Here is a Dead Kennedy's album that pales when compared to the band's earlier works. However, this album is very significant in the history of rock n' roll. Why? Because it stands as evidence that "freedom of speech" is more myth than reality in the "perfect" nation that both the extreme right and left want.

That's a pretty bold statement, so let me explain what I mean. Frankenchrist was released in 1985 and, as such, followed the incredible Plastic Surgery Disasters, which was released in 1982. Franchenchrist pretty much picked up where Plastic Surgery Disasters left off in that it is a collection of songs which are angry, influenced by rockabilly and beat the listener over the head with one message -- America is a mess, and we need to fix it before it's too late.

The Dead Kennedys always came across as an angry, loud punk rock band that stood up for the working class. The history of Frankenchrist reveals that the band may have been right about at least one thing -- the government had moved from being an agent of the people to something that assumed citizens were idiotic and needed protection. The government, in short, threw First Amendment protections out the window when this album came out and sought to destroy the Dead Kennedys from spreading their "filth" to youth in the nation. The action taken against the Dead Kennedys helped reinforce it's ever-present claim that the "empire" was too damn weak to put up with a bunch of guitar players who expressed themselves however they pleased. That's a rather sad state of affairs when you think about it.

The controversy centered around H.R. Giger's Penis Landscape painting, which depicted human reproduction in a very efficient, factory-like setting. This painting embodied the way the band thought of the corporatization of America and its contempt of modern society. Unfortunately, including the painting in an album sleeve lead to years of heartache for the band. Sure, the band made its statement, but it paid dearly for making it.

Why? Tipper Gore and her PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center) came after the band hard for including such "pornography" in an album where kids could see it. The PMRC was made up of bored senator's wives like Tipper who had nothing to do but go around making trouble.

Ultimately, Jello Biafra was charged with violating "obscenity" laws in California, the band's home base. Biafra won the trial, but defending the case nearly broke the band's record label, Alternative Tentacles. Tipper and her crew were able to proclaim a moral victory, and the Dead Kennedys were left nearly in ruins. That's sad when one considers that the band effectively won by having the criminal charges against Biafra thrown out of court.

That whole mess taught us quite a bit. The PMRC was formed with the intention of protecting us stupid Americans from ourselves, and the Dead Kennedys trial emphasized the intent of that group clearly. The idea here was that parents were too "out of touch" and idiotic to realize what their kids were being exposed to and absorbing. It also showed us that even the parents weren't immune to expressions of art such as the Penis Landscape painting -- adults, too, needed to be kept away from such things.

Such assumptions are very insulting, if you sit down and think about it. They're also anti-American if you think about the issue further. This nation was founded with the idea that free expression and ideas would result in a society full of happy people who were always searching for the truth. Tipper Gore and her gang wanted to remove "dangerous" ideas from society, and that scares the hell out of me. Who is to determine what ideas are unworthy of consideration? And, how can we trust that group to let "worthy" ideas flow through to the public? Do we want to put the government in charge of such considerations? Would that be the same government that has decided I can't handle a gun responsibly? Would that be the same government that got my Uncle shot at it Viet Nam? I don't want that government deciding what kind of music is "safe" for me to listen to and what kind of art I can properly observe.

America, ideally, should be a place where such considerations are considered by individuals. We are the masters of our own minds, and we all have the duty and obligation of teaching our children a certain set of morals and level of thought to have. I, for one, stand behind what I've taught my four-year-old Son and what I'll teach my three-month-old daughter. I don't need the government to shield them from anything -- if they "go bad," then the blame lies entirely with my Wife and me. It's our job to teach our children right from wrong, and we'll either do well or fail without the assistance of our government.

As for the album, it was just mediocre when compared with the albums that came before it. I love the track "Soup is Good Food" as it depicts an American that regards children as mere workers to be folded in to the industrial machine. The band's pounding of old rockabilly tunes throughout the album is fantastic, even if not terribly innovative. Here's a good one to have if you want to wave that middle finger at Tipper Gore, her moronic husband Al and anyone who would stand in the way of allowing bands to freely express themselves.

Oh, and is this album one of the finest from the Dead Kennedys? No, it's not. It's a good album when compared to other disc on the market, of course, but I've heard better from the Dead Kennedys. The angry guitar chords and hateful lyrics of Biafra are all there, but the band sounds like its fallen into self-parody mode. As I've mentioned, though "Soup is Good Food" is a great track that reveals about as much of the Dead Kennedys as anyone needs to know.

This is part of a write-off, sponsored by Phineaskc. The other participants, who have written much better articles than me, are:

Lagavulin, Rcarte2000, Jennjoy, Jankp, Brendamh, Hhassell99, Telefrog, ChrisJarmick, Bupkiss, Mellkinwa,, Eplovejoy, lkvanvoorhis, bwyckoff1, scmrak, Phineaskc, Angelabar and Sweetcece.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Driving