Historical Events in Rock and Roll Children

Main objective behind writing “Rock and Roll Children” was to remind people, especially metalheads, of heavy metal history. At the time I began writing, there seemed to be a push by mainstream media to downplay the role heavy metal played in during its golden decade, the 1980s and that decade, contrary to what the media was pushing was not all Frankie Goes to Hollywood. Like it or not, heavy metal was a dominant force in the 1980s. True, it got little radio play and minimal play on MTV but the most successful bands sold millions of albums and played to packed out arenas. So, we can safely say that the 1980s was the golden age of heavy metal and I wrote “Rock and Roll Children” to bring home that point.

With all that said, the 80s for me was a busy decade and there were a lot of events, both music related and not, which took place in the time period in the book, 1984-7. That is the purpose of today’s post, to give you a history refresher of the events, (sorry, it’s the teacher in me) and by some weird hope, more of you will buy the book.

Non- Musical Events

U.S. Marines in Lebanon- In the story, Bob’s older brother, Mitch, served with the US Marines in their ‘peacekeeping’ mission in Lebanon. Although, he wasn’t there when the big tragedy happened in October 1983, some of his friends were. He is clearly effected by his experiences there, getting wounded when a grenade went off near him.

McDonald’s Mass Shooting- In the summer of 1984, a man went into a McDonald’s in California and shot and killed 22 people. Before he left, the shooter declared he was going to hunt humans. In “Rock and Roll Children,” the main characters joke that if they go to McDonald’s, they’re going to get shot.

Famine in Africa- I make reference to this in the book because it led to one of the greatest musical events of the decade, which I will mention more further down.

Ronald Reagan’s Re-election: This is briefly mentioned because Mitch is upset that the country re-elected the man who sent him to Lebanon where he was wounded.

Super Bowls XIX, XX and XXI- All three of these super bowls get mentioned.

The Bombing of Libya- When the US bombed Libya in 1986, there was concerns for the safety of Americans travelling in Europe. Jeff had been accepted to the University of London and while he wasn’t worried, some others were.

Reagan’s Contra War in Nicaragua- Bob becomes an anti- Contra Aid protester in light of events. He saw what Lebanon had done to his brother and this is what drives him here.

Arthur Fowler’s Imprisonment- When I got to England, I became engrossed in the very popular soap opera, “East Enders.” (Today it holds no interest for me.) In one episode, the character Arthur Fowler gets sent to prison for stealing money from a Christmas Club. A couple of nights later, I saw stickers at one underground station saying, “Free Arthur Fowler.”

Herald of Free Enterprise Disaster- In March, 1987, a British ferry called The Herald of Free Enterprise capsized in Zeebrugge, Belgium, killing 193 crew and passengers. This was a huge tragedy. One month after the event, Jeff and his roommate, Henry, take a ferry to France and this does worry them a little.

Music Related Events

Concerts- Every concert which takes place in the story actually happened and at the time they actually occurred.

Vince Neil’s Accident- This rocked the heavy metal community hard and gave plenty of ammunition to the anti-metal establishment. In case anyone has been living on Jupiter, Vince was more than twice over the drink-drive limit and crashed his car, injuring two people and killing Hanoi Rocks drummer, Razzle. It had an effect on the major characters in the story as after that, they made sure that they didn’t overdo it if they had to drive.

Rick Allen’s Accident- Rick’s accident happened about three weeks after Vince’s. While Rick and his girlfriend survived, Rick lost his arm as a result of the accident and the entire heavy metal world held their breath as to whether he would play the drums ever again.

Aerosmith’s Bottle Incident- The actual event happened seven years before it gets mentioned in the book, therefore, it’s told retrospectively. The character Tammy was at the concert in Philadelphia in 1979 when some moron threw a bottle on stage hitting Steve Tyler. She gives her full account of the incident and alludes to why Aerosmith seemed to holding back their best efforts when they played Philadelphia in 1986.

Live Aid- This was the musical event of the 80s I mentioned earlier. The concert was put on to raise money to help those in famine stricken Africa. Two concerts took place simultaneously, one in London, the other in Philadelphia. In “Rock and Roll Children,” I focused more on the two metal acts which performed that day, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest.

Farm Aid- This was a concert to raise money to help American farmers who were losing their farms. The main takeaway from that concert was Eddie Van Halen and Sammy Hagar playing together for the first time. The rest of the story is history.

Jesus Freaks at Concerts- I wrote a post about this. Starting in 1986, whenever people went to a metal concert in America, there were the Jesus freaks all there telling people they were going to hell for seeing that band. It was a great source of entertainment.

Religions War on Rock Music in 1986

Bon Jovi and Europe Being in the top 10 in the UK Charts- In November, 1986, Bon Jovi was at number nine in the UK charts with “Living on a Prayer” and Europe at number two with “The Final Countdown.” For many of us metalheads, it was a slap in the face to the mainstream music industry.

Prosecution of Jello Biafra- This made the news in England. Former Dead Kennedys singer, Jello Biafra, was prosecuted and fortunately acquitted on the charge of distributing pornographic material to minors on the DK album, “Frankenchrist.” While Jeff was reading about it on the train to the airport to return home, it gave him a wake up call about the society he was heading back to.

See, you do learn about history if you read “Rock and Roll Children.” One thing I was criticized for but make no apologies was how metalheads were discriminated against in the 1980s. Not that we let that stop us. Maybe I did over-pound the point but it was real. There were a lot of great and tragic events both musically and not throughout the 80s. I tried to bring history to life and maybe that was the problem, I wrote it too much like a history book.

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

Next post: Mammoth

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Great Metal Albums of 1988: D.A.D.- Special

I’m beginning to wonder if Denmark is an untapped vein for heavy metal. Of course, we know of the famous Danish band, Mercyful Fate and the solo career of lead singer, King Diamond. The other day, I was listening to another Danish metal band, Fate, and their 2006 “V” album, which is an excellent album. Recently, I have been delving into today’s offering from Denmark, D.A.D. For those who might not know, the initials stand for Disneyland After Dark but the band had to change its name after the threat of a lawsuit from the Walt Disney corporation.

“Special” is a compilation album with songs from their first two albums, “Draw a Circle” and “Call of the Wild.” Now my only experience of this band was their best known song, “Sleeping My Day Away,” which will appear when I post about their next album. Therefore, this was another learning experience for me and what I now know is that there is a bit of humour to these songs and a new genre called cowpunk.

Album opener, “Isn’t That Wild” is done in the style of the Dead Kennedys. I can picture DK singing this tune but D.A.D. do a grand job. If I hear the lyrics correctly, I think the song is about satellite television, which was gaining in popularity at the time. Next comes “Marlboro Man,” which is about cigarettes. It’s done in a neo punk/blues fashion making it a fun song to listen to. Again, I’m not totally clear here but I think it’s an anti- smoking song. Then again, it could be having a dig at the anti- smoking brigade.

If I had heard “I Won’t Cut My Hair” in 1984, it would have been my theme song. It’s what it says in the title, about someone who won’t cut his hair. It’s done in a hard rock/blues fashion and the guitar is brilliant. Best song on the album. I don’t know which of the Binzer boys plays the guitar solo on this one but it’s fantastic!

“Jonnie” and “Trucker” could be almost country songs. There is a twang to both of the songs but with a more harder guitar sound. Maybe that’s what cowpunk is. Furthermore, both songs are derived from traditional country music themes, trucks and going to shoot someone who’s done them wrong. Then again, “Call of the Wild” could have been used in a western movie. When I listen to the beginning, I picture Clint Eastwood walking across the street in an old western town.

Entwined between those three songs is a more commercial track called, “It’s After Dark.” I speculate this was where the band got its original name from. I like the chorus lyrics stating Disneyland is closed, so let’s go out and get drunk. Then we get a very amusing song which proves humour can be effectively used in metal called, “Mighty Mighty High.” Is this song glorifying smoking weed? More likely, it’s taking a poke at being high. Then again, who cares, I love the punk tone the song is done in. This one is the hidden gem for this album.

The humour carries on with the short but hilarious “Counting the Cattle” and the longer but no less funny, “God’s Favourite.” The former is a total piss take of country music. The latter is more punk/metal and there is a good bassline in it and it could be the forerunner to the big hit which would come a year later. There are definitely similarities with those two songs.

Everyone remind me come December when I write a Christmas post to include “Sad Sad Christmas.” While the theme is meant to be sad, a father and son spending Christmas own their on after mother left. It even has a Christmas themed intro and goes more country. In spite of all that, I can stop laughing when I hear the song.

The western theme returns with “Never Never (Indian Love).” Actually, it could have been a good country western song. It’s about a man who is lamenting his love with a Native American girl. Closing the album is a cowpunk song for sure, “Up Up Over the Mountain Top.” Trust me, it’s the best way to end this album.

Track Listing:

1. Isn’t That Wild
2. Marlboro Man
3. I Won’t Cut My Hair
4. Trucker
5. Jonnie
6. It’s After Dark
7. Call of the Wild
8. Mighty Mighty High
9. Counting the Cattle
10. God’s Favourite
11. Black Crickets
12. Sad Sad Christmas
13. Never Never (Indian Love)
14. Up Up Over the Mountain Top

Jesper Binzer- vocals, guitar, banjo

Stig Pederson- vocals, bass

Jacob Binzer- guitar, tap steel, piano, keyboards, backing vocals

Peter L. Jensen- drums, percussion, backing vocals

I learned something, I learned how that Disneyland After Dark, stuff Walt Disney, are a really good band who write some very amusing songs.

Next post: Hurricane- Over the Edge

To buy Rock and Roll Children, email me at: tobychainsaw@hotmail.com

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Rest in Peace DH Peligro

DH Peligro

I have just learned of the passing of Dead Kennedys drummer DH Peligro. Reports say that he died from a head trauma caused by a fall at home. He was 63, My thoughts go out to his family and the band, which he was a member of from 1981-6 and then 2001-8 and from 2009 to the present day. For me, the Dead Kennedys defined punk in America and put out some great albums in the 1980s which I have covered here. Join me in saying Rest in Peace DH.

FFI: https://www.metalsucks.net/2022/10/30/dead-kennedys-drummer-d-h-peligro-passes-away-at-63/

Great Punk Albums of 1987: Gaye Bykers on Acid- Drill Your Own Hole

Everyone’s question when they see the name of this band is: Is it just a clever name? Originally, I thought the answer was ‘yes’ because two people I know saw them live opening for such greats as Motorhead and both said that Gaye Bykers on Acid were rubbish. Therefore, for many years I ignored them. However, since I began blogging, I realized that I shouldn’t just let someone else’s opinion deter me from checking out a band on my own. Whether people like it or not, Gaye Bykers on Acid were a part, albeit a small part, of music history in 1987 and that’s why they are getting their spot here on 80smetalman.

What I like about their debut album, “Drill Your Own Hole” is that it doesn’t fit nicely into any preconceived pigeon holes. Wikipedia attempts to define the album as ‘noise rock’ or ‘neo psychedelic rock’ and I see small arguments in both cases. The opening track, “Motorvate,” gives weight to the argument as is sounds like The Doors going post punk. On the other hand, although there is no mention of it in what I’ve read about the band and this album and it could prove my insanity, I detect a strong Dead Kennedys influence on many of the tracks. Tony Byker’s guitar licks sound very much like East Bay Ray’s from the Dead Kennedy’s “Frankenchrist” album.

One track which is way out there is “Zen Express.” The intro sounds very similar to that of the theme song to “Friends” but goes more like a punked up version of The Monkees after. Another comment from a critic way back then is that the Gaye Bykers on Acid sound is the collision of punk and hippy psychedelic rock. That collision is abundantly clear on this track. The track which follows it, “Git Down,” is more like the Kennedys sound but with some wild soloing from Tony. But the track also has a bit of a swagger to it as well.

“World War 7 Blues” would be a great song for a cover from a heavy metal band. There is a definite metal vibe which you can surely bang along to. Just add some power chords. Saying that, Tony’s riffs are good on this one as well and this brings me to my next point. The glue which holds the album together is the strong bass lines from Robber Byker. You have probably already guessed that the band is all surnamed Byker but anyway, Robber does a fine job on the album.

It’s Jim Morrison meets Madness on the track “After Suck There’s Blow.” That’s the only way I can describe this track except unlike Madness, there’s no horns on the song. The remainder of the album goes out on pretty much the same vein with lead singer Mary Byker sounding like a punk Jim Morrison, interesting guitar riffs from Tommy and Robber and Kev Byker laying down a strong rhythm section. On top of that, they take the piss out of TV evangelists on “Drive-In Salvation.” I always tip my hat to anyone who does that. So, while they might have sucked live, “Drill Your Own Hole” is a decent album in its own right.

Track Listing:

1. Motorvate
2. Call Me a Liar
3. All Hung Up
4. Zen Express
5. World War 7 Blues
6. Git Down (Shake Your Thang)
7. After Suck There’s Blow
8. So Far Out
9. Drive-In Salvation
10. TV Cabbage

Gaye Bykers on Acid

Mary Byker (Ian Garfield Hoxley)- vocals

Tony Byker/Phlegm Lubricant/Tony Shuttleburger/Sven Eleven (Tony Horsfall)- guitar

Robber Byker (Ian Reynolds)- bass

Kev Byker/Cubehead Buffalo Hyde/Gavina Hyde/Kenny Pride (Kevin Hyde)- drums

Another amusing point in regards to the “Drill Your Own Hole” album is that the first 1,000 pressings came without the hole in the centre. So, in order to listen to the album, you had to do what the album title said. After much thought and several listens to the album, I have come to the conclusion that this is a good album but you need an open mind and a sense of humour to fully appreciate it.

Next post: Motorhead- Rock and Roll

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1985: The Backlash Begins

Ever since the days of Elvis, there has always been a backlash against rock music and the backlash against heavy metal in particular has always been many folds greater. Whether it be religious fanatics, parents or just trendy top forty followers who just didn’t like the genre, there have been people dead set against heavy metal music. This backlash had been slowly building up throughout the early 1980s but the fact that heavy metal had gotten mainstream attention in 1984 was enough to blow the powder keg in 1985.

The first instance that turned my attention to this backlash was reading letters to MTV citing that they were either playing too much heavy metal or not enough. It would appear that in or around March of 1985, the anti heavy metal brigade won out as MTV made a statement that it would be playing less metal on the air. Now, it’s easy to think that there were that many more anti than pro metal people writing to MTV and if anyone says that it was because metalheads are too stupid to write, me and many of my followers here will be over to your house to kick the crap out of you! Once again I digress but my theory was that by the end of the previous year, MTV was already becoming nothing more than a glorified commercial radio station. Some Dead Kennedys lyrics come to mind here and I’ll reveal those when I visit their “Frankenchrist” album which came out in said year. Oops, digressing again but less and less metal was being played on MTV or the radio.

Dead Kennedys

As 1985 progressed, I began to notice it in more ways. There wasn’t just a backlash against heavy metal but persecution of metalheads as well. One thing I was criticized for in “Rock And Roll Children,” though I don’t regret it one bit, was over pounding the point of how metalheads were discriminated against back then. Truth was they were! I simply pointed this out. Example, based on my own experiences: in 1984, I went to a McDonald’s after the Dio/Twisted Sister concert and had no problems, nor did the many other metalheads who hit up the place after the show. One year later, my friends and I hit the same McDonald’s after the Motley Crue/Loudness concert and upon entry, were greeted by all sorts of negative comments. Also, like in the story, there was an off duty cop in the store pontificating how no one did anything like that in his day and how he busts punks like us for drugs all the time. While, there were no arrests that night, one month later, after seeing Dio, we hit the same McDonald’s and this time, it was like a policeman’s convention. This brings me to another point, while I never saw it happen, there were tales in 1985 of police getting warrants and going into pre-concert parties and busting metalheads. However, they didn’t do that at the Wham concert where I heard eyewitness accounts of 12 year old kids getting falling down, sickly drunk. It was definitely war on metalheads in 1985.

Of course, the more astute of you will recall that in the closing months of the year, the backlash against rock music and especially heavy metal became the subject of a congressional hearing and lead to the formation of the Parents Music Resource Center, (PMRC). Even after more than thirty years, I tend to laugh at this if it wasn’t so pathetic and there will be a post dedicated to that.

In spite of all the doom and gloom, the backlash achieved very little. Great albums were still being made and you’ll get to read about a lot of them. There were other great events and concerts including the most famous one, Live Aid. So, sit back and get ready for another roller coaster year in the golden decade of metal.

Next post: Glenn Frey- The Allnighter

To download Rock and Roll Children for free, go to: https://crreadac.cf/current/ebooks-free-download-rock-and-roll-children-fb2-by-michael-d-lefevre.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Will Trump’s Presidency Usher in a New Wave of Heavy Metal?

Donald Trump

I read a post on a blog, which my buddy 1537 reminded me of in his post last night, that the Presidency of the newly elected Donald Trump may usher in a new wave of heavy metal. With his ultra conservative politics, there will be a lot of angry musicians out there who will be inspired to write a lot of songs about Trump and the political/social climate that might generate from it. From that, a resurgence in heavy metal might just come about. Plus history can back it up.

Ronald Reagan

Let’s begin by going back to the 198os when the US President was another ultra conservative, Ronald Reagan. During the decade, for which he was in office for most of, there was a heavy metal explosion. First there was the new wave of British heavy metal, (NWOBHM), which filled the early part of that decade. Inspired by that, many American metal bands emerged, I don’t feel I have to name them all. Towards the end of Ronnie’s presidency, we had the onslaught of thrash, a custom blend of punk and heavy metal. Even the PMRC, who operated with Reagan’s behind the scenes positive nod, failed to stop the heavy metal onslaught. It could also be why the 80s was the golden age of heavy metal. It also gave me good amount of inspiration when I wrote “Rock and Roll Children.”

Bill Clinton

Reagan’s successor, George HW Bush was a liberal Republican and that coincided with a downward trend in heavy metal. That continued well into the presidency of the more liberal Bill Clinton. We had the grunge period and a lot of great 80s metal acts kind of drifted into near obscurity during the 1990s. I say near but not total, I do remember some great metal from old and new acts but metal was definitely stuck in a rut during this decade. In fact, I heard former Dead Kennedys lead singer Jello Biafra once say that many members of hardcore punk bands in the 80s, in the 90s, went back to California, got computer jobs and started driving BMW’s. Maybe, there wasn’t anything to be angry about during Clinton’s presidency.

George W Bush

That all changed with the election of George W Bush in 2000. A new wave of ultra conservative politics brought on a new wave of heavy metal. The fragmented factions of metal, whether it by nu metal, Viking metal, black metal etc, established themselves back on the world music stage. They seemed to put aside their differences and come together for the common metal good. Furthermore, gaining inspiration from their 1980s elders, many of the bands from the golden decade also made a comeback. Again, we see right wing politics ushering in a new surge in heavy metal.

Barrack Obama

Obama’s presidency did bring the heavy metal surge to a more calming trickle. Fortunately, the lessons of the 1990s were learned and heavy metal didn’t go underground. While no new ground has been gained during the more liberal years of Obama, none has been lost either. What may have happened is that metal had become insular with metalheads finding sanctuary with each other. Metal now rests upon a springboard, ready to jump into any direction. If the person, I voted for, Green Party candidate Jill Stein, had been elected, metal would have gone in a more artsy direction. Not much chance of that happening.

Now we have Trump, who many believe to be extremely right wing, racist, sexist and a few other ists as well. So the question to be asked is “Will Trump’s presidency lead to a new resurgence in heavy metal? The answer will soon be made known to us. Things are promising to heat up in the heavy metal world and I am very excited to see what will become of it.

To buy Rock and Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great Punk Albums of 1982: Dead Kennedys- Plastic Surgery Disasters

Since I have said that in the early 1980s, punk had relocated from Great Britain to the West Coast of the USA, I thought it best to put forward evidence of this fact. I first learned this fact in 1982 when I read an article about it in Playboy Magazine. Hey, I was 20, in the marines and I was on a ship and it had been a couple of weeks since the last port call. With the boredom of ship life, you can start doing anything to keep your mind active like actually reading the articles in such magazines. One particular issue ran an article on how punk had done the above and was alive and well on the West Coast.

If I can point to anyone band that convinced me of that fact, it would have to be the Dead Kennedys. For me, this band was the essence of punk in the 1980s although it would be a couple more years until I heard their 1982 offering, “Plastic Surgery Disasters.” This album simply screams punk and what is even better, it is nearly thirty minutes longer than their EP from 1981, “In God We Trust Inc.” “Plastic Surgery Disasters” is loud, brash and in your face, just what I want from a punk album. While, I didn’t fully appreciate it back then, many of the songs have strong social and political commentary. Even the ones that don’t ring of reality. I think most of us can identify with the lyrics in “Trust Your Mechanic,” especially if you have ever been ripped off by one. The chorus in “Bleed For Me” is still ringing in my ears and I found “Winnebago Warrior” amusing. Political commentary really hits home with a dash of common sense in “Riot,” with the lyrics:

“Tomorrow we’ll be homeless but we’re having fun tonight.”

One thing this album highlights for me is the guitar talents of East Bay Ray. True, he doesn’t do any Van Halen solos, not even close. Buy he has a playing style that does sound unique or at the very least, ahead of its time. The songs where this is most present are “Government Flu,” “Buzzbomb” and “Dead End” but he shines throughout the rest of the album as well. If you never experienced early 80s American punk, then this album or the Dead Kennedys’ debut album, “Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables” is definitely the best place to start.

Track Listing:

1. Government Flu

2. Terminal Preppie

3. Trust Your Mechanic

4. Well Paid Scientist

5. Buzzbomb

6. Forest Fire

7. Halloween

8. Winnebago Warrior

9. Riot

10. Bleed For Me

11. I Am the Owl

12. Dead End

13. Moon Over Marin

Dead Kennedys

Jello Biafra- vocals

East Bay Ray- guitars

Klaus Floride- bass, clarinet, backing vocals

D.H. Peligro- drums

In 1983, there would be some bands who would become more political with their lyrics. Some of those would even try to call themselves punk. However, they wouldn’t come close to doing it the way that the Dead Kennedys did it with albums like “Plastic Surgery Disasters.”

Next post: Cheap Trick- One on One

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

 

Great Punk Albums of 1981: Dead Kennedys- In God We Trust Inc.

First a confession, while I say that I was and still am a big Dead Kennedys fan, back in the 80s, the only two DK albums I listened to in earnest was their first album “Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables,” (for those who have joined recently, I did visit said album when I was journeying through 1980) and their 1985 “Frankenchrist” album and you can bet I will be paying tribute to that one. The 1981 EP, “In God We Trust Inc.” slipped past me back in the day. My excuse is and it’s a piss poor one, that EP’s weren’t something very common back in 1981 and so I didn’t pay much attention to them. That is what this album is labelled as. When I stumbled across “In God We Trust Inc.,” I thought it couldn’t have been an EP because it had eight songs on it and the standard EP has three or four. Then I quickly discovered that the eight songs on this EP take a grand total of just over thirteen minutes and most artists who release ones with three songs can be longer than that. Saying that, I’m not here to generate a debate on the definitions of EP’s and albums but to celebrate a great offering of music from a great band.

It may be only thirteen minutes but in that brief time you get totally bombarded with some loud, fast and furious in your face punk rock. Unlike the Plasmatics, this is punk as punk was meant to be. It ticks all the boxes of punk for those who like to categorise things. I don’t but there are some who do. The funny thing is that I don’t care that I can’t understand what is being sung in the opening track, “Religious Vomit,” maybe that’s what it is, but I just want to have a good scream when I hear it and that is what punk was meant to do. The next few songs are slightly more intelligible, especially “Moral Majority” and “Hyperactive Child,” although I don’t know where the last one ends and the next songs begin and frankly, I don’t care. I just am carried away by the ferocious music. It is the last three tracks that get slightly more serious and they slow down just enough for Jello Biafra to get his political message across with “Nazi Punks Fuck Off.” The same goes with the next and longest track “We’ve Got a Bigger Problem Now,” a fitting song for back then and probably now. In the sense of political awareness in music, I think the Dead Kennedys were ahead of their time. Still the ferocity of the music is not lost in either track. The album ends with a very amusing punk cover of “Rawhide” showing a sense of humour in the band and it was a great way to end things.

Track Listing:

1. Religious Vomit

2. Moral Majority

3. Hyperactive Child

4. Kepone Factory

5. Dog Bite

6. Nazi Punks Fuck Off

7. We’ve Got a Bigger Problem Now

8. Rawhide

Dead Kennedys

Jello Biafra- vocals

East Bay Ray- guitar, backing vocals

Klaus Flouride- bass, backing vocals

D.H. Peligro- drums

If you want a good ear bashing but don’t have much time, then I can recommend “In God We Trust Inc.” from the Dead Kennedys. You will certainly get an ear bashing for thirteen fast and furious minutes. This may have been a short EP, but when it’s over, you surely don’t forget it and like me, starting over to listen to it again.

Next post: Hanoi Rocks- Bangkok Bakes, Saigon Shakes, Hanoi Rocks

To buy Rock And Roll Children, go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

Also available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Froogle and on sale at Foyles Book Shop in London

 

 

Great Punk Albums of 1980: Dead Kennedys- Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables

As I have stipulated in many posts thus far, back in 1980 and before, the term punk was brandished around fairly liberally in regards to bands who brought a unique sound to the music world. However, there are very few of theses acts which I would actually call punk, Talking Heads being one of the exceptions. My idea of punk was always in the form of the Sex Pistols, The Jam, The Ramones and the band whose album I’m visiting now, The Dead Kennedys. For me, Punk has always been the loud aggressive hardcore sound that the forementioned bands provided.

I have to confess, I didn’t listen to the Dead Kennedys much back in the day. I knew and loved their more notable songs, including two from this album “Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables,” “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” (something I wanted to do to two of mine) and “Holiday in Cambodia” but I never listened to their albums in real earnest. My interest in listening to the Dead Kennedys again came about 8 years ago when I listened to some political speeches by former lead singer Jello Biafra. Side note: His speech on school shootings gave me lots of inspiration for my new book “He Was Weird.” And of course, when I get to 1986and 87, I will be writing posts on the criminal charges brought against him on the Dead Kennedys’ “Frankenchrist” album. Still, that’s down the line so let’s look more closely at their debut album.

Like I said, I already knew the songs “Holiday in Cambodia” and “Let’s Lynch the Landlord” and hearing them in recent times, I love them even more. However, two songs does not an album make. The rest of this album is just as hardcore and kickass. You can name any track on the album and I would give it my thumbs up but the standouts for me are: “Forward to Death,” “Kill The Poor,” “California Uber Allies” and “Chemical Warfare.” I also really love the cover of Elvis’s “Viva Las Vegas.” For me, this is what punk should be; loud, powerful and to the point. The combined total of the fourteen songs is just over thirty-three minutes.

Track Listing:

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 Uber Allies

9. I Kill Children

10. Stealing People’s Mail

11. Funland At the Beach

12. Ill in the Head

13. Holiday in Cambodia

14. Viva Las Vegas

Dead Kennedys

Jello Biafra- lead vocals

East Bay Ray- lead guitar

Klaus Flouride- bass, backing vocals

Ted- drums

6025- rhythm guitar on Ill in the Head

I slam danced my way for the entire thirty three minutes of this album. Thank God there wasn’t a stage for me to dive off of. But this is the effect “Fresh Fruit for Rotten Vegetables” has on me as is the case with most hardcore punk. By 1980, punk was moving away from the UK and re-establishing itself on the West Coast of the US. This album is prove that it had done so successfully.

Next post: Aerosmith- Greatest Hits

To buy Rock And Roll Children- go to http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/RockAndRollChildren.html

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