Bedtime for Democracy

Infobox Album | Name = Bedtime for Democracy
Type = Album
Artist = the Dead Kennedys


Released = November 1986
Recorded = City Sound Recording and Hyde St. Studios, April & July 1986
Genre = Hardcore punk
Length = 48:40
Label = Alternative Tentacles
Producer = Jello Biafra
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|2|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:se91z81ajyv3 link]
Last album = "Frankenchrist"
(1985)
This album = "Bedtime for Democracy"
(1986)
Next album = "Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death"
(1987)|

"Bedtime for Democracy" is the fourth album released by the Dead Kennedys. It is played in the eclectic, individualist style of hardcore (in this case often anarchist) punk. Songs on this album cover such common punk subjects as conformity, Ronald Reagan, the military, and even criticizing their own punk movement. The title of the album is a reference to the 1951 comedy film, Bedtime for Bonzo starring Ronald Reagan. There is a typing error on the Manifesto CDs so that the time length for "Gone with My Wind" is printed ":43" when it should read "1:43". On the original vinyl version, Side A was tracks 1-11 and Side B was tracks 12-21. It also came with a mock periodical in the form of a thin newspaper comprised of collage art, called "Fuck Facts."

The East Bay punk band Isocracy parodied the name in their 1988 EP, "Bedtime for Isocracy." The cover art depicted the band together in a bed, accompanied by Jello Biafra.

Track listing

All songs written by Jello Biafra except when stated.
# "Take This Job and Shove It" – 1:25 (David Allan Coe)
# "Hop with the Jet Set" – 2:07
# "Dear Abby" – 1:09
# "Rambozo the Clown" – 2:25
# "Fleshdunce" – 1:29
# "The Great Wall" – 1:32
# "Shrink" – 1:44
# "Triumph of the Swill" – 2:17
# "Macho Insecurity" – 1:30
# "I Spy" – 2:30 (D.H. Peligro)
# "Cesspools in Eden" – 5:56 (Jello Biafra/Dead Kennedys)
# "One-Way Ticket to Pluto" – 1:38
# "Do the Slag" – 1:36 (East Bay Ray)
# "A Commercial" – 1:33
# "Gone with My Wind" – 1:43
# "Anarchy for Sale" – 1:18
# "Chickenshit Conformist" – 5:58
# "Where Do Ya Draw the Line" – 2:39
# "Potshot Heard 'Round the World" – 2:10 (Jello Biafra/East Bay Ray)
# "D.M.S.O." – 2:09 (Jello Biafra/Dead Kennedys)
# "Lie Detector" – 3:43 (Jello Biafra/East Bay Ray)

Credits

* Jello Biafra - lead vocals, producer, mixer
* East Bay Ray - guitar
* Klaus Fluoride - bass, backing vocals
* D.H. Peligro - drums, backing vocals
* Tim Jones - synthesizer
* Jayed Scotti - timbales
* Cal - backing vocals
* Andrew - backing vocals
* Blaze - backing vocals
* P. O'Pillage - backing vocals, artwork
* John Cuniberti - engineer, mixer
* Winston Smith - artwork