Dead Kennedys’ 1980 debut album Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables is to be reissued.
The updated version of the album has been remixed from the original multitrack tapes by engineer Chris Lord-Alge, with physical editions of the reissue set to come with previously unseen imagery from the time of the original release, as well as essays by Dave Grohl, Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong, David Ellefson of Megadeth, and others.
"When the label suggested we remix Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables [bassist] Klaus Fluoride and I were sceptical," Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray said in a press release. "But we thought, ‘Why not? Let’s give it a try.’ And, wow, Grammy-winning maestro Chris Lord-Alge was interested! It turns out he’s a big fan of the band. We tried one song, ‘Chemical Warfare’. What Chris came back with was amazing. Everyone heard the difference, so we said, ‘All right, let’s go!’"
Engineer Lord-Alge added: "Revisiting Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables was such an inside peek at a band packing so much excitement onto tape for every song. The style and playing has such drive and spirit. The big challenge for me was keeping it honest to its original sound and not letting it become modern but improving the separation and clarity. A major chapter in history for Dead Kennedys."
In his essay for the release, Grohl recalls the band’s influence on him as a teenager, writing: "I went to the DKs’ Rock Against Reagan show in Washington. There were police helicopters all over the place and buses filled up with riot police. As a 13-year-old kid, that was like my own little revolution."
Cherry Red will release Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables – The 2022 Mix on September 30, 2022.
