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Various

Virus 100: Dead Kennedys Covers (1992)
Alternative Tentacles Records

Reviewer Rating:

Contributed by: BrandonSideleau
(others by this writer | submit your own)

Published on September 11th 2005

Making a tribute album is a difficult task to undertake; there is always the risk of doing more harm than good to the legacy of a lengendary band. The main problem is that the covers either cannot live up to the originals, or that they sound virtually identical to the originals, making their creation pointless and boring to listen to. And while not all the songs on this self-appointed tribute from Alternative Tentacles live up to their masterpiece counterparts, it still ranks as easily one of the best tribute albums of all time. Why? Because it was done in a way only AT could have: By getting a variety of bands all playing the songs almost completely different from the originals. This works MOST of the time on this release, and that's enough to warrant a purchase for any Dead Kennedys or AT fan.

We get everything from a brilliant Public Enemy-inspired cover of "California Uber Alles" by the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy to an entertaining but kind of pointless, a capella version of "Forward To Death" performed by the legendary NoMeansNo. Jello obviously realized that in order for this release to work, he'd have to keep the album consistent and eclectic. French melodic punkers Les Thugs contribute an absolutely beautiful version of "Moon Over Marin;" their style fits the song perfectly, while the brutal Napalm Death blast through a barely recognizable version of "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!"

Other tracks include a rockin' version of "Too Drunk To Fuck" from Evan Johns & His H-Bombs, a suitably menacing "Saturday Night Holocaust" from Neurosis, and a LOUNGE version of "Let's Lynch The Landlord" from none other than Faith No More.

While some of the extremely experimental tracks kind of seem like failed attempts, overall this is a brilliant tribute album to one of hardcore punk's all-time greatest bands.

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sfbarker (September 13, 2005)

You're forgiven...

I do agree the cover of Moon Over Marin made the song exponentially better in my mind.

BrandonSideleau (September 13, 2005)

Shit.....i completely forgot....good call man, Mojo Nixon kicks it. I was doing this review with my copy of the record loaned to a friend, so I tried to remember all the songs off the top of my head. Probably a bad call on my part, but I just felt DK fans should check this out.

sfbarker (September 13, 2005)

Pfft...no love for the killer version of Winnebago Warrior done by Mojo Nixon...lame...

"If you don't know Mojo Nixon, your site could use some fixin'"

Anonymous (September 12, 2005)

"Moon Over Marin" is probably in their top 5 best songs

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

it clearly says in the review, the Neurosis track is suitably menacing. you just wanted to share your poor opinion that Neurosis is better than the other bands on this cd.

gladimnotemo (September 11, 2005)

"I finally have everything ever recorded by The Middle Class (Mike Patton's first band)..."

Mike Patton was in Middle Class? I downloaded "Blueprint for Joy" after finding a couple random tracks (and reading about it in Born to Rock)...it's some great stuff.

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

how is the neurosis track.

neurosis > pretty much every other band on this comp.

sprainedsoul (September 11, 2005)

I downloaded this off emusic.com a couple years ago. This is exactly what you'd expect of a tribute album: maybe 2 or 3 songs worth keeping, and the rest just makes you shake your head in disbelief.

I dig the Evan Johns' cover of "Too Drunk to Fuck," however. The reviewer should check out the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprosy's debut CD for a lesson, by the way. Way better than that Spearhead crap Michael Franti insists on throwing on us.

BrandonSideleau (September 11, 2005)

What I meant is that it SOUNDS like PE....sorry if I got you confused. I was just trying to compare it to something out there.

pacer (September 11, 2005)

..."Public Enemy-inspired cover of "California Uber Alles" by the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy"...

Good lord. Do you even know who Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy are? Do you think Public Enemy were the first or only hip hop group? Had you heard of them before Hellfest? Good lord son!

Easily one of the dumbest comments in a review i've seen on here.

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

I think that even people in the eighties realised that "aggressive post-hardcore/emo" is shit.

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

I finally have everything ever recorded by The Middle Class (Mike Patton's first band)...

Their hardcore stuff is awesome, but what they did after that was so stunningly original I can't believe that they've gone so overlooked. It's like aggressive post-hardcore/emo about a decade before ANY bands were doing that.

-Will

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

One of the most overrated bands of all time

Anonymous (September 11, 2005)

I might have to get this, if for nothing else than the cover of "moon over Marin"....easily my favorite DK song of all time.

-Ken

....fuck, going to put on "Plastic Surgery Disasters" right now.