Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/03/2005
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 Über Alles," and
"Holiday In Cambodia" helped define the
hardcore genre and, thus, must be heard.
~Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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