Dead Kennedys’ classic 1980 album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables has been remixed from the original multitrack tapes by Chris Lord-Alge (Green Day, Bruce Springsteen). The band’s debut album (original release date: September 2, 1980) is politically incendiary while also wholly musically adept – provocative and often idiosyncratic agit prop lyrics bouncing off of careening, adrenaline-infused musicianship. So it’s only natural that the 40th anniversary re-release of this classic album is revisited by engineer Chris Lord-Alge.

“When the label suggested we remix Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables,” says East Bay Ray, “Klaus Fluoride [bassist] and I were skeptical, but we thought, ‘Why not? Let’s give it a try.’ Chris Lord-Alge was interested! It turns out he’s a big fan of the band… We tried one song, ‘Chemical Warfare.’ What Chris came back with was amazing. Everyone heard the difference, so we said, ‘All right, let’s go!”

This new mix, produced by Lord-Alge, lends incredible new sonic clarity to those songs. “Revisiting Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables was such an inside peek at a band packing so much excitement onto tape for every song,” says Lord-Alge. “The style and playing has such drive and spirit. The big challenge for me was keeping it honest to its original sound and not letting it become modern but improving the separation and clarity. A major chapter in history for Dead Kennedys.”

While “iconic” and “classic” has been overused to the point of being an eye-rolling cliché, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is just that… a hugely influential work that created a major shift in the culture and creation of music to come. “The band’s creative m.o.: left leaning politics, mordant humor, gonzo imagery (What the hell do suede denim secret police want with your uncool niece, for Christ sake?), and muscular instrumentation. There was no other band that sounded like DKs,” details Amy Linden, nationally recognized journalist and former DK tour manager. “Dead Kennedys belied the mainstream narrative/falsehood that punk was more about provocation and attitude than actual skills and song craft. Which is not to say that Dead Kennedys didn’t have a healthy respect for provocation: this was a band not afraid to push, and even tear off, buttons.”

A harsh reaction to the Reagan era in American Politics, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables tackled capitalism (the scathing and sarcastic and “Kill the Poor”), bioterrorism (“Chemical Warfare”) and even “affluenza” (“Holiday in Cambodia”). “California über alles” (a pointed take on the anthem of Germany which begins “Deutschland, Deutschland über alles”) was a blistering satirical take on Governor of California Jerry Brown (1975-1983) and “hippie fascism.”

Dead Kennedys lineup on Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is Jello Biafra (lead vocals), East Bay Ray (guitar, Echoplex), Klaus Fluoride (bass, backing vocals), and Ted (drums). The 2022 Mix will be released on September 30, 2022 via Manifesto Records. The original 1980 mix will remain available.

Dead Kennedys
Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
Track List

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 Über Alles
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

Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables – 2022 Mix will be available September 30, 2022 via Manifesto Records available for pre-sale HERE