1982, Music

Plastic Surgery Disasters (1982) by Dead Kennedys

This is, if anything, fiercer than Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. It’s also slightly more ambitious, with that horn part, and the spoken word introduction and outro.

But, for the most part, the same thing that plagues so many other punk and hardcore bands plagues the Dead Kennedys: there’s nowhere to really go artistically unless you start broadening (read: abandoning) the sound. The Dead Kennedys’ commitment to their sound on this record is as admirable as the other hardcore bands who did the same, or the Ramones’ own commitment to their sound.

But for those of us who likely variety, it’s hard to get as excited about a record when it’s only slightly different than the first one.
All that being said, they do almost sound angrier and louder on this record, which is something. And the teeny tiny concessions to variety are a welcome thing.

And it’s not like the virtues of the debut are lacking here, not at all. This is still one of the great hardcore bands, the rare one with its own unique spin on the genre.

But I can’t rate it as highly as the debut.

8/10

All tracks written by Jello Biafra, except where noted.

  1. “Government Flu” 3:01
  2. “Terminal Preppie” 1:30
  3. “Trust Your Mechanic” 2:55
  4. “Well Paid Scientist” 2:21
  5. “Buzzbomb” (Jello Biafra, East Bay Ray) 2:21
  6. “Forest Fire” 2:22
  7. “Halloween” (Dead Kennedys) 3:35
  8. “Winnebago Warrior” (Dead Kennedys) 2:09
  9. “Riot” (Dead Kennedys) 5:57
  10. “Bleed for Me” (Dead Kennedys) 3:24
  11. “I Am the Owl” (Dead Kennedys) 4:51
  12. “Dead End” (Ray) 3:56
  13. “Moon Over Marin” (Biafra, Ray) 4:29
  • Jello Biafra – lead vocals
  • East Bay Ray – guitar
  • Klaus Flouride – bass, backing vocals, clarinet on “Terminal Preppie”
  • D. H. Peligro – drums

Additional performers

  • Dave Barrett; Bruce Askley – saxophone on “Terminal Preppie”
  • Melissa Webber – backing vocals (credited as “The Voice of Christmas Past”)
  • Ninotchka; Geza X; Mark Wallner; John Cuniberti – backing vocals
  • Thom Wilson; East Bay Ray – producers
  • John Cuniberti and Oliver Dicicco;– engineer
  • John Cuniberti;– mixer

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