In 1981, Devo's runaway success with Whip It had executives at Warner Brothers salivating. Devo was hot, and they needed to cash in. Since Devo's followup album, New Traditionalists would not be ready for some time, Warner decided to put out a live mini-album to grab that extra bit of cash in the interim.

The concert Dev-O Live draws from was recorded at the Fox Warfield Theater in San Francisco for the King Biscuit Flower Hour. The complete show was released as a promotional Warner Brothers Music Show album, sans the song Pink Pussycat. Two versions of Dev-O Live were released, one as a four-track EP, and one as a six-song Mini-Album. While not a major success, the album brought the band and the label some revenue.

Dev-O Live is not just for completists, however, as it contains two tracks unavailable outside of bootleg recordings. First off is the show opener, Freedom Of Choice Theme Song, an instrumental arrangement of Freedom Of Choice. The second is an incredible version of the early single Be Stiff, including a powerful synthesizer solo.

Aside from a clip of Devo performing Uncontrollable Urge in the film Urgh! A Music War, Dev-O Live was the only official documentation of Devo's 1980 world tour. Fortunately, Rhino Handmade, a sublabel of Rhino Records released an expanded version of Dev-O Live in 1999. The Dev-O Live CD is packaged in a minature LP sleeve, and contains both the original six-track EP, and the 16 track promo album.

Tracklist of Dev-O Live Mini-Album:

  1. Freedom Of Choice Theme Song
  2. Whip It
  3. Girl U Want
  4. Gates of Steel
  5. Be Stiff
  6. Planet Earth

Tracklist of Rhino Handmade Dev-O Live CD:

  1. Freedom Of Choice Theme Song
  2. Whip It
  3. Girl U Want
  4. Gates of Steel
  5. Be Stiff
  6. Planet Earth
  7. Freedom Of Choice Theme Song
  8. Whip It
  9. Snowball
  10. It's Not Right
  11. Girl U Want
  12. Planet Earth
  13. S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)
  14. Secret Agent Man
  15. Blockhead
  16. Uncontrollable Urge
  17. Mongoloid
  18. Be Stiff
  19. Gates Of Steel
  20. Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA
  21. Gut Feeling (Slap Your Mammy)
  22. Come Back Jonee

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.