Customer Reviews

New Traditionalists

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Without a doubt, this is the BEST this album has ever sounded. I seem to recall hearing somewhere that the original master tapes had suffered some sort of damage prior to the original album' pressing, hence the slightly muffled sound heard since its original release. Based solely on this I would rate the disc 5/5. The problem comes with the bonus tracks. What's here cannot necessarily be faulted, what is not most certainly can. Where is "Working in a Coalmine," it was included on the original cassette release, a free 7' with the vinyl and has been present on any CD pressings up til now? Why is "MechaMania Boy" not here? It was included on the 90's reissue and is a New Traditionalist era b-side? Instead we are given tracks found on the still in print Pioneers Who Got Scalped anthology, a few from the limited release Recombo DNA (which to me sound more like "Oh No!"-era demos) and a track from the EZ-Listening CD. Again, why? It doesn't fit sonically with what is here, other NT EZ-Listening tracks are not included, and the space could have been used for "Mechamania Boy," or even other NT-era demos from "Recombo DNA." 3/5 for Bonus tracks, overall rating 4/5. Hopefully ALL RELEVANT tracks will be included on any other Warner Bros reissues (Oh No! It's Devo!, Shout) if and when they happen.

I owned the original US WB pressing of the LP, then the "Collectibles" CD version, which I thought was crap. Today I received in the mail this remastered version of the album, and though it sounds better - more solid volume, sound, it seems the remastering emphasized too much the lows - so that the CD "thumps" a lot even at a flat bass and treble setting, and the high midranges and highs appear muffled. Originally I believed it was intentional or due to the poor quality of the LP mastering, but apparently what I've read here about the master tapes being damaged may very well be true. If so, it may indeed be a pity and may explain why the price of the CD - "new" has fallen below eight dollars. it is also a shame because WB could well have requested the original recording engineers to cook up another master tape from the original multi=track recordings. Clearly Devo has not been treated by the label with the seriousness and respect they afford Los Lobos song-stealer Paul Simon. I give this release 4 stars for the sound quality, 5 for the music.

The sound on this under rated Devo classic has been cleaned up considerably bringing it out of the muffled fog it was originally in. The clarity is much noticed on "Through Being Cool"

I like the extra tracks. They might be found on other Devo releases, but I don't mind them here. I like them especially "One Dumb Thing" which, from what I understand, eventually was rewritten as "PATTERNS" on "Oh, No! It's Devo!" It's neat hearing how a song was...then eventually ended up as. I do miss "Working In A Coal Mine" on this release even though it's not one of my favorite Devo songs.

The mark on the front "Parental Advisory Explicit Content" I feel was placed there for a marketing ploy. Anyone who is familiar with the original release knows there is nothing more than Benny Hill naughty boy type humor here as in "Soft Things". But possibly, if a consumer had not heard the extras before might think they are something REALLY naughty included there.

Over all, great price, great cd, great bonus tracks, GREAT DEVO RELEASE!

I was 14 when "New Traditionalists" came out in Germany, it was my first contact with Devo. My friends and I had this record on at every party in full blast. We simply felt that the sound of this record is great. I then worked my way back to Devo's earlier records and I stopped following the group when they released "Shout".
In my opinion "New Traditionalist" stands out as a record that not only perfectly defines the sound of the pop revolution of the early 80s, but it brings out all of Devo's qualities like no other Devo record. To me this is "serious" Devo, no other Devo record has as much emotional impact. It can be heard for sheer musical pleasure - and That's Good.
The synth-bass sound is warm and full (Jerkin Back N Forth) and matches perfect with the fat Lynn-E-Drums (or whatever they are), which I never heard so exquisitly featured in any other 80s record (Beautiful World). The keyboards are lush, cool, sometimes dramatic (Going Under), the guitars stand out with warmth, and the singing and the voice effects are on the spot/spud. The songs themselves are perfect, fat-free pop compositions that still simply rock.

I love this album, was one of the first cassetes that I ever owned, I got as a gift, the cd was missin a few tracks that I remember havin on the cassete and the packageing sucked, sorry for the negative response.

The long awaited reissue and remaster of Devo's 1981 "New Traditionalists" is well worth the wait. I've had this CD in three different forms now; an early 90's Japanese import, stolen from me and replaced by the Infinite Zero version, and finally, this. I had also read the saga of the disintegrating master-tape a long time back, but this version is the best "New Traditionalists" has ever sounded. More punch, thicker bass and bottom, much better definition.

There's also the fact that Devo was on a creative roll at the time. They'd just had a major hit with "Freedom Of Choice," had done major TV shows and concerts, and this was meant to be the album that kept that momentum going forward, moving ahead.

New Traditionalists" found DEVO in that precarious state. Their arty irony and brainy pop smarts had made them a flavor of the moment and suddenly the whole world was chanting "are we not men?" It both emboldened them and deepened their cynicism. "Through Being Cool" rallied the alienated to rise against the ninnies and the twits at the same time "Beautiful World" wearily declared that it might have been a beautiful world for you, but "it's not for me." After all, how could you rail against the lemming/jock mentality when they were the ones donning energy domes at the football games and singing "Whip It" at corporate synergy rallies?

But having been touched by the gold finger of hit making, DEVO did their best to fill an album with enthusiastic pogo anthems about their favorite topics, love sex and the willful decline of the human condition. "Jerking Back and Forth" and "Love Without Anger" are typical visions of human relationships ala DEVO. (The stop motion doll video for "L.W.A." is among the band's best.) "Going Under" had them tinkering with their sound a little.

While it charted about the same as its predecessor, none of the singles performed as did "Whip It" and the record was considered a commercial disappointment. (Oddly enough, "Working In a Coal Mine" came from the movie "Heavy Metal" and was inserted as a single into original album pressings, was a bonus track on the Infinite CD, and is left off here. Also missing, the "Devo Saves The Children" poster art.) The bonus tracks are nothing much to speak of, other than they show what molds "Super Thing," "That's Good" and "Patterns" were cast from. What I am really hoping for now is the ultimate remasters on the remaining Devo albums, even "Smooth Noodle Maps."

Sad that it's taken Warner Bros. almost 30 years to finally release New Traditionalists on CD in North America. This has never been my favorite Devo album, but it's never been one of my least favorites either. Over all I think it's quite underrated. Funny thing is, I remember I didn't buy it until it had been out for several months, and the first time I listened to it I recognized some of the songs from the radio, but had never realized they were by Devo. It continued the band's trend of relying more on synthesizers and less on guitars. The production in general was far more lavish and polished than any of their previous records. The obvious classics here are 'Beautiful World', 'Love Without Anger', and 'Through Being Cool' i.e. the videos. The former two are definitely among my favorites on the record. But my #1 choice from this album has always been the closing cut, 'Enough Said'. Great tune, great message, and the only New Traditionalists song that Alan Myers (drums) really gets any opportunity to kick some ass on. (This is also the first album where Myers was completely replaced by a drum machine on certain tracks.) In another bizarre move by Warner Bros., 'Working In the Coal Mine' is not included here. (It was included with the original LP as a bonus 7-inch single.) Normally that would cost one star from the rating, but that star is earned back by the inclusion of some bonus tracks at the end of the disc, most if not all of which have already been released elsewhere e.g. Rhino's Recombo DNA) Some of them aren't very interesting, e.g. a demo titled 'Psychology of Desire' which is essentially 'The Super Thing' (yech, never liked that song) with different lyrics. The tracks that do interest me are 'One Dumb Thing' and 'Faster and Faster'; they're awful songs, but they also happen to be early proto-versions of what would eventually become the far superior songs 'Patterns' and 'That's Good' on the following album, Oh No It's Devo. (Which also hasn't been released on CD in North America by Warner Bros. yet. *crosses fingers and goes to check if it's available for pre-order*)

I don't know if I ever realized this until now: Of the 10 songs on NT, Mark Mothersbaugh only sings lead on two. Jerry Casale sings the rest. Wow.