following the night of 80s pop chaos i needed to get life back in the lane of familiarity.
tv. work. food. sleep.
and so it came to be.
except on my final day i couldn’t help but partake in some retail therapy.
and when in america there is only one band that i cannot help but indulge my needs.
devo.
oh yes, devo.
in 1984 when as a youthful naive lad on a solo trip to miami i randomly picked up the usa vinyl pressings of q : are we not men .. , and new traditionalists. subsequently, these two albums that have gone on to become lifelong friends. so, while digging around the racks for new albums i chanced upon the recently released remastered editions of each of these albums with proper artwork (unlike the uk virgin budget cd issues which are just nasty both in sound and presentation), excellent booklets, and extra tracks, and given that they are not available uk-side i could not resist.
it felt a natural conclusion to a lifelong passion.
so these sparkly new editions were quickly added to the ireallylovemusic archive.
and not only that, but this happened to be the week that the band released their new album, something for everybody.
does life get any better ?
quite possibly not.
having only heard one track via an online video, don’t shoot (i’m a man), i knew it was all about crunchy guitar/electro pop, but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer visceral pop that the new album would provide.
it’s just a mad 37 minute dash of devo styled barbed lyrical fun, huge pop hooks, and is everything a fan of the band would want.
of course, it could never surpass the highs of their debut, but if you have any love for their electro-pop brilliance then i urge you to head over to the bands wired up corner and sample the sonic delights on offer.
i reckon this album is one for the long haul.
so, with my pocket money spent, i decided to spend my final evening checking out tinariwen back in the park, the source of so many hours of sonic pleasure in the last few weeks.
despite having read a lot of high praise in the monthlies i had little idea as to what expect, but the sun was out, the skies blue, and there was little else i could do.
turns out the bands brand of spaced out desert rock was the perfect finale to my little adventure, elongated psych-funk jams with skyward guitars, spine tingling bass lines, and drummer-less percussion excess providing a glorious hour of musical highs, and thereby bringing the ireallylovemusic excursion to an emotional but fulfilling end.
thank you chicago, you were rather fun.
more detail : club devo