10 tracks · 33 min
New Traditionalists is the fourth studio album by the New Wave rock band Devo. It was produced by Mark and Bob Mothersbaugh, and Gerald and Bob Casale, and was released in August 1981 on Warner Bros. Records. It features the minor hits "Through Being Cool" and "Beautiful World." The sound continued in the vein of the previous album Freedom of Choice, with synthesizers moved to the forefront and guitars more subdued. Some of the tracks feature drum machines for the first time on a Devo record. In addition, the lyrics are frequently dark and vitriolic. With the success of "Whip It" and its associated album Freedom of Choice, Devo attracted a new, more pop-oriented[citation needed] audience that was less interested in Devo's artistic theories and intelligent lyrics. In response, New Traditionalists was aimed to be a much darker, deeper and serious album. The lead-off track, "Through Being Cool," is a direct attack at Johnny-Come-Lately fans who didn't understand Devo's message.[citation needed] As with every Devo album and tour, the band developed a new look for the album, eschewing the Energy Dome headgear, and replacing it with the plastic "New Traditionalist Pomp," modeled after th…
