This listing is for Devo – Freedom Of Choice Vinyl LP Record Album BSK-3435.

Label: Warner Bros. Records – BSK 3435

Format: Vinyl, LP, Album

Country: US

Released: May 16, 1980

Genre: Electronic, Rock

Style: New Wave, Synth-pop  

Condition:   Jacket:   Very Good           Vinyl:   Very Good

Tracklist:

A1 Girl U Want 2:55

A2 It's Not Right 2:20

A3 Whip It 2:37

A4 Snowball 2:28

A5 Ton O' Luv 2:29

A6 Freedom Of Choice 3:28

B1 Gates Of Steel 3:26

B2 Cold War 2:30

B3 Don't You Know 2:14

B4 That's Pep! 2:17

B5 Mr. B's Ballroom 2:45

B6 Planet Earth 2:45

Freedom of Choice is the third studio album by the American new wave band Devo, released in May 1980 on Warner Bros. Records. The album contained their biggest hit, "Whip It", which hit No. 8 and No. 14 on the Billboard Club Play Singles and Pop Singles charts, respectively. Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart. According to the band's commentary on The Complete Truth About De-Evolution DVD, the lyrics of "Whip It" began as a tongue-in-cheek anthem for then-president Jimmy Carter, and were also inspired by Norman Vincent Peale's 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking and the "can do philosophy" espoused within. Devo co-songwriter and bass guitarist Gerald Casale also told Songfacts that the lyrics were written by him "as an imitation of Thomas Pynchon's parodies in his book Gravity's Rainbow". The lyric of "That's Pep!" is based on an early 20th-century poem by Grace G. Bostwick. Music historian Andy Zax later observed that, "Beneath the shiny surface of Freedom of Choice, the band's ability to dissect the de-evolving world around it remained as incisive as ever." Freedom of Choice was recorded between October 1979 and early 1980, at the Record Plant in Hollywood, California. The album was co-produced by Robert Margouleff, notable for his synthesizer work in Tonto's Expanding Head Band and with Stevie Wonder. Zax noted that, on Freedom of Choice, "synthesizers had now been upgraded to a starring role, while an increasingly sophisticated pop sensibility infiltrated the group's new songs." The album was demoed at Modern Music Recording Studio in 1980 and these tracks were later released on the compilation album Recombo DNA in 2000. This demo version lacks "It's Not Right", "Ton o' Luv", "Don't You Know" and "Freedom of Choice", but it includes demos of the "Whip It" B-side "Turn Around" and three unreleased tracks ("Luv & Such", "Time Bomb" and "Make Me Move"). The lyrics of "Luv & Such" were later rewritten and the song became "Mr. B's Ballroom".

Devo produced three music videos for the album. "Whip It" was based on a 1962 issue of Dude magazine that lead singer Mark Mothersbaugh had found in an antique store, which contained a story about a dude ranch where the owner would whip his wife's clothes off. The video also played on the popular misconception that the song was about sadomasochism. It was shot in Devo's rehearsal studio for $15,000. "Girl U Want" saw the band performing on a television set in front of a live audience. The colors of the video were heavily saturated. In "Freedom of Choice", the band appeared as aliens. This video also featured professional skateboarders of the day. The popularity of "Whip It" garnered the band several television appearances, including The Merv Griffin Show, American Bandstand and two appearances on the sketch comedy and variety show Fridays. A planned appearance on The Midnight Special was canceled when host Lily Tomlin saw the video for "Whip It" and objected to the content. Freedom of Choice peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 chart, while "Whip It" peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 8 on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart. The album was awarded platinum status by the Recording Industry Association of America on May 13, 1986. In a 1981 review, Robert Christgau of The Village Voice quipped that "if they ever teach a rhythm box to get funky, a Mothersbaugh will be there to plug it in." Writing in Trouser Press, critics Scott Isler and Ira Robbins described the album as "the band's most evocative pairing of words and music". In a retrospective review for AllMusic, Steve Huey praised the album, calling it "their most cohesive, consistent material to date". Record World described a live version of "Gates of Steel" saying that "its wall-of-sound guitar grind and Mark Mothersbaugh's vocal frenzy should satisfy AOR listeners."

CONDITION Descriptions:

I base the condition of each of my Records off of's Grading System. 

• MINT (M) Looks new and unplayed. Very high vinyl luster and no noticeable label defects. Sounds new. With 45rpm records, this does not always mean there is no surface noise at all. 

• NEAR MINT (NM) Looks almost new, but has some minor flaws such as a drill hole; unobtrusive writing on label (e.g., an X on a promo copy); minor scuffing on vinyl; minor color flaking on label, or other insignificant flaws that only slightly detract from visual appeal. May have some minor surface noise, but nothing distracting. 

• VERY GOOD (VG) There may be light scuffing and some of the original vinyl luster may be lost. The vinyl and label may appear used, but well cared for. Records may have some more obvious flaws that are not visually degrading such as a sticker on the label; more noticeable writing on the label; scuffing and minor scratches on the vinyl; or minor discoloration of the label. There may be very minor warping of the vinyl. There may be a slight scratch not affecting play. 

• GOOD (G) Record has visible signs of handling and playing, such as loss of vinyl luster, minor surface scratches, groove wear, and audible surface noise. Appears well used but not abused. May have a few major flaws, such as scratches, label tears, or stickers, and/or writing. 

• FAIR (F) Appears well used and somewhat abused. Audio is not great due to surface noise and scratches. The record may have a stick or a skip. Records in this condition are those you might purchase to fill a hole in your collection until a better copy comes along. 

• POOR (P) Well played with little luster and significant surface noise, but still not cracked or broken. Record likely skips and/or sticks. Typically so bad looking that a true “collector” would just toss it out. More useful as a Frisbee. I try not to sell records in this condition.

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