Customer Reviews

Machine Gun in Clown's Hand

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4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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This 3 CD set has a lot in common with the new David Cross CD on Subpop-both are politically incorrect, both are hilarious and both touch upon what's excruciatingly important today if you have a brain: Get this CD! I'm not going to spoil it for you and tell you all the punchlines. Whatever your political leanings, you need this CD.
The only caveat I have is that Jello needs to tone down his mimicry voices-they can be a little annoying, but on the other hand, Jello's voice (and lyrics) are what made the Dead Kennedys so great in the first place. If you liked the Dead Kennedys, or even thought they were vaguely interesting in a fringe sort of way, you will love this, especially in the age of King George II, and I mean LOVE this-it will change your life...PASS IT ON!

Apart from the dire warnings of the ol' Reagan/Bush I gang reclaiming the White House under Dubya's banner and the exploitation of the 9/11 casualties, Biafra can temper the listening experience with a few tales from his wacky youth.

For instance, he sidetracks from taking swipes at the Dubya pinata to recall his high school days: He had a geometry teacher whose language, like Dubya's, grew more and more garbled the more he tried to explain "angles C, A and 'Bwee!'" to his bemused class. His lectures devolved into such jibbering nonsense as: "Oober de Ahmpus Blabby Dwerp?" and "Lassie, Bottomless Negroes!" I heard this anecdote live and on CD and it is a constant source of amusement for me, my wife and my friends.

THIS is the essence of keeping a humorous spirit in times like these. Contrast this with Dubya's terminally clueless stabs at humor: The engagment where he showed a still of himself peeking under his desk and quipping, "Those WMD's have to be somewhere!" Our Prez doesn't seem to realize that self-deprecating humor doesn't work when the subject in question is GENUINELY incompetent and UNREPENANTLY rash.

Enough of him, though. Jello's "whistle-stop" speeches are informative, but have the festive atmosphere of late-night stand-up comedy. I was never attracted to the Dead Kennedys, but I'm glad that band introduced the country to this irreverent talent. His ex-bandmates should feel fortunate to have known such a venerable kidder: I heard about what you naughty little boys are doing to Biafra in the courtroom! Shame on you three! Straps to the bootie all around!

Though I am registered Democrat, I too am saddened by "my" party's weakness and the Republican's blind loyalty to the pampered child in the White House. I sympathize with the Green Party and I do NOT think they were the "spoilers" at the 2000 election. This country desperately needs a third party to challenge the Donkey party's complacency and the Elephant party's belligerence.

Finally, kudos to Biafra for acknowledging himself as a torchbearer and not an idol on a pedastal. "People come up to me and exclaim: 'OOOOOOH! YOU CHANGED MY LIFE!' Maybe... Now it's YOUR turn."

Pass me that torch, Jello m'boy. I'm ready to run a lap...

There is just too much material for this guy out there, he can't resist! This is his 7th spoken word album. It cover mostly current events, politics, etc. with a neat clip at the end about Joey Ramone. I have his other albums, and if you don't, you'll probably get a bit more out of this album than I did. He tends to reuse certain things a bit, but was enough new stuff to be worth the money. Its a good second opinion about what is going on in the world today, and makes one think about the "what ifs?" in this day in age. If you want more of his creative writing stuff, "No More Cocoons" and "I Blow Minds for a Living" are definitly the way to go.

IF YOU LIKE MICHAEL MOORE AND RALPH NADER, THEN GET THIS
Truly awesome, fuels my distaste for what's going on right now and for what looks like it will be happening very soon. jello for president.

At close to four hours there is much to digest in this box set. That said, I do not want to make things sound as if they are an effort, as Jello Biafra has the charisma and candor to make listening a worthwhile expereince. I must say that I used to be more right wing that I am now, in my younger and more angry years. But that is the strength of this set, it shows the dangers fraught in viewing the world in terms that are purely black and white.

The presentation of this material is well thought out, and Biafra has researched his arguements against the war and other dirty policies well.

This box set shows just how dangerous the current international situation is, and how equallly disturbing it is to have somebody the likes of George W. Bush in charge. In addition to this I recommend that you also purchase "I blow Minds For a Living" which is still just as pertinant today, as it was in 1989. Many of Biafra's criticisms of King George 1 are just as relevant (if not more so) to King George 2.

if you like Jello Biafra you must own this album. it is very informative on how Iran-Contra felons are now in positions in the whitehouse and Bush's War on terror plus Jello's tribute to Joey Ramone. Its a must buy ...

Another mostly spot-on spoken word CD by Biafra. I like this guy. I guess because I agree with him a lot. Good man, Jello Biafra. This here album, Machine Gun in the Clown's Hand, serves up Jello's rational, compassionate and humorous reaction to the nightmare that became Bush and Cheney post 9-11 America. What sucks is that if you've been listening to Biafra or maybe just his Dead Kennedys work, none of this crap is surprising. It helps to laugh tho, and Jello can at least help ya do that while he dispenses the bad news. As is always the case with things, ultimately his message is to get off your --- and do something about it. Jello is a great American patriot!

I decided to give this a listen since I haven't heard from Jello since the 2000 election. Some of it's interesting, some questionable, some obvious to us now, some interesting predictions (especially about Iraq), and some nice information about Al Gore and why people didn't want to vote for him. Most of all, it's very, very funny. Well worth picking up if you're into this kind of thing, or if you've liked his other spoken word albums

Cowboy Cornholio...
Sick'em Jello; King George II, Prince Albert- what a choice.
If you voted for Nadar(like I did) you'll love this album!
Hell, you'll love'em all;
No More Cocoons
High Priest of Harmful Matter
I Blow Minds for a Living
Beyond The Valley of The Gift Polive
If Evolution is Outlawed, only outlaws will evolve
and Become the Media
Get'em before Rumsfeld makes them illegal, and turns ths country down the road of the Marshal Plan, er, I mean marshal law.

Cowboy Cornholio...
Sick'em Jello; King George II, Prince Albert- what a choice.
If you voted for Nadar(like I did) you'll love this album!
Hell, you'll love'em all;
No More Cocoons
High Priest of Harmful Matter
I Blow Minds for a Living
Beyond The Valley of The Gift Polive
If Evolution is Outlawed, only outlaws will evolve
and Become the Media
Get'em before Rumsfeld makes them illegal, and turns ths country down the road of the Marshal Plan, er, I mean marshal law.