VIVA LAS VEGAS (Dead Kennedys)
“Viva Las Vegas” is a 1963 song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman and recorded that same year by Elvis Presley. Influential punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of “Viva Las Vegas” on their 1980 debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. The song had been a part of their live set almost since the band’s inception. Their version strips the musical arrangement down to guitar, bass, and drums, and uses a slightly faster tempo, yet maintains the song’s melodic structure. (More from Wikipedia)
In certain circles at least, Dead Kennedys are as well known as the Grateful Dead. They are the founders of hardcore punk in the San Francisco Bay area, though most of that action was in Los Angeles. Their 1980 debut album, Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables is one of the landmark punk rock albums of all time and includes most of their well-known songs, such as “California Über Alles”, “Holiday in Cambodia”, “Kill the Poor”, and a cover of “Viva Las Vegas”.
(July 2012)
