Devo “Be Stiff” 1978. Stiff Records. Somewhere between a multi-track 12″ single and comp EP, Be Stiff was a UK/Europe-only release (though also released in Japan in ’79) that featured tracks from their debut Q. Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! plus a stand-alone single and b-sides. Devo’s first single, “Mongoloid” (1977 – they re-recorded it for Q. Are We Not Men?), and its b-side “Jocko Homo” appear on on the comp; Stiff Records released the 7″ in the UK (Devo’s own label, Booji Boy Records released it in the US) and “Jocko Homo” – Devo’s call-and-response band anthem – hit #62 in England. Devo’s spastically amazing cover of The Rolling Stones’ “(I Can’t Get Me No) Satisfaction,” (1977, Booji Boy Records) and its b-side “Sloppy (I Saw My Baby Getting)” is also included; the A-side went to #41 in the UK. Finally, Devo’s third single from 1978, “Be Stiff” was released on Stiff Records (obviously), hitting #71 in the UK, and it became the label’s unofficial theme song. Stiff Records even had a 6-song EP of covers of the track recorded by artists like Lene Lovich, Wreckless Eric and Rachel Sweet. The b-side to Devo’s version, “Social Fools” is also on Be Stiff.

We finally got a chance to see Devo play most of these songs live this past fall in Las Vegas at Punk Rock Bowling. It was incredible! They’ve been around for well over 40 years and are truly master performers. A full-on spectacle complete with a light show, video loops, multiple costume changes and choreographed routines (I won’t go as far as to say “dancing”) all in perfect sync.