GI

It is definitely a punk rock album but not a good one. I don't think I needed to listen to this and I don't have a need to listen to it again.

Another one of these 'influential but not actually entertaining to listen to' ones

Proof that music is whatever people will make and whatever other people will listen to, everything else is extra.

the fucking worst noise i’ve ever listened to.

Awesome punk album. Crazy that it was made in '79. Wonderfully produced, every instrument comes in clear, while still being chaotically punk.

A blast of self-lacerating L.A. punk in its original glory, (GI) is simply classic; a commanding, rampaging sneer at everyone and everything infused with a particular, disturbed vision. Said vision belongs to Darby Crash, whose proclivities for charismatic manipulation were already well established before he fully spelled them out in lyrics like "Lexicon Devil," here featuring in a re-recording, and "Richie Dagger's Crime." His David Bowie worship was also paramount -- "Land of Treason," "Communist Eyes," and "Strange Notes" are just three numbers featuring his transformation of the apocalyptic aesthetics of albums like Diamond Dogs and Station to Station toward more brutal ends. Practically speaking, his snarling star quality comes through more than his words, but it's more than enough on that front. Pat Smear has an equal claim to being the album's star, though, and for good reason -- not only did he co-write everything, his clipped, catchy monster riffing was as pure punk in the late-'70s sense as anything, wasting no time on anything extraneous. Lorna Doom and Don Bolles keep up the side as a kickass rhythm section, Bolles in particular making a good mark in the first of his many drumming stints over the moons. Joan Jett's production got knocked at the time for perceived thinness, but she and engineer Pat Burnette actually did a great job at recording the band with crisp, strong results. The notorious closing number, "Shut Down (Annihilation Man)," makes for a nicely balanced contrast to the 42-second opener, "What We Do Is Secret." While the latter song is pure hyperspeed, Crash sounding like he's about to run out of breath on the shout-along chorus, "Shut Down (Annihilation Man)," recorded at a club gig, shows how the Germs could (quite intentionally) tick off an audience via long, meandering numbers if they so chose.

I’m double vaccinated so didn’t think I’d have to put up with Germs. My first reaction was this sounds very basic and I can't understand the lyrics but the same could be said for The Clash's 1st album (which I rated 5) so I thought I should give it a chance. I looked up the lyrics to a few songs (including Communist Eyes and Lexicon Devil). Lexicon Devil seems to be about a dictator (possibly Hitler); it’s not necessarily taking a positive view but not taking a negative one either. The lyrics coupled with the violence incited at their concerts indicate that Darby was a nihilist. (I haven’t heard anyone being called a nihilist since The Big Lebowski). I immediately booked my booster shot so this is hopeful the last of the Germs showing up.

Germs are a 70's hardcore punk band. Super fast and thrashy like punk should be, but I haven't got a baker's fuck of an idea what the lead singer is saying. It's exactly what you expect from a good punk band. Hard, fast sloppy, and unforgiving. I realised while listening through the album that one of their songs "Lexicon Devil" was featured on the Radio station Channel X on GTA 5. I couldn't remember where I heard it before until I looked it up. Punk is a weird genre. Each song ranges from 1-2 minutes in length, and never overstays its welcome. That is, except for the last song on the record, which is almost 10 minutes long. Overall, a perfectly fine punk record from the roots of the genre. Nothing really to write home about, but not bad at all. Favourite songs: Lexicon Devil Least favourite songs: Shut Down (Annihilation Man) 3/5

Not unlistenable, but not my style.

The snobs who don't get punk won't like this, but this is terrific for those who do. It's raw and hard hitting. It's the kind of album that really helped define the genre. It's too bad we never got another album.

If aliens landed on earth, came to me and said you have one chance to choose the most perfect example of a punk rock album or we'll turn the Earth into a smoking barren wasteland, this is the album that I would confidently choose.

A mad band, though only the rhythm section benefits, musically speaking. Hardcore moves fast enough that misses and hits are obvious; Remarkably, Germs veers back and forth between success and failure in the space of seconds. Repeatedly. This is a remarkable set to have captured on wax. The bass and forward momentum carry a listen or two and one hopes there are grimy depths to plumb.

There's just something about this album... Its attitude, its strength, its lyrics... it is one-of-a-kind indeed... and jewel of the crown of US punk

File under B for "Bitchin"

One of my favorite albums of all time by one of my favorite bands. There's no denying the songwriting here is great - the songs all have great melodies and the lyrics are clever and poetic in a good way. I would even say Darby was one of the best lyricists in punk, maybe music in general. The music is also great, very catchy, fast enough, energetic and short as it should be. I'll admit I often skip Shut Down, but it's not actually a bad song. All in all, an absolute masterpiece.

Over forty years old and still sounds fresh.

My knowledge of The Germs up until now was limiting to knowing they were featured in Penelope Spheeris' film The Decline of Western Civilization, and that they were a hardcore band. Shamefully, despite their importance to the hardcore scene, GI isn't on Spotify. GI doesn't sound like a band that barely knew how to play their instruments when they were formed. For punk, this is not simple music. Compositionally, it has more in common with the Pixies than the Clash. There are start and stop rhythms, odd time signatures, and the chord sequences are not the standard I, IV, V beloved by punk bands everywhere, and all of this is played at breakneck speed, with energy to match. It would be tempting to lay this at the feet of guitarist and co-composer Pat Smear, who later went on to tour with Nirvana, but the truth is that bassist Lorna Doom and drummer Don Bolles match him step for step. They're a damned good rhythm section. As for frontman Darby Crash, he sustains a near inhuman level of energy, even if you can hardly understand a word he screams/sings. I feel like I'm not doing a very good job of explaining how good this band is. The thing is, Smear writes really strong riffs and instrumental hooks, and there's a wide range of stylistic variety for hardcore punk. It's just a shame you can't understand what Crash is saying and that he isn't technically a strong singer. Also, as fun as GI is, it starts to wear you down after four or five songs and there's sixteen tracks! At a mere 38 minutes, GI feels really long, even punishing. One last thing I should mention. Joan Jett (yes, that Joan Jett) does a great job of producing, imparting GI with a clarity of sound that reveals that the Germs were not just mindless hardcore punk thrashers.

An important album for LA/hardcore punk, and it still sounds great and powerful

Great classic punk.

Playing this fast and precisely is hard, which the stripped-down discourse around punk can camouflage. Much of this record is a band charting out what happens when you blast out chords without space to breathe in between, but there's some smart structures here and a sulphurous anthem in "Lexicon Devil". A close listen reveals clever guitar work, the little accents, fluorishes and timbre shifts, not too far off from the subtleties you can pick out in AC/DC when you concentrate on Malcom Young. I wonder how many of us first heard Germs through the inclusion of "Lexicon Devil" on the punk rock station in Grand Theft Auto V, and I wonder what Crash would've made out of that, though I see it as Keith Morris slipping credit and cash to the family of a friend. I usually find the bands who played alongside the hardcore scene more interesting, but this has stick, and is surprisingly compelling, let's listen to one more...

No need for a coffee wake-me-up this morning. "(GI)" is the only studio album from the LA punk band The Germs and it is often considered the first full hard-core punk album...GI standing for Germs Incognito. Oh, and it rocks in a pretty relentless way. The album was produced by no other than Joan Jett as the band were big fans of The Runaways. The band consisted of the charismatic (in a hardcore punk way) lead singer Darby Crash, Pat Smear (guitar, he might have been in a few subsequent bands), Lorna Doom (bass) and Don Bolles (drums). The music is pretty much straight-forward hard-core punk..the musicians are top-notch for what they are playing and Darby is unique with his sneer and lyrics. And the lyrics appear to be pretty autobiographical and sometimes political although I'm not sure if it's serious or tongue and cheek or both. This music is very influential; I hear early Husker Du and just about every other hard-core punk band. The album kicks off and the stage is set with the 43 second "What We Do Is Secret." Here's the Incognito. "Communist Eyes" is just a great hard-core song..thumping bass, Smear's guitar, Darby's sneer. Seeing through the Communist eyes. Hard to tell if he's serious or not but he compares it to a double-edge sword and suppression. "Lexicon Devil" might be their biggest song. Kind of a classic rock guitar riff. Has to be autobiographical with a leader making people believe anything with words. "Manimal" is slower and more in the heavy metal category, at least in the beginning. Humans have the power to nature and destroy. The second side starts with "Media Blitz" and comments on media control. "The Other Newst One" is the closest thing to a pop song. It's slower..very Ramones-esque. The band goes horror and Black Sabbath at the end with "Shut Down (Annihilation Man)." This nine-minute long song was recorded live in the studio. Darby brings all his evil out and comments on Joan Jett, Sid Vicious and a lot more. An appropriate way to the end. The first time I came across The Germs was in the film "The Decline of Western Civilization" which prominently featured Darby Crash. I think I went immediately out and tried to find a Germs' album. I need to watch this again. (GI) is a great and influential album. I actually think The Germs were one of the highlights of western civilization in the 20th century...there was a lot worse.

4.5 The Ramones may have invented punk, but The Germs invented hardcore... and the genre owes so much to them for it. It's not for everyone, but man it's for me - I couldn't help but bang my head along even though I was working in the office while listening. Darby Crash is an all-time great punk vocalist (RIP) and Pat Smear (later of Nirvana/Foo Fighters fame!) an all-time great guitarist. Would have loved to mosh to these guys. It's really all killer, no filler here - just 38 minutes of raw, uncut punk. Yeah, not the most versatile record to exist, and maybe some songs blend together, but dammit I had a great time with every single track. Special shoutout to Lexicon Devil for being one of the greatest punk songs ever written. Would listen again in a heartbeat... though probably need to take a minute to calm my anarchical urges. Favorite songs: Liked them all, but love Lexicon Devil

Raw, sneering, blistering, hyper-paced, classic punk album. The lyrics are pretty impossible to fully discern by ear but surprisingly smart and eloquent. It's incredibly biting political and social commentary, some of the best. Listen, the go read the lyrics to catch the full measure of what this band was about. Album is not on Spotify, go to YouTube. Fave Songs: Our Way, We Must Bleed, Media Blitz, The Other Newest One, Land of Treason, Strange Notes

The newest member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - PAT F’N SMEAR!!!!!! Great album with lots of punk rock anthems. Best when kept short and sweet. I liked the 8 minute Shut Down track but it did feel like it took some unnecessary detours Fave tracks: “Lexicon Devil” “Communist Eyes” “Richie Dagger’s Crime”

Sick vibes, vocals sound like Charlie Browns teacher to me

This one made me laugh out loud from the nostalgia of hearing early punk rock! I do not think I have ever heard any of these songs before - the Ramones, Clash, and Dead Kennedys were more on my radar. The pace is relentless - reminding me of why punk is best served in small doses. If you are into punk this one probably rates higher for you. For me, well not so much - once the nostalgia wore off, the screaming continued.

I have discovered I really don't like American "hardcore" punk at all. This is so amateurish, not in a good way, and so devoid of ideas as to be boring as hell. It's not even fun like Circle Jerks. Are there any good examples?

Les Minutemerde ont encore échoué dans leur couverture, on les reconnait immédiatement.

Nee...

Day466 - not many albums leave me wanting more but this was awesome

Nice to have some proper music after the last album i had. Classic early hardcore punk, no punches pulled.

5 out of 5. Hard hitting in the best way possible.

Looking for the future, the world is my aim

Love this shit!! So happy to have gotten a punk album today. This is getting 5 stars. Love this old school punk, and the last 9 min track was a bonus. Usually this type of music only gets 2 or 3 min tracks. Sometimes les than 2 min! Plus this came out on my birthyear so extra bonus.

If there’s a perfect punk album, GI might just be it. From start to finish, it’s raw, chaotic, and absolutely relentless. There’s no polish, no pretension just pure, unfiltered energy blasted out at full speed. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t just sound aggressive; it feels aggressive, like it could fall apart at any second but never actually does. Every element works together to create something that feels like a total force of nature, and I can’t think of a single second that doesn’t hit exactly the way it should. The Positives First and foremost, the sheer energy of GI is unbelievable. There’s an urgency to this album that very few others capture. From the opening seconds of “What We Do Is Secret,” it’s clear this isn’t going to be a standard punk record. it’s something wilder, faster, and completely untamed. The songs don’t waste time. They explode into action, burn out fast, and leave behind nothing but the wreckage of whatever just happened. Darby Crash’s vocals are some of the most unhinged I’ve ever heard, and they completely make the album. He doesn’t just sing. he slurs, shouts, howls, and drags every syllable through the dirt. His voice is a mess in the best way, making every lyric sound even more chaotic and nihilistic. His delivery on “Richie Dagger’s Crime” and “Lexicon Devil” is iconic, and the way he sneers through “Manimal” is almost hypnotic. Pat Smear’s guitar work is another massive highlight. The riffs are sharp, heavy, and incredibly tight. far more technical than a lot of punk at the time. His playing doesn’t just add aggression; it defines the entire sound of the album. Tracks like “Strange Notes” and “Land of Treason” are absolutely blistering, with a mix of classic punk fury and an almost proto-hardcore precision. Then there’s the drumming. Don Bolles is an absolute machine, keeping everything moving at breakneck speed but never losing control. His performance on songs like “Media Blitz” and “Dragon Lady” is unreal, with fills that feel like they’re being thrown in randomly but land perfectly every time. The bass, courtesy of Lorna Doom, is raw and driving, adding to the album’s sense of reckless momentum. And I have to mention the production—Joan Jett did an insane job behind the scenes. This could have easily been another lo-fi, muddy punk album, but instead, it sounds sharp and massive. It’s still rough and dirty, but every instrument cuts through clearly. The mix is aggressive without feeling blown out, and the balance between the instruments and Darby’s wild vocals is near perfect. The Negatives Honestly, the only real “negative” is that it’s not for everyone. If you’re not into punk that sounds like a complete breakdown happening in real time, this album might be overwhelming. Darby’s vocals can be an acquired taste, especially on tracks like “Manimal” where he goes full insanity mode. But for me, that’s a strength rather than a flaw. If I had to nitpick, I’d say some of the songs feel like they end before they even begin, but that’s also part of the appeal. They hit fast, do their damage, and then vanish before you have time to fully process them. The Songs “Lexicon Devil” is probably the most well-known track here, and for good reason. It’s got one of the best punk riffs ever, and Darby’s vocals are at their absolute peak. It’s aggressive, unpredictable, and completely addicting. “What We Do Is Secret” sets the tone immediately—fast, disorienting, and completely unhinged. “Richie Dagger’s Crime” has a slightly more controlled feel, but the sneering vocal delivery gives it this weird, menacing charm. “Strange Notes” is one of the heaviest tracks here, with a brutal guitar tone that makes it sound like it's ripping through the speakers. “Media Blitz” is just pure speed, with some of the best drumming on the album, and “Dragon Lady” has this weird, twisting rhythm that somehow still fits perfectly into the chaos. And then there’s “Shutdown (Annihilation Man).” It’s the longest track by far, completely different from everything else on the album, and one of the most hypnotic things the Germs ever recorded. It’s like the entire album collapsing in slow motion, stretching out into this noisy, drugged-out dirge that somehow still works as a closer. Final Thoughts GI is an absolute masterpiece. It’s fast, it’s loud, it’s messy, but every second of it is completely alive. The combination of Darby’s reckless vocals, Pat Smear’s razor-sharp guitar work, Lorna Doom’s relentless basslines, and Don Bolles’ machine-gun drumming makes this one of the most essential punk albums ever made. It’s near perfection. 5/5.

Props to this list for having the US alternative to the Sex Pistols. I like both bands (as I would have back then).

Shout out Pat Smear

First full-length hardcore punk album?? That's HUGE!

The snarliest, dirt under fingers, hardcore punk from the tragic flash in the pan band that was the Germs. The moment when you here Darby Crash’s painful voice scratch out the words “I want out now” on We Must Bleed, it might be the most devastating foreshadowing captured on record.

Just like every single punk album should sound like. Raw, hard, pissed, short songs, angry, mosh pit igniter, jumpy, This is an amazing album for the punk genere. Im giving it a well deserved 5 star rating. On a side note the guitar player pat smear has the worst luck ever. Germs disbanded after a bandmates suicide and the. He joined Nirvana as a touring memeber and we all know how that ended up.

Absolutely one of the best and most important to the scene

Incredible hardcore/punk album. Absolutely rips.

Fantastic. A band that I have heard a lot about over the years but have not listened to.

The quintessential snotty punk album. It never lets up. Killer riffs throughout too.

One of the better L.A. hardcore albums, in large part due to Joan Jett’s production.

The album that spawned an entire genre, this album is all killer no filler. Pat Smear’s howling guitars, the super tight rhythm section and Darby Crash’s vocals are absolute assault on the ears.

This album was the birth place of a lot of the punk/hardcore I love. Crazy they sound like this so early and how many bands sounded like them for so long.. Great stuff and great pick.

Genre defining hardcore punk record by a legendary band headed by a central figure of the scene. RIP Darby Crash.

Just a great loud punk record. I was thinking about listening to this when it came up on the feed.

Loud and in your face. Darby Crash's lyrics are some of the best in punk. And Pat Smear's guitar work is really good here, too. This is a great example of late 70s punk/hardcore.

Loved it, exactly my kind of thing

What I needed to hear today!

Had to back and relisten to the Lost Notes podcast on John Lennon and Darby Crash ahead of putting this on today. So good. Ironic that I got this the day after McCartney. It does kind of eulogise Crash's death by overdose/suicide as a somewhat romantic tragedy however, but it's a good story. The album I didn't actually expect to enjoy that much, from the snippets I'd heard prior, muddy recordings of the chaotic live gigs with Crash snarling and gnashing over the top, thought it would be more of a mood than actually good. But holy hell, there's a lot of riffs going on if you listen, Pat Smear fully deserves equal kudos for this. Too much punk, especially hardcore, just thrashes through the same simple riff for 2 minutes and calls it a job. Not so here, there's loads going on. Banging.

awesome addition to this era of punk. Probably the closest thing to bad brains I've heard without it being bad brains. AND I FUCKING LOVE BAD BRAINS!!!!!!

classic

cool

legendary vocal performance, for sure influenced Attila Csihar decent/strong 9

YES! I've never heard this band but was so nice to get some legit punk on here.

Darby Crash may have been a terrible person but I don't care because this is what punk rock is really like.

YESSSS

Excellent

Yeeeeees!

Great classic punk

A proto-hardcore classic

5 Absolute quintessential punk fucking rock. Lexicon Devil is what got me started (s/o THUG2) and I’ve listen so many times since. Top shit

germs!

One of my favorites albums of all time

👍🏼👍🏼

Hard punk f******

Classic album. If only Darby lived.

Raw, early hardcore punk influences.

The Germs were definitely a key band in the early days of hardcore, and this will always be a classic album. Plus, Pat Smear is a great guitarist. He ended up becoming one of the guitarists for Nirvana and then joined the Foo Fighters. Now, even though it's important and some people really love it, I think it's a little overrated when it's on some top album lists.

fuck ya

This record has good energy and there's more variety than in, say, your typical Ramones album. That said, I don't think the material is groundbreaking. It feels rather derivative. I read Wikipedia and now understand that these guys were early and everything later was derived from them! That said, I'd rather listen to Sex Pistols or Clash or Bad Brains...

Pretty good, I should have listened to this already. Will I listen to again: 95%

Egentlig nogle gode hardcore punk elementer. Men også ret ensformigt. Derfor kommer et 38 mins. album til at føles langt.

8/10

hardcore punk albums are great to get on this list when you've a backlog to get through. short, not so sweet, but a great listen all the same

Hard punk. You know what you're getting and it delivers.

Solid punk record. Happy to have this one on the list!

High energy, dynamic music with incisive but barely intelligible incisive and insightful lyrics. What more could you want from early punk?

A case of where context drives a lot of the assessment. As the first hardcore LP, it cannot be understated how important this album is. As the sub-genre began populating various scenes across the US, one has to assume the first long form recording played a role in such propagation. If you want a good idea what the hardcore is, it certainly delivers the core concept. Freneticism. Even as a fan of the sub-genre, I find myself wanting more. I really can't stand Crash. I can't really explain why. With plenty of bands following shortly after, I can't say this album is my first choice. Maybe a little too much Johnny Rotten for something that should be more intense, or maybe I've been spoiled by the guttural vocalists that followed him. For better or worse his vocals certainly serve as standard punk fair. It's the rest of the band that really carries the album for me. Pat Smear shows why he became a seasoned performer in the alt-rock scene and Lorna Doom deftly executes bassline after bassline. All of this topped by an incredible studio team. I mean Joan Jett, props. This is how you record and mix bass. Rating: 7.8/10 Favorite Song: Lexicon Devil

8.5/10 kinda my first foray into this type of hardcore and I fw with it. Not my favorite genre by any means but I respect the inventive and collaborative nature of this style of music. And I would’ve killed to have been in a dim moldy basement watching these guys shred. Favorite song: Lexicon Devil

Classic punk from a foundational band.

Dead Kennedys-esque vibes, and all the better for it.

Really fun, really loud thrashy punk, I had a good time listening to this

This album has gained an almost mythical status among punk aficionados. Considered to be the first hardcore album, it's everything you expect - raw, fast, hard and unforgivingly brutal. Darby delivers his vocals with a sneer and attitude. Pat blasts out great riff after great riff. Lorna and Don keep everything moving with the rhythm section.

i truly feel so out of my depth taking ab hardcore punk, but attention must be paid at the v least to the super cool production job (by joan jett of all people!)...the bass tone is super pronounced , and theres a ton of clarity in general even tho the timbre of the instruments is still rough n tumble abrasive...genuinely reminds me more than anything of the production on Nevermind? at least in overall priorities. hard to not notice darby as a vocalist too...extremely stretch-and-squashy voice thats as fluid as a cartoon character. love the closing track too, like a sloppy punky take on a hypnotic krautrock churn. definitely a fun listen on the whole. when i saw the cover i assumed it was a techno record

1. 8/10 2. 8/10 3. 8/10 4. 8/10 5. 8/10 6. 7/10 7. 8/10 8. 8/10 9. 8/10 10. 7/10 11. 7/10 12. 8/10 13. 8/10 14. 7/10 15. 7/10 16. 7/10 Rating: 81/100

Fun energy coming from this album, good example of not judging an album by the cover since this is not what I expected

Lots of raw energy. Pretty cool

Frantic, abrasive and given the band name, fittingly snotty. Just a really good punk album. 4 stars

Fun classic punk. Great listen for a cold winter morning.

Only album by short-lived LA punk band featuring Pat Smear on guitar and produced by Joan Jett. It’s fun, frantic and fast, with the exception of the last song, Shot Down (Annihilation Man), which at almost 10 minutes compared to the sub-two minutes of most of the other tracks, might be my favourite on the album.

it’s like if the sex pistols didn’t suck dick

Roher Hardcore Punk, war in ner Stimmung, dass es mir gefallen hat. Lexicon Devil war im GTA V Radio, aber für mich bekannter aus Tony Hawks Underground 2, direkt wiedererkannt. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine

definitely a welcome change from the King Crimson yesterday. This record seemed much fresher and alive after that.

Had NOT heard this before and it is AWESOME. 4.

Punk as fuck. Media blitz and lexicon devil are the stand outs. The 9 minute closing song was unnecessary.

4/5