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Something For Everybody has to be one of the year’s most anticipated releases in the Rock market. DEVO is a band whose legend has grown immensely since we last heard from them (studio recording wise at least). Their brief reunion shows and the most recent tour though wet the appetites of many old fans and unquestionably caught the ears of new, younger fans who hungered for something original.
How could DEVO possibly live up to the legend? I’m not sure how they did it to be honest, but they certainly did. With drummer Josh Freese (GNR, NIN, A Perfect Circle, and so on) in tow, they more than live up to their legend on this collection of semi-fan selected songs (with market research done courtesy of DEVO Inc.) aptly titled, Something For Everybody.
What’s most interesting about this album is that DEVO encapsulates their whole career in one fell swoop, while improving on all of it. There are some guitar led tracks that hearken back to their early albums – such as album opener “Fresh,” the Fifties bounce of “Please Baby Please,” and “Sumthin’” (which sounds like it could have been a leftover from the Jihad Jerry album) – as well as some masterful songs led by the more Electronic side of the band – such as the exploratory and slightly darker “No Place Like Home” (my personal favorite track), the trio of “Don’t Shoot (I’m a Man),” “Mind Games” (another highlight in my opinion), and time-to-Pogo track “Human Rocket.” The band manages to put it all together though in a very cohesive manner. You don’t really notice the wide range of presentations at all until you purposefully listen for them (which sucks the fun out of it all and I recommend you don’t do it).
DEVO have done what few reunited bands have managed to do and that is create another masterwork worthy of their name and back catalog. Those concerned that the band may be in danger of tarnishing their legacy with this release will laugh at their own foolishness when they hear the awesome-ness that is Something For Everybody.
Bottom Line: Part of me hopes that this is the end because it’s a spectacular bookend when listened to next to the band’s debut Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!
Key Tracks: “No Place Like Home, " "Fresh"
Reviewed by: Mark Fisher
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