Another recent purchase. I didn't really need another Dead Kennedys CD, but it looked lonely in the Oxfam Shop.
There's no surprises here, and it's likely to be a fairly brief review. This, their 4th album, and no 1 in the UK indie chart, is as you'd expect - 21 short, high energy angry songs with caustic lyrics and simple punk tunes.
Opener Take This Job And Shove It sets the scene, and from then there's a quick thrash through several quick songs, most notable being Dear Abby, Fleshdunce, Shrink, and Macho Insecurity. There's a song by drummer, Peligro, I Spy, also lively before the six minute epic (delivered much more slowly than the rest) Cesspools In Eden. which holds up better than I'd expected. One Way Ticket To Pluto, Do The Slag and Anarchy For Sale return to the 90 second thrashes (via the tedious Commercial) before the second long track, Chickenshit Conformist, alternately slow and thrash, but not a DK classic. From here, we dash to the end - Where Do You Draw The Line is a standard DK track, Potshot Heard Round The World combines a frantic verse with a slower instrumental section, DMSO has an almost Zappaesque sinister feel to it, and the finale, Lie Detector is back to what the DKs do best, fast angry punk rock.
It's a decent enough album, but without any classics. There are no surprises, and it does what it says on the tin.
3* - a solid Dead Kennedys' thrash isn't a difficult thing to enjoy.
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