Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables

by Dead Kennedys

Overview

A hyper-speed blast of ultra-polemical, left-wing hardcore punk, and bitingly funny sarcasm, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables stands as the Dead Kennedys' signature statement. As one of the first hardcore albums, it was a galvanizing influence on the musical and attitudinal development of the genre, also helping to kickstart the fertile California scene. The record's tactics are not subtle in the least; Jello Biafra's odd warble and spat-out lyrics leave no doubt as to what he thinks, baiting his targets of conservatism, violence, overbearing authority, and capitalist greed with a viciously satirical sarcasm that keeps his unflinchingly political outlook from becoming too didactic. The thin production dilutes some of the music's power, but the ragged speed-blur still packs a wallop, and the hooks cribbed from surf and rockabilly give it a gonzo edge. The songwriting isn't consistent all the way through the album, but classics like "Kill the Poor," "Let's Lynch the Landlord," "Chemical Warfare," "California Ueber Alles," and "Holiday In Cambodia" helped define the hardcore genre and, thus, must be heard. ~ Steve Huey

Product Details

Release Date:	06/23/2023
Label:	Radiation Records / Radiation Reissues
UPC:	8055515234848

Tracks

1. Kill the Poor
2. Forward to Death
3. When Ya Get Drafted
4. Let's Lynch the Landlord
5. Drug Me
6. Your Emotions
7. Chemical Warfare
8. California Über Alles
9. I Kill Children
10. Stealing Peoples' Mail
11. Funland At the Beach
12. Ill in the Head
13. Holiday in Cambodia
14. Viva Las Vegas

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dead Kennedys   Primary Artist
Klaus Flouride   Bass,Bass (Electric)
East Bay Ray   Guitar
Ted   Drums
Ninotchka   Keyboards,Choir/Chorus
Jello Biafra   Vocals
Paul Roessler   Keyboards
6025   Guitar
Ted (Bruce Slesinger)   Drums
Bobby Unrest   Choir/Chorus
Dirk Dirkson   Choir/Chorus
Rocky Mountain Arsenal Choir   Choir/Chorus
Bruce Calderwood   Choir/Chorus
Geoffrey Lyall   Choir/Chorus
Curt   Choir/Chorus
Chichi   Choir/Chorus
Hy Jean   Choir/Chorus
Michael Snyder   Choir/Chorus
Barbara Hellbent   Choir/Chorus
Eric Boucher   Choir/Chorus

Technical Credits

Slesinger   Composer
Klaus Flouride   Composer,Group Member
East Bay Ray   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Group Member
Doc Pomus   Composer
Jello Biafra   Composer,Lyricist,Producer,Group Member
Norm   Producer,Producer
Oliver di Cicco   Engineer
Mort Shuman   Composer
Geza X   Producer
Nick Watson   Mastering
Chris Lord-Alge   Mixing
D.H. Peligro   Composer
Dead Kennedys   Composer,Lyricist,Producer
6025   Composer
Ted (Bruce Slesinger)   Composer,Group Member
John Greenway   Composer
Brian Judd   Mixing
Adam Chagnon   Mixing Assistant
Ray Pepperell   Composer,Assistant Producer
Bruce Slesinger   Composer
Carlos Cadona   Composer