Disco de Dead Kennedys: “Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables”

When this album was first released it got massive airplay on Los Angeles (Pasadena) radio station KROQ - and the world was never quite the same again. California Uber Alles, Holiday In Cambodia, and Viva Las Vegas filled the airwaves, making mincemeat of AOR (Album Oriented Rock) radio stations. I studied the poster, gleaning the words to the songs, committing them to memory, and wondering when and where I could see this band!

The songs are incredibly fast, the lyrics show intelligence and political insight, and over a quarter century later still hold up well. Other bands were at the forefront of punk before the DKs, but none did it better. Listen to today's punk, then listen to this. Nothing comes close and nothing packs the whallop of these tunes. It's socially acceptable to be 50 and have a gray ponytail. The hippies of the 60's and 70's turned out to be the same greedy execs that they rallied against. But 50 year old punks are still cool and are NOT sellouts.

I love turning people on to this CD. The looks on their face are either Love It or Hate It. I don't care what age you are, music is supposed to move you, one way or the other. Most of today's music can't, even the indie stuff and all the self produced stuff. But this, my friends, is the elixir of angry punk music at it's finest. Try it - you'll LOVE it. Woooooooooo-Hoooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love DK. They are one of my favorite American punk bands. With their driving surf guitar music over would-be Green politico Jello Biafra's nagging vocals, they hit just the right notes. To appreciate this band, you need this album. One drawback of the band is their references are often dated ("Jane Fonda" and "Governor Jerry Brown", for example), but the tunes as a whole remain fantastic.

This band was political as hell, or at least Jello is. Some critics have slammed the musical ability of DK, but I've never had any complaints, myself. They get the job done, and they do it fast and furious - most of the tracks will make you want to slam dance in your living room. My favorite tracks are "Kill the Poor", "When Ya Get Drafted", "Let's Lynch the Landlord" (my absolute favorite), "Chemical Warfare", "California Über Alles", "Stealing People's Mail", and of course "Holiday in Cambodia", which sometimes makes me think of Bauhaus, in terms of the music. On top of everything else, you get a nifty mini-poster collage inside. I hope they still include that.

You can race through this album in no time at all; it's not even 33 minutes long. DK just dove in, got down to business, and moved on, in classic punk style.

god bless the dead kennedy's, jello biafra especially. with this debut album, they were not only able to make some killer sounds, but they pretty much re-defined punk music for generations to come. with strange, theremin-esque vocals and some hilarious songwriting, 'fresh fruit for rotting vegetables,' never lets up.

this is partially because, even though the dead kennedy's were a punk band, they had a twisted pop mentality. songs like, 'kill the poor,' 'let's lynch the landlord,' and, 'california uber alles,' all have bouncy rhythms and are valiantly anthemic; insane odes to biafra's favorite subject matter, politics.

it's true that parts of this album sound a bit dated, and this is most evident on one of the albums most amazing tracks, 'holiday in cambodia,' a true landmark for music in general. the sneering, embittered vocals blend surprisingly well with the heavily distorted guitars.

listen to me. i sound like a complete jerk. this album really does not need to be analyzed. it has it's imperfections, but don't let those prevent you from buying a life changing listening experience.

First, I have to give my input on the GC fan's review--if you do not like this Dead Kennedys album, you do not like, as you put it "tru punk acts." The Dead Kennedys are a classic punk band, and this is by far their best album. When I first heard "Kill the Poor" and "Holiday in Cambodia," I knew this would end up being one of the best albums I've ever owned. There isn't a single song I didn't like, and the CD is constantly in my stereo. So if you REALLY want to listen to some great punk rock (other than that corporate emo junk) then definitely check out this album, it's one of the best.

THE landmark debut from Jello Biafra and Co. takes on all comers. Biafra spews fire on classics California Uber Allies and Holiday in Cambodia challenging right wing politicos and second year college students to find some semblance of a soul in this modern society. "Your a star-belly sneech you suck like a leech You want everyone to act like you, Kiss ass while you bitch so you can get rich, But your boss gets richer on you", you just can't find any more potent or eye opening lyrics than Biafras. No one has written better lyrics with more sarcasm or wit, just check out I Kill Children or Kill the Poor. "I kill children, I love to see them die, I kill children, And make their mamas cry, Crush 'em under my car, I wanna hear them scream, Feed 'em poison candy, To spoil their Halloween." In sheer terms of accomplishment, this is the best album that DK ever put together, it's also their most consistent piece of work. Some standout tracks (other than the aforementioned) are: Stealing People's Mail, Funland at the Beach, Chemical Warfare and Let's Lynch the Landlord. This is a punk album that any self respecting fan should own, it is vital and essential stuff. Eventhough the music may sound dated, the fury and passion of Biafra's lyrics make this stuff timeless. Highly Recommended.