Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

This album inspired me to become a poli sci major. When I was 14 I made a choker made from an old white crew neck t-shirt collar on which I sharpied the words "economy is looking bad, time to start a war." It went well with my homemade iron-on "jail to the thief" anti-Bush patch.

I think what makes the Dead Kennedys one of my favorite punk bands is multifaceted, but a major point of that is that it's not just angry-three-chords. There's elements of surf rock and even some early horror stuff on this record. East Bay Ray is a fantastic guitarist and second to maybe only Joe Strummer. Jello Biafria's lyrics, sarcastic-yet-serious delivery really seals the deal as well. Favorite tracks: "California Uber Alles", "Kill the Poor", "Holiday In Cambodia", "Let's Lynch the Landlord"

Song called "Let's Lynch the Landlord" = instant 5 stars Song called "I Kill Children = instant 5 stars 14 tracks but the whole album is barely 30 minutes? = instant 5 stars.

5 Fuck yeah, love the Dead Kennedys. As probably one of the most politically charged groups of all-time (up there with Rage Against the Machine and Public Enemy), I've always felt that this band (along with the mentioned) "got it". Going into my review, I was actually prepared to give a 4 or 4.5 because, while I really enjoy the album, there are a handful of songs I don't return to as much. After giving this a re-listen now, I'm left wondering what the hell I was doing sleeping on them before. All killer, no filler front to back - an absolute punk essential (though Frankenchrist is also an amazing album imo). They say that the older you get, the more disillusioned you become with the punk mindset, and a developing exposure to the larger political stratosphere leads to a more complex and comprehensive mindset. I say - Dead Kennedys were right all along. RIP D.H. Peligro Favorite songs: Obviously Holiday in Cambodia and California Über Alles are bangers, but you can't go wrong with anything here. Let's Lynch the Landlord is probably the most underrated.

Dead Kennedys honed the hardcore punk sound unlike any other band at the time. While other big bands like Black Flag, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat got really good at playing loud and fast, Dead Kennedys did that while also wielding razor-sharp lyrics to give hardcore a pointedly political edge to it's attitude. Let's Lynch the Landlord, California über alles, and Chemical Warfare are not just for moshing in the pit! Stylistically, the boys pull from a few other sources for inspiration. Surf punk, notably used by the B-52's, gives Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables plenty of personality. This is combined with vocalist Jello Biafra, whose iconic voice and energy gives Dead Kennedys a lot of prominence. Further setting themselves apart from the other hardcore punks bands at the time, Dead Kennedys utilize varied songwriting to keep things fresh. Holiday in Cambodia, for example, uses dynamic changes in the intro and breakdown to great effect. When it comes to the simple high-energy riffs though, they still know how to bring the house down. East Bay Ray's noisy guitar and Ted's tight drums deliver killer punk sounds in spades. I would be remiss not to mention Klaus Flouride on bass, who expertly keeps up with the band while holding down a perfectly solid bass groove. This is obviously hardcore punk perfection. What more could you want from a band who calls out snide college leftists who think they know how great state communism is? Pol. Pot.

Thoroughly enjoyable and nicely varied for a punk album. I didn't feel like I was listening to the same slurred song for thirty-five minutes like I often do with bad punk. There's also just a lot of great songs on here. 'Kill the Poor,' 'California Uber Alles,' 'Holiday in Cambodia,' I could go on. This was a great introduction to the Dead Kennedys!

Always nice when I can play an album out of my own collection rather than streaming on YouTube! This album is a neat signpost for how fast punk started evolving after it's emergence in 1977 (not the true beginning of punk, but that's when the big albums started coming out). By 1980 we were already ready for subgenres (as well as post-punk). This album shows the incipient hardcore punk style that would become popular in the years after this album. More than that, though, it was a truly political punk album that broke through to the mainstream in at least some meaningful sense, unlike the works of the Sex Pistols and the Ramones. The fun part about this album is that it manages to tackle big subjects without taking itself too seriously. It's often funny, personal, and crass. The music is what really makes this album. The guitar work is head and shoulders above what was present in most of the other major punk bands, and the rest of the band compliments that well. Jello's voice isn't amazing, but it's distinctive, and it works with this band 5/5 An absolute punk classic

Man, I really enjoyed that. The Kennedys are a bit more political than their contemporaries but always manage to avoid getting bogged down by preaching. It's an absolute romp of a record. Loved it so much I played it through twice. Which is easy enough since it's only 36 minutes long. 15 songs, 36 minutes. Love that vibe. Each song comes in hard, sticks around just long enough to make a point, and then we're moved on to the next one. No wasted time, no bloated verses, no pointless vamps. Just pure, distilled rock. So good.

This is how I imagine clowns sing but I did have fun

Let’s go! 3 punk albums in a row!? And another San Francisco punk band at that. I’m fired up. This album is incredible. Some real ferocious stuff by the band with the best name in punk rock. Not to mention the monikers chosen by its members... When I was 12 years old I went over to my good friend Connor Cantelmo’s house and he sent me home with a paper Trader Joe’s grocery bag full of punk CDs. Included was a compilation that included both the Dead Kennedy’s sophomore effort, Plastic Surgery Disasters, and an EP from the year before, In God We Trust, Inc. To this day, I am surprised by how much I liked this CD. Everything about it told me I should hate it. Abrasive. Indescribably unpleasant—even cartoon-ish—lead vocals. Horrible lyrical content. Screeching, feedback-heavy production and recording. And so on. And being 12, I didn’t even understand it as far as it’s political satire, which, now, I truly find to be the main course here. But I took to it all the same. It had this draw. It seemed to exist of its own accord. In its own world. By its own rules. It had absolute soul in the sense that this band truly meant every word they said and every note they played. They had to. Where else would this sound have come from if not from someplace deeply personal and undeniably urgent? It was only a hop, skip, and a jump to DK's debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables which contained fan favorites "Califronia Über Alles" and "Holiday In Cambodia." (Though my favorite DK song then and now was and is "Nazi Punks F**k Off" off In God We Trust, Inc.). I love that this album gives conservative parents and nay-sayers exactly what they want to complain about. It's almost like DK decided, "Let's make music for people who want to claim this as devil music anyway. Let's just give it them; give them the evidence. And be as controversial and in-your-face as possible. To every part of the system, Democrats and Republicans alike." I think that approach to being punk is beautiful. It really just takes the breath away from potential critics. It strips them of their power of interpretation. There's almost nothing you can say about this music because what it is so unashamedly blatantly awful. I think it ends up being more depressing to those critics that this music is actually popular than it is anger-inducing, which is a good trade. And it IS incredible this band became so popular. That they have a song on Guitar Hero for instance (!!). Conservative zealots be damned. The system sucks and instead of explaining why, we're just going to show you how the system can not only birth, but foster a band as blatantly distasteful as Dead Kennedys. What is the conservative majority of Reagan's America to do with that!? It makes me smile just knowing this band existed in the context they did. Musically, DK stands in a class of its own too. The way they incorporate decidedly non-punk elements between ferocious, hardcore riffs. There are moments of circus music. Some of more straight rock influences. Some wildly syncopated drum beats. Some of the great early-80s hardcore bass lines. Stop and start call and response moments. Sound collage. And more. All this seems wildly out of place for a hardcore act that had so much on its agenda already politically. That the music is so good, rich, and unique in addition to everything else going on satirically and politically is just gravy. Loud, abrasive, in-your-face-disturbing gravy. Viva Las Vegas. 5 stars.

Fucking 5

Masterpiece of hardcore punk rock. Sharp lyrics and vocals, over a music that's no less sharp. The best of both worlds, really. The biting sense of satire is everywhere, from "Kill The Poor" to that absurd "Viva Las Vegas" cover closing the album. And the instrumentation is often smart and inventive, with many infectious guitar-and-bass lines that are both angular and highly melodic, thus going beyond what the usual small fry in the genre can deliver. "Holiday In Cambodia" and "California Über Alles" are instant classics, and if their subject matters deal with news events from another era, their impact hasn't aged a day. Maybe because the times have only gotten worse. The Dead Kennedys had Pol Pot and Jerry Brown. Now we have Kim Jung-un and Donald Trump. One can't help wishing more folks had listened to Jello Biafra's politically charged vitriol at the time. But if general audiences listened to good songwriters instead of crooked politicians, maybe the world would be slightly less hellish as a result. On a sidenote, I also highly recommend the *Give Me Convenience Or Give Me Death" compilation. It has the single versions of the two last songs I've just mentioned here, and the sound and performance in those different recordings is superior to the album versions. Besides, this compilation also harbors other pivotal singles such as "Too Drunk To Fuck", along with incredible live documents showing how insane that band was onstage. If you're a fan of *Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables*, you can't go wrong with this one, really... Number of albums left to review or just listen to: 811 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory: 103 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 46 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more important): 41

It's going to be five stars if you don't want to read the rest. Basically, when I was about 10 I heard about the Sex Pistols and they sounded like the most exciting thing ever. They were okay but a bit ploddy and the singer seemed like a Wally. This, with its breakneck pace, vicious humour and sheer anarchic fun, is the band I wanted the Pistols to be.

A pure classic hardcore punk album with intelligent and deeply sarcastic lyrics mixed with surf guitar and elastic band vocals. Lots of punks weren't expecting that. Best Tracks: Kill The Poor; Holiday In Cambodia; Viva Las Vegas

Classic British punk

Damn this absolutely smokes - California Uber Alles, Chemical Warfare and Holiday in Cambodia are sensational, absolutely top tier punk songs. They just feel a cut above, right? Smart lyrics, a great sound and attitude to burn. East Bay Ray is such a cool name.

Great album

oh yeah this was very good it took me one song to get into them and now im on board lets kill the fucking poor am i right?

Perfect, surf-punk - right up my street - with biting and clever sardonic lyrics, adrenaline packed beats and pumping bass lines. Listening to this record, makes the contrast of American punk (and even British punk) that came after this feel so hollow and weak. This is the real thing - from intensely funny 'California Über Alles', to the poignant 'Kill the Poor', from 'Holiday in Cambodia' and even in the perfect madcap cover of 'Viva Las Vegas'. Love it - a true classic.

A bit rough but pretty fun otherwise. Absolutely love the guitar riffs and bass. I wish the songs were longer, but their length gives them their charm. Really creative album title, and really cool cover. Fave track(s): When Ya Get Drafted, Let's Lynch The Landlord

Jello Biafra is an acquired taste, like asparagus sautéed in crushed glass.

NAZI PUNKS FUUUUUUUUUUUCK OOOOOFF

Not really my thing, I didn’t find it entertaining and most songs weren’t good

I hate this, everything about it.

gross

holiday in cambodia is the best song on this album and it still sucks

Good ole Punk Rock, how I've missed you.

INTERESTING SOUND 4.2 out 5

While musically this shows it's age, this is a classic of the genre. Sadly it's themes are still relevant today. Some of the guitar work is a leap forward from earlier punk records and you can see how much this influenced the later movement and hardcore scene.

This is a hardcore punk album in that it is political, it’s obscene, and it makes you angry. First time I listened to this I didn’t love it but having it come up on this list I listened to it a little more and it’s pretty decent. I didn’t grow up when punk was popular so some of the appeal is missed on me but some of these songs do rock hard. Some were familiar from guitar hero. Yikes. Overall though this is solid and I’d revisit maybe. 6.2/10

Nr. 46/1001 Kill the Poor 3/5 Forward to Death 2/5 When Ya Get Drafted 2/5 Let's Lynch The Landlord 3/5 Drug Me 1/5 Your Emotions 2/5 Chemical Warfare 2/5 California Uber Alles 2/5 I Kill Children 2/5 Stealing People's Mail 2/5 Funland At The Beach 2/5 III in the Head 1/5 Holiday In Cambodia 2/5 Viva Las Vegas 2/5 Average: 2,0 Not my kind of music

Icky

Great hardcore punk album.

A true classic of 80s punk. The sardonic, sarcastic high energy punk of the DKs pretty much set the stage for SoCal punk and what we think of as punk today. This album shows the DKs in all their glory - from the Swiftien Kill the Poor and Holiday and Cambodia, to the straighahead social commentary of California Uber Alles, and the "life is too horrible to believe" of Funland at the Beach. An album for the modern era as much as it was for the 80s.

klassiker. Helt spastik, galen och fantastik.

This album touched me in a way I haven't been touched since uncle got ran out of town. This record slaps, kicks, bites and shits on the floor. I'm in love.

One of my absolute, all-time favorite punk albums, full stop. Honestly, it's probably the punkest punk album I love. 'Coz, like, I think about all of the other punk bands who have an album I love — Green Day, the Ramones, The Clash, Bad Religion — and they have a pop sheen to them, to one extent or another. Which, pop isn't a bad word to me, but you compare any of those band's albums to this and it's a massive gulf. With its massive surf rock influence and the elements of horror and humour throughout, and with how damn fast they play some of those songs, there's really not a single punk album I've heard that goes harder. Maybe a Snot album, but I haven't heard one of those in full. And it just does not let up. It's 30 minutes, front-to-back, of all-cylinders-firing killer and not a second of filler. From the big notable songs like "California Über Alles" and "Holiday In Cambodia", down to stuff like "Stealing People's Mail", "I Kill Children", "Drug Me" and "Chemical Warfare", it's all amazing. I don't even need to give any deep, faux-essay reasons why — which I easily could, given how I consider Dead Kennedys near Rage Against The Machine and Chumbawamba in how left they are. You just need to listen to them play — incredible, right? (Many shout outs to the "Viva Las Vegas" cover they end the album with, too, by the way. Even besides my being an Elvis fan, I just love how wild it is. Goodness.) In case you couldn't tell: instant 5 from me. It's one of those albums I honestly could have written a review of months before my group got it 'coz I love it just that much. So, yeah, I'unno what else to say. Go dig this album if you somehow found this review without having done so already. POL POT

A quintessential release of punk that still stands the tests of time in the current political climate. Solid 5 Stars.

It’s an electric 4.5, and I'm gonna bump it up to a 5, though not without a few "flaws". I’ve heard of Dead Kennedys, but I’ve never actually HEARD Dead Kennedys – I vaguely knew about their status in punk rock before listening, but it really only hit me right before listening about just insanely bold it is to make that the name of your band in the late 70s / early 80s. It set a tone that immediately got matched by the first track, and never really looked back. I can compare this pretty handily to The Clash’s debut album in terms of pacing and instrumental energy – both of them jump right out of the gate, and have pretty long stretches of just breakneck speed, covering a variety of topics. This album goes even fucking faster though, and that energy is hard to put into words. However, I think this album does suffer from chasing that energetic high a little too much – it’s not that it can’t maintain it, because it definitely does, and to a more consistent and arguably more satisfying degree than The Clash’s album (still not over “Police & Thieves” railroading the pace of that album). It maintains it, but at the sacrifice of the lyrical quality. This is an album full of biting political satire, most of which is certainly based in real anger, and a general desire to actually do something about it instead of sitting around on one’s ass. However, at varying points in the album, I think that satire loses some of that fire & that bite, and turns into more of a gripe-filled chomp, or something so over the top that it just feels cheesy to the point where the song loses its focus (most disappointingly done by “I Kill Children” – not a bad track, though!). There’s other moments throughout the album that add up to ALMOST knock this down to a 4 for me – a few tracks honestly go TOO fast vocally for my tastes, some of them don’t feel as cohesive instrumentally (but it’s never on the guitar, though), and that hard-R N-word on “Holiday in Cambodia”, for as much as I understand the intent and impact of its usage in the song (and that censoring it in any way would be a disgrace to the idea of “punk” in the late 70s/early 80s), simply cannot be overlooked or excused. That track still slaps though, sue me. As a whole, this is an electric 33 minutes – there’s a few too many things that add up for me to give this a pure, flat 5, but make no mistake; I highly recommend this. Its lyricism, for the most part, still rings pretty true in 2024 (Let’s Lynch the Landlord is ESPECIALLY timely with the CEO thing, but “fascist California” never really came to pass like that), the instrumentals are insanely energetic, and it’s just a rollercoaster of an album. No problems with bumping it up to a 5.

Punk landmark. Still hitting hard today. I really like how it feels like they are on the verge of a nervous breakdown at all times. This is what punk should be.

Efficiency and progress

Anger and rage music from a different age still relevant still servant Very powerful Punk's NOT DEAD

Amazing punk album

I might be biased because this is one of my all time favorite albums.

To evoke a tired trope, the lyrics on this album are more and more relevant with each passing year. The biting political commentary made accessible with humor and catchy hooks exemplifies youth counter culture. As others have said, the surf rock influence is the big draw musically. Absolutely seminal album for so many hardcore acts. If you don't see the appeal of this music I don't know what to tell you other than I hope your stocks crash.

Lot of fun. Songs don’t overstay their welcome yet exhaust you despite being less than 2 minutes. It’s a cool mix of hardcore punk while still achieving pretty accessible melodies. Rating: 4.7

A really surprisingly good album. I don't like most punk at all, but there's something about this album that had me so engaged the whole album. Blazing speed and pointed lyrics keep the album entertaining and thought provoking. And even though it's not on this album it bears repeating: Nazi Punks, FUCK OFF

I've heard of the Dead Kennedys but never listened to anything specifically, but I liked this album. Normally I'm not too fond of repetitive lyrics, but I guess it works for me with punk music. I'd have to be in the right mood to listen, so I'd give it a 4.5 but bumping up.

If you don’t like punk, you definitely won’t like this.

Is this the best punk album of all time? If not it's top three easy, and defiantly the best Hardcore Punk album ever, as well as perhaps the one I listen to the most. I mean California Uber Alles is a top ten song all time, and you got hits like Holiday In Cambodia, Lets Lynch the Landlord, Kill The Poor and When Ya Get Drafted, all in a 35 minutes album. Perhaps the best punk band of all time at their peak. 10/10

Why do cocaine when I can listen to the Dead Kennedys instead?

5/5. God I love punk. These guys are just having so much fun saying the things people are thinking nowadays already. Like sure, the Sex Pistols album is a landmark in punk, it's great, but this is American to a tee and although a lot of it is anti-Vietnam war so a little dated, it's easily replaceable with any American Government act for the last 60 years and then some. The titles of the songs alone are great. It's not great singing, or music, or even listenability, but it's got great lyrics and the energy is off the charts and that makes up for it. The amateur sound they are going for is what makes this so good as they stuff they are talking about is what makes the rich and those in power scared if more people were thinking this way. We would solve a lot of problems lol. Best Song: Holiday In Cambodia, Let's Lynch The Landlord, Kill The Poor

Is it weird that I find this album kinda sexy? It’s incredibly intelligent and incredibly passionate, full of moments of pathos, creativity and humour. It’s basically my ideal partner is audio form. I’m not as knowledgeable about American Punk as I am British. To my knowledge, Dead Kennedys are the best of the bunch, and getting the opportunity to relisten to Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables really solidified why for me. This album really pushes the boundaries of how creative Punk could be without pushing into Post-Punk territory. Couple that creativity with a dedication to revolutionary politics that blows everybody else out of the water, and you’ve got a recipe for genuinely one of the most enjoyable, relentless, entertaining, and cathartic albums ever recorded

I love this it, front to back. DK’s debut is a quintessential punk album. Sarcastic yet thoughtful lyrics driven by surf-punk guitars and upbeat drums. You won’t find any simple 3-chord songs on this album. Instead you’ll find a band that knew what the fuck they were doing, and decided to do it with a hard edge. Their later releases always had better quality in the recording, but Fresh Fruit will always be their best release.

Loved this. So many classic punk songs on one album.

Jello Biafra always sounds like he just got out of a cold shower. Such a cartoon character. I imagine him spinning around the stage like Taz from Looney Tunes as he sings. This is how punk's supposed to be done! No endlessly repeating riffs like I'm stuck in the Tesseract, just extremely fast-paced fun and singing about killing children, hell yeah! Probably Top 3 punk albums for me. Just wish the production wasn't so over the place. Deserves a remaster ("Plastic Surgery Disasters" as well).

Yeah! Way more than your standard punk - these guys can actually play.

A great cynic record full of hits. It Still sounds fresh after all these years.

Stands the test of time in spirit and message.

A classic

Fantastic album that still holds up really well. I was a huge fan of punk when I was younger and this album was the first that drew me into the hardcore scene over the pop-punk style that was popular at the time.

Quality

I know DK may not be for everyone and that’s ok. For me, this album is perfect from cover to cover. The perfect balance of surf guitar and punk

pqp de álbum

The true test of a five star album passed with flying colours: take out the singles and it is still great. Here California, Cambodia and Kill the Poor subtracted and still five stars. I might say 4.99 as Viva Las Vegas rather detracts from the ferocious purity of their debut. Relistening this time, can hear Dick Dale and surf sounds, fifties rock and roll and lots more - in contrast to say Black Flag who are much more monochrome (hah!).

Unpretentious without lacking nuance. Definitely punk but still super catchy. I never understood the overlap of punk and new wave, but this is a good exemplar.

Proper turn of the decade punk. Political but not too far up itself. Great musically - often I’ll hear albums that are big influences on other things and be left a bit cold but every reference from future albums is clear here and used differently. Can’t find a reason NOT to give it the 5 tbh.

an essential album for any punk fan, this album speaks truth to power like few albums have before or since. jello biafra is certainly an acquired taste on vocals, but he cuts to the heart of the matter in his engaging lyrics. highlights: “kill the poor” “when ya get drafted” “california über alles” “holiday in cambodia”

JELLOOOOOoooooo!!!

A stone cold classic - great lyrics and musicianship for a punk record.

This album sees Dead Kennedys stealing mail and killing the poor, the landlord and children. It’s brilliant.

A great debut

Again, there is nothing quite like it

Best Song: California Uber Alles. The driving rhythm on the drums and bass really elevate this one. Worst Song: Forward To Death. This one feels a little too "ordinary" and straightforward relative to the rest of the album. Overall: Does punk get any better than this? Political, fast, in-your-face, smart, and technically brilliant. Like a downhill sprint through A Clockwork Orange, each song gives you barely a second to wonder "wait, what the fuck did that guy just say?" before you've barreled through the next intersection and you're into some new scathing satire in the next track.

Jeg kendte en del sange, men har aldrig hørt et DK album. Vildt hvor stor forskel autenticitet kan gøre når man sammenligner den her med noget som Sex Pistols' album. Guitaristen er virkelig god, kan rigtig godt lide når der bliver trukket lidt på surf rock, som i Holiday in Cambodia. California Über Alles og Let's Lynch the Landlord kommer helt sikkert på nogle playlists hos mig

Grrrreat

Chemical Warfare is the epitome of short fast loud.

Clever, punk, political, one of the most exciting albums I've heard

I saw the Dead Kennedys at this weird little gymnasium in SLC. Got smashed up against the stage for most of the show while my friends were either in a mosh pit or floating around the outside. I was wearing my favorite metallic orange skinny tie and a shitty thrift store suit. Someone tries to choke me or hang me by grabbing my tie, I couldn't see them and I decided I could escape by whipping my head around like a dog that doesn't want to e on a leash, all the while screaming Chemical Warfare into the mic the Jello pushed in the faces of us all getting smashed into the stage. The tie itself was finally unleashed but I didn't really care, that was he best night of my young life up to that point. My friends had similar tales. Hands down my favorite punk album ever and I think most of these themes still resonate. My deadhead friends couldn't listen to 5 minutes of this without yelling at me to turn it off, but that was their loss.

RRAAAHHHHH 9/10

Segundo mejor álbum de punk.

I never expected to rate a punk album with 5 stars. This is amazing. Not just mindless 4 chords aggression but fun riffs and curve balls all around

A classic American hardcore/punk album from the early 80s. One of these albums that feel like a definitive statement (never felt inclined to check out any other DK albums).

9.9/10

Dude. This is awesome. I kind of love this album. I'll start with the one thing that was negative at first. I wasn't big on the vocals at first. They were 80s punk vocals, which I've never liked. However, weirdly enough, they kind of grew on me. They're not my favorite vocals, but they work at times. As for the rest of the album, it's just great. The writing is unique in a great way. The things these guys have to say make a lot of sense, and the writing gets their points across quite well, in addition to being entertaining. However, the sound is what makes this album so amazing. While there are some similar songs, it doesn't feel repetitive, unlike other punk albums of the time (looking at you, Undertones). There's tempo changes and stuff. I love tempo changes! Also, I like this version of "California Uber Alles" a lot more than the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprasy version that I listened to a few days ago. The guitar tone is energetic and fitting for the energy of the messages. The bass? Oh my god. The bass in this album is just wonderful. I love it so much! I think I know why I love this album so much. Between the heavy-handed politics, the guitar riffs, and the sheer insanity of this album, it kind of reminds me of System of a Down. I think I've mentioned (or at least implied) before that System of a Down is my favorite band, so hearing something even remotely similar to them is just what I need. Apparently these guys influenced SOAD, and I can hear it. Overall, I was very surprised by just how passionate I am about this album. I might have to check out the other Dead Kennedys albums. 5/5.

GOATED

I'm not a huge fan of this early punk style but I really dig this. It's not something I would listen too often, but it has the right snarl, the right, pace and length, and the right mix of accessable and punk elements that a metalhead like me can follow along.

Blunt force messengers Aggressively absurdist Anti pop ear worms

One of the albums that started hardcore. Love it! Biafra and friends are everything: bombastic, sharp, revolutionaries... all at once! This is how music is supposed to be.

Fun and wild hardcore punk! Creative and hilarious lyrics, varied musical style, one of the most recognizable vocals, short and straight-to-the-point song lengths and structures, and all the energy and spirit you'd expect from a punk record and more. Features several canonical hits like "California Uber Alles" and "Holiday in Cambodia", and the deep cuts surprised me too. Every track has something to offer. And if you don't like it, just wait a minute. Stands the test of time as one of the most memorable and influential hardcore records.

Good album.

Fantastic record that rips and has messages that still ring true today

awesome! better lyrics than anything out there today. shows what a basic rock band is capable of.

"Punk rock is too simple"... They say.. Listen to those Bass lines carefully and talk to me again. Best Punk Rock album ever, by far, and os even better If you listen to the expanded Edition (Police Truck rocks..) Easy 5/5

Powerful album both lyrically and musically. A lot is packed into just 33 minutes. With its super left viewpoint and harsh lyrics this will not be an album for everybody, which is exactly what the band intended. A few lines haven't aged well but at 43 years old that's pretty impressive.

When I was young I had a friend who was ahead of his time and this was one of his favourite bands (along with The Residents and Devo). I just didn't get it and wish I had because this is really good. Cutting edge lyrics and suprisingly good musicianship. This is more than just shouty Punk. Ah well you live and learn. There's time to make amends.

Take a solid, groovy, surf rock inspired bass line. Combine with energetic, enthusiastic drumming, while being careful not to overpower the dish. Add equal parts of guitars played at breakneck speed, with precision and fun. Blend in loud, snarling, passionate vocals. Finally, sprinkle on top a smattering of sharp, witty, politically charged and often sarcastic lyrics. Mix it all together and bake in a 700 degree oven for 35 min. What do you get? The perfect punk album is what.

I’m yet to find an album better than this. Wherever I am, whatever I’m doing, however I feel, chucking this album on is always a sure fire way to make everything better. I cannot explain it, but it’s just phenomenal! 100000000/5

Banger punk rock. Right up my alley.

Stark Political Art. Perhaps they too were looking for stark pilitical art - my friends - to wake us up form stupor in the burbs .... My school mates started a band called CINEMA PRAGUE. They were highly influenced by DK, esp. their enthusiastic & energetic drummer Tim Lowe . Bassist Simon Hemsworth went on to form Ammonia, with chart success in Australia. They played school gigs, and parties. We enjoyed the music and revered them for doing their thing. some events and parties were riotous and some epic and others even mythic, if only there was a film of this time.... I remember egg carton collections to soundproof a garage. Jam Against Jelly. Seeing what a guitarist on acid looks like on stage. and beign both horrified and intrigued by the album cover of a starving hnad DK for me sits in an era, signifying teen rebellion, outrage at the horror of complacency and fascism disguised as conservatism. And some of my first anti establishment political messages ... I think there was something about a white supremacism or a KKK governer of California (but I might be conflating the messages of the Disposal Heroes of Hip Hop Racy) , But also the jarring grating voice of Jello, his attention grabbing megaphone like calls, shining a light on society some kind of attention seizing lucidity. Is the triumphant rhythm of a "military or regimental march" being mixed with punk Klezmer in Harlequin-like genius here. Whatever it is, it's singular, catchy and so very thought provokingly disturbing ... And as relevant now as ever. I can't forget the emaciated infants hand on one of their covers (starving Ethiopian or Eritrean apologies for not knowing off the top of my head) , a visual burner into the conscience ... equalled ( in its ability to evoke abhorrent shock at the devastation the west causes or allows for the rest of humanity and it's uncountable suffering), as the self immolating monk on the cover of a Rage Against the Machine album. The message is mixed. Ironing, mocking , critique of the American dynasties, and an anger at tragedy. More direct than the punk that was there to just annoy or entertain - this is political. I will need to study it to be sure if there was a call for action. But for me it was simple " don't look away, question, and be horrified, without bourgeois complacency). This is stark political art.