Bedtime for Democracy

• Artist: Dead Kennedys
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1986
• Total Time: 48:12
• Type: Lyrics are included with the album
• Genre: Rock

Review

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, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Take This Job and Shove It (Lyrics)	David Allan Coe, Jello Biafra	Dead Kennedys	(1:25)
Hop With the Jet Set	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(2:07)
Dear Abby	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:09)
Rambozo the Clown	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(2:25)
Fleshdunce	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:29)
The Great Wall	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:32)
Shrink	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:44)
Triumph of the Swill (Lyrics)	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(2:17)
Macho Insecurity	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:30)
I Spy	Dead Kennedys, D.H. Peligro	Dead Kennedys	(2:30)
Cesspools in Eden	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(5:56)
One-Way Ticket to Pluto	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:38)
Do the Slag	Dead Kennedys, East Bay Ray	Dead Kennedys	(1:36)
A Commercial	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:33)
Gone With My Wind	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:43)
Anarchy for Sale	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(1:18)
Chickenshit Conformist	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(5:58)
Where Do Ya Draw the Line	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(2:39)
Potshot Heard 'Round the World	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys, East Bay Ray	Dead Kennedys	(2:10)
D.M.S.O.	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys	Dead Kennedys	(2:09)
Lie Detector	Jello Biafra, Dead Kennedys, East Bay Ray	Dead Kennedys	(3:45)

Credits

Jello Biafra (Bass), Jello Biafra (Guitar), Jello Biafra (Drums), Jello Biafra (Vocals), Jello Biafra (Producer), Dead Kennedys (Main Performer), Klaus Flouride (Bass), Klaus Flouride (Vocals), John Cuniberti (Engineer), John Cuniberti (Mixing), John Cuniberti (Digital Remastering), East Bay Ray (Synthesizer), East Bay Ray (Bass), East Bay Ray (Guitar), East Bay Ray (Drums), East Bay Ray (Guitar (Electric)), East Bay Ray (Vocals), East Bay Ray (Digital Remastering), Bernie Grundman (Mastering), Tim Jones (Synthesizer), Tim Jones (Vocals (Background)), Klaus (Bass), Klaus (Guitar), Klaus (Drums), Klaus (Vocals), D.H. Peligro (Bass), D.H. Peligro (Guitar), D.H. Peligro (Drums), D.H. Peligro (Vocals), Smith Winson (Sleeve Art), Smith Winson (Srawings), Peligro (Bass), Peligro (Guitar), Peligro (Drums), Peligro (Vocals), Winston Smith (Back Cover), Winston Smith (Cover Art), Winston Smith (Drawing), P. O'Pillage (Vocals), P. O'Pillage (Layout Design), Andrew ? (Vocals (Background)), Cal (Vocals (Background))

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