Customer Reviews

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!!!!!!!!!!!!

They have been called "hardcore" for years and I never understood why. Yes they are fast (and slow)loud and hard but not what I think of when I think of hardcore or thrash. Anyway the lyrics are timeless and conjure images of the late 50's and early 60's men in grey flannel suits, cocktail parties and men using phrases like "that's swell"! I envision Jacky O, Pol Pot, and the Bay area. The music is fast and catchy with great sing along lyrics. Great for school camp trips, retreats, and mormons.

Plastic Surgery Disasters from DK is equally as good.

Dr. Brown certifies this CD as A #1.

The second wave of punk, which started around 1978, degenerated into mediocrity, dreary sameness and self-parody within a couple of years, but Dead Kennedys, along with Flipper, Bad Brains, Black Flag, and a handful of others, stand out as the best, most intelligent, and most distinctive.

Jelly Biafra's warbling quasi-yodel and East Bay Ray's reverb-drenched guitar, which borrows heavily from surf music, are are immediately identifiable. All of their albums have great stuff on them, but I think most people agree that the first one is the best.

The album contains two classics, "Holiday in Cambodia", which deals with middle class complacency, and "California Ueber Alles", a mockery of then-governor Jerry Brown (later updated to a "lounge" version when Reagan became president). "Holiday in Cambodia" is the clear highlight of the album. These guys do not take the subtle approach to anything. Each song is a high-speed rant dealing with one political or social issue or another, but always with a very sharp sense of humor and irony ("Kill the Poor"). Jello Biafra's distinctive talent is his ability to deliver often wordy lyrics at lightning speed with perfect timing and delivery. The politics are decidedly left-wing, but you don't have to agree with them to enjoy it, because throughout the attitude is very much tounge-in-cheek and humorous, so it never gets ponderous, and most of it is just really funny. The little "Somewhere My Love" bit towards the end of "Chemical Warfare" still cracks me up. The album ends with an absurdly funny rendition of "Viva Las Vegas". The shock value has long-since worn off, of course, but this album, unlike the vast majority of hardcore punk, still stands the test of time.

This album changed my outlook on the world, and reminds me every time I listen to it that questioning what you're told is never wrong. Unfortunately, Jello's bandmates have decided to talk trash about him, calling him a terrorist due to his views despite the fact that the Dead Kennedys would never have existed or been noticed if it weren't for his provacative lyrics. Buy this album and find out what punk rock is really about.

One of the last great punk bands, The Dead Kennedys have always been awesome.

I recommend this album to anyone that loves new punk and wants to listen to real music or anyone that is just a punk fan.

In fact, I recommend any DK album.

What an album, finally got this on cd after having it on vinyl and cassette. Every track makes me want to start a riot. Too bad some new bands wouldn't speak out like DK did. F@#$in brilliant!

Probably the best album to come out of the 80's hardcore movement. The Dead Kennedy's never really got their moment in the sun, but this album should have done it. Though it rages against distinctly 80's, and in some cases distinctly Californian, themes, it is incredibly easy to get swept up in the sheer power of the record. Bouncing between humor and anger seamlessly, the album contains the DK's most well known tracks Holiday in Cambodia, California Uber Alles, Kill the Poor, and many others. With Jello Biafra's distinctive vocals and one of the best punk rock guitarists in the form of East Bay Ray, this album quite simply rocks, even some thirty years down the line.

I first heard this in 1982 and was simply floored. It made my metal bands and my older brother's "punk" albums seem simply tame by comparison. My musical and general outlook suddenly changed and remains today because of this album. All the Def Leppard jocks teased us for listening to this "untalented garbage". Little did they know that DK were targeting them and emboldening us! I still listen to DK today and can hear how they influenced what has become agressive music. Also what amazed me was how tight and musically disciplined the band was. Back then, many punk bands, while great in their own right, weren't the best players. The music is still great and the lyrics from the albums still hold up today and probably will for some time.

Is this edition of Fresh Fruit remixed? After I lost my old CD of it from the 90s, somebody gave me a CD with the MP3s of this album, but all the songs sounded like different mixes. I want to replace the original. Thanks!

Plain and simple a must own, the album needs no review, the songs speak for themselves.