1982_02 The Daily Collegian February 1982

              Music
Page 6—the Daily Collegian-February 5,19S2
REVIEW
'Traditionalists'changes Devo's image
By Alan Atamian
Daily Collegian Contributing Writer
Devo may be "through being cool," as
one of their new songs proclaims, but
they're not through changing images.
The fourth album released by five-man
Devo (stands for de-evolutionary band)
from Akron, Ohio, is "New Traditional¬
ists" on Warner. This album, sporting a
paradox for a title, captures the five
"spudboys* on the front cover in their
'Devo is sounding
less unique'
third costume change, and on the disc
with a continued change in their musical
style towards a mainstream sound.
First, the new garb. Yes, folks, the
original one-piece yellow nuclear action
suits gave way to denims and those smart-
looking red energy domes (But they look
like flower pots, Mom!) on 'Freedom Of
Choice.* Now they've scrapped the 21st
century horticulturist motif for dress
slacks, novelty shirts, and, the traditional¬
ist "pomp,' plastic hair?
Now, the music, in spite of their insist¬
ence on wearing curious accoutermenu,
and playing strange instruments (like the
Moog Liberator, a guitar-synthesizer),
Devo is beginning to sound less unique
and more like other new wave groups. The
unfortunate thing is that the original
concept of Devo and their highly technical
compu-rhythms, gimmicks, and satire are
a stark contrast with most of the other
computerized new wave groups.
Eight of the 10 songs on "Traditional¬
ists' are from very good to excellent, and
there are no flat-out losers on the disc. Out
of the ten songs, "Pity You,* "Beautiful
World,' and 'Love Without Anger* reign
as my favorites. "Pity You' is a somewhat
mutated disco song with that special off-
key devo flair and strident guitar work.
"Love Without Anger," looks at love that
seems to lack conflict:
"... Why scream and cry when you know
it's true
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O
Why believe in things that make it tough
on you
Why fall in love when there 's better things
to do...       \
Love Without Anger isn 'l love at all."
"Beautiful World" is a sardonic look at
problems in today's society versus the
"bed of roses* that is often envisioned by
all of us:
."... /; 's a beautiful world we live in
It's a sweet romantic place
There's beautiful people everywhere
The way they comb their hair makes me
want to jay
It's a beautiful world for you...but not for
me.'
The album, although compromising
' somewhat on their earlier unique qual¬
ities, still reaches their market. Although
seemingly not advocating sex or drugs,
Devo suggests a bit with such seemingly��asexual songs as "Soft Things."
Devo also continues to promote what
they seem to satirize: blatant commercial¬
ism. They have 14 Devo items for sale on
the record sleeve ranging from club mem¬
bership to an "E-Z Listening" Devo
Muzak cassette.
Whether Devo continues to change
their image on forthcoming albums or not
is a question. Another big question is if
Devo will get a hit single off of thecurrent
LP to follow the success of "Whip It" from
their last one.
Devo's big commercial success may be
forthcoming as they continue their policy
of psycho-cybernetics for fun and profit.
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Kebruary S, l*nJ2—the Dally Collegian—Page 7
Concert tonight
Musical rebirth of Three Dog Night
After a self-enforced absence of some
six years, one of the most popular groups
of the late sixties and early seventies has
"experienced a musical rebirth. Three Dog
Night is back—a lot wiser and a good deal
happier with themselves, their music, and
the way of it all.
Three Dog Night will be performing in
Fresno at the Warriors Theatre tonight at
8 p.m. Appearing with Three Dog Night
will be special guest Rail.
Tickets will be available today at the
Warnors Theatre Box office and are $9.50
general admission.
Put together originally in 1968 by Irish-
born Danny Hutton with the novel con¬
cept of showcasing three lead singers who
could also sing harmony, the group was
successful right from the start.-Hutton,
who had graduated from loading and
unloading records at the Disney Studios
to recording as a single artist, had met
Cory Wells, who was touring with Sonny
and Cher. Chuck Negron and Danny met
at a party. Working separately, the three
were getting by; working together, the
sparks flew.
In recording studios they had the
benefit of the genius of Brian Wilson, long
associated with the Beach Boys, and Van
Dyke Parks. But it was Gabriel Mekler,
the Hungarian-born classical pianist
known for his brilliant production work
with Steppenwolf, Janis Joplin and Dono¬
van, to name three, who produced Three
Dog Night's first album. It was done live
in four sessions with no ovcr-d ubbing and
caused an immediate sensation.
With no hang-ups about doing only
their own songs, the group sought out the
best new material from the best new
songwriters and wound up with fourteen
gold albums, nine gold singles and a total
of more than forty million units sold.
They spent the early seventies touring,
breaking records in venues ranging from
concert halls to football stadiums and
baseball parks. Their shows were carefully
planned to highlight each of the three
singers' talents and to assure the fans of
getting their money's worth in varied
entertainment. Standing ovations were
commonplace, the rule rather than the
exception. But as it seemingly must to
every singing group, the rigors of the road
caught up with the three in 1975.
"We became disenchanted," Wells says
today, "and just quietly backed out of the
picture. We always had a sort of verbal
agreement that we were never going to
exploit the public for our own gain. We
were not going to do four or five farewell
tours'just to take in the money. We had
Oddly enough, an three, tired of
touring, almost immediately took to trav¬
elling. As performers, they bad lived in a
world confined to airports, limousines,
hotels and arenas. That's all they ever saw.
Each now wanted to see the real world.
Wells packed his family into an auto¬
mobile and leisurely toured the United
States, and Negron decided to do the
same—both with none of the worry of
meeting schedules, performing, signing
autographs, checking luggage and all the
rest of it. Wells, an ardent and,expert
fisherman, later became a field tester of
flyrod equipment for Scientific Angler
Products and travelled all over the world
in the company's private jet, fishing as he
went. He also wrote articles for many
fishing magazines, such as Angler Maga¬
zine, Scientific Angler, Field and Stream
and Bow and Arrow, appeared on three
episodes of television's The American
Three Dog Night (from left) Danny Hutton, Cory Wefts and Chuck Negron, will be at Warrior. Theatre as part of its I9S2 tour.
Sportsman," guested on the syndicated
'Outdoor Life' show and spoke at many
seminars and clinics on flyrod fishing.
'Fishing,' he says, "helps me to put my
life back into perspective. It lets me enjoy
life as a human being.' Eventually settling
down at home, he established a truck
garden, began, to raise bees and made a
hobby of selling honey at country fairs.
Hutton, the black-haired Irishman,
relaxed a while at home in Los Angeles,
then took off for Central America, Eng¬
land, and eventually his hometown of
Buncrana, Ireland. Negron, feeling "burnt
out and creatively dry,' took off with his
wife and young son, travelling leisurely.
The high spot of his "retirement' was the
birth of his second son, Charles Junior.
But as each of the three needed to get
away from the hectic world of pop music,
each began eventually to feel the need to
return. There was no set reunion. Wells
had teamed for a while with Connie
Stevens in* her nightclub act. He also
recorded two albums for AAM records
(he left A& M before the second one could
be released) and produced, with Louis
Shelton, and recorded "Let Tomorrow
*Be," the theme song for the movie *A
Different Story.* Negron had formed his
own production company and had record¬
ed half an album before the ultimate
reunion. And Hutton, back in Los An¬
geles, running and cycling to regain his
top form, had started a management
company and slowly found himself becom¬
ing interested in music again.
Some old unfinished business—legal
problems involving the original group—
got them together again. To their surprise,
they found they all shared the same feel¬
ing, a resurgence of interest in music and a
growing desire to try it all over again. As
Danny Hutton puts it, "We just had a test
rehearsal and discovered the old magic
was still there.* Three Dog Night was
reborn.
Rebirth, however, does not mean a
return to the old ways. "No more ball
parks,' Cory Wells says emphatically.
'Our performance in those huge arenas
had become too impersonal. We couldn't
see our audience. With no eye contact,
you lose your edge as a performer.* Thus
their current United States tour, covering
major cities through September, will be
confined to clubs and small theatres where
they can face their audiences directly and
sing to people rather than to mechanical
devices.
In addition to the United States tour,
there are plans for a new album in the fall,
a European tour, an Asian tour and such
motion picture and television opportun¬
ities as present themselves and for which
they can find the time.
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