Total Devo was released in 1988 (see 1988 in music). It was the first Devo album that was recorded without drummer Alan Myers,
who was replaced by former Sparks drummer David Kendrick. Some fans consider this among the weakest Devo albums;
however, this same disc has proven to be fairly accessible to many non-Devo fans due to the more polished
electronic sound as well as the more introverted lyrics, many of which allude to a failed romantic relationship.
"The Shadow" has lyrics that contain numerous references to literary works
(the chorus is partially lifted from T. S. Eliot's poem The Hollow Men) and it incorporates
the catchphrase from the serials following the character The Shadow ("Who knows what lurks in the hearts of men?/The shadow knows!").
"Some Things Never Change" (which also quotes The Beatles' "A Day in the Life") is used in Interplay's computer game,
Neuromancer (itself an adaptation of the novel of the same name by William Gibson).
"Disco Dancer" was remixed and released as a single and a music video, the latter of which,
according to Gerald Casale in his commentary for The Complete Truth About De-Evolution laserdisc and DVD,
failed to receive airplay after first being aired on MTV's "Smash or Trash?" segment.
Apparently it was "trashed" and MTV refused to air it after that.
Total Devo was the only Devo album to be released on DAT, as well as vinyl, cassette, and CD.
Cover Design
The cover photo is based on an early promotional photo by Devo from 1977.
However, in taking the cover shot, David Kendrick's chin fell behind Bob Casale's uniform.
Rather than retake the photo, a second photo of Kendrick's chin was very obviously pasted on.
For the silhouette photo on the back cover, the band members posed naked, in a spoof of Prince's "Lovesexy" album art.
The caption on the front cover has changed depending on the number of tracks contained on each release.
The cover of the original vinyl release (Enigma:D1-73303) included the caption "11 digital cartoons from the de-evolution band,"
while the CD release (Enigma:D2-73303) was captioned "13 digital cartoons from the de-evolution band."
A cassette release was captioned "12 digital cartoons...", and the Restless Records re-release is captioned with "16 digital cartoons..."
Track listing
On all editions, all songs written by Mark Mothersbaugh and Gerald V. Casale except as noted.
Standard
• "Baby Doll" – 3:56
• "Disco Dancer" – 4:14
• "Some Things Never Change" – 4:12
• "Plain Truth" – 3:13
• "Happy Guy" – 3:26
• "Don't Be Cruel" (Elvis Presley, Otis Blackwell) – 2:10
• "The Shadow" – 3:25
• "I'd Cry If You Died" – 4:05
• "Agitated" – 3:53
• "Man Turned Inside Out" (Mark Mothersbaugh) – 4:18
• "Sexi Luv" – 3:14 (Not included on the original vinyl album)
• "Blow Up" (Mark Mothersbaugh, Bob Mothersbaugh, Bob Casale) – 4:38
• "Some Things Never Change" (Cassette Version) - 5:19 (Included on CD version, DAT version, and subsequent CD releases)
• In 1994, Restless Records reissued the album on CD with the following bonus tracks:
• "Baby Doll" (Extended Mix) (5:42)
• "Disco Dancer" (12" Version) (6:30)
• "Agitated" (Hyperextended Mix) (5:42)
(from Wikipedia)
