Units, A History of Units / The Early Years: 1977-1983 (side A)

The album title references a start in 1977, and the notes on the cover discuss ideas from 1978.  By the time the Units released their first single, "High Pressure Days" in 1979, the influence of Devo's debut LP was obvious.  With deadpan vocals, prominent use of ring modulation, and synthetic-sounding drums, the Units' early work captured on The History of The Units owes an obvious debt to Are We Not Men?  The Units were not mere sound-alikes—they have a voice of their own that extends beyond their outspoken rejection of guitars.  The lo-fi sound and heavy use of synthesizers has a bit in common with Philadelphia's Crash Course in Science.  This reissue collects tracks across their singles and Digital Stimulation album before they signed to Epic in 1983 and made the more sterile New Way to Move, with 9 songs on the LP and many more available digitally.  The mastering is generally good, though the extended high-end exaggerates the harsh high end on some recordings.  The chaotic cover collage is full of text providing something of a Units manifesto and history.