Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables
Debut studio album by Dead Kennedys, released September 2, 1980.
Dead Kennedys' first album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, came out on September 2, 1980. It was initially released in the UK by Cherry Red Records and in the US by I.R.S. Records, before Jello Biafra's Alternative Tentacles label took over American distribution. This is the only studio LP where drummer Bruce Slesinger appears, and guitarist Carlo Cadona plays on one track.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Dead Kennedys
- Released
- 2 September 1980
- Recorded
- May–June 1980
- Studio
- Möbius Music in San Francisco
- Genre
- Hardcore punk
- Length
- 32:52
- Label
- Cherry Red
- Alternative Tentacles
- Faulty Products
- Manifesto
- Producer
- Norm and East Bay Ray
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kill the Poor | Biafra, East Bay Ray | 3:07 |
| 2 | Forward to Death | 6025 | 1:23 |
| 3 | When Ya Get Drafted | 1:23 | |
| 4 | Let's Lynch the Landlord | 2:13 | |
| 5 | Drug Me | 1:56 | |
| 6 | Your Emotions | Ray | 1:20 |
| 7 | Chemical Warfare | 2:55 | |
| Total length | 14:17 | ||
Track listing from the source article.
Recording and release
The front cover photo, showing police cars on fire, was taken during the White Night riots of May 21, 1979, which followed the light sentence given to former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White for the murders of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk. Jello Biafra's mayoral campaign had included a proposal for a statue of Dan White with eggs, tomatoes and stones available nearby for pelting. The band's version of "I Fought the Law" features rewritten lyrics referencing the incident.
Reception
Jon Young of Trouser Press wrote that the album's style and content derived from the Sex Pistols and "will sound dated to the trend-conscious", but called it "the only legitimate companion piece to the Pistols' Never Mind the Bollocks" and praised Jello Biafra as "a distinctive and remarkable singer" who "thrives on extreme attitudes." Andy Gill of NME compared the band to U.K. Subs, finding Dead Kennedys "smarter, both musically and intellectually" but noting that only "Holiday in Cambodia" made effective use of their devices. Robert Christgau of The Village Voice likened Biafra's singing to Tiny Tim's. The album appears in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die and was ranked number 365 on NME's 2013 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. In 2010, the Independent Music Companies Association certified it diamond for European sales of at least 250,000 copies.
Release variations
The original back cover used a found photograph of a lounge band called Sounds of Sunshine, with Dead Kennedys' logo pasted onto the drum kit and skulls and crossbones on their instruments. The photo, found by Klaus Flouride at a garage sale, had no identifying remarks. After former Sounds of Sunshine vocalist Warner Wilder threatened to sue, the back cover was reprinted with the band members' heads cut off, but this was deemed unsatisfactory, leading to a different photo of four old people in a living room with the Alternative Tentacles bat mascot pasted over a picture frame. The 2002 Cleopatra Records reissue restored the original unbeheaded lounge band picture. Early I.R.S. pressings had an orange-tinted cover with black lettering, unauthorized by the band; Biafra told I.R.S. to change it back. Post-I.R.S. pressings on Faulty Products added "Police Truck" between "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and "Drug Me". Some Cherry Red vinyl pressings added "Too Drunk to Fuck" to the end of Side A.
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs is a 55-minute documentary directed by Eric S. Goodfield, included with the 25th Anniversary Edition of Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. It covers the band's early years up to their first UK tour, featuring never before seen live performances, interviews with Klaus Flouride and East Bay Ray, comments by music journalists, and insights from key people involved in the album's recording. The documentary omits references to the origins of songs that would mention Jello Biafra, though his 1979 mayoral run is highlighted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which label released Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables?
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was released by Cherry Red, Alternative Tentacles, Faulty Products and Manifesto.
Who produced Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables?
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was produced by Norm and East Bay Ray.
What genre is Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables?
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is classified as Hardcore punk.
How long is Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables?
Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables runs 32:52.
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