Customer Reviews

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

5 star:		(87)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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.

I'm not an expert on the Dead Kennedys, but what I do know is that I like this disc a lot. The Kennedys are probably one of the most influential and famous American punk bands in history, and this CD will let you know why.

"Holiday In Cambodia" remains possibly my favorite DK song of all time, and combined with other great ones like Kill the Poor, Viva Las Vegas and Chemical Warfare, it makes for one killer album.

Some people take offense at their lyrics, but you just have to realize the DK are one of the most sarcastic, say-the-opposite-of-what-you-mean bands ever. They obviously aren't advocating blowing up the poor or lynching the landlord. Just listen to Jello's (heck, just look at his name) voice, it's obvious.

Anyway, this is a great CD and belongs in the collection of any punk fan.

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.

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.

The brilliant, biting left-wing lyricism of Jello Biafra and the dark surf styled guitar-work of East Bay Ray first exploded onto the underground scene with this gem, "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables". Although the politics are refined, they aren't as prevalent as on other albums, with topics ranging from drugs, "Drug Me", to boring people "Your Emotions", to violence and mayhem, "I Kill Children", "Chemical Warfare" and "Stealing People's Mail". However, many of the political songs are as biting as the Dead Kennedys get until "Bedtime for Democracy". "California Uber Alles" is a brilliant indictment of Brown-era California politics with an excellent guitar riff. Some are very direct, like "When Ya Get Drafted", while the point of "Forward to Death" or "Funland at the Beach" might be more evasive. The musical variation is less, but still works in some areas. "Ill in the Head" shines with complicated art-rock styled instrumental tangents and "Drug Me" adds keyboard to the madness. "Kill the Poor" has a classic rock feel to it, and the cover of "Viva Las Vegas" is musically crass and annoying. With the exeption of the poorly excuted closer, this is a very strong album that runs at an extreme pace and is sure to entertain and maybe even enlighten.

Oh yes, listening to this album makes me feel 15 again. No, not in 1980..... I was born in 81' see, but I discoverd the Dead Kennedys in 1996 I think, around that time I was into punkrock.

Anyway the thing that I loved about this album (and still do) is just the Irony on this record.... Kill the poor, I kill children, Drug me, songs that were taken WAY to seriously back in 1980, and Jello was trying to provoke EXACTLY that. (wich eventually got taken so far that it killed them after Frankenchrist). Add a weird distorted surf guitar to it, psychotic bass line and slamming drums with bad 1980 production (wich of course makes this record PUNK) and oooh JELLO's voice is sooo awesome on this record. It's just THE american punkrock record (or is it the Suicidal Tendencies debut?). Yes the later DK stuff is faster but

this is their catchiest record with the most fun songs.

The DK album, though, I didn't hate their later stuff, this is by far their best. (along with Plastic Surgery...and In God...) Jello's voice is great, and when need be, hilarious, with lyrics only Greg Graffin and Strummer himself shouldn't be jealous of, and that cut just like a knife, and they don't focus on one subject. From the draft (When Ya Get Drafted), which I found interestingly related to today (with Iraq...). To conformity, and forceful advertising (yeah, Drug Me wasn't about drugs...a metaphor...what a revolutionary concept...lol). What I just said was a bash on the people who thought it was about drugs...not on the band. With songs about how rich kids get out of war, and wouldn't survive, had they been forced to go (Holiday In Cambodia). They even bash mayoral candidate Jerry Brown (California Uber Alles), one of Jello's opponents in 1979 San Francisco mayoral election (he also ran for president in 2000, in the Green Party). Some of the greatest american punk is contained on this cd...enjoy. By the way, I rate all songs 10/10, cept Ill In the Head, which ill give 7/10, cuz it wasn't particularly to my fancy. And ONE last thing, to the person who said it was a mistake for him to include his legal troubles in his music...bite me. Censorship was, and most certaintly still is a major problem in the US and elsewhere, just because it coincides with him getting attacked, doesn't make it bad, just means he would know more, from personal experience.

The Dead Kennedys "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" is essential for your collection if you love punk or have the slightest interest in this exciting time in music. I was at work in the '80s and overheard a friend singing, "Kill the Poor." I ran out and bought the album -- my first punk album -- and was hooked. It's not the over-produced "punk" of today. This is the band that influenced today's "punk" bands. It's stripped down, fast, intense and managed to offend just about everyone when it came out. Just LISTEN to the lyrics and you'll pick up the message Jello was spreading about the times, and he did it with humor and no apologies. It's a short album but worth every penny.

As stated in my title, the Dead Kennedys are definitely my favorite punk band of all time. Some people could argue that they gave birth to hardcore, but I feel that honor would go to the Bad Brains. Even if they weren't the fathers of hardcore, the Dead Kennedys were one of the best punk bands of all time. They could make music that was harsh, sarcastic, and abrasive, but they made it catchy enough to get stuck in your head. Vitually all of their albums are worth purchasing (with a possible exception of Bedtime For Democracy), but this is DEFINITELY the one Dead Kennedys album to own. For a brand new fan, it might seem a little inaccessible. The music is harsh and abrasive and will take more than one listen to really get in to, but once you do, you'll never want to go back. One of the things that made the Dead Kennedys such a great band was the indispensability of each member of the band. Ted's drumming style is very unique and recognizable and it goes along perfectly with the Dead Kennedys' sound. Klaus Flouride's bass lines are hyper-catchy and get stuck in your head like you wouldn't believe ("California Uber Alles", "Holiday in Cambodia"). East Bay Ray's insane, surf-style guitar is absolutely essential to the DK's sound. He's definitely one of punk's most underrated guitarists and his playing has never sounded more manic than on Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables. And of course, Jello Biafra, the lead vocalist/lyricist for the Dead Kennedys, taking his name from the popular gelatin dessert and an African tribe. His voice is extremely unique, with a cartoony, high-pitched (at times), and wavering/vibrato kind of sound. Possibly the only things more unique than his voice are his divine lyrics. They can be funny, witty, political, sarcastic, poignant, and at times, scary. He can write songs about killing children, stealing mail, and amusment park disasters, then trun around and write biting political satire with songs such as "Kill the Poor" and "When ya get drafted." When you combine all of the aforementioned factors about the band's members, it's easy to see that they are truly one of the greatest punk bands ever.

As for the album itself, I mentioned before that this is undoubtedly their best album and THE Dead Kennedys album to get. However, to a new fan, or someone who's new to punk rock, it might not be the best first choice. Something like "Plastic Surgery Disasters" or "Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" would probably be better DK records to start off with, but once you're used to the Dead Kennedys' sound, Fresh Fruit is the one you'll want to keep coming back to. This is the one that has the most important DK classics, such as "Kill the Poor", "California Uber Alles", and "Holiday In Cambodia". I'd also have to say that the lyrics on this album are the best that Jello's ever written. Read the lyrics to "I kill children", "Stealing People's Mail", or "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and I can pretty much guarantee you'll never forget them. This is NOT an album to listen to with your parents and it is a such a great breath of fresh air from all that ... power-pop nowadays that gets packaged as punk.

If you are into punk at all, you should already have this album, but if you don't, make sure it's the next album you buy. It never gets old and you'll listen to it countless times. I've had mine forever and I still listen to it at least 3 times a week. It's just THAT GOOD.

Go out and buy Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables. Now.

(On a kind of side note, a lot of people think that you NEED to buy the ones that are realeased on Alternative Tentacles, Jello's own label. I personally find this to be silly and inane and I say just get this record however you can. You don't need to search the globe to find some used record, just buy it wherever you see it. You won't regret it)

Please do yourself a favor. Get this album. While it is not my favorite DK release (my favorite is Plastic Surgery Disasters) it is still one the greatest records of all time. It is probably the most "punk" of all their albums. The great thing about DK is their exploration of their music without worrying about pissing people off including their fans. Don't listen to anyone who tries to tell you that "punk" is this or that. Punk is about thinking for yourself and being an indivual. Of course don't take my word for it, i just told you not to listen to me. But you should listen to DK. If you get nothing from this review but one thing remember this. Currently this is the only DK release still on Alternative Tentacles Records. You should not only search for the other release on ATR but you should buy this one from ATR while you still can. Soon it will be OOP. buy it directly from them it costs less and shipping is cheaper too. While you are at alternativetentacles.com check out the rest of the site. You will live your life differently after you do.