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,"
"Holiday In Cambodia"
helped define the
genre and, thus, must be heard. [
Fresh Fruit
was re-released on LP in 2011.] ~ Steve Huey