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Devo — Freedom of Choice
Album: Greatest Hits
Avg rating:
6.7

Your rating:
Total ratings: 436









Released: 1980
Length: 3:21
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Very appropriate, one week before the mega election!  
Posted 1 week ago by joejennings    [ Reply ]

Posted 10 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
DEVO!!{#Daisy}
Posted 14 years ago by sirdroseph    [ Reply ]
Deservant of a Nostalgia 9 from anyone who was a teen in the 80s!!!!  Not legendary, won't go down in history, but if you listened to it back then you're smiling now....
Posted 14 years ago by wbeaver    [ Reply ]
SWEEEEEEEET!!!!!!
Posted 14 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
Since I've heard this song twice in three days on vastly different places, I have just have to comment:
I don't think any song has ever said as true a statement about human nature...
"freedom of choice
is what you got
freedom from choice
is what you want"
Posted 14 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
Brings to mind a GREAT party in Palos Verdes Estates...my speakers blasting this from an awesome reel to reel player. {#Dancingbanana}shake it Becky


Posted 14 years ago by 1wolfy    [ Reply ]

Hard to believe one of these guys draws pictures on a kids show now.

Yoooo Gabba Gabba!!!


Posted 14 years ago by xtalman    [ Reply ]
Even as a 13-year old I thought this song was poignant. Although, admittedly I probably didn't know what the word poignant meant back then.
Posted 14 years ago by xc_para_puravida    [ Reply ]
 mikexican wrote:
Going from DEVO/Freedom of Choice to this is like going from a pleasant cruise down the happy highway to hitting a brick wall and getting the steering column in the chest... Ugh. CCR = bleeding ears.
 
Agreed.  Crap, it happened again today.  Used to be CCR-neutral back in the day but now...gyaahh.
Posted 14 years ago by bhallmark    [ Reply ]
Hah - great segue from Elvis Costello's "Pump It Up"
Posted 14 years ago by nagsheadlocal    [ Reply ]

I just saw a thing about Devo and Neil Young jamming - it was probably one of the craziest things ... got to love the riff on this with the guitar, the keyboards and the drums oohhhh the drums

who doesnt air band to this?

This would be perfect for Guitar Hero or Rock Band


Posted 14 years ago by huebdoo    [ Reply ]
Almost a full step higher out of the gutter than David Head/Talking Byrnes...
Posted 15 years ago by DaveInSaoMiguel    [ Reply ]
One of the great geek groups. From their best album. IMHO.

Posted 15 years ago by crockydile    [ Reply ]
Going from DEVO/Freedom of Choice to this is like going from a pleasant cruise down the happy highway to hitting a brick wall and getting the steering column in the chest... Ugh. CCR = bleeding ears.
Posted 15 years ago by mikexican    [ Reply ]
 The_Enemy wrote:

Is this the Great Circle Jerk of 1927?
 
The guys in the pic DON'T have a choice.
Obamabots...... 
Posted 15 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
F'n brilliant!
Haven't heard this in forever. 
Time to bust out some vinyl! 
Posted 15 years ago by Jelani    [ Reply ]
Oh hell yes! What a perfect way to eject out of the office and get to the weekend. Awesome!
Posted 15 years ago by mikexican    [ Reply ]
Are we not men? We are sheep-o!
Posted 15 years ago by LowPhreak    [ Reply ]
 67nj wrote:

 
Is this the Great Circle Jerk of 1927?

Posted 15 years ago by The_Enemy    [ Reply ]
hehe, kind'a fun acctully
Posted 15 years ago by BowTieDad    [ Reply ]
This is great—shows you guys just a fabulous range! Lovin' it!!{#Dancingbanana_2}
Posted 15 years ago by tab7778    [ Reply ]
Wow........is this ever annoying !     {#Arghhh} 
Posted 15 years ago by rubenbeagle    [ Reply ]
 peyotecoyote wrote:
Mindless drivel.
 

Yeah, I like it, too.
Posted 16 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
Man this set is going way, way back...did you just find an old box of 8-tracks? {#Angel}
Posted 16 years ago by Hinkamp    [ Reply ]
I'll spare the gory details, but this was the perfect song at the pefect moment just now... Thanks for being a psychic Bill!

Followed by Fortunate Son... Bill, get out of my head, this is seriously creepy.


Posted 16 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
I never knew Devo had more than one song!
Posted 16 years ago by Droidac    [ Reply ]
ick wrote:
makes me want to stomp around this one does... and that's not a bad thing.
Yeah!!
Posted 16 years ago by Ntropy    [ Reply ]
That's a niner!! Cool song. Cool band.
Posted 16 years ago by Ahnyer_Keester    [ Reply ]
Elvis Costello, Devo, then... Pretenders?
Posted 16 years ago by toterola    [ Reply ]
makes me want to stomp around this one does... and that's not a bad thing.
Posted 16 years ago by ick    [ Reply ]
thats a scary gif!
Posted 16 years ago by tobstar    [ Reply ]
67nj wrote:
MACHINE MAN! - or is it Maria?
Posted 16 years ago by RAEL    [ Reply ]
I'm just a Spud Boy looking for Bin Sweet Bin! Where's my Energy Dome?
Posted 16 years ago by grimid    [ Reply ]
67nj wrote:
thoroughly disturbing
Posted 16 years ago by electronicshaman    [ Reply ]
I can't quite bring myself to call this great music or even good music but the memories are fond and I always liked their attitude.
Posted 16 years ago by bpkengor    [ Reply ]
BAM!! 10+ for Bill. Even John thinks so.
Posted 16 years ago by duality2099    [ Reply ]
Mindless drivel.
Posted 16 years ago by peyotecoyote    [ Reply ]
Is that Tom Brady of the New England Patriots on the cover?
Posted 17 years ago by MickMan    [ Reply ]
Ahh, Devo. I had given up hope of hearing them again. Great music to keep you going through the day, night or whatever. Bill, I need more .....
Posted 18 years ago by novacura    [ Reply ]
YEAH!! Reminds me of High School...of course, the lesser mortals only knew of Whip it, but we enlightened ones, we knew of the whole album!!
Posted 18 years ago by crockydile    [ Reply ]
Posted 18 years ago by Honeybee    [ Reply ]
Perfect followup to the Talking Heads's "Burning Down the House"! For a moment I thought Bill had arranged a two-some of Talking Heads songs from the same album! Seemless transition... Good work Bill!
Posted 18 years ago by NewHorizons    [ Reply ]
meatbee wrote:
This is so-o-o-o wrong. DEV2.O
I always though Muzak was the ultimate insult to an artist. I was wrong.
Posted 18 years ago by jmwspg    [ Reply ]
always loved these guys... saw them live back in their hey-day (82)and gotta say it was one of the best shows i've ever seen.
Posted 18 years ago by daveesh    [ Reply ]
Damn, when I was a kid, and would wear crazy things on my head my dad called the devo hats. It took me close to 15 years to really understand what he was talking about.
Posted 18 years ago by ElSupreme    [ Reply ]
One of the first songs I ever played in a rock band.... I must have been 12-13 playing rythm guitar and it absolutely rocked... I will never forget seeing the faces of the kids watching us rock out... I had such a good time... too bad I sucked at guitar and got interested in girls and parties rather than practice. Good times... Good Times
Posted 18 years ago by huebdoo    [ Reply ]
These guys were great live. Definitely Art/Theatre students..
Posted 18 years ago by ruthless    [ Reply ]
67nj wrote:
'Nuff said!
Posted 18 years ago by cattgirl813    [ Reply ]
A rockin' good concert.
Posted 18 years ago by karen    [ Reply ]
Posted 18 years ago by 67nj    [ Reply ]
DEVOlution lives
Posted 18 years ago by figsout    [ Reply ]
i've heard this before but only cuz it's covered by A Perfect Circle. their version is definitely more aggresive than this. but what was i really expecting from Devo?
Posted 18 years ago by reznorsgrrl    [ Reply ]
meatbee wrote:
This is so-o-o-o wrong. DEV2.O
NOOOOO! Make it stop!! "Wrong" only scratches the surface. Did you hear their version of "Peek-a-Boo"? ARRRGGGHHHH!
Posted 18 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
meatbee wrote:
This is so-o-o-o wrong. DEV2.O
Whoaaa, I think someone at Dizney just tried to steal a chunk of my soul ...
Posted 18 years ago by kazuma    [ Reply ]
I always think of my older sister attending kent state when I was a kid, and her calling me to say there was this great new local band that just got a big contract that i had to hear. I asked her what they were like and she said, welllll, they're not like other bands. Upon further questioning she said welllll, they do a cover of the stones' satisfaction. ah, good old rock and roll i said. wellll, not exactly, she replied.
Posted 18 years ago by bluematrix    [ Reply ]
i guess i had to be there...
Posted 18 years ago by TobalMoreno    [ Reply ]
This is so-o-o-o wrong. DEV2.O
Posted 18 years ago by meatbee    [ Reply ]
Suddenly, I'm back in high school! So cool. For those of you born after 1980, Devo WAS alternative music. This whole genre was so much more inventive and cutting edge than just about anything we get today. I'm sure some of you will find exceptions to that statement, but hey, that's your freedom of choice!
Posted 18 years ago by Imkirok    [ Reply ]
Still like 'em. Even though there is THIS NOW: (click here) (warning: sound)
Posted 18 years ago by Darrooon    [ Reply ]
Oh yeah! Love this one.
Posted 18 years ago by rluking    [ Reply ]
I have a gut feeling about this one - we need some devo emoticons.
Posted 18 years ago by randomprime    [ Reply ]
kazuma wrote:
Yer killin' me.
That pic was tragic ... makes it so much easier to vote
Posted 18 years ago by LadyLovelyLocks    [ Reply ]
54-40 wrote:
Love the lids.
NiceGuy2005 wrote:
Yeah, I heard Bono started his own clothing line.
Yer killin' me.
Posted 18 years ago by kazuma    [ Reply ]
Sounded like Abba before the guy with the peg on his nose started singing
Posted 18 years ago by deanofox    [ Reply ]
They are not men, they are Devo--and they still suck! Sorry, but, ah, yuck.
Posted 18 years ago by Xeric    [ Reply ]
Don't think I've ever heard this song before, but I had already guessed it was Devo before the vocals came in...
Posted 18 years ago by zaknafein    [ Reply ]
Hoo-friggin'-ray! DEVO! January 14th, Canyon Club, Agoura Hills, CA...got my tickets, have you?
Posted 18 years ago by Monkeysdad    [ Reply ]
Baby_M wrote:
Akron's greatest cultural accomplishment.
Don't forget about the Waitresses.
Posted 18 years ago by Zep    [ Reply ]
jdorn1 wrote:
This song was light years ahead of it's time and is still ahead of today...lots of people may NEVER get it!
A lot of us here do, but we have to be stealthy with our messages or else we get beat upon by the dogooder brigades. I bet they're all singing along right now though.
Posted 18 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
Yes! I am devoid of anything negative to say about this - I loved Devo and it still works for me. A resounding 9
Posted 19 years ago by daedalus    [ Reply ]
Are We Not Men?
Posted 19 years ago by ThirdRail_33    [ Reply ]
This song was light years ahead of it's time and is still ahead of today...lots of people may NEVER get it!
Posted 19 years ago by jdorn1    [ Reply ]
YEAH! This song RULES! I enjoy the Perfect Circle cover also, but it's awfully heavy
Posted 19 years ago by anniebear    [ Reply ]
Akron's greatest cultural accomplishment. Unfortunately.
Posted 19 years ago by Baby_M    [ Reply ]
Glad things are getting a bit more upbeat. A classic, if not much musically.
Posted 19 years ago by ChardRemains    [ Reply ]
Right On! DEVO! Saw them about 15 years ago at the Oasis here in SF. They played the whole first set sitting down? Second set they mentioned it "to prove they still could sit after being screwed by the music industry" Damn shame. Great show, small venue with maybe 50 people. Spuds of the World UNITE!!! :propeller.gif:
Posted 19 years ago by Faithful_Fool    [ Reply ]
Platypus wrote:
classic. now let's hear the A Perfect Circle version... far superior. (sorry, but it's true)
Maybe A perfect circle lost the concept of what the song is all about and they just wanted to make it "nicer".. could that be possible?
Posted 19 years ago by masterhead    [ Reply ]
I'm giving it a 10 for the cajones to even play Devo after 1986.
Posted 19 years ago by psycholynx    [ Reply ]
I need a plant-pot hat. Then I would TOTALLY rock, and all the girls would TOTALLY want me, and we would TOTALLY have peace and love everywhere for ever. Or maybe everyone would just think I was a loon. Hard to see, the future is . . .
Posted 19 years ago by winter    [ Reply ]
classic. now let's hear the A Perfect Circle version... far superior. (sorry, but it's true)
Posted 19 years ago by Platypus    [ Reply ]
Where are my Vans? Where is my skinny leather tie? Where is my black Members Only jacket? High school flashbacks! MORE DEVO!
Posted 19 years ago by Flying_Donut    [ Reply ]
Not sure why, but I hated Devo when they came out when I was in Jr. High School (until Whip it a few years later). Recently, I rediscovered them, and I think they were cool & funny! How about their cover of Secret Agent Man, or Mr. DNA or Mongoloid? Jimmy "86"
Posted 19 years ago by Jimmy86    [ Reply ]
A Perfect Circle just released this on eMotiv, and it was one of my favorite tracks on it. I had no idea it was a Devo cover.
Posted 19 years ago by threxel    [ Reply ]
54-40 wrote:
Love the lids.
isn't that bono?
Posted 19 years ago by stickittotheman    [ Reply ]
54-40 wrote:
Love the lids.
Yeah, I heard Bono started his own clothing line.
Posted 19 years ago by NiceGuy2005    [ Reply ]
Love the lids.
Posted 19 years ago by 54-40    [ Reply ]
GO GO GO DEVO THIS IS SO TODAY
Posted 19 years ago by red2u    [ Reply ]
killahfunkadelic wrote:
love the song...but is it just my connection or is the audio quality on this recording sampled too low? sounds a bit tinny, previous and following songs sound higher quality...
As far as I know, the sampling rate is 44.1 kHz. If the file was compressed, wouldn't it sound more "hollow"? As I understand it, the high frequency (>11kHz) notes would not be audible at a sampling rate of say 22.05 kHz. The bitrate for this file was encoded at 224 for uploading. The original source disc sounds like the mastering (remastering?) was done with more gain favored on the treble side, so you may have something there.
Posted 19 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
love the song...but is it just my connection or is the audio quality on this recording sampled too low? sounds a bit tinny, previous and following songs sound higher quality...
Posted 19 years ago by killahfunkadelic    [ Reply ]
My grandmother taught the Motherbaughs in elementary school in Akron. SHe actually remembered them before she passed! Im still not sure why. It surely wasnt her taste in music.
Posted 19 years ago by bajafisher    [ Reply ]
:propeller.gif: (pimp) :whip: = D.E.V.O!
Posted 19 years ago by FerretRob    [ Reply ]
Posted 19 years ago by Danny_G    [ Reply ]
A band best described as ahead of their time (and therefore doomed). Good stuff!
Posted 20 years ago by Roverfish    [ Reply ]
revolutionary, man....
Posted 20 years ago by pdhski    [ Reply ]
An anthem for our current days, written oh so long ago...
Posted 20 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
8)
Posted 20 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
I loves me some geeky music. This rocks! :)
Posted 20 years ago by veegez    [ Reply ]
bluedot wrote:
great song. important message.
...and timely...
Posted 20 years ago by brighthue    [ Reply ]
ce wrote:
So this is where the White Stripes nick their stuff... I still don't really like it though. Alright I suppose.
Hey that is a sharp comment there...good one
Posted 20 years ago by masterhead    [ Reply ]
I agree this songs fits perfect Rp...Freedom of choice... I admit I am a devolutionary mongoloid.. I love this!!!
Posted 20 years ago by masterhead    [ Reply ]
riffster wrote:
A fun song and it delivers the message of Freedom of Choice in some not so obvious ways. Which is what I really liked about Devo - they weren't the gimmick - everything else was. For me, Mark Mothersbaugh is better than David Byrne (at music anyway) any day! As to Devo ending up in ads - strangely that is some karmic revenge of a wierd sort. While a Hendrix tune ending up on a car commercial is upsetting, Devo on a beer ad is almost surreally appropriate. Mark should be grinning (and hopefully pocketing a nice residual check.) - Riff P.S. I love the fact that RP plays this - and the fact that it bothers more than a few of the more hidebound RP listeners.
Posted 20 years ago by riffster    [ Reply ]
A fun song and it delivers the message of Freedom of Choice in some not so obvious ways. Which is what I really liked about Devo - they weren't the gimmick - everything else was. For me, Mark Mothersbaugh is better than David Byrne (at music anyway) any day! As to Devo ending up in ads - strangely that is some wierd karmic revenge of a bad sort. While a Hendrix tune ending up on a car commercial is upsetting, Devo on a beer ad is almost surreally appropriate. Mark should be grinning (and hopefully pocketing a nice residual check.) - Riff P.S. I love the fact that RP plays this - and the fact that it bothers more than a few of the more hidebound RP listeners.
Posted 20 years ago by riffster    [ Reply ]
So this is where the White Stripes nick their stuff... I still don't really like it though. Alright I suppose.
Posted 20 years ago by ce    [ Reply ]
You can tell you've come full circle when Devo songs become the soundtrack to beer ads. However, this is one of my favorite bands of all time. Sounds pretty retro now but when they emerged in the late 70, they were so bleeding edge. Thanks for including this!
Posted 20 years ago by RobGraham    [ Reply ]
Devo seem to sound very much like a product of their time, but still remain quite wonderfully listenable. Oh, and thanks for choosing something besides Whip It to play. That's a decent song, I've just heard it about 2000 too many times.
Posted 20 years ago by gregorbill    [ Reply ]
Bill, Why not "Beautiful World", from the GH album? Delightful pop melody with a social bite.
Posted 20 years ago by lottastuff    [ Reply ]
great song. important message.
Posted 20 years ago by bluedot    [ Reply ]
My roommate used to play this CD all the time, drove me crazy. I think it was payment for me making him listen to That Dog all the time. Not quite sure why it upset me so much, Devo's really not that bad.
Posted 20 years ago by gandalfbmg    [ Reply ]
Love this song!
Posted 20 years ago by veegez    [ Reply ]
Just saw a commercial featuring this song as the soundtrack. People falling over like dominoes, in every conceivable location where there are enough people in line to fall in a row. Finally, the line gets to the hero, and he just steps out of the way: Freedom of Choice. So, who knew, back in 1977 when Devo showed up on Saturday Night Live in radiation jumpsuits, that they'd be doing a mainstream tv ad a quarter century later? Then again, who knew IBM would be paying big, big bucks to roll their Linux ads in intellectual prime time?
Posted 20 years ago by Brad_Eleven    [ Reply ]
Mark Mothersbaugh (Keyboards & Guitar) now does the score for the Nickelodeon Kids show Rugrats.
Posted 20 years ago by KevinM    [ Reply ]
Intelligent Eclectic Radio...well that says it all. D-E-V-O .... We are....
Posted 20 years ago by hunters    [ Reply ]
No matter what Devo plays, it always makes me want to whip something.
Posted 20 years ago by istanbulbaby    [ Reply ]
Devo was and is an integral part of my 80s memory files. This track manages to rock and be typically amusing in fine Mothersbaugh and Co. fashion. The images from the video of the guy dressed like a dog "in ancient Rome..... who had two bones" always added to the fun. In fact, the whole "DEVOlution" story(available on video?) is a scream.
Posted 20 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]