I am becoming more and more frustrated with this computer, this is the THIRD time I have tried to compose this, it simply is being eatten by the computer.....I am afraid I am
going to HAVE TO go and purchase a new one this week, at the risk of my sanity......the
Dead Kennedys were a hardcore crew from San Francisco in the early 1980's, leader Jello
Biafra has long been a vocal advocate of free speech, and an avowed critic of censorship,
much as I myself attempt to be, so more power to him......Ticket Master would not even
print the band's name on it's tickets when they toured, referring to them as the "DK's",
much like the current Washington Redskins fiasco.
The early lineup, by the way, was Biafra on vocals, guitarists East Bay Ray and 6025,
drummer Ted, and bassist Klaus Floride, they cranked out a Pistols-like din, although
unlike the Pistols who sseemingly were motivated by anger, the Kennedy's, fronted by
Biafra's helium induced yelp, seemed inspired by fear of the world in which they lived.
So, album #1, 1980's "Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables" is thier best, an important
album in the context of its release, and quite enjoyable to listen to today.....a fine
album, stacked with the likes of "Kill the Poor", "Let's Lynch the Landlord", "California
Uber Alles", "Holiday In Cambodia" and LOTS more....you want this, if you've not heard
it, a couple of more notes: even the Ramones would not be able to keep up with the speedy
"Drug Me", and, for some reason (much to my surprise), my favorite track on the original
album has been removed from the CD reissues ("Police Truck"), which is no prob as we'll
just use my conveniant VINYL RIP for this one!
shit, notably the graphic "Religious Vomit" and perhaps their best known track, "Nazi
Punks Fuck Off" which helped to shed some light on skinhead attrocities in the Bay Area
at the time. A note: the original cassette release (I don't have one) has all 8 tracks on
one side, the B-side being blank, with the following note: "Home Taping Is Killing record
industry profits. We left this side blank so you can help".......gotta admire that, and
Bow Wow Wow used the same tactic on "Your Cassette Pet"
So, next release for the lads was 1982's "Plastic Surgery Disasters", a pretty good
effort which features such material as "Winnebago Warrior" and "Terminal Preppie", among
others, although IMO not up to the standards of the earlier releases.1985's "Frankenchrist" is also a fairly so-so effort, with occasional winners like "Soup
Is Good Food", and "MTV-Get Off the Air".......the final "official" release was 1986's
"Bedtime For Democracy", and the joke was about over.......like similar bands, this could
only go on for so long.....it's here, should you want the complete set....
Because, I have a metric shit tonne of boots and other stuff to throw at ya
tomorrow.....I think I'll put up a few of them today to balance things out.....first up,
a 1978 Demo Tape, with early and raw (!) versions of stuff from the first few discs, such
as "Kill the Poor" and "Holiday In Cambodia", rough to listen to, to a degree, but fairly
rare and intersting for fans.
I think for today I will wrap it up with "Skateboard Party", a German live boot, also not
the best sound quality I've ever heard, but lots of fired up versions of the early stuff,
including the first mention (thusfar today) of "Too Drunk To Fuck", which is, of course
another of thier "classics"......
OK chumps, pay attention.....I have a WHOLE BUNCH MORE of this stuff for tomorrow, boots,
EP's, all kindsa good stuff.....and this entire collection is dedicated to the memory of
Marshall Phillips (see yesterday), He would have liked this post, I think, so Marshall,
my friend, this one is for YOU. Rest In Peace Brother!
Drafted/04 Let's Lynch the Landlord/05 Police Truck/06 Drug Me/07 Your Emotions/08
Chemical Warfare/09 California Uber Alles/10 I Kill Children/11 Stealing People's Mail/12
Funland at the Beach/13 Ill in the Head/14 Holiday In Cambodia/15 Viva Los Vegas
IN GOD WE TRUST (EP)-01 Religious Vomit/02 Moral Majority/03 Hyperactive Child/04 Kepone
Factory/05 Dog Bite/06 Nazi Punks Fuck Off/07 We've Got a Bigger Problem Now/08 Rawhide
PLASTIC SURGERY DISASTERS-01 Government Flu/02 Terminal Preppie/03 Trust Your Mechanic/04
Well Paid Scientist/05 Buzzbomb/06 Forrest Fire/07 Halloween/08 Winnebago Warrior/09
Riot/10 Bleed For Me/11 I Am the Owl/12 Dead End/13 Moon Over MarinFRANKENCHRIST-01 Soup Is Good Food/02 Hellnation/03 This Could Be Anywhere (This Could Be
Everywhere)/04 A Growing Boy Needs His Lunch/05 Chicken Farm/06 Jock-O-Rama (Invasion of
the Beef Patrol)/07 Goons of Hazzard/08 MTV-Get Off the Air/09 At My Job/10 Stars and
Stripes of Corruption
BEDTIME FOR DEMOCRACY-01 Take This Job and Shove it/02 Hop With the Jet Set/03 Dear
Abby/04 Rembozo the Clown/05 Fleshdunce/06 The Great Wall/07 Shrink/08 Triumph of the
Swill/09 Macho Insecurity/10 I Spy/11 Cesspools In Eden/12 One Way Ticket To Pluto/13 Do
the Slag/14 A Commercial/15 Gone With My Wind/16 Anarchy For Sale/17 Chickenshit
Conformist/18 Where Do Ya Draw the Line/19 Potshot Heard 'Round the World/19 DMSO/20 Lie
Detector
Today/05 Cold Fish/06 Forward to Death/07 viva Las Vegas/08 Unknown/09 Unknown/10 Forward
to Death/11 California Uber Alles/12 Your Emotions/13 Kill the Poor/14 Holiday In
Cambodia/15 Kidnap/16 Man With the Dogs/17 I KIll Children
SKATEBOARD PARTY-01 Holiday In Cambodia/02 Let's Lynch the Landlord/03 Chemical
Warfare/04 Nazi Punks Fuck Off/05 We've Got a Bigger Problem Now/06 Too Drunk to Fuck/07
Kill the Poor/08 Man With a Dog/09 Forward to Death/10 Kepone Factory/11 Life Sentence/12
Trust Your MEchanic/13 Moral Majority/14 Forest Fire/15 Winnebago Warrior/16 Police
Jerk/17 Bleed For Me......
Please share and comment, in memory of my great friend who passed away this past
weekend....Marshall Phillips had more influence on my musical tastes than did ANYONE, this blog likely would not exist were it not for him introducing me to so much great music.......please leave a comment, just in memory of Marhsall, 1956-2014, a great guy, a great friend, and a tremendous influence on my musical tastes......sorry to keep talking about this, but this just SUCKS, I love you Marshall and THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DID FOR ME.......
Tomorrow, LOTS more Dead Kennedys' boots, EP's rarities and the like, you know your uncle won't leave you hangin!
