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| Dead KennedysIn God We Trust Inc. EP1981 New Rose Records 
  Review by: Jeff See others by this writer Dead Kennedys Official Website (link) Only registered users can post comments 
 Published on July 8th 2003 As far as I am concerned the Dead Kennedys are the pioneers of hardcore punk music. It's hard to believe that while The Clash was just starting to make a splash these guys were also starting to come around. They may have not have been as huge as The Clash, but that definitely isn't a bad thing. Now time for the review of this EP... 'In God We Trust Inc.' is short and sweet. The first track 'Religious Vomit' is nice fast punk song. Doesn't really leave any lasting impression musically. But lyrically it's very powerful. 'Moral Majority' starts with a type of gospel televangelist intro. Which sounds great and melodic. Then when you just realize this isn't DK style, these four Bay Area natives decide to just rock your face off. Jello sounds exceptionally pissed off in this song. One of the best on the EP. 'Hyperactive Child' is a short track that gets its point across quite well. 'Kepone Factory' is a great song about the side effects of working in a chemical factory. Just some more of that Jello dark humor that we've grown to love. 'Dog Bite' is definitely lacking lyrically. But it's a fun, fast punk song. And there's nothing wrong with that. 'Nazi Punks Fuck Off' Here the guys show off their hate for, yes, you guessed it, Nazi Punks. Great song. 'We've Got a Bigger Problem Now' The best track on the EP. Now, if you liked 'California Uber alles' off of their debut album, then you will love this remake. The song starts off with a short of lounge act style. Incase you didn't learn your lesson from 'Moral Majority' the guys decide to change it back up to that good ol' fashioned hardcore style. Excellent song. 'Rawhide' is a cover of an old classical western themed song. DK adds their own special little touch to it. Jello singing with his cowboy accent adds some humor.
Like I said before this EP is short and sweet. It definitely has some shining moments. A great follow up to 'Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables'
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anyone for a traicky-dicky-screwdriver? "India belongs to the Brits" the song nazi punks isnt about how they hate nazi punk Fast and fun record...... It blows "Fresh Fruit...." right out of the water in terms of speed, and is a worthy successor to that alblum. My favorite tracks are "Moral Majority", and "Dog Bite". If you ask me, this is the best thing the Dead Kennedys ever did (though it's all pretty damn good). They've had lyrics that are just as provocative and clever, but none of their other releases hit so fucking hard musically. Before I bought this record, I didn't even know what fast punk rock was. Because smart people use "retards" as an insult. you guys ( i think guys is accurate) are all retards. "...oh just saw some guy below saw this strange comment too about the Clash...anyway, ever realize "Forward to Death" is "Commando"? Sing: "They do their best/They do what they can/They get them ready for Vietnam"...lovely goes right with the riff." you all suck, There i said it. We've been over this a million times, and a million times I've said that they were extremely influential, I'm just not a fan. The fact that you're in denial about the Ramones blatant musical influence over almost every punk band you like. Oh yeah, and that had what to do with me? Your kung fu is old and now you must die! "...oh just saw some guy below saw this strange comment too about the Clash...anyway, ever realize "Forward to Death" is "Commando"? Sing: "They do their best/They do what they can/They get them ready for Vietnam"...lovely goes right with the riff." That's what it was meant to be, for better or for worse, a nod at the DC hardcore scene. It's really okay at best. I never really liked this EP. To me it was a step back for the DKs, as if they were mimicking changes in the scene instead of doing there own thing. Yes I like several of the tunes including Rawhide and We've got a bigger... but the latter was a cover of a song off their first full length and they did the Viva Las Vegas cover on Fresh Fruit too. In the grand scheme, this is at best their fourth best outing behind Plastic Surgery Disasters (my favorite), Fresh Fruit and Frankenchrist. Bedtime blows. I like a bit of hardcore punk... But it really signaled the end of punk as a movement where bands had unique sounds. Suddenly England had a thousand Discharge/Crass rip offs, and ten thousand Exploited/GBH (I know they're "Oi!", but a lot of "Oi!" has hardcore music) rip offs. America had a bit more of a unique hardcore scene... Starting with the Germs, later, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Fear, Circle Jerks, Bad Brains, DK, etc., but when all of those bands broke up or went just plain crappy (I'm thinking Circle Jerks after their 3rd album), they only left an endless amount of copyists in their wake. All of the sudden, "punk" was just another crappy musical genre, a set soundtrack that fit a scene that hated change, as stuck in time as lite jazz or even heavy metal. And that brings us to today, where kids are so oblivious to 77 era that the Bouncing Souls are seen as really creative, the Explosion are seen as something new. Sorry, guys. It's not really like that. I'm not saying you can't enjoy those bands, I do. I love the Explosion. But they are given more credit than they deserve just because their fans, for the most part, don't know who they're copying. Hardcore & Hardcore punk are two slightly different subgenres if I had to say so myself....not that it really matters. I mean, I'd consider Minor Threat, Sick Of It All, Slayer and Raised Fist hardcore. Black Flag, DK, and others as hardcore "punk"....there's a slightly different sound, but really, who cares? It's great hard music. Everybody knows that middle class was the first hardcore seven inch(or maybe bad brains "pay to Cum") but really who the fuck cares. This was a bad review it told barely anything about the songs. It does a diservice to such a great record. Anyone who hasn't heard the dead kennedys isn't going to be intigued by this lazy writing. If you don't have this record search out a used vinyl copy on alternative tentacles or just download it. The re-releases don't come with the extra inserts that the old AT releases did. I say the Germs accidently created harcore. Early Black Flag isn't hardcore at all. DK were one of the first, I guess. This was my first DK album back in the day (yeah, I'm an old fuck.) I bought it on 12" vinyl, and for a couple of weeks played it on 33rpm thinking, "Well, these DK's are all right." The Dead Kennedys are the pioneers of hardcore punk music? Ever heard of Black Flag? Oh well. This is definitely the fastest and shortest DK record. It was in no way revolutionizing, but certainly very influential. That review sucked. ...oh just saw some guy below saw this strange comment too about the Clash...anyway, ever realize "Forward to Death" is "Commando"? Sing: "They do their best/They do what they can/They get them ready for Vietnam"...lovely goes right with the riff. the clash just starting to make a splash?????? I guess you mean when they were getting all famous Rolling Stones-style...they "made a splash" in '76-'77 - fucking year zero! Ya hey! What a great E.P......Fast, dark, and almost sloppily excellent. Jello is at his snotty, fiendish best.....Jello defines that word....utterly FIENDISH....and I wouldn't have it any other way. Jello also loved to make fun and verbally attack cowboys and rednecks, giving us "Rawhide" from this album and "Goons Of Hazard" from a later one. Funny shit and with a direct, biting message. This is by far the shittiest DK studio release. to the guy below me. the "see ya at the mall" crack made me laugh out loud. lets hope it was a joke. if you don't get this piece of punk rock history known in most inner punk circles as dk, you're a punk ass bitch. wait, most of you already are hardcore punks, i take that back. anyways, see ya guys at the mall! Kepone Factory is my favorite DK song. "It's hard to believe that while The Clash was just starting to make a splash these guys were also starting to come around. They may have not have been as huge as The Clash, but that definitely isn't a bad thing." I can't believe that no one reviewed this before now. for some reason I never got into these guys..I'm not knokcing their "cred" or "influence" i just didn't think they were that good... |
