Dead Kennedys: The Early Years Live

The sing-a-long option on this "enhanced" DVD version of a 1987 VHS release turns out to be a real blessing, since without the words scrolling along the bottom of the screen, you wouldn't have a clue what you were hearing, thanks to the lethal combination of DK frontman Jello Biafra's rapid-fire mumbling and the extraordinarily bad technical conditions under which these concert/studio clips--circa 1978-1981--were filmed (although, let's give credit where credit is due: better placed mikes were not going to turn the Dead Kennedys into musical virtuosos). One of the original American punk bands, the DKs here churn out 9 tunes in 22 minutes, ranging across a wide range of socially conscious topics, including questionable interrogation methods ("electrodes on your balls"), rent control ("let's lynch the landlord"), and the threat of Zen fascism under a Jerry Brown presidency (where meditation is mandatory). In addition to their two biggest hits, "California Über Alles" and "Holiday in Cambodia," the disc includes "Kill the Poor," "Drug Me," "Bleed for Me" and Elvis's classic "Viva Las Vegas." Unless you happen to be collecting early punk, you can probably steer clear of this mercifully short and exceptionally cacophonous (this from a Husker Dü fan, mind you) DVD. Aud: C, P. (R. Pitman)