Dead Kennedys were one of the most influential bands in the history of punk rock, blending twisted humor, in-your-face political ranting, and aggressive, spastic music, and paving the way for countless imitators. Their debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was originally released in 1980 on the UK label Cherry Red, and has since been re-released by several other labels, including IRS, Alternative Tentacles, and Cleopatra. The newest reissue-- the special 25th anniversary edition-- features the original artwork and a bonus 55-minute DVD documenting the making of the album as well as the band's early years.
The packaging here is fantastic: The once grainy, indistinguishable burning police cars that don the cover now appear in much sharper detail. For the original pressing, the band requested the flames look orange, and as a result, the entire cover was printed orange on white. After that pressing, strict black and white was used, and most versions looked like something produced on a gas station copy machine. The tri-fold digipak offers a pull-out replica of the original collage/lyric sheet, featuring newspaper clippings, advertisements, and political diatribes all infused with the bands usual biting sarcasm and bizarre humor. Ronald Reagan grins out at you despite his drawn-in Hitler mustache and the fact that someone has written "sex" all over his face. The label from a can of salmon with Taxi Driver's Travis Bickle pasted over it sits above a marching line of breakfast foods. You could spend an hour looking over the double-sided poster and still miss things.
Unfortunately, there are no bonus tracks. The original 14 songs are here; the album is still barely over a half-hour long. It is remastered, but considering that this is a 25-year-old debut recording by a punk rock band, don't expect it to suddenly sound impeccable. It is what it is, and the group's amateurism showed more on this record than on subsequent ones. Even some of the songs fall prey to the band's younger, less focused outlook. "Kill the Poor", the album opener, is fun to sing along with, but at its heart it's a generic rock song hiding behind satirical lyrics and low-fi production. The final track is the ill-conceived cover of "Viva Las Vegas", which seems tame after the 13 originals that precede it.
There are several classic DK tracks here though, most notably "California Über Alles" and "Holiday in Cambodia", both of which still sound powerful and fresh. The opening bass notes of "Holiday in Cambodia" are some of the most sinister sounds punk rock ever produced. Of the lesser-known tracks, "Drug Me" is one of the band's faster songs, and it strongly hinted at where the band would head with their next EP. "When Ya Get Drafted", "Let's Lynch the Landlord", and "Your Emotions" all show off the group's ability to blend upbeat, light-hearted music with sinister satirical lyrics.
Over the years, the Dead Kennedys' lyrics and vocals have recieved the most attention. Jello Biafra's over-the-top warble is instantly recognizable, and no one used sick and twisted humor to deliver such serious messages-- many are still applicable today -- with the same level of skill. "Chemical Warfare" predicts bio-terrorism that hits too close to home, or perhaps I should say too close to the country club. "Holiday in Cambodia" mocks the poor little rich kid who thinks he's got it bad with lines like, "You'll work harder with a gun in your back/ For a bowl of rice a day."
The bonus DVD offers little for the serious fan, mostly interviews with East Bay Ray, Klaus Flouride, a couple of radio DJs, and other people connected with the band in its early days. Little attention is paid to the actual creation of the album; most of the interviewees just find various ways to talk about how great it is. Included are six live performances, all filmed with the original line-up. Most of the footage here has been widely available, either on the Dead Kennedys: The Early Years Live DVD, or on various VHS tapes throughout the years. But these early performances are interesting if you've never seen Biafra's bizarre pantomime-style antics (or his obsession with green plastic gloves), but some clips just go to prove that watching any band try to entertain 20 or 30 people who seem completely uninterested can be painful-- even if the band went on to become legendary.
