Customer Reviews

Live At The Deaf Club

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This is a great CD, which is important to say right up front. If it weren't for the lawsuit between Jello and the rest of the former DK's there would not be any controversy over this recording. Despite the ugliness of that legal battle (irrespective of which side you plant yourself), this CD delievers where MANY 20+ year old recordings do not. It simply sounds great, a not so inconsequential achievement for a punk recording given the paucity of both funds and quality recording equipment typically available to such bands at that time. In addition, there are several unreleased songs on this recording (most notably "Gaslight," which is great) and Jello is in rare form. Sure, there are a few glitches in the performance (there always will be in "true" live recordings; note: Performance glitches, not recording), but this is the last show with 6025, so c'mon! stop with the punk posturing and just enjoy this CD for the rare document that it is. In my opinion, this recording is better than the "Mutiny on the bay" recording, which is also great despite the mudraking that also surrounded it's release. Bands like this do not exist anymore and any bootleg of the Kennedys that you can get your hands on will not come close to touching the quality of this disc. A disco version of "Kill the poor" an early version of "When you get drafted" (Back in Rhodesia) and a cover of the Honeycomb's "Have I the right" make this an essential document that you'd be a fool to miss

I will preface this review by saying it only gets a good rating based on the music and ideas of Jello Biafra. It is great to hear these previously unreleased songs, although I would feel less dirty if I bought a bootleg. If I had to rate the integrity, it would receive a zero. One will discover that the songs "Straight A's" and "Short Songs" were previously released on "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" and the quality was better. This is because Biafra and Alternative Tentacles did not release this; his spineless, money-grubbing ex-bandmates did. You will find their lousy attempts to bilk as many dollar bills out of thier legacy on Manifesto Records. They advertise "New Artwork!" and "Digitally Remastered!" to hook die-hard fans into purchasing lame Winston Smith rip-offs and sound quality that one would be hard up to distinguish from the original recordings. It is sad that Ray, Klaus, and Peligro would resort to such cheap marketing ploys to recycle the ideas of their former frontman. They are clearly just trying to gain publicity for their pathetic reunion despite their claims of 'doing it for the fans.' I am not just saying all of this because I am embittered by their twisted lawsuit against Biafra-check out the reunion for yourself! Go to their new website and read how much they love themselves! It would be funny if it didn't cast such a dark shadow over an otherwise highly respectable reputation. Biafra was the brains and talent behind most of the DKs work, and these new releases prove it-why else would they not write any new music? Worse yet, without Biafra, they have become one of the least respectable punk bands ever. Even stooping so low that they have shamelessly okayed the censorship of their own songs in video games and public performances.

To begin, this CD is very good and a buy for seasoned DK listeners. The quality is good and so is the set list. However this is not a CD that will likely be enjoyed by those not already familiar with the works, as some of the songs are performed a bit sloppily. Understand though that this is the Kennedys live in their hay-day and that is what punk is, especially harder punk; pretty inconsistent and rough on stage. If you buy this CD don't expect studio tracks, expect to smell the sweat a little if you know what I mean. I have read that Biafra condemns these reissues, however his opinion is obviously biased considering he no longer holds rights to the "dead kennedys". In summary this is a naked look into the actual past of one of America's best punk bands live and in their element, it is a very worthwhile album and valuable to the true listeners. If this CD was not released the public would be hard pressed to ever peer into that evening in San Fran and get their fill of smoke, sweat and speed, but thankfully the recording is now available to those who want to listen. Good packaging too.

For those of us who were unable to see this band play when they were first out, this is a wonderful spotlight of what the band was like before acrimony slipped into the mix and Jello's ego became more important than the music. For those who've seen the "Reunited Dead Kennedys" without Jello (let's just say "Nazi Punks F*ck Off" is about Punks who act like Nazis, whatever the latest lead singer says nonwithstanding), this is a snapshot of what the real band was like. For those who've long expected songs done live to sound exactly like they were done in the studio, this is full of songs which were not released on studio albums, or were rewritten on the way to the studio ("Back in Rhodesia" comes to mind); other songs may not sound as peppy as they did in the studio because the band had to play them live - and they did a good enough job even though it may not be what you hear on the studio release.

This is the whole show with Jello's chitchat included. It's also a complete set. Both of these make this release much better than the "Mutiny on the Bay" atrocity that came before this.

This cd sounds like it was performed practically yesterday and it' well over 20 years old! Others may disagree, but I enjoyed hearing the old songs (with 5 members). Some of their later stuff was good but lacked the rage of the first two albums. There is even some Jello banter between songs- live DK isn't the same without it. DK fans should own this cd. Even if you don't like the set list, it's at least a great piece of DK and punk history.

The title sums up what I think about this band - at least what it was prior to their fall-out after the scandal. This live album is quite the gem. Even though this show took place a little over five years before I was born, I still can get a feel of what it might have been like to sit in the audience of a Dead Kennedys concert. It's that good. Plus, it's the original 5-piece lineup with Jello, East Bay Ray, Klaus, Ted, and 6025! And it includes the never-before heard song Gaslight. This is a good cd. Is it essential to your DK collection? Probably. I know for a fact I don't regret spending money on it.

Happy listening.

If you have "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death" and "Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables" you pretty much have everything on here. "Gaslight" is okay, but it's not worth buying a CD for. Maybe it'll wind up on a bootleg 45 like "Cold Fish" did, but it's not that thrilling anyway. Neither are the covers. It's not really fair how much the remaining DKs have been demonized in the scene, but then again, putting out junk like this and the "Lost Tapes" DVD isn't helping their cause any. Hey, how about writing new songs? Maybe they could drop the nostalgia tour, change their name to The Iraqi Scientists or something and try to be interesting or original again. But, this CD is just plain boring.

simply put...dks at their best. the band thrashes, the crowd is pumped, & jello mixes political pokes w/ irrelevant jabber. some classic lines in this one, like "...this one's for the blind hitler-saluter's...ill in the head". also, a great cover of "viva las vegas". personally, i don't think it gets much better than the dks rippin "holiday in cambodia". WARNING: PLAYING THIS ALBUM IN YOUR CAR MAY RESULT IN SPEEDING VIOLATIONS! PLAYING THIS ALBUM IN YOUR ROOM MAY RESULT IN BROKEN ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT! if you like the dks, you probably have this already, but if you never heard a dk song before, this is a great album to get you into the band. buy it, burn it, steal it, borrow it...just get it.

I grew up listening to the Dead Kennedys and I had all their official releases and some bootlegs, and this release, without question, is their best release.
It has their best line up which includes 2nd guitarist '6025' and Bruce 'Ted' Slesinger, who was their best drummer by far. With that lineup, the music sounds fantastic, and has more of a jazz edge to it, which seems to create a more 'full' sounding album.

This is the album I recommend to new listeners and it's also their album that I still constantly listen to. I cant get sick of this one. The only complaint I have is where tracks are split, with the split coming after the pre-song banter, and before the actual song. A little annoying.

PS - The versions of 'Straight A's' and 'Short Songs' are much higher quality on this release than on their compilation album 'Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death'. The other reviewer must have some bad MP3s that he downloaded from Napster back in 1999.

If you only buy one DK album, seriously buy this one!

It may have been the heavy criticism the first post-lawsuit live set "Mutiny on the Bay" took - which featured performances from a number of concerts in 1982 and 1986 - but the band's next foray into the vault was to release this complete gig from March 3, 1979. And it shows the direction that should be taken in the future.

Jello Biafra is in outstanding form - having fun with the entire concept of the recording and chiding the audience for their performance art during "California Uber Alles" - and the incredibly sharp sound especially benefits the demented surf guitar riffs from East Bay Ray. Two tracks - "Short Songs," "Straight A's" - appeared on the compilation "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death," but it's good to have them in the original context. The set list delivers solid energy and is highlighted by the covers "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Viva Las Vegas."

The nearly 40 minutes will get a listener wanting more.....and just the way the audience heard it.