Author Alex Ogg has accomplished a rare task with his new book, Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, The Early Years. In the history, out now from PM Press, Ogg manages to present all sides of the band’s history, speaking with all sides of the now-warring members. More surprisingly, it’s actually entertaining.
Much of this is due to Ogg’s own wit, and ability to see the slightly-surreal and absurd aspects that characterize Dead Kennedys’ history. The verbal jabs and parries between the members makes for a rambunctious read, but it never degenerates into the literary equivalent of a Real Housewives episode.
Even better than the interviews with all the principle actors are the talks with people who had a part in the DKs’ story. Producer Geza X makes an appearance, as does Iain McNay, co-founder of Cherry Red Records, and they offer an outsider’s view of the band. Both Geza and McNay were instrumental in the band’s early success, but offer up a vision of the Dead Kennedys before they were a big deal. Geza’s saying he “would have been a nut not to cut ['Holiday In Cambodia']!” speaks to how good they were early on.
The art work is also rather wonderful. There are illustrations by Winston Smith, who did a lot of art with Dead Kennedys over the years, which add a visually anarchic feel to the book. Ruby Ray’s photographs give a glimpse into the early days of the band, even before they formed. It’s astonishing to see how absolutely young the band was — you think of Dead Kennedys as this monolithic structure in the history of punk rock, one of the pillars upon which the genre is based, and then you realize that they were all just kids playing opening slots once upon a time.
There’s so much more story to tell, and Ogg’s book is over so quickly, that you can’t help but wish that he’s the one who tells the rest of the story. He says at Fresh Fruit‘s conclusion that he’s going to leave it for some other poor bastard, but I’d like to think that, at some point in the future, there are copies of his Plastic Surgery Disasters, Frankenchrist, and Bedtime for Democracy on my shelf.
Alex Ogg’s Dead Kennedys: Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, The Early Years is out now, and available for purchase from the PM Press store.