Bedtime for Democracy

by Dead Kennedys

Overview

The Dead Kennedys go out in a blaze of snarling, defiant glory in their final studio release. They drub a bushel basket's worth of entrenched interests, including scientists, the military, the power hungry, macho attitudes, classicism, lie detectors, Reagan and his economic policies, the press, the entertainment industry, and the commercialization of rock and revolutionary attitudes. The album's manic speed punk style recalls In God We Trust Inc., particularly on the frenetic cover of Johnny Paycheck's hit "Take This Job and Shove It." When the tempo slows, a few songs resemble frantic rockabilly; of these, "Hop With the Jetset" lampoons the privileged classes, "I Spy" savages government agents, and "Where Do Ya Draw the Line" is a plea in favor of anarchy. The quiet, furtive "D.M.S.O." is a highly atypical number strongly resembling the theme to The Pink Panther. The lengthy, anthemic "Cesspools in Eden" is a hard rock number with unusual chord changes and lyrics railing against toxic waste; similarly, "Chickenshit Conformist" alternates slow and hyperfast sections and sports wide-ranging verses that constitute a scathing indictment of the rock music industry. As usual, the rushed hardcore numbers often garble or swallow up the well-written lyrics (if you want people to follow you into revolution, your ideas need to be intelligible). The album cover sports witheringly disparaging artwork; also included in this release are two muckraking newspapers, one containing clip art, and the other written articles about the obscenity trial embroiling the band at that point. While it's not totally successful, at least the Dead Kennedys had the satisfaction of going out on their own terms. It's all well worth hearing. ~ David Cleary

Product Details

Release Date:	04/29/2003
Label:	Manifesto / Manifesto Records
UPC:	0767004290317
Rank:	645

Tracks

1. Take This Job and Shut It
2. Hop With the Jet Set
3. Dear Abby
4. Rambozo the Clown
5. Fleshdunce
6. The Great Wall
7. Shrink
8. Triumph of the Swuill
9. Macho Insecurity
10. I Spy
11. Cesspools in Eden
12. One Way Ticket to Pluto
13. Do the Slag
14. A Commercial
15. Gone With My Wind
16. Anarchy for Sale
17. Chickenshit Conformist
18. Where Do Ya Draw the Line
19. Potshot Heard 'Round the World
20. D.M.S.O.
21. Lie Detector

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Dead Kennedys   Primary Artist
Strychnine   Primary Artist
Oppressed Logic   Primary Artist
East Bay Chasers   Primary Artist
Cell Block 5   Primary Artist
Oozzies   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

John Cuniberti   Engineer
Jello Biafra   Producer,Composer
Candida Doyle   Composer
D.H. Peligro   Composer
Dead Kennedys   Composer
Jarvis Cocker   Composer
Mark Webber   Composer
Oozzies   Composer
David Allan Coe   Composer
Nick Banks   Composer
Cell Block 5   Composer
Russell Senior   Composer
East Bay Ray   Composer
East Bay Chasers   Composer
Steve Mackey   Composer
Klaus Flouride   Composer