This day in history...

30 years ago today Joy Division front-man/song writer Ian Curtis took his own life. After a troubled marriage, and suffering from epilepsy, Curis hung himself the day before Joy Division were to start their first North American tour.

Already highly influential, Joy Division could have made an impact on music on a much larger scale had they made that tour. Then again, New Order would never have happened in the aftermath.

He was only 24 years old and had already left his mark.

Dead Kennedys

Where to start?

How about my age. I am 35 years old, and on good day's have some resemblance to being an adult. So with this being said, I took the liberty of dating myself by going out to purchase an album by a band I was fairly fond of in my mid teens. The 1980 debut album by Bay Area Punk innovators the Dead Kennedys. The DK's were amidst a plethora of aggressive bands that I looked to to provide pleasure, guidance, and act as a vessel for typical teenage angst in the late 80's. After all, that is the basis for why punk was formed. Right?

Now, obviously over time my taste in music has progressed. However, there are still old punk and proto-punk bands that resonate with me and more than likely always will. The Ramones, Modern Lovers, The Stooges, and Television are all but a few that where part of the early punk scene that continue to get heavy rotation on my ipod. Naturally, this spawns the idea to grab the DK's debut to add to my ipod. Although you may think that the DK's do not really belong in a list with the aforementioned bands, they were (in their own way) a very important piece of the punk rock puzzle.

So I listen....and listen again, and I wonder to myself, "Self, how in the hell could you have taken Jello Biafra seriously?" Needless to say, the Dead Kennedys didn't translate at the age of 35.

Now, I am not saying there is anything wrong with being in the tail end of your 30's and still listening to hardcore punk. I mean, my hat's off to you for still "railing against the man" whilst putting the final touches on your Power Point presentation from your Bay Street Office, but for me it simply made me a little embarrassed. I just felt I was in a realm I no longer belonged in. I am all for speaking your mind through art, but the DK's and more specifically, Jello Biafra are almost laughable to me now. Don't get me wrong, his rabble rousing was an important factor in solidifying politics in Punk music, but now it just seems to have been overkill.

I love East Bay Ray's riffs and some of the song structure, but just can't seem to shake Jellos yodel-esque delivery. In it's entirety its not a terrible album by any stretch and I am sure there are plenty of fans out there that would consider this post blasphemous, but after all the music I have listened to since my teen years, this just doesn't cut it.

So, in short, if you are looking for 14, one to two and a half minute blistering tracks delivered from a political soap box than this album is for you. If not, stick to punk that doesn't try so hard.

Stand out tracks: (Yes there are still a couple gems)

California Uber Alles.
Holiday In Cambodia.