''Mechanical Man'' is an EP by the American new wave band

Devo Devo is an American new wave band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs ( Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a No. 14 ...

, released in 1978 by Elevator Records. It includes four 4-track basement demos by the band, recorded before they were signed to a record contract with

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...

Background

The EP was a 7-inch single housed in a plain sleeve that came in a variety of colors including pink, blue, red, yellow and green. Most EP sleeves were numbered on the back, although the exact number of EPs pressed is unknown. Opinions differ as to the legitimacy of the EP, with some sources considering it a bootleg. In a ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' article on the band dating from January 1979, Cole Springer refers to it as a bootleg of British origin. However, Devo webmaster and archivist Michael Pilmer later stated that it was produced by

Virgin Records Virgin Records is a British record label owned by Universal Music Group. They were originally founded as a British independent record label in 1972 by entrepreneurs Richard Branson, Simon Draper, Nik Powell, and musician Tom Newman (musician), ...

and included with some copies of the band's 1978 debut album '' Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'' in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. In 2023, Devo member

Gerald Casale Gerald Vincent Casale ( ) ( ''né'' Pizzute; born July 28, 1948) is an American musician. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, co-lead vocalist and bass player of the new wave band Devo, which released a top 20 hit in 1980 wi ...

said that the songs were "the five tracks we were most excited about at the time". "Blackout" was later known as "Clockout" and "Auto-Modown" includes the unlisted track "Space Girl Blues".

Recording

The tracks "Mechanical Man" and "Auto-Modown" were recorded in 1975, when the band was a quartet and

Jim Mothersbaugh James Michael Mothersbaugh (; born January 18, 1954) is an American electronic engineer and former musician. He was the second drummer of the new wave band Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who played for only one show. Mothersbaugh joined Devo with h ...

was their drummer. "Blackout" was recorded in 1976, when

Bob Casale Robert Edward Casale Jr. (born Robert Edward Pizzute Jr.; July 14, 1952 – February 17, 2014), or "Bob 2", was an American musician, composer and record producer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as the rhythm guitarist and keyboardi ...

had joined and Alan Myers had replaced Jim.

Reissue

In 2023, ''Electronic Sound'' magazine repressed a limited edition of the ''Mechanical Man'' EP on yellow 7-inch vinyl and offered it as a bundle with issue 103, a 100-page celebration of Devo's 50th anniversary. The bundle became their fastest-selling issue ever, quickly selling out on the website, and the magazine later made a poster of the cover available for sale.

Track listing

Side one #"Mechanical Man" (

Mark Mothersbaugh Mark Allen Mothersbaugh (; born May 18, 1950) is an American musician and composer. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as co-founder, lead vocalist and keyboardist of the new wave band Devo, whose " Whip It" was a top 20 single in the US ...

) – 3:27 #"Blockhead" (

Bob Mothersbaugh Robert Leroy Mothersbaugh Jr. (; born August 11, 1952), also known by his stage name Bob 1, is an American musician, singer, songwriter and composer. Mothersbaugh's music career spans more than 40 years. He came to prominence in the late 1970s as ...

, M. Mothersbaugh) – 3:08 Side two #"Blackout" ( Gerald V. Casale) – 3:11 #"Auto-Modown" (G.V. Casale) – 3:51

Personnel

Instrumental credits adapted from liner notes of 2013 Superior Viaduct reissues of '' Hardcore Devo: Volume One'' (1990) and '' Hardcore Devo: Volume Two'' (1991). Credits for "Blockhead" cannot be confirmed. Devo *

– synthesizers; vocals (A1) * Gerald V. Casale – bass guitar (A1, B1, B2), vocals (B1, B2) *

– guitar (A1, B1, B2) *

– drums (A1, B2) *

– additional guitar (B1) * Alan Myers – drums (B1) Technical * Devo (as "Mechanical Man") – producers

External links

*http://www.discogs.com/Devo-Mechanical-Man/master/97414

References

{{Authority control Devo EPs 1978 EPs