Possibly the first new sound of the '70s, this young five-man group from Akron, Ohio, gives a demented twist to the conventional rock instrumentation of guitar, bass, drums and synthesizer. In presenting its concept of Do-evolution, the first reaction is to call Devo new wave, but it goes deeper than that. Sensitive and serious, Devo's sound, song structure and themes add a new dimension to the rock medium without being gimmicky. So far, the group, with its raw and unspoiled urgency, has gathered a large underground following. Best cuts: "Satisfaction," "Mongoloid," "Jocko Homo," "Shrivel-Up."

- Billboard, 1978.

Bonus Reviews!

Devo's debut shows why the band still has a small but rabidly dedicated following well after their artistic peak. Their sound here is mostly guitar-based, with odd melodies and crazily jerky rhythms. With songs about masturbation ("Uncontrollable Urge"), freaks ("Mongoloid"), and technology ("Space Junk"), plus their patented de-evolution philosophy (the anthem "Jocko Homo," about the regression of mankind) and a wickedly deranged deconstruction of "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," Devo took punk's anti-mainstream, D.I.Y. spirit and filtered it through the sensibilities of weirdoes, nerds, and outcasts, relentlessly (and bizarrely) satirizing American culture and briefly picking up, attitude-wise, where the Mothers of Invention left off. * * * *

- Steve Huey, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995.

Nowhere is Devo more Devo than on its first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo. Containing songs both curious ("Mongoloid," "Space Junk," "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction") and perverse ("Uncontrollable Urge," "Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Gettin')"), it is a much better rebellion against the stagnant music of the 70s than many of the most celebrated punk albums. * * * *

- Gary Graff, Musichound Rock: The Essential Album Guide, 1996.

Q: "Who else could take 'Satisfaction' and turn it into a new wave hit?" A: no one, but these progenitors of geek-rock who married synth and satire wrote scathing lyrics, delivered in earnestand spit their Brian Eno-produced sound in the face of an industry then defined by disco. If the Gang of Four infused their music with Marxism, then Devo doused theirs with the theory of de-evolution. Yeah, they were rebels, so don't let their plastic suits and flowerpot hats fool you. * * * *

- Zagat Survey Music Guide - 1,000 Top Albums of All Time, 2003.

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