''Let Them Eat Jellybeans!'', subtitled "17 Extracts From America's Darker Side", is a

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several Performing arts#Performers, performers. If by one artist, then generally the tr ...

released by

Jello Biafra Eric Reed Boucher (born June 17, 1958), known professionally as Jello Biafra, is an American singer, spoken word artist and politician. He is the former lead singer and songwriter for the San Francisco punk rock band Dead Kennedys. Initially ac ...

Alternative Tentacles Alternative Tentacles is an independent record label established in 1979 in San Francisco, California. It was used by Dead Kennedys for the self-produced single " California Über Alles". After realizing the potential for an independent label, t ...

in 1981. It was one of the earliest compilations of underground music in the United States and its original release included an insert of all of the

punk Punk or punks may refer to: Genres, subculture, and related aspects * Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres * Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...

bands known to be playing in the U.S. and Canada at that time. The first side of the LP features songs by a number of bands that formed the canon of American

hardcore punk Hardcore punk (also known as simply hardcore) is a punk rock music genre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots can be traced to earlier punk ...

in the 1980s, while the second side features more of an

art rock Art rock is a subgenre of rock music that generally reflects a challenging or avant-garde approach to rock, or which makes use of modernist, experimental, or unconventional elements. Art rock aspires to elevate rock from entertainment to an art ...

sound. The album's title comes from the phrase "

Let them eat cake "Let them eat cake" is the traditional translation of the French phrase "'", said to have been spoken in the 17th or 18th century by "a great princess" upon being told that the peasants had no bread. The French phrase mentions brioche, a bread e ...

" (supposedly said by

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette Josèphe Jeanne (; ; née Maria Antonia Josepha Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last queen of France before the French Revolution. She was born an archduchess of Austria, and was the penultimate child a ...

). The use of the word

jellybean Jelly beans are small bean shaped sugar candies with soft candy shells and thick gel interiors (see gelatin and jelly). The confection is primarily made of sugar and sold in a wide variety of colors and flavors. History It has been cla ...

s is in reference to

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, who was known to consider them his favorite candy. At least two of the cuts on the punk side of the album have never been issued in the same form heard on ''Let Them Eat Jellybeans''. The version of Black Flag's "Police Story" heard on ''...Jellybeans!'' was recorded during the sessions for the '' Six Pack'' EP and features

Dez Cadena Dez Cadena (born June 2, 1961) is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1980 to 1983. Cadena played guitar with Misfits from 2001 to 2015, initi ...

on lead vocals, although the album's insert features the then-current '' Damaged''-era lineup with

Henry Rollins Henry Lawrence Garfield (born February 13, 1961), known professionally as Henry Rollins, is an American singer, writer, spoken word artist, actor, and presenter. After performing in the short-lived hardcore punk band State of Alert in 1980, Rolli ...

. Also, the version of

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...

' "

Nazi Punks Fuck Off! "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" is the fifth single by Dead Kennedys. It was released in 1981 on Alternative Tentacles with "Moral Majority" as the B-side. Both are from the ''In God We Trust, Inc.'' EP, although the EP version is a different recordin ...

" is a wholly different recording than the versions heard on both '' In God We Trust, Inc.'' and the "Nazi Punks Fuck Off!" single. The version of

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...

' "Pay to Cum" is the original version first heard on their self-released 7" single, and differs from the version on their self-titled debut album. According to Alternative Tentacles, it has not reissued the album because Black Flag would not give permission to use their track and because there has been "a falling out" between Biafra and another unnamed band on the record. Biafra would not re-release the album unless it is in its full, original form.Alternative Tentacles Frequently Asked Questions
". ''AlternativeTentacles.com''. Retrieved July 8, 2008. Despite this, the album has been in widespread circulation on peer to peer file sharing networks and on the internet, plus used copies can be found in record stores.

Track listing

Side One: #"Ha Ha Ha" – Flipper #"The Prisoner" –

D.O.A. DOA may refer to: * Dead on arrival * Dead or Alive (disambiguation) Film * ''D.O.A.'' (1949 film), a ''film noir'' * ''D.O.A.'' (1988 film), a remake of the 1949 film * '' D.O.A.: A Rite of Passage'' (1980 film), a documentary on the gene ...

#"Police Story" – Black Flag #"

Pay to Cum "Pay to Cum" (titled "Pay to Cum!" on the record cover) is the debut single by Washington, D.C.-based hardcore punk band Bad Brains. It was released in June 1980 on Bad Brain Records. The single was recorded in New York City by Jimi Quidd at his ...

" –

#"Paid Vacation" –

Circle Jerks Circle Jerks (stylized as Ciʀcle JƎʀᴋs) are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1979 in Los Angeles, California. The group was founded by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson. To date, Circle ...

#"Prostitution" –

Really Red Really may refer to: * ''Really'' (album), by JJ Cale * Really (TV channel) *''Really'', a 2006 film starring Philip Arditti Philip Arditti also credited as Philip Ishak Arditti, is a Turkish theatre and television actor of Jewish Sephardic d ...

#"Jesus Entering from the Rear" –

The Feederz The Feederz are a punk rock band, originally from Arizona. They are known for their controversial song "Jesus" (aka "Jesus Entering from the Rear"), which was featured on Alternative Tentacles' infamous ''Let Them Eat Jellybeans'' compilation, ...

#"Slave to My Dick" – Subhumans Side Two: #"Isotope Soap" –

Geza X Geza Gedeon (born September 28, 1952), professionally known as Geza X, is an American producer. He was a personality in the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s. He is now a producer. He was born in Indiana and moved to California when he was a ...

#"Persecution-That's My Song" – BPeople #"An Object" – Wounds #"Everyone's A Bigot" –

The Offs Formed circa 1978, The Offs were a punk/ska band from San Francisco, started by guitarist Billy Hawk and singer Don Vinil, and later joined by former Hot Tuna drummer Bob Steeler and a rotation of horn players including Bob Roberts, Richard Edso ...

#"Corporate Food" – Anonymous (

Steve Fisk Steve Fisk is an American, Washington-based audio engineer, record producer and musician. As a musician, he has been in bands such as the instrumental alternative/indie rock band Pell Mell and the electronic band Pigeonhed. He has long been as ...

) #"Fun Again" –

Half Japanese Half Japanese is an American art punk band formed by brothers Jad and David Fair around 1975, sometime after the family's relocation to Uniontown, Maryland. Their original instrumentation included a small drum set, which they took turns playi ...

#"Joke's On You" – Christian Lunch #"Sleep" – Voice Farm

References

{{Authority control 1981 compilation albums Alternative Tentacles compilation albums Hardcore punk compilation albums Cultural depictions of Ronald Reagan

Track listing

See also

References