Devo

The worst thing you can say about Devo's sophomore release is that it suffers next to their brilliant debut. Duty has more synths and less punk bite than before, but there's an even stronger sense of humor/irony/anger on New Wave classics such as "Wiggly World," "Blockhead" and "S.I.B." Smart and fun, Devo also rocked way more than maybe even they wanted to admit.

Side one, with its not-funny-enough instrumentals and evasive satire, was dire enough to make me suspect they'd made their arena-rock move before there was an arena in the world that would have them. But "The Day My Baby Gave Me a Surprize" and "Secret Agent Man" are as bright as anything on the debut, and the arrangements offer their share of surprizes. (Grade - B-)