Dead Kennedys have announced a remixed version of the punk band's seminal 1980 debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, in honor of its 40th anniversary.
The reissue, which will be released on September 30, will include remixed audio by Grammy-winning engineer Chris Lord-Alge, who's worked on albums by artists like Green Day, My Chemical Romance, Tina Turner and Muse.
"When the label suggested we remix Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables, [bassist] Klaus Flouride and I were skeptical, but we thought, 'Why not? Let's give it a try,'" says guitarist East Bay Ray. "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!'"
Many artists influenced by Dead Kennedys and Fresh Fruit have contributed quotes in celebration of the album's reissue, including Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong.
"My education was punk rock," Armstrong says. "What the Dead Kennedys said -- it was attacking America, but it was America at the same time."