When Punk Rock raised its mischievous
head in 1976, the Rock ‘n’ Roll landscape was forever changed. Just as
important as the birth of Rock ‘n’ Roll in the ‘50s (Elvis, Buddy, Chuck, Jerry, etc.) and the rise of The Beatles, the Punk Rock movement
deconstructed the myth of Rock music and built something new and raw from its
foundation. While the movement had a definite ‘look,’ it was really a movement
driven by emotion. It was rebellion with feeling. Fueled by frustration and
anger, the music came with a message. From overtly political to painfully
personal, the Punk Rock classes of 1976 and ’77 – Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Ramones, etc. – inspired a new
generation of musicians to form bands and make their passions and presence
known. One of those bands was San Francisco’s Dead Kennedys.
Formed in 1978 through an ad placed by guitarist East Bay Ray, the first line-up of Dead Kennedys featured Ray, Jello Biafra on vocals, Klaus Flouride on bass, 6025 on rhythm guitar and Ted on drums. From the very beginning, Dead Kennedys created their own unique sound by taking the energy and emotion of Punk and creating a sound that was wholly their own. Biafra’s intelligent lyrics were equally matched by the wall of primal Rock provided by the rest of the band. Unsurprisingly, Dead Kennedys became of one America’s most critically-acclaimed – and feared – Punk Rock bands. For the next eight years, the band released a handful of albums and classic singles, lost a few members (6025 and Ted), gained a new drummer (D.H. Peligro), courted controversy and finally split in 1986. Since then, Biafra has pursued his own musical path while Ray, Klaus, and D.H. eventually reunited the DKs and have worked with various vocalists over the years.
IGUANA STUDIOS REHEARSAL TAPE –
SAN FRANCISCO 1978 takes us all the way back to the beginning of the
DKs’ amazing career. Not originally meant for public consumption, these early
demos show that the band’s sound was already a force to be reckoned with during
the first year of their existence. Sonically, you can hear the tape flutter and
the audio isn’t perfect… yet that adds to the intensity of the performance.
Even then, the DKs were a mixture of melody and mayhem. This was not Pop Punk,
though. Anyone hoping to catch a glimpse
of what inspired bands like Green Day needs to realize that this was a band
that inspired the souls of their followers. Dead Kennedys expressed thoughts
and emotions – this wasn’t cold and calculated for the masses. Thankfully, the
band side-stepped pretentiousness and incorporated humor, biting sarcasm, and
playfulness into their special brand of racket.
On this rough and raw collection of recordings, you’ll hear embryonic
versions of bonafide classics like “Holiday In Cambodia,” “Kill The Poor,” and “California
Uber Alles” as well as lesser known tracks like “I Kill Children,” “Mutations
Of Today,” “Rawhide,” “Man With The Dogs” and more. While this may be
considered a lo-fi release, it packs more punch than anything ‘Punk’ released
on a major label in the last few decades! This is the real deal.
DEAD KENNEDYS
IGUANA STUDIOS REHEARSAL TAPE –
SAN FRANCISCO 1978
(Manifesto Records)
9.27.19