Dead Kennedys "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" (1987)

Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death (compilation)
release date: Jun. 1987
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: various
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 4. "The Man With the Dogs" - 5. "Insight" - 7. "A Child and His Lawnmower" - 9. "I Fought the Law" - 11. "Pull My Strings" (live) - 13. "Straight A's" (live) - 16. "Night of the Living Rednecks" (live)

A compilation album released after the band had split. This is so far the only compilation released on Alternative Tentacles, the record label that released all their original studio material. It's a rather fine collection with tracks from their initial period and a majority of tracks that are previously unreleased or in alternate takes. It also contains a couple of rare and very special live recordings, i.e. the hilarious and famous "Pull My Strings" live performance in front of guests at a music award show where the band had rehearsed and was scheduled to play "California Über Alles" but to everyone's surprise they stopped the song at the very start, and continued with a song written for the occasion and built on "My Sharona" by The Knack, but with new lyrics about selling ones soul for money, which of course was hinted at the whole music industry, and a majority of the invited guests. The satirical chorus goes: "Is my cock big enough - for you, to make me a star?" Another fine live recording is "Night of the Living Rednecks", which is a fine example of Jello Biafra's spur-of-the-moment spoken word story, accompanied by bass and drums, about an experienced incident, just to waste time while the band's guitarist was changing a guitar string.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]

Dead Kennedys "Bedtime for Democracy" (1986)

Bedtime for Democracy
release date: Nov. 1986
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,72]
producer: Jello Biafra
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA

Track highlights: 1. "Take This Job and Shove It" (4,5 / 5) - 4. "Rambozo the Clown" - 5. "Fleshdunce" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "The Great Wall" (4 / 5) - 7. "Shrink" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "Triumph of the Swill" (4,5 / 5) - 11. "Cesspolls in Eden" (4 / 5) - 15. "Gone With the Wind" (3,5 / 5) - 17. "Chickenshit Conformist" (4 / 5)

4th and final studio album release by Dead Kennedys. The album was released while the band and Jello Biafra were dealing with the lawsuit against the band for having "distributed harmful matter to minors" after their inclusion of an art poster on the previous album Frankenchrist (1985). The music is a return to faster and shorter hardcore punk songs dealing with political and moral issues, and mostly all-American issues with the Reagan administration and moral majority at center of attention (e.g. listen to "Triumph of the Swill"). The vinyl album was released with a newspaper collage by Winston Smith titled "Fuck Facts". The band split after the release, and Jello Biafra continued as solo artist of spoken word performance art, primarily (e.g. 1989, or 2013) but also released a number of collaboration albums as well as forming and continuing in the band Lard.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5 stars ]

Dead Kennedys "Frankenchrist" (1985)

Frankenchrist
release date: Oct. 1985
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,78]
producer: Jello Biafra
label: Alternative Tentacles - nationality: USA

Tracklist: 1. "Soup Is Good Food" (4,5 / 5) - 2. "Hellnation" (3 / 5) - 3. "This Could Be Anywhere (This Could Be Everywhere)" - 4. "A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch" - 5. "Chicken Farm" (3,5 / 5) - 6. "Jock-O-Rama (Invasion of the Beef Patrol)" (4,5 / 5) - 7. "Goons of Hazzard" (3,5 / 5) - 8. "M.T.V. - Get Off the Air" (4 / 5) - 9. "At My Job" (3 / 5) - 10. "Stars and Stripes of Corruption" (3 / 5)

3rd studio album release by Dead Kennedys. The album was more than three years on its way, and fans began to wonder if they had split. It was a difficult time to keep releasing punk rock material as punk had been declared "dead" before 1980 when they released the debut album, but DK definitely had a special status with their political statements. Musically, the album shows a new side to their punk-style. This is not the high speed hardcore punk but a more subdued punk rock clone of rockabilly and surf rock with focus on Biafra's narration (just listen to "Jock-O-Rama (Invasion of the Beef Patrol" or "M.T.V. - Get Off the Air"), and several tracks have a long playing time, which is quite contrary to the style of hardcore punk. With the album, they show that they still have much to say, and it may not be as great as the '82 album release but some of the tracks are exceptionally great songwriting pinning down all American values. And the cover art photo is hilarious with all its subtle references. The vinyl album was released with the art poster "Penis Landscape" [org. poster] (or: "Landscape XX") by Swiss artist H. R. Giger, which led to a controversy with a lawsuit and a trial against the band that ultimately led to the disbandment, although they released one more studio album and despite the fact that they were freed from all charges. So, in a way, Dead Kennedys lost to moral majority.
[ allmusic.com 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Dead Kennedys "Plastic Surgery Disasters" (1982)

Plastic Surgery Disasters
release date: Nov. 1982
format: vinyl (VIRUS 27) / cd
[album rate: 4,5 / 5] [4,38]
producer: East Bay Ray, Thom Wilson
label: Alternative Tentacles / Statik Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Government Flu" (4 / 5) - 2. "Terminal Preppie" (5 / 5) - 3. "Trust Your Mechanic" (4 / 5) - 4. "Well Paid Scientist" (4,5 / 5) - 5. "Buzzbomb" (4 / 5) - 6. "Forest Fire" (4 / 5) - 7. "Halloween" (5 / 5) - 8. "Winnebago Warrior" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Riot" (4 / 5) - 2. "Bleed for Me" (4,5 / 5) (studio session) - 3. "I Am the Owl" (4 / 5) - 4. "Dead End" (4 / 5) - 5. "Moon Over Marin" (5 / 5)

2nd studio album release by Dead Kennedys, and my favourite album by the band. This is where they told all kind of stories about what goes wrong around the world, and the style is not one-dimensional as on the debut. Overall, it's punk rock, and mostly hardcore punk but elements of surf rock, rockabilly, rock 'n roll, psychedelic rock, and Ennio Morricone western movie soundtrack elements are heard on various tracks. The band's lyrics are not only focused on looking at the present administration or on one hate subject. The vinyl lp has a lovely collages 'scrapbook' (which initiated a tradition to include a scrapbook of some sort with their following two studio albums) with the fascinating art work of Winston Smith (who made art work and front covers for all their studio albums). I loved this album and bought it upon its release in '82, and I spent many hours listening to the album while looking into lyrics and collages. The front cover by photographer Michael Wells is like the music: right in the face: get it, morons?!
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5 stars ]
=> needledrop review

1982 Favourite releases: 1. Laurie Anderson Big Science - 2. Dead Kennedys Plastic Surgery Disasters - 3. Elvis Costello & The Attractions Imperial Bedroom

Dead Kennedys "In God We Trust, Inc." (1981) (ep)

In God We Trust, Inc., ep
release date: Nov. 1981
format: vinyl (VIRUS 5) / digital
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: East Bay Ray, Norm
label: Alternative Tentacles / Statik Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Religious Vomit" (4 / 5) - 2. "Moral Majority" (4 / 5) - 3. "Hyperactive Child" (4 / 5) - 4. "Kepone Factory" (3,5 / 5) - 5. "Dog Bite" (4 / 5) - - B) 1. "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" (5 / 5) - 2. "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" (4 / 5) - 3. "Rawhide" (4 / 5)
[ "Lost tapes" studio sessions ]

Ep release by Dead Kennedys showing a somewhat musical different side. The style is still punk rock but here almost only as hardcore punk, and most tracks are shorter than 2 minutes. The altered music also has to do with the band's almost conceptual way of making an album that speaks of the two of the band's most notorious subjects on their following albums: religion and capitalism. Here, they yell at the horrors of religions on one side and pins out its criticism on the American government and Ronald Reagan in particular. The song "We've Got a Bigger Problem Now" is a remake of "California Über Alles" from the debut with completely new lyrics and a new style of that plays on elements of spoken word genre. The ep was later included on re-issues of their second album release Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982).

Dead Kennedys "Too Drunk to Fuck" (1981) (single)

Too Drunk to Fuck, 12'' single
release date: May 1981
format: vinyl (12 CHERRY 24)
[single rate: 4 / 5] [3,75]
producer: Dead Kennedys, Geza X
label: Cherry Red Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Too Drunk to Fuck" (5 / 5) - - B) 1. "The Prey" (2,5 / 5)

7'' cover

Single release by Dead Kennedys the band and Geza Gedeon. This was actually the very first song I ever heard with DK, and I was sooo overwhelmed, fascinated, and bedazzled, as I was introduced to it by a schoolmate. The odd thing was that my friends at school thought it was naughty and cool because of the title and the subject of the lyrics, whereas I just loved it for the musical energy. And when my class mates a few weeks later were disappointed with and rejected the band when they played the debut album, I just really loved the band, because I found in it more of the same energy and music, and that spurred me on to seek out other punk rock bands.

Dead Kennedys "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" (1980)

Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables [debut]
release date: Sep. 2, 1980
format: vinyl (1981 reissue, blue vinyl - B RED 10) / cd (1993 reissue)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,06]
producer: Norm, East Bay Ray (co-producer)
label: Cherry Red Records - nationality: USA

Tracklist: A) 1. "Kill the Poor" (5 / 5) - 2. "Forward to Death" - 3. "When Ya Get Drafted" - 4. "Let's Lynch the Landlord" (4 / 5) - 5. "Drug Me" (4 / 5) - 6. "Your Emotions" (5 / 5) - 7. "Chemical Warfare" - - B) 1. "California Über Alles" (5 / 5) - 2. "I Kill Children" (5 / 5) - 3. "Stealing People's Mail" (5 / 5) - 4. "Funland at the Beach" - 5. "Ill in the Head" - 6. "Holiday in Cambodia" (5 / 5) - 7. "Viva Las Vegas"
[ full album 1 ]

Studio debut album by Dead Kennedys originally released on Cherry Red Records in a '81-reissue on blue vinyl - the '93 cd-issue by Alternative Tentacles.
The album may have had its release when punk rock had been proclaimed 'dead' but it's one of the best and most remarkable (and political) punk rock albums, in my mind. The American punk era came in at least two noteworthy periods. A lot of the original proto-punk bands like The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, MC5, Patti Smith, and New York Dolls came from USA, and when punk rock exploded in Britain with The Damned, The Clash, and Sex Pistols, focus was soon directed back to their major source in proto-punk bands and the (maybe?) first 'real' punk rock band: The Ramones, who had been around a couple of years, and then after this first punk explosion in Europe, the second punk wave hit back on the US, and Americans now experienced hardcore punk rock with Dead Kennedys, Black Flag, Hüsker Dü, Circle Jerks, and D.O.A. (Canadian band) etc. The typical 'tide and flood' tendency involving the two continents when it comes to inspiration and new styles. But I had only just realised that punk existed, so for me, Dead Kennedys were new (which they were...) and punk had only just begun (which it actually hadn't...). Anyway, the debut is not a reproduction or copy of British punk rock but a highly original hardcore punk rock version that I simply loved. The energy, the anger, and the rejection of conformity and double moral was primary themes and it was so delightful to listen to an American band with so strong criticism on American life-style and materialism in general. Looking back, my parents actually were pretty tolerant to my music taste 'cause I played it *#.!.. loud. The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

[ collectors' item 'blue vinyl' - from ~ €60,- ]

Dead Kennedys

~ ~ ~

Dead Kennedys from their live appearance with "Pull my Strings"

Dead Kennedys: is an American hardcore punk rock band formed Jun. 1978, San Francisco, USA, and disbanded in 1986. Members: East Bay Ray (aka Raymond John Pepperell Jr. [birth name], guitar), Klaus Flouride (aka Geoffrey V. Lyall [birth name], bass), Jello Biafra (aka Eric Reed Boucher [birth name], vocals), DH Peligro (aka Darren Eric Henley [birth name], drums, 1981-1986). This was the original or longest living line-up. Some members played shortly at the formation or on the first album only, and a bunch of other members have played under the name of Dead Kennedys from 2001. Other members: Ted (aka Bruce Mitchell Slesinger [birth name], drums, 1978-81), 6025 (guitar, 1978-79), Ron 'Skip' Greer (vocals, 2008-present), Brandon Cruz (vocals, 2001-03), Jeff Penalty [Jeff Alulis] (vocals, 2003-08). The band's name apparently (according to Biafra) hints at the American dream, as a poignant reference to its end (i.e. it died with the Kennedys), as opposed of being an insult against former Presidents. The band became known for its hardcore style with fast tempo and for the satirical lyrics of Jello Biafra, as well as being a band who criticized American culture, its influence around the world, US policy and (the Reagan) administration, and especially the moral majority of a primarily god-trusting America. Biafra may have been influenced by the satire of Frank Zappa and others but the band was a conglomerate of British and American anarcho-punk. The band released a total of four full-length studio albums, one ep, and two live albums. Biafra and the band raged against general consumerism, all religious beliefs, the American dream as such, and greed. Ironically, the original band members dragged Jello Biafra (the band's vocalist) through a lawsuit as they thought they weren't paid enough money in royalties and also wanted their share for publishing rights. Biafra had founded and owned the record label Alternative Tentacles that had issued all their material. Eventually, Biafra lost the case and the remaining band members reformed Dead Kennedys (and are probably still performing), naturally, without Biafra. It seemed almost absurd as the new formation released a new best of album titled Milking the Sacred Cow (!) (2007), explicitly as an attempt to profit even more. After the split in 1986, Biafra went on to release a number of spoken word albums, and he became involved in national politics. Actually, he had run for mayor of San Francisco in 1979, and in 2000 he became a member of the Green Party for which he has been engaged in several campaigns since then. Musically, he has worked and released collaboration albums with other artists, e.g. The Melvins, NoMeansNo, Offspring, D.O.A., Mojo Nixon, and he is/was co-founder and member of the industrial metal band Lard (1988-). Dead Kennedys was one of my top favourite punk bands back in the 1980s, and I have never really stopped listening to the old albums. For me, DK, alongside The Ramones (who is foen said to have started punk rock in the first place), is the best American punk band ever.

The Dead Kennedys logo