Hardcore Devo: Volume One


Hardcore Devo: Volume One is the first of two collections of demos by the American new wave band Devo, released on August 17, 1990, as a CD by Rykodisc. The French label Fan Club also released the album on LP that same year.

Background

The Hardcore Devo albums are collections of 4-track basement demos recorded by the band between April 1974 and December 1977. The early recordings were made using a TEAC 4-track recorder and incorporated guitars, Minimoog, bass guitar and homemade electronic drums, the latter built and performed by Jim Mothersbaugh.
Some tracks are early versions of songs that Devo would later rerecord for their studio albums, including a few that became some of their best known. However, the majority of the tracks were never revisited and remained unreleased until the Hardcore Devo compilations.
Hardcore Devo: Volume One was out of print for years; however, it was re-issued by Superior Viaduct in 2013, both as a vinyl release and a CD containing both volumes and bonus tracks.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes of Superior Viaduct 2013 reissue:
Devo
Additional personnel
Technical
Credits adapted from liner notes of original Rykodisc 1991 issue:
Credits adapted from Devo: The Brand :
  • Devo – photo concept, art direction
  • Moshe Brakha – photography