Significant longplayers from yesteryear
2 September 2025
Legendary kamikaze punks DEAD KENNEDYS from San Francisco, fronted by sharp-teethed blabbermouth Jello Biafra, released their debut LP, titled FRESH FRUIT FROM ROTTING VEGETABLES today 45 years ago , on 2 September 1980.
It was the only DK longplayer with drummer
Bruce Slesinger and guitarist Carlos Cadona.
The photograph on the front cover, showing several police cars on fire, was shot during the White Riot Nights of May 21, 1979, that resulted from the light sentence given to former San Francisco City Supervisor Dan White for the murder of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.
AllMusic wrote: “A hyper-speed blast of ultra-polemical, left-wing hardcore
punk, and bitingly funny sarcasm, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables stands
as the Dead Kennedys’ signature statement.
As one of the first hardcore albums, it was a galvanizing influence on the musical and attitudinal development of the genre, also helping to kickstart the fertile California scene.
The ragged speed-blur still packs a wallop, and the hooks cribbed from surf and rockabilly
give it a gonzo edge.” Score: 5/5.
KEY SINGLES
ALBUM