may rival the original.

Lots of great bands get written off as one-hit wonders. It happened in the '90s with bands like Harvey Danger and I could list a lot more.

[Slinky]

halo20 said:

I enjoy everything I have heard from this band. I remember when someone heard NIN's pretty hate machine that they thought it sounded a lot like Devo.

And in fact there is a Devo cover of "Head Like A Hole" out there. It was released in the mid-90's I think. The few people I've played it for just thought it was funny, but when you think about it, it's really not that far of a stretch for them.

[stevie nice]

sleepytime said:

This is basically an "I LOVE DEVO" thread

And what's not to love??

I don't think too many here are big Devo fans, but me and my friends were really into them until about "Oh No It's Devo" where they really ran out of ideas.

Q?/A! is a great innovative post punk album. Their cover of "Satisfaction" to me is outstanding, and the tracks like "Mongoloid", Gut Feeling", especially "Jocko Homo", which really kicks in during the 2nd half of the song, and "Uncontrollable Urge" were great underground classics at the time, which helped form a bridge between then disco/club music, and rock and punk rock.

A number of those songs were originally recorded on the influential late 70s power pop/punk/post punk label Stiff Records and when the band signed to Warners, were re-recorded with better production. Souballz (sp) is a great b-side from this period. I love the chaoticness of "Too Much Paranoias" and "Come Back Jonee" is excellent as well. This album was produced by Brian Eno.

I am in the minority I think, but I prefer "DNFTF" because of tracks like "SIB", "Blockhead", "The Day My Baby..." and def "Smart Patrol/Mr DNA."

Freedom Of Choice was more commercial, but when "Whip It" first started getting spot play on WNEW and WLIR before the mania started (at least in NY, it was a huge club song despite its short length) there was nothing around that sounded like it. B-52's were like this too around this time. Nirvana covered "TurnAround" on their Incesticide album.

[reception]

Here's a clip.

[cartman2002]

Working In The Coal Mine reached #43 in 1981 but was popular enough to be on a K-Tel Album called "RadioActive"

[joker]

stevienice said:

sleepytime said:

This is basically an "I LOVE DEVO" thread

And what's not to love??

Agreed. I'm not familiar with all of Devo's material, but what I've heard I've liked. "Working in the Coal Mine" included.

[jdcfan]

I like Devo (in moderation).

[areyoureadytojump]

I've never heard this.