Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
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''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' is the debut studio album by the American
punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...
band
Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Initially consisting of lead guitarist East Bay Ray, bassist Klaus Fl ...
. It was first released on September 2, 1980, through
Cherry Red Records Cherry Red Records is a British independent record label founded in Malvern, Worcestershire by Iain McNay in 1978. The label has released recordings by Dead Kennedys, Everything but the Girl, The Monochrome Set, and Felt, among others, as w ...
in the United Kingdom, and
I.R.S. Records I.R.S. Records was a major American record label founded by Miles Copeland III and Jay Boberg in 1979. I.R.S. produced some of the most popular bands of the 1980s, and was particularly known for issuing records by college rock, new wave and a ...
in the United States. It was later issued by
Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Init ...
's own
Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 by Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray in San Francisco, California, with the intention to release the Dead Kennedys' self-produced single " C ...
label in the United States. It is the only Dead Kennedys studio album to feature drummer Bruce Slesinger and (on one track) guitarist
Carlo Cadona Carlo Cadona (born 1958 or 1959), also known by his stage name 6025, is an American musician who served as the second guitarist for the American punk rock band Dead Kennedys, from their formation in July 1978 to March 1979. Dead Kennedys (1978 ...
.


Recording and release

The photo on the front cover, showing several police cars on fire, was taken during the White Night riots of May 21, 1979, that resulted from the light sentence given to former
San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
City Supervisor Dan White for the murder of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor
Harvey Milk Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised i ...
. When Biafra ran for mayor, one of his policies had been for a statue to be erected to Dan White, and for eggs, tomatoes and stones to be available nearby for pelting it. In addition, the band's version of " I Fought the Law" has rewritten lyrics making reference to the incident.


Reception

Among contemporary reviews, Jon Young of ''
Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'' found that the style and content of the album derived from the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
and "will sound dated to the trend-conscious", but concluded that the album "may be the only legitimate companion piece to the Pistols' '' Never Mind the Bollocks''." Young concluded that the album "works largely because of Jello Biafra, a distinctive and remarkable singer" who "thrives on extreme attitudes." Andy Gill of ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' compared the album to music by the British punk group
U.K. Subs U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper (singer), Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's Rhythm and blues ...
, writing that Dead Kennedys "hardly come across as anything but smarter, both musically and intellectually ... Despite he Dead Kennedys'grasp of dynamics and their highly-ordered arrangements, there's really only one track here which makes effective use of their mannerisms and devices, and that's 'Holiday in Cambodia', already available in single form, and probably the biggest (musical) reason for this album's presence in the charts."
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' stated that he found Biafra poor as a vocalist, likening his singing to Tiny Tim's. The album was included in the book '' 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die''. In 2013, ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' ranked it at number 365 in its list of
the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indu ...
. In 2010, it was certified diamond by the
Independent Music Companies Association The Independent Music Companies Association (IMPALA), originally the Independent Music Publishers and Labels Association, is a non-profit trade association established in 2000 to help European independent record labels represent their agenda a ...
which indicated sales of at least 250,000 copies throughout Europe.


Release variations

* The original back cover featured a found photograph of an old lounge band called Sounds of Sunshine, with Dead Kennedys' logo pasted onto the drum kit and skulls and crossbones spliced onto their instruments. The original photograph, as found by Flouride at a garage sale,Ogg, Alex. (2014). ''Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables: The Early Years''. p. 119. . had no identifying remarks on it whatsoever, and was used because the band thought it was "hilarious". Somehow, Warner Wilder, the former vocalist of the defunct lounge band, learned of the photo and threatened to sue Dead Kennedys.George Gimarc, ''Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970–1982''. San Francisco: Backbeat Books, 2005. The back cover was reprinted with the heads of the band members cut off, but this solution was found to be unsatisfactory to Sounds of Sunshine, forcing an entirely different photo of four old people in a living room (with the
Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 by Dead Kennedys vocalist Jello Biafra and guitarist East Bay Ray in San Francisco, California, with the intention to release the Dead Kennedys' self-produced single " C ...
bat mascot pasted over a picture frame).Jello Biafra interview with '' Goldmine'' magazine, February 1989
reproduced at AlternativeTentacles.com
/ref> When
Cleopatra Records Cleopatra Records is a Los Angeles-based independent record label that has the sub-labels Hypnotic Records, Goldenlane, Stardust, Purple Pyramid, Deadline and X-Ray Records. History Founded in January 1992 by Brian Perera, it specializes in go ...
reissued ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' in 2002, the original unbeheaded lounge band picture reappeared.Dead Kennedys, ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'', Los Angeles/San Francisco/London: Cleopatra Records/Decay Music/Cherry Red Records, 2002 The 25th Anniversary "Deluxe Reissue" co-released by Cherry Red Records and Manifesto Records in 2005 used the old people photograph, but with Dead Kennedys' logo substituted for the Alternative Tentacles Bat.Dead Kennedys, ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables: 25th Anniversary Edition'' Los Angeles: Manifesto Records, 2005.Neither the 2002 nor the 2005 editions of ''Fresh Fruit ...'' were done with the consent or participation of Jello Biafra; various interviews and press releases issued by Biafra stated that the singer/songwriter did not receive royalties from the 2002 edition, possibly due to the legal battle between Biafra and the rest of the band. * Early I.R.S. pressings featured the cover tinted orange with black lettering. This cover variation was not authorized by the band. According to a late '80s interview Biafra did with ''Goldmine'' magazine, I.R.S. told the band they wanted to make the domestic version different from the Cherry Red import, to which Biafra claimed to have told I.R.S., "Yeah, inferior to the original — change it back!" During a 1981 performance at the 9:30 Club in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, Biafra mentions, "Some of you stooped so low as to buy our wonderful album, even with the shitty
Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...
orange cover which was ''not'' our idea." * Post-I.R.S., pre-Alternative Tentacles pressings on I.R.S.'s Faulty Products subsidiary added "Police Truck" to the middle of the Side A sequence, between "Let's Lynch the Landlord" and "Drug Me".Dead Kennedys, ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'', Los Angeles: Faulty Products, 1982. * Some Cherry Red vinyl pressings added " Too Drunk to Fuck" to the end of Side A.Dead Kennedys, ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'', London: Cherry Red Records, ca. 1981–82. * Pirate pressings of ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' (as well as the next two Dead Kennedys releases, '' In God We Trust Inc.'' and ''
Plastic Surgery Disasters ''Plastic Surgery Disasters'' is the second full-length album released by punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Recorded in San Francisco during June 1982, it was produced by the band and punk record producer Thom Wilson, with Geza X getting a "specia ...
'') were manufactured in Italy, Spain and Portugal. According to Biafra, these pressings were manufactured by someone who retained the master parts from defunct Italian licensees and put out what Biafra described as "
Clorox The Clorox Company (formerly Clorox Chemical Company) is an American multinational manufacturer and marketer of consumer and professional products. As of 2024, the Oakland, California-based company had approximately 8,000 employees worldwide. N ...
bottle-quality pressings". These pressings were sold by a cut-out distributor to record stores that were, in Biafra's words, "too snooty" to deal with the independent distributors that Alternative Tentacles dealt with. * The run-out groove of the early Alternative Tentacles pressings as well as early Cherry Red pressings includes the text "Well?? Who ''are'' the Brain Police???"—a reference to the song " Who Are the Brain Police?" by
the Mothers of Invention The Mothers of Invention (also known as the Mothers) were an American rock music, rock band from California. Formed in 1964, their work is marked by the use of sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Originally an ...
. * Manifesto Records released a fully remixed version of ''Fresh Fruit'' in September of 2022, remixed by
Chris Lord-Alge Chris Lord-Alge is an American mix engineer. He is the brother of both Tom Lord-Alge and Jeff Lord-Alge, both of whom are also audio engineers. Chris and Tom are known for their abundant use of dynamic range compression for molding mixes that ...
. The release, instigated by the band member partnership's manager (who had personal ties with Lord-Alge) and approved by band members Ray Pepperell, Klaus Flouride and Darren Henley (the latter of whom was not a member of the band at the time), was criticized by Biafra in a July 2022 press release. Biafra also noted that, while respecting Lord-Alge's track record, did not feel Lord-Alge was the right person to remix any Dead Kennedys material.


Track listing


''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs''

''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs'' is the accompanying 55-minute documentary, directed by Eric S. Goodfield, that is included with the ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'' 25th Anniversary Edition. It features a brief history of Dead Kennedys' early years up to their first UK tour, never before seen live performances, interviews with Klaus Flouride and East Bay Ray, comments by music journalists, and insights from the key people involved with the recording of ''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables''. The video omits references to the origins of songs that would include a mention of Jello Biafra, although his 1979 run for mayor is highlighted.


Personnel

Dead Kennedys *
Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and political activist. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Init ...
 – lead vocals * East Bay Ray – lead guitar *
Klaus Flouride Klaus Flouride is the stage name of Geoffrey Lyall (born May 30, 1949), an American musician who is the bassist and backing vocalist for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys.Strong, Martin C. (2003) ''The Great Indie Discography'', Ca ...
 – bass, backing vocals * Ted – drums Additional performers * 6025 – rhythm guitar on "Ill in the Head" * Paul Roessler – keyboards on "Drug Me" and "Stealing People's Mail" * Ninotchka (Therese Soder) – keyboards on "Drug Me", backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Dirk Dirksen – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Bobby Unrest – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Michael Synder – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Bruce Calderwood (Bruce Loose) – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Barbara Hellbent – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * HyJean – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Curt – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" * Chi Chi – backing vocals on "Chemical Warfare" Production * Norm – production * East Bay Ray – production * Oliver DiCicco and John Cuniberti –
engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...
, mixing * Kevin Metcalfe; Paul Stubblebine – mastering * Judith Calson – front cover photography * Winston Smith – artwork * Annie Horwood – artwork * Jello Biafra – artwork


Charts


Certifications


References


Further reading

*


External links


''Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables''
(
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) at Radio3Net (streamed copy where licensed) {{DEFAULTSORT:Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables Dead Kennedys albums Faulty Products albums 1980 debut albums Alternative Tentacles albums I.R.S. Records albums Cherry Red Records albums