Jello: "You'll work hard with a gun in your back for a bowl of rice a day." Mark: "A little more upbeat here!" Jello: "...and your head is skewered on a stake."
If I may throw my hat into the ring of people making suggestions: The Damned - Neat Neat Neat Bad Brains - Banned in DC Choking Victim - 5 finger discount
You know when a homie throws out the damned you’re in a good comment section. I’ve always really loved the bass line from crack rock steady if we’re talking choking victim but that’s just me.
The Damned always flies under the radar when talking about punk but they are amazing. Yeah 500 channels is also a really solid choice, kinda flipped a coin between the 2 to suggest lol
The guitar is surf turned on it's head, and the bass is blues/r&b, but on acid. The whole trip of the band was to fight the norms, and that includes the music, which is why you recorded this video
My favorite full-on evil surf rock DK is Soup is Good Food. The bass does some interesting things like picking up the lead guitar part at one point but its not really a bass demo lol, mostly a surf rock line repeating
Thats a more straight-ahead punk than typical NMN (relatively speaking). NMN are amazing! I had Andrew Rooney review I Am Wrong, and he totally dug it! Sure, its not the most indicative of their sound but its a great tune!
Ned's Atomic Dustbin had 2 bass players in the band. 2 different bass lines playing at the same time, very unique sound. Several of the songs on the album God Fodder are great. I recommend the song Happy to try and play along to.
I was 14 when I heard the Dead Kennedys for the first time. It was live video. Before that I was a metal kid looking for more extreme music. Darker, heavier, faster. But when I saw this live show it klicked for me. It was pure chaos and power, I loved the intensity. Metal was more or less over for me from that moment on. As a young selftaught bass learner the stuff Klaus plays was some black magic to me especially together with the guitar.
I was 16 when I first heard the DKs debut single, California Uber Alles in 1980. Bizarrely, it was released on Fast Records, an indie label based in my home town, Edinburgh, Scotland. The follow up single, Holiday in Cambodia was released on Cherry Red records, a larger indie label based in England. They also released the debut album, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables.
Thanks for putting good Punk bands in a musician’s pov. It’s a genre that’s been undeservedly ignored in that respect as a lot of the punk bands were magnificient players in their own right. Going to No Means No from here is kinda natural soundwise. Dominant bass, piercing guitar lines and super smart lyrics and arrangements. ‘It’s Catching Up’, first track from their stellar ‘Wrong’ album is a great start. But btw; you ever heard the bass line on Hit Me With Your Rythm Stick by Ian Dury? Played by a fantastic player called Norman Watt Roy? You should. It’s totally amazing. Like a punk Jaco Pastorius rythmically. Enjoy and keep it up. Dig your stuff 😊
DK inspired me so much in life. Their music is still fully relevant. Infinitely skateable. Haha I even named my band after them. Jello's spoken word albums get a bit crazy, but you gotta love the guy for giving a fresh perspective.
You gotta recognize/do a song by Propagandhi. Beat Canadian punk rock band. I trust the viewers to pick the best bass line but goddamn does Todd produce some gems! Don't let me down Canadian punk rockers ... let's get Propagandhi into this man's repertoire!! 😊
@@jeffsmith5311 - nah, ain't offended here - and Propagandhi is feckin' great - but DOA kind of gets the nod given how early they were doing their thing and how influential they were (even in terms of teaching bands in the US *how* to tour as a punk band). Joey Shithead and the boys were groundbreakers.
Some of Klaus's bass lines are on Plastic Surgery Disasters (Winnebago Warrior / Forest Fire / MTV get of the air / Riot) and Frankenchrist (MTV get off the air / Stars and Strips of Corruption)
You're overthinking the intro - it's the open A string and a simple chromatic run on the D string from tenth to sixth fret, both strings strummed together, with a pick. Trust me on this, I've seen them play countless times. 😉
You're right! It just sounded very thick so I threw the extra octave in on the D string. I found the Bb a little later in there, couldn't tell if he did it every time or just here and there. Fun part! I'm always down for chordal stuff on bass.
Well, when you have someone that understands music theory. Trying to react and understand punk rock he's trying to find logic in the chaos... Back then most punk bands, the musicians didn't know what the hell they were doing. And he's also trying to make content off of the very easy song to play.
@@brujo1099 have you heard of the Germs ? Or the Dead Boys? Sid Vicious? .....I didn't say they weren't talented... just that they did use theory to write song.
East Bay Ray, the guitarist always had some pretty cool surf rock sounds. Jello Biafra, I always said his vocals were kind of like a pissed off goat, and it TOTALLY fit their sound. And Klaus and D.H. Peligro were a great rhythm section, almost jazz like. So there was a LOT going on with the Kennedys.
I will never forget when this song came up on my playlist with my [then] 4 year old in the car, and he laughed hysterically while exclaiming, "He sounds like a goat!" 😆 He also once commented Matt Freeman sounds like Cookie Monster when he sings. He's never wrong. 😅
Nomeansno - Rags and Bones / It's catching up / The day everything became nothing.... Check them out. Rob and John Wright were the greatest rhythm section in punk rock hands down.
The DK's are killer! Thanks for this one. You really need to check out The Jam. Bruce Foxton is a brilliant bassist. "Down at the Tube Station at Midnight", "'Eaton Rifles", "Absolute Beginners", "A Town Called Malice" really showcase his work.
Love that you're getting deep into these old punk songs that were so important during my teenage years. I would absolutely love it if you'd make a video about The Clash - Guns of Brixton. It's not really a punk song but it has really nice groovy bass playing.
It is THE punk song - but I think he should react to London Calling instead. While Guns of Brixton has the best bass line ever (and the first I learnt), it's just the line over and over, while London Calling has a lot more elements
This series of punk rock videos keeps getting more fun! It fascinates me that you can hear a song for the first time and know what key (?) the song is in and play it so quick. Amazing stuff. Can’t wait to see what you do next!!
Just a quick not the version you listened is off the compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. The original on Fresh Fruit is about a minute longer. It's has a guitar intro that lasts about 20 seconds before the bass comes in. Oh the Dead Kennedys one of the best bands to come out the first wave of punk. All of them are truly masters at what they do.
this version is the single version, which i find much more immediate and riveting, but then again, it's the version i heard first. that makes a huge difference.
That's D.H. Peligro on drums who played briefly with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. The song Forest Fire has a really cool bass intro on it as well by Klaus. Check out the song "We've got a bigger problem now" it's The Dead Kennedys doing a jazz version of one of their songs.
Hard to separate the music and the lyrical content with the Dead Kennedys. The intent of both is to make you a bit uncomfortable, to shake you out of a malaise. The dissonance and chaos in the music goes hand in hand with the dissonance and chaos of the real world events Jello sings about. It's uncomfortable, shocking, it truly is punk. That's why I've always appreciated this band
Loving all the videos in this Punk series! And if I’m casting a vote for future videos I’d say Bad Brains (Darryl Jennifer), would be cool to juxtapose one of their fast punk songs with one of the more reggae songs
I had the great pleasure of growing up in the Bay Area, and saw the DKs many times in the early 80s. It was always an experience, musically, and socially. Jello Biafra was certainly an agent provacateur, but a thoughtful and well read one. Musically, the band could play. And Klaus was and is a hell of a bass player. Seeing them at places like the On Broadway in San Francisco was very good for my young mind.
I thought their lyrics were the extremes, either shocking and offensive or hilariously funny. No "in-between" with the Dead Kennedys. I saw them twice back in the early 1980s. Heavy security presence at their gigs back in those days.
I just love the whole sound of this song instrumentally, the intro really has that eerie building. I could see this used in a movie as men go into war.
It's so good to see someone reacting to a song and actually appreciate the song writing and subject. Jello is so under appreciated for his song writing.
Congrats on the channel, Mark!! I found you while reminiscing about Rancid and Matt Freeman, the guy who inspired me to play bass. I am really enjoying all the punk stuff you are covering. You might want to consider these great bands: Face to Face (disconnected, walk the walk, ordinary, burden, what’s in a name); Authority Zero (painted windows, big bad world), Strung Out (speedball, rats in the walls). Keep up the good work!
Hey man, I love what you're doing and I'm really glad you're exploring these punk bands. They get overlooked very often when it comes to bass. I know you're getting hammered with all kinds of requests but I want to throw an unusual one your way. In the 1970s Elvis Costello had a band called The Attractions, and their bassist Bruce Thomas was an incredible player, extremely dynamic, very melodic. Not exactly "punk" but bridges the gap between punk and new wave. Their biggest song is "Pump It Up", that's probably what's gonna get you the most views. Great song and great bassline. Anyway, whether you do my request or not, good job on these and can't wait for the next one.
Magnificent Seven is a really boring bassline. Same with Police and Thieves. I play the repeats like 4 times and my brain can't take it anymore. 😅 Most of the basslines are quite easy, but less boring ones are Death or Glory, Rudie Can't Fail, Lost in the Supermarket, even Rock the Casbah and London Calling are more interesting.
Great band, great album, another awesome video. I would really like to see a video on Mission of Burma - That’s when I reach for my revolver. The bass line in that song is one of my favorites.
The thing I love about Dead Kennedys is the almost-constant tension in the music. The guitar, the bass, the vocals all have idiosyncrasies that create and feed off each other so that when they finally offer some release, it feels especially cathartic and joyous/gleeful. It's a really difficult, cool way to construct music but DK was a "lightning strike" situation where the band members all kind of naturally played & liked things that were off-kilter but that worked well together in their hands. Very unique, very interesting music even now, more than 40 years later.
So good! And I'm so stoked that you're doing a serious and deep run into the punk world. So many good bands and songs with strong bass. I'm stoked you're sticking with it and i enjoy your authenticity. Now ... When will you do some Hot Water Music??!!! "Blackjaw"or "220 Years" would be a great place to start!
Great topic, love the show. I appreciate your efforts. I’d like to hear your take on The Police and how the bass relates to the songs they came up with.
That was great ! Try the second album 'plastic surgery disasters' for bass work , it's really high in the mix and the playing is out there ! ...tracks government flu and bleed for me for example . KF came from a jazz and Motown style background and it can be heard more on this record .
This cassette was my first punk album I owned more than 30 years ago and it still holds up. I hear a lot of the singer in Serj from System of a Down. DK really stand out in the unique style the musicians have.
Hey Ho, i love your responses and advocacy of what "simplicity" means in music and what power can still be achieved with it. that's what punk rock is in my opinion. Bad Religion is therefore another perfect example... They are also one of the founders of the skatepunk genre. You should like the song "News from the Front".
I once met Raoul Walton, a German bass player originally from New York, in a McDonald's in Munich of all places. I just came from a rehearsal with my Punk band and he saw my bass case and called me over so we could have a chat. I didn't know him, but knew of him, because he's pretty famous in Germany, having played with a lot of famous bands and singers. When I told him I was playing in a Punk band he told me that he learned a lot about technique (as in: fingers) when he played in a Punk band, because it's often so fast that if you play sloppy it doesn't groove. I found that to be the case, too. When I joined the Punk band I hadn't played for four years, and every day for three months I practiced hours upon hours playing eighth notes with a pick to a metronome and records of other Punk bands. It was worth it.
Sooo... You're seeing a lot of NoMeansNo requests, but very little agreement on the song. The reason for that is it's sooo hard to choose. They have a huge amount of variation in sound - from almost a Ramones cover-band to full on Prog epics. 'Wrong' is their most popular (but not only great) album and almost all the requests you've been getting are from that album. Would you consider doing a full album reaction? If so, go with the original (LP) release at just under 40 min, and skip the longer versions with extra songs. There are two songs on that album I don't care for (including the last one - 'all lies'), but the rest are all amazing.
Klaus Flouride what a player! Was a huge inspiration and a big band for me growing up. Always got such a great presence in the band.. shame they fell apart, definitely one of their better songs, favourite of mine gotta be Too Drunk To Fuck!! Love the different bass today too! Real nice sounding instrument you’ve got there brother
These guys were so cool to see live. I was standing off to the left of the stage and was singing along to a song and I'm handed the mike an sang part of "MTV get off the air"! After that the 2 girls I was with thought I was a god!
Tim "Rawbiz" Wlliams also played bass for Suicidal Tendencies alongside Eric Moore in drums. Two absolute heavyweights, one very accomplished rhythm section.
A few people are recommending the mighty Nomeansno. You won't be disappointed if you check them out. Big Dick and Oh No! Bruno! are two classics from a litany of classics.
I was never able to get myself into the dead Kennedys but I absolutely 100% appreciate and respect what they did to influence the generations after them. You can hear AFI bass lines right in Holiday in Cambodia
I wasn't a DK fan until I was stuck in a truck going over the pass to a show at Gilman in Berkeley... The driver played Frankenchrist all the way through, and after that, I had to give them 3rd chance. Soon I was hooked. I was never a superfan, but they turned into a band I really appreciate, and they definitely give me nostalgia these days.
If you want to hear Dead Kennedys at their best (instrumentally), listen to Frankenchrist. It’s a hidden gem in which only hardcore DK fans are familiar.
Do “Ill in the Head” off Fresh Fruit next! Took me years to realise East Bay Ray and Klaus weren’t just messing about randomly but actually playing technically challenging jazz scales ❤
The timing of that first pause though
It happens!
I caught that too. Being anti racist was different in the 80s
Thought the exact same thing. 😅
i almost spit my drink out when it happened.
Was gonna comment the same thing.
Jello: "You'll work hard with a gun in your back for a bowl of rice a day."
Mark: "A little more upbeat here!"
Jello: "...and your head is skewered on a stake."
Good music, terrible lyrics
@martinphillips3549 what's wrong with the lyrics?
@@papipunk5233 With the rise of the "influencer" lifestyle, I'd say the lyrics are as on-point as ever, you could even call them quite prescient.
Lyrics are still as valid today as when they were wrote 35+ years ago
@@martinphillips3549Yeah bro they're saying this because they're edgy teenagers who don't know what they're saying!
East Bay Rays guitar tone/style/playing was so haunting. Punk through an echoplex!!
For sure, Ray’s playing was absolutely phenomenal in this song as well. Hell, the entire band. This song is a masterpiece, evokes a lot of emotion.
Perfectly described
East Bay Ray is THE punk guitarist. A guitarists guitarist. Could have graced any genre but chose to give us this absolute masterpiece.
It's been making the hair on my arms stand up for.40 plus years.
There is no Dead Kennedys without Jello.
One of the greatest punk lyricists ever.
I was so ready to come in saying he still hasn't had a dead Kennedy's experience off of the photo for the video .
100%
There's always room for Jello
Truth in Poetry - every word
Not one of the greatest, THE greatest. They were peerless...
The entire punk series has been so fun. Great stuff my friend!
If I may throw my hat into the ring of people making suggestions:
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat
Bad Brains - Banned in DC
Choking Victim - 5 finger discount
You know when a homie throws out the damned you’re in a good comment section.
I’ve always really loved the bass line from crack rock steady if we’re talking choking victim but that’s just me.
500 Channels By Choking Victim is also a great choice
Yeah, good suggestions!
The Damned always flies under the radar when talking about punk but they are amazing. Yeah 500 channels is also a really solid choice, kinda flipped a coin between the 2 to suggest lol
5 finger discount would be great. No gods No managers is an amazing album from front to back. Great shout for the damned too!
The guitar is surf turned on it's head, and the bass is blues/r&b, but on acid. The whole trip of the band was to fight the norms, and that includes the music, which is why you recorded this video
yes, at heart the dead kennedys are a surf band. ray is akin to dick dale.
@@DanHintzsome songs are surf punk. Others are not
My favorite full-on evil surf rock DK is Soup is Good Food. The bass does some interesting things like picking up the lead guitar part at one point but its not really a bass demo lol, mostly a surf rock line repeating
@@DanHintz Ray's solo stuff is so beautifully this as well
Jello Biafra, the vocalist, did a collaboration album with Nomeansno, which is another bass centric punk band you'll love
Thats a more straight-ahead punk than typical NMN (relatively speaking). NMN are amazing! I had Andrew Rooney review I Am Wrong, and he totally dug it! Sure, its not the most indicative of their sound but its a great tune!
Absolutely!!!
NoMeansNo. Please review NoMeansNo!!!
Yes, Nomeansno is a bass must.
Adding to the pile of Nomeansno! Rags and Bones is an amazing riff.
Ned's Atomic Dustbin had 2 bass players in the band. 2 different bass lines playing at the same time, very unique sound. Several of the songs on the album God Fodder are great. I recommend the song Happy to try and play along to.
Agreed “Happy” by Ned’s Atomic Dustbin would be great to do on this channel.
Yes!
Cop Shoot Cop also had 2 bass players
Neds were the first band I ever saw live. Great band. Really interesting sound with the two bass players.
I was 14 when I heard the Dead Kennedys for the first time. It was live video. Before that I was a metal kid looking for more extreme music. Darker, heavier, faster. But when I saw this live show it klicked for me. It was pure chaos and power, I loved the intensity. Metal was more or less over for me from that moment on. As a young selftaught bass learner the stuff Klaus plays was some black magic to me especially together with the guitar.
Was 12 and never looked back... 50 yo skatepunk.
I was 16 when I first heard the DKs debut single, California Uber Alles in 1980. Bizarrely, it was released on Fast Records, an indie label based in my home town, Edinburgh, Scotland. The follow up single, Holiday in Cambodia was released on Cherry Red records, a larger indie label based in England. They also released the debut album, Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables.
When you said your preconception of DKs was a ramonesy type thing, I couldn’t wait for the reaction to start!
I actully had a audible laugh and thought this guy is in for an education.lol
Same lol
Right!? I was like "Welp, he's in for a surprise if he thinks this is going to sound like the Ramones."
gang of four - damaged goods
THIS!
Or "Essence Rare"
i love that song! and the band in general.
SOMETIMES IM THINKIN THAT I LOVE YOU
@@aprilkurtz1589or Ether
Thanks for putting good Punk bands in a musician’s pov. It’s a genre that’s been undeservedly ignored in that respect as a lot of the punk bands were magnificient players in their own right. Going to No Means No from here is kinda natural soundwise. Dominant bass, piercing guitar lines and super smart lyrics and arrangements. ‘It’s Catching Up’, first track from their stellar ‘Wrong’ album is a great start. But btw; you ever heard the bass line on Hit Me With Your Rythm Stick by Ian Dury? Played by a fantastic player called Norman Watt Roy? You should. It’s totally amazing. Like a punk Jaco Pastorius rythmically. Enjoy and keep it up. Dig your stuff 😊
I spent many days on a skateboard to and from school with the "Fresh Fruit" tape in my walkman. Perfect skating music.
DK inspired me so much in life. Their music is still fully relevant. Infinitely skateable. Haha I even named my band after them. Jello's spoken word albums get a bit crazy, but you gotta love the guy for giving a fresh perspective.
same but on a bmx
Best Klaus bass lines are either Winnebago Warrior or Bleed For Me from Plastic Surgery Disasters
Halloween, Riot, Terminal Preppie, Forest Fire..
@@jimmiejuarez6824 true. That whole album is absolute fire, especially on bass.
Cesspools in Eden is a great one too
A child and his lawnmower
Too Drunk to F is a good one, too.
televison's marquee moon would be interesting. ive always felt the bassline was the secret snot holding all the jangle together
OOOOOhh, good choice! Tom passed last year, too. RIP
oh absolutely
You gotta recognize/do a song by Propagandhi.
Beat Canadian punk rock band.
I trust the viewers to pick the best bass line but goddamn does Todd produce some gems!
Don't let me down Canadian punk rockers ... let's get Propagandhi into this man's repertoire!!
😊
Lower Order or anything Off Todays Empires or Victory Lap or Failed States
DOA is the best Canadian punk band
@@williamlewis3917 Music is subjective. Sorry for offending you
@@williamlewis3917 - Yeah, I was going to say to OP that DOA would like to have a word... 😄😄
@@jeffsmith5311 - nah, ain't offended here - and Propagandhi is feckin' great - but DOA kind of gets the nod given how early they were doing their thing and how influential they were (even in terms of teaching bands in the US *how* to tour as a punk band). Joey Shithead and the boys were groundbreakers.
Some of Klaus's bass lines are on Plastic Surgery Disasters (Winnebago Warrior / Forest Fire / MTV get of the air / Riot) and Frankenchrist (MTV get off the air / Stars and Strips of Corruption)
Stars and Stripes is great because it's mostly chords!
I Am The Owl always stands out for me. Not complex, but very memorable
Riot is my favorite DK’s song.
I love the bass intro on Halloween.
Forest Fire is just a blast to play.
You're overthinking the intro - it's the open A string and a simple chromatic run on the D string from tenth to sixth fret, both strings strummed together, with a pick.
Trust me on this, I've seen them play countless times. 😉
You're right! It just sounded very thick so I threw the extra octave in on the D string. I found the Bb a little later in there, couldn't tell if he did it every time or just here and there. Fun part! I'm always down for chordal stuff on bass.
Well, when you have someone that understands music theory. Trying to react and understand punk rock he's trying to find logic in the chaos... Back then most punk bands, the musicians didn't know what the hell they were doing. And he's also trying to make content off of the very easy song to play.
@@alanjsamplesif it was easy you’d have had a career doing it. Punk is more than you think it is. It’s foundational now.
@@alanjsamplesway to over think it dude, nobody cares
@@brujo1099 have you heard of the Germs ? Or the Dead Boys? Sid Vicious? .....I didn't say they weren't talented... just that they did use theory to write song.
Great selection! One of the most iconic bands ever!
Of all their library of killer bass lines, this is second from the bottom with Moon Over Marin being the least impressive and representative
East Bay Ray, the guitarist always had some pretty cool surf rock sounds. Jello Biafra, I always said his vocals were kind of like a pissed off goat, and it TOTALLY fit their sound. And Klaus and D.H. Peligro were a great rhythm section, almost jazz like. So there was a LOT going on with the Kennedys.
RIP D.H.
I will never forget when this song came up on my playlist with my [then] 4 year old in the car, and he laughed hysterically while exclaiming, "He sounds like a goat!" 😆 He also once commented Matt Freeman sounds like Cookie Monster when he sings. He's never wrong. 😅
@@JulieMcCombs That's awesome! Matt Freeman does kinda sound like Cookie Monster.
Nomeansno - Rags and Bones / It's catching up / The day everything became nothing.... Check them out. Rob and John Wright were the greatest rhythm section in punk rock hands down.
Or Big Dick
Phenomenal band. I was going to recommend some NoMeansNo as well.
Patiently awaiting Nomeansno 🙏🏻
OOOH nice one... Lagwagon would be OK too (I don't even really like them that much), though that's more of a drummers band than anything.
"Rags and Bones", "it's catching up" or "the sky is falling and I want my mommy" with Jello Biafra
Big Diiiick.
Metronome
Please, please
The DK's are killer! Thanks for this one. You really need to check out The Jam. Bruce Foxton is a brilliant bassist. "Down at the Tube Station at Midnight", "'Eaton Rifles", "Absolute Beginners", "A Town Called Malice" really showcase his work.
Bruce Foxton is awesome. Not punk. Mod, baby!
Love that you're getting deep into these old punk songs that were so important during my teenage years. I would absolutely love it if you'd make a video about The Clash - Guns of Brixton. It's not really a punk song but it has really nice groovy bass playing.
It is THE punk song - but I think he should react to London Calling instead. While Guns of Brixton has the best bass line ever (and the first I learnt), it's just the line over and over, while London Calling has a lot more elements
You're probably right. I couldn't really decide which one. Was also thinking about (White Man) In Hammersmith Palais and Police & Thieves.
Dissonance in a piece of music can be so beautiful and add so much to the experience of the piece/melody/song..
This series of punk rock videos keeps getting more fun! It fascinates me that you can hear a song for the first time and know what key (?) the song is in and play it so quick. Amazing stuff. Can’t wait to see what you do next!!
Just a quick not the version you listened is off the compilation album Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death. The original on Fresh Fruit is about a minute longer. It's has a guitar intro that lasts about 20 seconds before the bass comes in.
Oh the Dead Kennedys one of the best bands to come out the first wave of punk. All of them are truly masters at what they do.
this version is the single version, which i find much more immediate and riveting, but then again, it's the version i heard first. that makes a huge difference.
And an extended ‘Pol Pot’ middle section
That's D.H. Peligro on drums who played briefly with the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
The song Forest Fire has a really cool bass intro on it as well by Klaus.
Check out the song "We've got a bigger problem now" it's The Dead Kennedys doing a jazz version of one of their songs.
Love D.H. but this is actually their original drummer Bruce Slesinger
@@gavinyoung7085 Oh man, total brain fart. I stand corrected. Thank you!
Hard to separate the music and the lyrical content with the Dead Kennedys. The intent of both is to make you a bit uncomfortable, to shake you out of a malaise. The dissonance and chaos in the music goes hand in hand with the dissonance and chaos of the real world events Jello sings about. It's uncomfortable, shocking, it truly is punk. That's why I've always appreciated this band
Strangely I do not find dissonance in DK music....
There are cases of dissonance between music and lyrics (Holiday in Cambodia, Moon Over Marin etc)
It's fun seeing a theory player react to musicians playing mostly by feel
Check out The Vibrators - Whips and Furs. Great punk bass line
Pure mania is even better.
I appreciate you exploring punk music and treating it with respect. I like your breakdowns of song and riff patterns/ formulas.
Loving all the videos in this Punk series! And if I’m casting a vote for future videos I’d say Bad Brains (Darryl Jennifer), would be cool to juxtapose one of their fast punk songs with one of the more reggae songs
Thank you. Dead Kennedys are just fantastic. Nothing else like em. In my top 5 of all punk ever.
another great Jello side project was Lard, amazing bass and amazing songs
I had the great pleasure of growing up in the Bay Area, and saw the DKs many times in the early 80s. It was always an experience, musically, and socially. Jello Biafra was certainly an agent provacateur, but a thoughtful and well read one. Musically, the band could play. And Klaus was and is a hell of a bass player. Seeing them at places like the On Broadway in San Francisco was very good for my young mind.
I was never particularly a fan of punk but I always really liked Dead Kennedys, the lyrics are smart and usually funny AF.
I thought their lyrics were the extremes, either shocking and offensive or hilariously funny. No "in-between" with the Dead Kennedys. I saw them twice back in the early 1980s. Heavy security presence at their gigs back in those days.
I just love the whole sound of this song instrumentally, the intro really has that eerie building. I could see this used in a movie as men go into war.
Your new bass is beautiful!
It's so good to see someone reacting to a song and actually appreciate the song writing and subject. Jello is so under appreciated for his song writing.
Congrats on the channel, Mark!! I found you while reminiscing about Rancid and Matt Freeman, the guy who inspired me to play bass. I am really enjoying all the punk stuff you are covering. You might want to consider these great bands: Face to Face (disconnected, walk the walk, ordinary, burden, what’s in a name); Authority Zero (painted windows, big bad world), Strung Out (speedball, rats in the walls). Keep up the good work!
Thanks for doing my requests! 🤘❤️🇨🇦
Thanks for the idea!
Check out Nomeansno album Wrong song rags and bones
Klaus is my favorite bassist from my favorite band. Love this
Hey man, I love what you're doing and I'm really glad you're exploring these punk bands. They get overlooked very often when it comes to bass.
I know you're getting hammered with all kinds of requests but I want to throw an unusual one your way. In the 1970s Elvis Costello had a band called The Attractions, and their bassist Bruce Thomas was an incredible player, extremely dynamic, very melodic.
Not exactly "punk" but bridges the gap between punk and new wave. Their biggest song is "Pump It Up", that's probably what's gonna get you the most views. Great song and great bassline.
Anyway, whether you do my request or not, good job on these and can't wait for the next one.
While you’re on this punk rock journey you should do a video on the magnificent seven by The Clash.
OH YEAH!!!
Norman Watt Roy plays the bass on that track btw. Known for Hit Me With Your Rythm Stick a.o.
@@peroskarstorholm4196 That's true.
The clash is barely a punk band though. Super mainstream and pretty boring.
Magnificent Seven is a really boring bassline. Same with Police and Thieves. I play the repeats like 4 times and my brain can't take it anymore. 😅 Most of the basslines are quite easy, but less boring ones are Death or Glory, Rudie Can't Fail, Lost in the Supermarket, even Rock the Casbah and London Calling are more interesting.
Dude, you're the best! Thank you for this! I just joined your Patreon yesterday but if I hadn't, I would do it right now 😄
You're the best! The support means a tremendous amount. See you over there!
You should react to the Toy Dolls - Sod the Neighbors
Olga is one of my favorite guitarists but the bass in Toy Dolls... underrated!
Anti-nowhere league would be good too.
@bouncingbone I am pretty sure Olga plays bass on most of their recordings as well.
Probs my favorite song of theirs. Grew up with these guys...so glad I know their music
Love it. Keep exploring.
That's the plan!
Went to see Dead Kennedy's again last year, Klaus is 74 now & still rocking 💪🏻
Damn, now I feel old. I'm 63, saw DK quite a few times back in the day... but 74? Shit.
I remember buying Klaus solo album on cassette and hating it as a young un. I don't even remember what it sounded like now.
Great band, great album, another awesome video.
I would really like to see a video on Mission of Burma - That’s when I reach for my revolver. The bass line in that song is one of my favorites.
If you ever want to catch this song live, Pegboy out of Chicago does a really cool cover of it and still tour from time to time.
You really must do a viddie on Rob Wright of NOMEANSNO. “Give Me the Push” would be a good one. Or “Rags and Bones”. Or any song by them really.
The thing I love about Dead Kennedys is the almost-constant tension in the music. The guitar, the bass, the vocals all have idiosyncrasies that create and feed off each other so that when they finally offer some release, it feels especially cathartic and joyous/gleeful. It's a really difficult, cool way to construct music but DK was a "lightning strike" situation where the band members all kind of naturally played & liked things that were off-kilter but that worked well together in their hands. Very unique, very interesting music even now, more than 40 years later.
So good! And I'm so stoked that you're doing a serious and deep run into the punk world. So many good bands and songs with strong bass. I'm stoked you're sticking with it and i enjoy your authenticity.
Now ... When will you do some Hot Water Music??!!! "Blackjaw"or "220 Years" would be a great place to start!
Finally i found this song i have been trying to find this for weeks thank you for uploading this
"Ill in the Head" is one of Klaus' sickest bass lines. It almost has a King Crimson feel to it.
YES
My favorite DK song.
Thanks for doing this one.”Cesspools in Eden” is another one with a great bass line
Great topic, love the show. I appreciate your efforts. I’d like to hear your take on The Police and how the bass relates to the songs they came up with.
Great suggestion!
oh boy, the memories… DK were on the first punk mix tape i listened to. Fugazi, Ramones, Bad Religion, The Clash were some of the others on it.
Fugazi are the 🐐 of punk imo
Sweet bass the finish and fanned fretboard is really cool. Loved your fender p with the EMGs too! Time for a rig rundown video perhaps??
Thanks, could be fun!! 🤩
Hey you did one I recommended, Awesome! Love your videos man
Thanks for the idea! 😉
Another vote here for Nomeansno! (Anything from 0+2=1)
DEFINITELY!!!!!!
That was great ! Try the second album 'plastic surgery disasters' for bass work , it's really high in the mix and the playing is out there ! ...tracks government flu and bleed for me for example . KF came from a jazz and Motown style background and it can be heard more on this record .
That Dingwall sounds great!!!!
This cassette was my first punk album I owned more than 30 years ago and it still holds up. I hear a lot of the singer in Serj from System of a Down. DK really stand out in the unique style the musicians have.
Love everything about this track. Epic.
Absolutely luv the DK's, huge rabbit hole. The kings of satire.
Youre very on point my friend. Love the new bass as well. Cheers!
Thanks a lot!
Not a musician but I've been watching your videos since you started covering punk songs. Awesome that you're doing that. So many classics!
Awesome! Thank you!
Hey Ho, i love your responses and advocacy of what "simplicity" means in music and what power can still be achieved with it. that's what punk rock is in my opinion. Bad Religion is therefore another perfect example... They are also one of the founders of the skatepunk genre. You should like the song "News from the Front".
Such a great song. Also, glad to see a Dingwall in your hands!
Nice seeing DK, the DK logo was my first tattoo nearly 30yr ago.
I once met Raoul Walton, a German bass player originally from New York, in a McDonald's in Munich of all places. I just came from a rehearsal with my Punk band and he saw my bass case and called me over so we could have a chat. I didn't know him, but knew of him, because he's pretty famous in Germany, having played with a lot of famous bands and singers. When I told him I was playing in a Punk band he told me that he learned a lot about technique (as in: fingers) when he played in a Punk band, because it's often so fast that if you play sloppy it doesn't groove. I found that to be the case, too. When I joined the Punk band I hadn't played for four years, and every day for three months I practiced hours upon hours playing eighth notes with a pick to a metronome and records of other Punk bands. It was worth it.
Saw this band in Camden,London around 1980
Supporting band were UK Decay from Luton
Fantastic gig
Must have been I still remember it 😆
I’m patiently waiting for you to do Want by Jawbreaker. It has a great bass intro.
One of the greatest Punk bands ever
Them and Black Flag.
Do NOMEANSNO!🤘❤️🇨🇦
For realz!! So good.
Listen to nomeansno from canada on the wrong LP. Exzellent Punk Bass!
Not too bad
Sooo... You're seeing a lot of NoMeansNo requests, but very little agreement on the song. The reason for that is it's sooo hard to choose. They have a huge amount of variation in sound - from almost a Ramones cover-band to full on Prog epics. 'Wrong' is their most popular (but not only great) album and almost all the requests you've been getting are from that album. Would you consider doing a full album reaction? If so, go with the original (LP) release at just under 40 min, and skip the longer versions with extra songs. There are two songs on that album I don't care for (including the last one - 'all lies'), but the rest are all amazing.
Klaus & EB Ray by far my favorite bass/guitar duo of all time. Saw them many times back in day. 🤘
You have a talent for hearing half steps where there are none :)
12:43 it's an intrinsic part of punk music and i love your example so much and so agree♥♥
Klaus Flouride what a player! Was a huge inspiration and a big band for me growing up. Always got such a great presence in the band.. shame they fell apart, definitely one of their better songs, favourite of mine gotta be Too Drunk To Fuck!!
Love the different bass today too! Real nice sounding instrument you’ve got there brother
My favorite too and police truck rips as well.
Is that a fan-fret bass? I'm looking into getting one. I've been playing on and off since '92.
These guys were so cool to see live. I was standing off to the left of the stage and was singing along to a song and I'm handed the mike an sang part of "MTV get off the air"! After that the 2 girls I was with thought I was a god!
we need to get some Refused in here. what u think, Summerholidays vs Punkroutine?
yes, love getting to see these great punk songs broken down and analyzed!!!!!! keep em coming!
My own wish list ....
Disconected - Face to Face
obsolete absolute - Lagwagon
Cross tie - Avail.
Tim "Rawbiz" Wlliams also played bass for Suicidal Tendencies alongside Eric Moore in drums. Two absolute heavyweights, one very accomplished rhythm section.
A few people are recommending the mighty Nomeansno. You won't be disappointed if you check them out. Big Dick and Oh No! Bruno! are two classics from a litany of classics.
I was never able to get myself into the dead Kennedys but I absolutely 100% appreciate and respect what they did to influence the generations after them. You can hear AFI bass lines right in Holiday in Cambodia
I wasn't a DK fan until I was stuck in a truck going over the pass to a show at Gilman in Berkeley...
The driver played Frankenchrist all the way through, and after that, I had to give them 3rd chance. Soon I was hooked.
I was never a superfan, but they turned into a band I really appreciate, and they definitely give me nostalgia these days.
If you want to hear Dead Kennedys at their best (instrumentally), listen to Frankenchrist. It’s a hidden gem in which only hardcore DK fans are familiar.
three basslines i like: "guns of brixton" the clash, "death disco" (aka "swan lake) PiL, "consume" Sick of it All.
Do “Ill in the Head” off Fresh Fruit next! Took me years to realise East Bay Ray and Klaus weren’t just messing about randomly but actually playing technically challenging jazz scales ❤
Love that Dingwall
Do Subhumans "from the cradle to the grave "
Great idea but ... how long would the video be?
Great idea but ... how long would the video be?
FTCTTG might be the best punk rock song ever.
Anarcho rock opera?
This one has my vote but do the whole album
@robpaige2376 shorter than his review of the decline by nofx
I think you have done a Suicidal Tendencies vid in the past but have you done Infectious Grooves? Some of the same members as Suicidal.
I haven’t done either, but they’re both on the list and coming soon!
He plays that melody on the D string while playing the open A