Bedtime for Democracy

Bedtime for Democracy
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 1986
RecordedApril and July 1986
StudioCity Sound Recording and Hyde St. Studios
Genre
Length48:40
LabelAlternative Tentacles
ProducerJello Biafra
Dead Kennedys chronology
Frankenchrist
(1985)
Bedtime for Democracy
(1986)
Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death
(1987)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
NME[2]
Spin Alternative Record Guide4/10[3]

Bedtime for Democracy is the fourth and final studio album by American punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Released in 1986, songs on this album cover common punk subjects often found in punk rock lyrics of the era such as conformity, Reaganomics, the U.S. military, and critique of the hardcore punk movement. The album's title refers to the 1951 comedy film, Bedtime for Bonzo starring Ronald Reagan and also reflects the band's weary bitterness from the trial they were undergoing at the time over the controversial art included with their previous album. By the time recording of Bedtime for Democracy had begun, the Dead Kennedys had already played what would be their last concert with Jello Biafra and announced their breakup immediately after the release of the record, whose opening track is a cover of David Allan Coe's "Take This Job and Shove It."[4]

  1. ^ AllMusic review
  2. ^ NME review
  3. ^ Arnold, Gina (1995). "Dead Kennedys". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 106–107. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  4. ^ Cleary, David. "Bedtime for Democracy - Dead Kennedys | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 August 2017.