Don't get me wrong. I think Devo's 1978 debut "Q: Are We Not Men?" is a classic in the post-punk genre. 1980's "Freedom Of Choice," their most commercially successful album is quite good as well, even if it is a tiny bit more lightweight. However, the best, most essential work of Devo, 1979's "Duty Now For The Future," often gets overlooked, probably due to the fact that it's been out of print in the US since the 80's, and due to the fact that it's sandwiched inbetween a fan-fave, and a commercial breakthrough. Please, please, don't be like the misguided Amazon reviewer who insists that "Are We Not Men" is Devo's only work that matters. Every track on "Duty Now" (save perhaps "Red Eye Express") is a keeper, from the claustrophobic "Swelling Itching Brain" to the emotionally charged (from Devo? Yes!) pop anthem "The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise" to the odd-metered, yet supremely catchy "Blockhead." Production-wise, it's their best sounding and least-dated album, with a crisp, clear sound, and a perfect balance of guitars and keyboards that holds up better than the late-70's-punk-101 mix of "Are We Not Men" to the overtly-80's-synth-pop production of their next three albums, (though all are very good) and one wonders if "Duty Now" didn't actually come out in the last five years.

And let's face it. If you've even ever been curious about Devo beyond "Whip It," you're going to end up buying all of their first five albums anyway. If you're interested enough to actually be reading this instead of simply adding "Greatest Hits" to your shopping cart so you can have a laugh the next time you play "Whip It" at your next keg party, you're pretty much a Devo fan anyway.

As a bonus, 1981's "New Traditionalists" is also included, and while it is just a slight bit weaker than their first three albums, it's worth picking up due to Devo staples like "Through Being Cool," "Going Under," and "Jerkin' Back And Forth."

This CD represents an unusual yet remarkable pairing of two absolutely essential recordings by the Spud Boys from Akron.

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Yay! I can't believe this -- there are others here who think "Duty Now for the Future" is better than "Are We Not Men" also! I'm not the only one! Finally.

You see, Ken Scott didn't make the production "murkier," as some reviewers claim. He just made it more INTERESTING. Of course, I love "Are We Not Men" -- a complete classic from start to finish. But this album is just more interesting, more fun, more well made -- heck, even the instrumentals "Devo Corporate Anthem" and "Timing X" are spectacular. Everytime "Anthem" starts up, I always get a feeling that something special is going to happen. And I'm always correct.

"Clockout" is one of the best Devo songs, EVER. It doesn't have the traditional verse/chrous/verse template as other songs... it's an odd listen at first, but it will grow on you like ... fungus. Or something. It's got some kicka** guitar and the lyrics are Devo at it's best.

"Wiggly World" is a great combonation of post-punk and new wave... it hits incredibly hard, and it moves at a blazing pace.

Other top songs on this album include "S.I.B. (Swelling Itching Brain)" (this song even gets scary!), "The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprise," "Pink Pussy Cat" (great voices), and, the best Devo song ever, "Smart Patrol/Mr. DNA."

And contrary to popular opinion, "New Traditionalists" is only a notch below Devo's other works. I'm particularly fond of the last five songs. "Love Without Anger" and "Beautiful World" especially. Great songs, GREAT lyrics.

All in all, one of the best purchases around for a Devo fan. Buy it before it goes out of print!

Play this record real loud on a good clean stereo! "Duty Now..." shows the earlier Devo with wild excitement of guitar, synth, and robot drumming in "Wiggly World" and "Strange Pursuit" and "Smart Patrol". So cool.

Devo changed their sound a lot between 1979 and 1981, and these two albums represent those two years. "Freedom of Choice" with "Whip it!" came in between. These are the three best Devo albums. Of course, the 1987 debut album is great too. You can't go wrong until 1982 when things got shakey. On the devo newsgroups any discussion of favorite songs yields mention of every song, it's just like that. They are the greatest!

So, New Traditionalists shows a lot more synth power in place of guitar. More dance-oriented. You can play New Traditionalists over and over and over and over all in a row. "Love Without Anger" is fun and spastic. So hip!

Even after so many years, it's obvious how unique and ahead of their time Devo were. "The Day My Baby Gave Me A Surprize" and "Beautiful World" are two of the greatest songs written in their time. Forget the geek images, these guys had an axe to grind, and they used that edge! If you're even remotely into Devo, make sure you buy the collection of Devo videos called "We're All Devo." It proves that these guys were artists in every sense of the word.