Monday, April 28, 2008

410. Dead Kennedys / Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables. 1980. 4/5.

This had been out for a number of years before I was first exposed to it, but it made an impression I can tell you. 15 years old and fairly impressionable, Dead Kennedys debut album came at me like a tracer bullet and intrigued me from the start.

The band’s wonderful punk inspired sound, led at the front by Jello Biafra’s unique vocals, and songs that make you laugh and think at the same time, makes for a winning combination.
I know a few people who are friends of mine who like to spend hours discussing the lyrics of the songs, and what the meaning behind the meaning behind the lyrics are. Personally, I like to just listen to the songs and sing along, and generally laugh. Surely they aren’t meant to be taken seriously… :)
From the opening of “Kill The Poor”, followed by the wonderfully sentimental “Forward To Death”, into the thought provoking “Let’s Lynch The Landlord”, you can’t help but enjoy it. Let’s not forget “Chemical Warfare”, and then the album’s star attraction, “Holiday In Cambodia”.

This is an album that brings back a lot of memories, and putting it on again over the past couple of days has been just terrific. It makes me wonder why I haven’t played it for so long.

Rating: An all-time classic. 4/5.

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