The second single from New Traditionalists rejected the world, to which the world kindly reciprocated.
Kronomyth 4.2: The devolution of man.
Devo had the plan for a future that refused to be planned. The future would be something completely different. The future would be just like you remembered it. It would be a beautiful picture, as ugly as anything you could imagine. New Traditionalists was a planet of contradictions, hot and cold and light and dark. “Beautiful World” lies somewhere in the cold, light quadrant, “Enough Said” in the hot, dark half. They were the last two places you visited on Kronomyth 4.0, and not nearly as interesting as the first two, but coalmine kept the commercial engine stoked. In the UK, “The Super Thing” made company to Beautiful with the same results.
Note: The US single credits General Boy (a.k.a. Robert Mothersbaugh Sr., a.k.a. Mark and Bob’s Dad) with cowriting “Beautiful World” as well as “Enough Said.” The elpee only credits him on “Enough Said.” Wish I had more to say on that, but I don’t.
Original 7-inch single version
A1. Beautiful World (Mark Mothersbaugh/Gerald V. Casale/General Boy) (3:32)
B1. Enough Said (Mark Mothersbaugh/Gerald V. Casale/General Boy) (3:25)
Original 7-inch single version (Europe)
A1. Beautiful World (Mark Mothersbaugh/Gerald V. Casale) (3:33)
B1. The Super Thing (Mark Mothersbaugh/Gerald V. Casale) (4:19)
Original 7-inch single (Australia)
A1. Beautiful World (Mark Mothersbaugh/Gerald V. Casale) (3:33)
B1. Planet Earth (Gerald V. Casale) (2:45)
Original 10-inch picture disc version
A1. Beautiful World
B1. Nu-Tra Speaks (New Traditionalist Man)
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch and 10-inch picture disc single on October 14, 1981 in the US and Canada (Warner Bros., WBS 49834/WBSP 49826), in 1981 in Australia (Warner Bros., WB 0537) and Germany (Virgin, 104 021-100), and on January 22, 1982 in the UK (Virgin, VS 470) with picture sleeve. Also released as promotional 7-inch single in 1981 in the US (Warner Bros., WBS 49834) feat. A mono on flip side.
