Freedom of Choice (album)

Freedom of Choice is the third studio album by the American new wave band Devo, released in May 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The album contained their biggest hit, "Whip It", which hit No. 8 and No. 14 on the Billboard Club Play Singles and Pop Singles charts, respectively. Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart.

Freedom of Choice
Studio album by
Devo
ReleasedMay 14, 1980 (1980-05-14)[1]
RecordedOctober 1979 – early 1980
StudioRecord Plant (Hollywood)
Genre
Length32:14
LabelWarner Bros.
Producer
Devo chronology
Duty Now for the Future
(1979)		 Freedom of Choice
(1980)		 New Traditionalists
(1981)
Singles from Freedom of Choice
  1. "Girl U Want"
    Released: April 24, 1980
  2. "Whip It"
    Released: August 13, 1980
  3. "Gates of Steel"
    Released: October 6, 1980
  4. "Freedom of Choice"
    Released: December 29, 1980

Composition

According to the band's commentary on The Complete Truth About De-Evolution DVD, the lyrics of "Whip It" began as a tongue-in-cheek anthem for then-president Jimmy Carter, and were also inspired by Norman Vincent Peale's 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking and the "can do philosophy" espoused within.[4] Devo co-songwriter and bass guitarist Gerald Casale also told Songfacts that the lyrics were written by him "as an imitation of Thomas Pynchon's parodies in his book Gravity's Rainbow".[5] The lyric of "That's Pep!" is based on an early 20th-century poem by Grace G. Bostwick.[6]

Music historian Andy Zax later observed that, "Beneath the shiny surface of Freedom of Choice, the band's ability to dissect the de-evolving world around it remained as incisive as ever."[1]

Production

Freedom of Choice was recorded between October 1979 and early 1980, at the Record Plant in Hollywood, California. The album was co-produced by Robert Margouleff, notable for his synthesizer work in Tonto's Expanding Head Band and with Stevie Wonder.[1] Zax noted that, on Freedom of Choice, "synthesizers had now been upgraded to a starring role, while an increasingly sophisticated pop sensibility infiltrated the group's new songs."[1]

The album was demoed at Modern Music Recording Studio in 1980 and these tracks were later released on the compilation album Recombo DNA in 2000.[7] This demo version lacks "It's Not Right", "Ton o' Luv", "Don't You Know" and "Freedom of Choice", but it includes demos of the "Whip It" B-side "Turn Around" and three unreleased tracks ("Luv & Such", "Time Bomb" and "Make Me Move").[8][7] The lyrics of "Luv & Such" were later rewritten and the song became "Mr. B's Ballroom".[7]

In 2009, another demo titled "Red Shark" surfaced, an early version of "It's Not Right" with alternate lyrics that was offered as a download-only track for fans who purchased tickets to the Freedom of Choice album concerts.[9]

Promotion

Devo produced three music videos for the album. "Whip It" was based on a 1962 issue of Dude magazine that lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh had found in an antique store, which contained a story about a dude ranch where the owner would whip his wife's clothes off. The video also played on the popular misconception that the song was about sadomasochism.[4] It was shot in Devo's rehearsal studio for $15,000.[5] "Girl U Want" saw the band performing on a television set in front of a live audience. The colors of the video were heavily saturated. In "Freedom of Choice", the band appeared as aliens. This video also featured professional skateboarders of the day.

The popularity of "Whip It" garnered the band several television appearances, including The Merv Griffin Show, American Bandstand and two appearances on the sketch comedy and variety show Fridays. A planned appearance on The Midnight Special was canceled when host Lily Tomlin saw the video for "Whip It" and objected to the content.[4]

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[10]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[11]
Smash Hits6/10[12]
Spin Alternative Record Guide7/10[13]
The Village VoiceB+[14]

Commercial

Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart, while "Whip It" peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart.[15] The album was awarded platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 13, 1986.[16]

Critical

In a 1981 review, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice quipped that "if they ever teach a rhythm box to get funky, a Mothersbaugh will be there to plug it in."[14] Writing in Trouser Press, critics Scott Isler and Ira Robbins described the album as "the band's most evocative pairing of words and music".[17] In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Steve Huey praised the album, calling it "their most cohesive, consistent material to date".[3]

Record World described a live version of "Gates of Steel" saying that "its wall-of-sound guitar grind and Mark Mothersbaugh's vocal frenzy should satisfy AOR listeners."[18]

Tour

The Freedom of Choice tour was the most ambitious Devo tour up to this time, with dates in Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Canada.[19] While the stage set was still relatively minimalist in keeping with previous performances, the stage was now illuminated by industrial walls and towers with flashing lights. In addition to the infamous red energy dome hats, the band also wore new Tyvek costumes, consisting of grey shirts and pants with long red strips of tape attached to them. Later in the set, Devo donned red, triangular vinyl vests, each one emblazoned with a letter of the band's name in yellow (as well as a hyphen), which can also be seen in the promotional video for "Freedom of Choice". For the May dates the group wore white button shirts and pants, along with the Energy Dome,[20] but from June onward they wore more traditional white radiation suits with red sellotape over in a cross formation.[21]

The tour was captured on several different commercial releases. The first was a promotional LP of an almost complete gig from August 16 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, recorded for the King Biscuit Flower Hour radio show and issued as part of the ongoing Warner Bros. Music Show series.[22] Shortly thereafter, six tracks from the album appeared as the DEV-O Live mini-album, and in 2000, Rhino Handmade issued a limited edition CD of DEV-O Live, containing both the mini-album and the LP on one disc.[22] In 2005, a performance from the Phoenix Theater in Petaluma, California from the following night was issued as Devo Live 1980 in DualDisc format, with one side containing the show in DVD format and the other containing an edited version of the show's audio in CD format.[23]

The evening show at Raincross Square in Riverside, California on August 19 was cancelled, due to a light bank malfunctioning during the afternoon show, which led ticket holders to riot; the show was made up a week later, on August 25.[24]

Legacy

On September 16, 2009, Warner Bros. and Devo announced vinyl and deluxe CD re-releases of both Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! and Freedom of Choice, as well as a tour in which they would perform both albums on back-to-back nights in selected cities.[25] On December 22, 2009, the Ultra Devo-Lux Ltd. Edition box set was released, which featured the remastered versions of Q: Are We Not Men? and Freedom of Choice with bonus tracks, a DVD of the 2009 Q: Are We Not Men? HMV Forum concert, a DVD of music videos, a 7-inch single and a poster.[26][27]

Track listing
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Girl U Want"Mark Mothersbaugh, Gerald Casale2:55
2."It's Not Right"M. Mothersbaugh2:20
3."Whip It"M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:37
4."Snowball"M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:28
5."Ton o' Luv"G. Casale2:29
6."Freedom of Choice"M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale3:28
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Gates of Steel"G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh, Sue Schmidt, Debbie Smith[28]3:26
2."Cold War"Bob Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:30
3."Don't You Know"M. Mothersbaugh2:14
4."That's Pep!"M. Mothersbaugh2:17
5."Mr. B's Ballroom"M. Mothersbaugh2:45
6."Planet Earth"G. Casale2:45
Total length:32:14

1993 Virgin Freedom of Choice/Oh, No! It's Devo CD bonus tracks:

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
24."Turnaround"M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:13
25."Peek-a-Boo! (Dance Velocity)"M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale4:38

2009 Warner Bros. CD bonus tracks:

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Freedom of Choice Theme Song" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:46
14."Whip It" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:41
15."Girl U Want" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:56
16."Gates of Steel" (Live)G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh, Schmidt, Smith3:17
17."Be Stiff" (Live)G. Casale, Robert Lewis2:50
18."Planet Earth" (Live)G. Casale2:32

2009 Ultra Devo-lux Ltd. Ed. CD bonus tracks:

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Freedom of Choice Theme Song" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:46
14."Whip It" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:41
15."Girl U Want" (Live)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:56
16."Gates of Steel" (Live)G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh, Schmidt, Smith3:17
17."Be Stiff" (Live)G. Casale, Lewis2:50
18."Planet Earth" (Live)G. Casale2:32
19."Snowball" (Demo)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:49
20."Gates of Steel" (Demo)G. Casale, M. Mothersbaugh, Schmidt, Smith3:28
21."Time Bomb" (Demo)M. Mothersbaugh, G. Casale2:54

Personnel

Credits adapted from Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology CD liner notes.[29]

Devo

Credits adapted from the original album's liner notes:[30]

Technical

  • Devo – producer
  • Robert Margouleff – producer, engineer
  • Howard Siegal – engineer
  • Karat Faye – assistant engineer
  • Ken Perry – mastering
  • Artrouble – album cover

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[39] Platinum 15,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References
  1. Zax, Andy (2000). Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology (CD liner notes). Los Angeles: Rhino. R2 75967.
  2. Nagy, Evie (June 19, 2010). "How To Get Ahead With Advertising". Billboard.
  3. Huey, Steve. "Freedom of Choice – Devo". AllMusic. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  4. Devo (2003). The Complete Truth About De-evolution (DVD). Rhino Home Video.
  5. Wiser, Carl (December 2003). "Devo : Songwriter Interviews". Songfacts. Mark Mothersbaugh and Jerry Casale. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  6. Bostwick, Grace G. (May 1924). "That's Pep!" (PDF). Ohio State Engineer. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  7. Devo (2000). Recombo DNA (CD liner notes). Los Angeles: Rhino Handmade. RHM2 7718.
  8. "Devo - Recombo DNA". Rhino Entertainment. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  9. Ennis, Jillian (September 16, 2009). "Devo to Play Classic Albums on Fall Tour". Spin. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  10. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Devo". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  11. Evans, Paul (2004). "Devo". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 232–33. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  12. Starr, Red (May 29 – June 11, 1980). "Devo: Freedom of Choice". Smash Hits. Vol. 2, no. 11. p. 30.
  13. Hunter, James (1995). "Devo". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 110–11. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  14. Christgau, Robert (February 2, 1981). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  15. "Devo". Billboard. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  16. "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  17. Isler, Scott (1991). Robbins, Ira A. (ed.). The Trouser Press Record Guide (4th ed.). New York: Collier/Macmillan. p. 185. ISBN 0-02-036361-3. Retrieved April 22, 2016.
  18. "Single Picks" (PDF). Record World. April 18, 1981. p. 82. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  19. "DEVO Live Guide - 1980". www.huboon.com. Retrieved January 4, 2020.
  20. "Devo Live Guide - 05/12/80 - Tsubaki House, Tokyo, Japan". huboon.com. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  21. "Devo Live Guide - 06/05/80 - Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, United Kingdom". huboon.com. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  22. Devo (1999). DEV-O Live (CD liner notes). Los Angeles: Rhino Handmade. RHM2 7708.
  23. Devo (2005). Devo Live 1980 (DualDisc liner notes). San Francisco: Target Video. DR-4442.
  24. Johnson, Kim Jarrell (November 1, 2014). "BACK IN THE DAY: Riot marred 1980 Devo show in Riverside". The Press Enterprise. Retrieved January 5, 2020.
  25. "Warner Bros. and Devo press release on re-release and tour". Reuters. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  26. "The Ultra Devo-lux Ltd. Edition". Devo Official Store. clubdevo.com. Archived from the original on March 7, 2012. Retrieved December 5, 2011.
  27. Devo (2009). The Ultra Devo-lux Ltd. Ed (CD box set liner notes). Warner Bros. Records. 522188-2.
  28. "The De-Evolution of Akron's Music", Beacon Journal, September 10, 2000, retrieved December 1, 2009
  29. Devo (2000). Pioneers Who Got Scalped: The Anthology (CD liner notes). Rhino. R2 75967.
  30. Devo (1980). Freedom of Choice (LP liner notes). Warner Bros. Records. BSK 3435.
  31. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 88. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  32. "Search - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  33. "Charts.nz – Devo – Freedom of Choice". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  34. "Devo | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  35. "Devo Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  36. "Top Selling Albums of 1980 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved January 29, 2022.
  37. "Top Selling Albums of 1981 — The Official New Zealand Music Chart". Recorded Music New Zealand. Retrieved February 1, 2022.
  38. "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1981". Billboard. Retrieved April 23, 2021.
  39. "New Zealand album certifications – Devo – Freedom Of Choice". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 1, 2019.
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