"Bedtime for
Democracy"
The Dead Kennedys
Alternative Tentacles
Records
★★★★★
For their final album,
“Bedtime for
Democracy,” the Dead
Kennedys have gone for
an all-out attack on
everything that’s wrong
with America today.
The Dead Kennedys
rose out of the San
Francisco punk scene in
1978, about the same
time the punk movement
in England had died out.
Drummer D.H. Peligro
and bassist Klaus Fluoride
made up the thrashing
rhythm section. East Bay
Ray played a guitar that
sounded more like a
chainsaw than an
instrument. Vocalist Jello
Biafra could out scream
Johnny Rotten.
However, the strength
of the band lay with
Biafra’s intelligent,
sarcastic, scathing and
witty lyrics.
“Bedtime for
Democracy” contains 19
original songs and a
thrashed-out cover
version of David Allan
Coe’s “Take This Job and
Shove It. ”
From Winston Smith’s
satirical cover art to the 12
page “newspaper”
included with the album,
to the scatological lyrics of
each song, every aspect of
American life comes
under fire.
“Hop with the Jet Set”
attacks ugly American
tourists and attitudes.
“The Great Wall” attacks
the new American
isolationism. “Macho
Insecurity” attacks the
return of traditional sexual
(sexist) ideas. “Dear
Abby” attacks religious
hypocracy. “Cesspools in
Eden” attacks pollution
and toxic waste. “I Spy”
and “Lie Detector” attack
the right wing’s newest
methods of invading the
privacy of every citizen.
“Rambozo the Clown”
attacks mindless
entertainment movies like
“Top Goon” and “Iron
Ego. ” “Triumph of the
Swill” attacks the music
industry. “Fleshdunce”
attacks the entertainment
industry and
commercialism.
“One-Way Ticket to
Pluto” attacks Reagan’s
Star Wars plans. “Potshot
Heard Round the World”
attacks Reagan’s
“attacks” on terrorism.
“Dear Abby” attacks
Reaganomics. “Gone
with My Wind” attacks
Reagan.
“Chickenshit
Conformist” and
“Anarchy for Sale” attack
those who act and dress
punk to be cool. “Do the
Slag” attacks those who
use punk as a social
stance from which to
persecute those who
don’t act or dress right.
“Where Do You Draw the
Line” asks if punk is all
that good of an idea
anyway.
“Bedtime for
Democracy” marks the
end of an era, but the
Dead Kennedys’ music
was somewhat of an
anachronism anyway.
The ’80s are not the time
for social criticism in
music, or so MTV and the
radio would have you
believe.
—Review by Karl
Pallmeyer
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Department of Speech Communication ft Theatre Arts
Texas AftM University
• ;■* Present
PICNIC
by William Inge
April 10,11.16.17.18
23,24 & 25 8:00 PM
Rudder Forum
Texas A&M University
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, the Drama Critics’ Circle Award, the Outer Circle Crit
ics’ Award and the Theatre Qub’s Award as the best play of the season. Picnic is
William Inge’s picture of smaD-town-America. It is the story of four lonely women
who restlessly roam their sultry, sunbaked backyard awaiting an emotional storm to
exalt them, fulfill them and possibly—cool them. Their dreams come true when a;
muscular, passionate young drifter arrives and fife’s most primal drives motivate
them all. ■ 7 •- 7 . . i
The critics called Picnic: ■ ' 7
“A play of passion, delight and despair” .
“A vast and resounding sucess!”
“A play that will long haunt the heart! ”
Please join us for an evening of poignant comedy and drama!
General Public $5.°° Students $4.°°
Tickets available at the Rudder Box Office
For reservations phone 845-1234