CD Reviews: -Jello Biafra 7 The Guantanamo School Of Medicine-The Audacity Of Hype
Jello Biafra, hated or loved you cant deny the mans influence on punk, and rock n roll in general. The mighty Dead Kennedy’s have largely turned into a touring tribute band, no better than the guys slinging Guns N Roses tunes at the local pub, (hey, really is there any new music in the works?) only they are raking in cash with kids going to see em so they can get a taste of the 80’s. Jello in the meantime built up a well respected record company, entertained and informed us with spoken word tours/CD’s. The musical projects he’s come out with since the DK’s original bust up have been ok, ( LARD especially so)but nothing Id say was for the ages, nothing earth shatteringly great.
The man turns 50 years old, decides to pull together a real band of his own, write, rehearse and record a CD. Why??? He does not have to prove anything, the man is a walking legend. He too could hit the road and play nothing but old DK tunes and make a small fortune. Well, me thinks the man is even more pissed now than he was in 1981.
Jello Biafra and The Guantanamo School of Medicine’s debut CD, The Audacity of Hype, does not waste one second grabbing you by your sedentary ass and throwing you into the pit! Jello chose wisely when he picked Kimo Ball (drums), Billy Gould (Bass), Jon Wiess (drums) and Ralph Spight (guitars) to fill out this line up, and while the album was written and produced by Jello it's clear that the band itself is an attraction in its own right.
The production and recording is spot on hard but clear. What strikes me the most about this CD is not only how back to form Jello’s vocals are, but how the songs just drawn on so many different aspects of rock n roll. It's surely punk as all get out, but you have surf, hooks, melodies, and even some twin guitar attacks ala N.W.O.B.H.M. of the late 80’s in there too. Just damn fine rock n roll! I usually hate to draw comparisons, but the closest thing I can think of to compare this CD to is 2006’s War Machine by Order Of The White Rose, and that CD was award winning in my book. The Audacity Of Hype will be spending more time in my CD player than any of DK’s releases, I think its just that damn good. Nine songs clocking in at just under an hour long, and there is not a dead horse on the CD. I’m especially smitten with Electronic Plantation, Three Strikes, and Pets Eat Their Masters. Old fans will rejoice at the return to prime form and new fans will most likely be looking to find what all the fuss was about back in the 80’s
Can't wait to see these cats live, I’ll be up front with the rest of the pissed off middle age-teenagers!
