I know what you're thinking – what the heck is an album by one of new wave's all-time greats doing on a metal site? Well…there are certain non-metal bands that metalheads seem to enjoy, or at least, have respect for. Case in point, Devo. After all, Devo tunes have been covered over the years by the likes of Soundgarden (“Girl U Want”), Nirvana (“Turnaround”), Rage Against the Machine (“Beautiful World”), Sepultura (“Mongoloid”), Ministry/Surgical Meth Machine (“Gates Of Steel”), etc.

And since 2023 marked the golden anniversary of Devo's birth, what better way to celebrate the spuds from O-hi-o than with a CD or vinyl comp, entitled 50 Years of De-Evolution 1973-2023. While they will forever be best known for their 1980 hit “Whip It” and for sporting energy dome hats, longtime fans will back up my bold claim that the group had countless other ditties every bit as good as the aforementioned tune. For example, “Mongoloid,” “Jocko Homo,” “Smart Patrol,” “Girl U Want,” “Peek A Boo,” etc. – all of which are included here. 

Admittedly, the quality of the tunage noticeably dips post-1982. But the majority of the material on 50 Years of De-Evolution is quite simply some of the most innovative, original, and thought-provoking rock n' roll of all-time (especially within the lyrics to such tunes as “Beautiful World,” “Freedom Of Choice,” and “Jocko Homo”). And if you haven't seen the videos for much of these aforementioned tunes in a while (or – gasp! – simply never have), I wholeheartedly recommend you do so immediately, as Devo was also trailblazers in the video medium, years before MTV reared its ugly head.