Devo - Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! (MOFI, Limited Edition, 2XLP, 45RPM)

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 the 252nd Greatest Album

of All Time by Rolling Stone and amid the 100 best efforts of the

1970s by Pitchfork, Devo’s radical debut helped steer the new-

wave movement that followed. And as fate would have it, it is more

relevant in the 21st century than at the time of its release.

Sourced from the original master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record

Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile

Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents the 1977 benchmark

in reference-grade sound. Benefitting from the extra groove

space on this first-ever 45RPM version by playing with enhanced

definition, deep-black backgrounds, and ultra-quiet surfaces, it

reveals previously buried nuances and portrays large soundstages.

The presence, clarity, and detail of this reissue render 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. “Are we not men? We are Devo!” the group repeatedly

asserts. A truth that seems more evident with each passing day.

Genre: Pop & Rock