In the Grip of Official Treason

Jello Biafra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 24, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Label: Alternative Tentacles
• ASIN: B000I2IQUG
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #164,116 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

With Iraq gone to hell in a handbasket, Rome falling at home, and the so-called opposition Democrats "searching for a message" as they throw another election, it's high time for BIAFRA and his merry mouth to tip the cow and set the barn on fire. As always, JELLO whacks the moles wherever he finds them in spoken word extravaganza #8. Buried Iraq facts, vote fraud disease, the Arnold pYtsch, the blue state/red state "values" myth, Paris in Abu Ghraib, Satanic Santas, a visit to New Orleans and the return of a strange geometry teacher are all part of the info-tainment stew. Other highlights of In the Grip of Official Treason include an expanded version of the Ministry song "Ass Clown" from their latest album Rio Grande Blood plus an all-new update of the Gulf War I primal scream classic "Die for Oil, Sucker." Includes all new art by Winston Smith. Live dates and more music shows with the Melvins are planned around the album's release.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars It makes it harder for the rest of us to laugh at America when an intelligent American voices his Love for his country, May 30, 2007

By 

Lloyd R. Stevenson (Melbourne Australia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Grip of Official Treason (Audio CD)

In Australia, just for comedy, we sometimes watch the American Cable TV News, a thinly disguised propaganda campaign. Other times we have the comedy option of the American `Real Life' Police shows, also a hysterical option. We see the victimless `crimes' be treated like they matter. It's like the callous humour of watching an epileptic fit or an intellectually handicapped person be confused by a vending machine but, nonetheless, amusing. Like really, who would bother going to a Mardi gras where the Police want to enforce Draconian laws regarding `decency' in an environment and time set aside for consenting party behaviour or getting a plainclothed Police officer to solicit for prostitution (illegal out here) to trap `criminals' etc? As if bare skin or fun time public adult behaviour are more important issues than Homelessness, Education, Public Health, Aged Care, Soldiers blown to bits for the Corporate gain etc. From outside it looks like the land of the free to be repressed manipulated and degraded by those who would like to make the constituents a compliant subservient group of minions. Sadly we in Australia have a democracy where our current Head of State is nowadays referred to as `Bonsai' (a small Bush) so we are probably now the junior laughingstock by association.

It's a little harder to laugh at the US murder/suicide rate, the STD and pregnancy rate in the youth (as punishment for `wayward' youth kept ignorant in the hard line support of religious based values from a century or two ago) or the human cost of there not being a Society Sponsored Health or Housing minimum standard guaranteed for every citizen of the society. These are social responsibilities even many much poorer Countries provide their citizenship as basic Human Rights.

Thank God for Jello Biafra, he helps restore our faith that not all hope is lost. We here also suffer the problems of our Corporate manipulated Media, diet, lifestyle etc trying to dumb us down to the same level of stupidity and we are embarrassed by our Government trying to follow America's immoralities against the wishes of the majority, so we are not ready to laugh too hard.

The further removed one is from it all the more it's harder to distinguish Western culture from the cultures it demonizes. I can hardly tell the difference between our `righteous god fearing societies' and China, Afghanistan or Iraq. We are no different and every innocent life in one of our countries is as worthy and valuable as any innocent life in any other part of the world, none of our values deserve any more respect or adherence than any other value which does not interfere with any other's right to the same. I daresay kids are safer going to school in Beirut than many of our societies. We also did nothing about Chile. (Their problem was they had Olive Oil, not crude oil.) We also do nothing about Tibet, if the 2008 Olympics were to be held in Iraq would we send a team? etc

This is a great listen and it's good to hear someone willing to go on the record speaking facts. Many will not be comfortable with passion and facts, two traits they will find here-this is normal when one isn't accustomed to hearing them. In Australia we live in the shadow of much of what Jello Biafra speaks, we are not blameless and suffer much of the same shame and small mindedness. Happily we can also learn the same lessons and ultimately hopefully we will all work towards a Community, Society, Country and World where everyone can be who they are freely if it doesn't interfere with anyone else's right to the same and even if we violently disagree, we would all still fight to the death for the other's right to be, feel and believe whatever they want. Let's mobilize, let's wage Peace on everyone who would stand in our way!!

Cheers

Lloyd

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The horror that is the Bush administration, May 9, 2007

By 

Dimitry A. Klush "Got Trike?" (LA, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Grip of Official Treason (Audio CD)

Jello hits it right on yet again. His spoken word CD's should have titles like "Politics for dummies", "How not to fall under the corporate spell", and "How many dead people will be enough to quench the blood thirst of the Bush administration"... Sick of the religious right and other hypocrites are you? Interested in the truth? Want to destroy the decaying corrupt state? This one is for you. Great listen, as always.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some audio flaws on this set??, March 2, 2007

By 

Sir Grand Citizen (Earth) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Grip of Official Treason (Audio CD)

Another great set from Jello, 3 discs of impassioned ranting-- as always, he offers SOLOUTIONS to the problems he talks about. I admire his thoughts and opinions greatly.

I've noticed many "drop-outs" on this set, instances where the audio just drops-out during a word. I don't know if this is present on the original/master tapes, or if I just have a faluty pressing, but be aware that this exists on at least one copy.

Overall if you are looking for a tonic to the ills that surround us daily, a soothing balm to the constant stream of bullsh** coming at us from both the White House and the 'official' media... give this a spin or two. Listening to this might just convince you that you're NOT alone, and NOT insane.