GI

5/10 No es malo, pero qsy. Muy fuerte para la mañana, sin terminar de ser bueno

A wall of noise

This is better than I had anticipated. I'm not much of a fan of punk, but this has an intensity that I thought was good and the production was better than I expected.

After listening to Minor Threat, I thought I'd be up for a bit more hardcore punk, but this was too much for me. I think We Must Bleed might be an all time low for songs that I've listened to in the last few years. It was like it would never end and it totally triggered me. It's amazing how sings that only last for a couple of minutes seem to go on forever. A few of the songs (Communist Eyes, The Other Newest One) sort of break out into a tune, and there are interesting noises in Manimal and Richie Dagger's Crime, but after listening to almost all of the album, I deserved better than listening to 9 minutes of Shut Down. 1 star. I'm not that hardcore.

couldn't get into this at all...it all just sounded the same to me

Germy

ㅅㅂ

Killer punk record from a classic band.

I've heard the name but not sure I've ever heard them. Punk stuff, cool, I like it.

What is a Lexicon Devil, anyway?

Huh. That was interesting. This is GI by the Germs. It's apparently one of the first hardcore punk albums ever released. That's neat! You know what's not neat? This album. Hold on, hold on. I'm not saying that this album's bad. I know I normally use "neat" as a way to call an album cool, but I mean it differently here. What I'm trying to say is that this album is sloppy and rough. The instrumentals are played well, but they're not the cleanest either. Darby Crash's vocals are practically unintelligible for much of the album. The energy here is rowdy and and VERY informal... but that makes the album kinda special. Isn't this what punk is supposed to be? A couple of youngins playing the fastest, harshest rock music you've heard? In a way, this album's kinda ahead of its time. But, that doesn't mean that I love this album. I'll defend it, for sure, but I'm also not a huge fan of it. Darby's vocals wore on me after a bit and while I do respect the energy, it's also not one that I personally vibe with much. Some of the songs here are good. I thought "Lexicon Devil" was fun, but the album did kinda blend together a bit. But you know what? I'm glad I listened to it. It's a cool look into the earliest years of hardcore punk. For that, I think this album belongs here, even if I'm not personally a massive fan of what I heard. 3/5.

Awful

Maybe it makes me “uncultured” but I feel like once you’ve heard one hardcore punk album, you’ve heard them all. Two stars for being first.

Our Way had some interesting drum sounds going on Joan Jett as a producer is sick. Even more sick that this release is "often considered the first full-length hardcore punk album", so Joan Jett was really cooking

LOVE- pure punk!

Har denne definert hardcore? Sikkert. Har mange av dagens hardcore-band hørt denne? Sikkert. Må andre høre den? Nei.

V interesting

Ive never liked old punk music, but I can imagine that this album was influential. I just saw it came out in '79- this was early punk! okay I just read the wiki, and it is considered the first punk album wow. Also, Pat Smear was in the band. I didn't know that! definitely fun facts, but still doesn't make the music sound any better to me.

I couldn’t listen to this

This sucks. Every song sounds exactly the same. I kinda feel like punk is a boring genre bc everything sounds just like this. I feel like its very rare for punk to sound interesting to me

Really really bad. Maybe I don’t like punk?

Very dumb, very in yer face punk. I didn't totally hate it to be honest, especially at the start, although it's quite the onslaught. I enjoyed discovering that they used to behave so rowdily during shows that GI stands for Germs Incognito. So that's cool. The music? Not so much. But the punk energy, yeah I dug it.

Punk, leaning harsh

Meh... Ok Punk album.

Punk is hit or miss for me

The biggest thing that this list has taught me is that heavy music as a whole is way older than I thought it was. I never would've guessed that Doom Metal and Hardcore Punk started in the 1970s, but apparently Black Sabbath and The Germs both put those words right back in my mouth. This album in particular sounds pretty modern for a Hardcore Punk album from the 70s, but then again the genre hasn't really evolved too far from where it came from other than a small handful of bands downtuning their guitars and talking faster (shoutout to my favorite local HxC band, Killed by Florida). Anyways, nothing to complain about with this record. I love albums that come way before when I thought a genre started and that closing track is truly one-of-a-kind.

Starting to feel like if I ever hear another punk album it'll be too soon, and with hardcore punk it just turns into a free pass for everything to sound like mushy sameness and call it a day. It's apparently one of the firsts of its style. That's cool, it makes me feel drained when I listen to it, too

Not for me. It’s like listening to the Tony Hawk Pro Skater soundtrack.

It's a good punk rock album that delivers exactly what you expect from it, knowing it's a punk album from 1979. Pure, raw, fast, and visceral. I already knew Lexicon Devil thanks to the GTA V soundtrack, but I'd never heard anything else besides that, and I'm still trying to find reasons for this album to be on this list. Okay, it's a great album, but it sounds like many others. If I do my homework and read up on the context in which this album was released, maybe I'll find that reason. But I don't want to have to read a book every time I listen to an album. Music has to make sense without context. For that reason, only 3 stars. (I wanted to note here that I guessed the album was exactly 38 minutes long before even opening it on Spotify. If you're going to play the lottery today, choose number 38 and split the prize with me afterwards.)

Amazing wikipedia page

Well, ya, this is punk. This isn’t some lesbian looking band fronted by a hobbit who claims to be punk. Ya, I’m talking to you Green Day. At the same time, this is punk but it’s not melodic punk. You can sit there and say I don’t know what I’m talking about but even the Dead Kennedys had melody. Smut Peddlers? Melody. Sex Pistols? Yep them too. MC5? Misfits ? Yep. Catch my drift mate? The music is good and true to the roots. Vocally, yep it’s punk but there’s just not much meat to it. I’m happy with this. That’s all I care about but I don’t think I’d listen to them again on my own free will.

Early punk rock; similar to The Clash but harder; I like The Clash but wasn’t really a fan of this grittier (more aggressive?) vocals/sound.

Day 357 Didn’t dislike this at all, just not sure I’ll ever have the inclination to listen to it again. Highlights Lexicon Devil Media Blitz

Definitely an iconic punk sound, but I didn't love it. The songs sounded very similar and the lyrics felt boring.

Gotta be in the mood for the Germs..it's rough and tumble, get tossed about the room as they blow thru each little track in angry bursts and snarls. I like the second half of the album better. Need for them to exist didn't we, a track here or there sometimes is cool, but a whole album of this would make me wanna either break stuff or set things on fire hahaaa

This is sweat. The kind that comes on fast when your adrenaline has spiked. It fills your scalp, just beneath your hair, and steadily runs down your forehead; it pools at the base of your spine after traveling along your entire back. It has a distinct smell.

Seeing these guys in Decline of Western Civilization its amazing they were able to wax a single song much less an album. The upside of a shortened career - this serves as both debut and greatest hits. Live they were really just chaos agents, the album has some actual craft that justifies the iconic t-shirts that still abound. It captures a moment and an energy. We could all use a little nihilism in our upside down world that is also far too controlled.

First time hearing..I was expecting something scuzzier.

LA Punk Band - entertaining energy on each effort

I never was a big fan of punk, but this is exactly how I expected. Very raw, very energetic and chaotic. It's good for what it is. It's also interesting to see what Pat Smear did before Nirvana and Foo Fighters.

I hate to be someone who just universally pans punk, so I try to be extra gracious about it, but this was really obnoxious. It was one-note and repetitive, and I would never choose to listen to it on my own; if someone else put it on, I'd ask them to turn it off. I was most turned off by the vocals, but the spazzy drums and guitar were also at a constant 11, which I found exhausting. The bass was cool sometimes, though... If I were to give the album any credit, it would be for getting my attention.

Look how fast we can play our instruments! Look how wrong I can sing but it's really the first time someone shows anti establishment rage so it's justified! I will never get punk

Absolut sinnloses Herümgebrülle!

Solid energetic hardcore punk, I haven't heard this before but it's pretty convincing, apparently one of these blokes went on to be a Foo Fighter, so that's nice for him I guess.

This was not a good listen.

ngl hardcore punk is the only time of punk i gaf abt

The Circle Jerks and the Germs in the same week? It’s officially the decline of western civilization! This is as good as punk ever got.

just like the band name all over the place but not that chaotic

It’s chaotic, loud, aggressive, and obnoxious. People do like this for sure - I’m not one of them. I’m sure it’s influential, I’m sure it is the inspiration for some bands I really like. I do not like any of this at all.

Punkers will like this, it's raw and honest. If you're not a fan of punk it may sound like shit. But sounding like shit, but doing it with your full chest and being honest in the emotionality, that's what makes good punk.

i listened but isn't my type

Cool punk album

Solid!

Punk rock ei oo mun juttu mutta arvostan silti.

This is just din

Glad it happened at least.

The best thing about punk music is that anyone could do it. The worst thing about punk music is that anyone could do it. Darby Crash killed himself on 7 December 1980 through a massive heroin overdose. He was rather unlucky that his death was overshadowed by that of John Lennon the next day. Listening to this, I can kind of come round to his thinking...

Voor 1979 vooruitstrevend

Rate: 9/10.

Alright

Very aggressive and mean. Also a fun listen

I could not understand over half the words. Thankful it was only 30 minutes. I would disagree with some of the comments that they were the American Clash. I could understand the Clash, despite them being British.

They certainly were germs. They are a painful virus

I don't care how influential they are this album kinda sucks. Pat Smear is so much better with Foo Fighters. My goodness their frontman is unintelligible, couldn't tell you any of the lyrics and the whole thing is just sort of bleh.

Started out mildly interesting, then fell off. Even tho most tracks barely 3 minutes long, album kind of drug

it sure is high energy. flailing vocals and deeply repetitive writing make every song outstay its welcome despite only two tracks breaking the three minute mark.

This is good actually and all of you are wrong.

Decent enough punk album but a bit repetitive after a while.

Maybe I'm just not a punk guy. Started out liking it but as it went on it became more boring to me

Perfect voor snel van huis naar de stad fietsen met een grijns. Maar dat duurt dan ook maar 10 minuten.

Underwhelmed through the start of this, but got into it a bit. Not that anyone can hear them, given the snarled, buried delivery, but the lyrics are pretty interesting. The rest is just fast and hard. Probably great to go deaf to live, but though it's growing on me I'm not yet sold on it as an all time great punk album.

this was new to me, and it was great music to pack to. Bonus points for having Spotify feed me some great punk Classics after the album finished.

Not for me

єєєєєє) цей альбом ідеально представляє свій жанр, панк! І звучить супер

Full-throated, sneery punk. If they mean it, they would hate you for liking it.

This is what one often gets when America tries to duplicate something that is successful in the UK: a sad facsimile that does not hold up to translation. Off-key vocals, too rapid beat, and one trick format just doesn’t work.

Loud, sloppy, fast, and abrasive - an album that sounds like a cartoon brawl - a dirty cloud with fists and hammers spraying around wildly.

Even by my relatively low standards for punk outside of the Ramones, I don't love this. The lyrics having only a tangential relationship to the beat is a little too dissonant for me. Hardcore punk is just not a genre I can appreciate. Our Way is the best song on the album. If they said this list was 1,001 Albums to Listen to So You Can Be a Snobby Music Asshole it would be more fitting. Just because this was the first hardcore punk album, doesn't mean it's the best. A 9+ minute punk song is not necessary. It's basically antipunk. I will never understand what compels bands to make the last song on their album an outrageous length. It's not often that I'm counting the minutes for a 38 minute album to end...but here we are. Shut Down (Annihilation Man), had it been under 6 minutes, would have been the best song on the album. Breaking it into three or four standard punk length songs would have been a massive improvement.

if the vocals were better some of the songs could have been decent

Man this is PUNK

5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background

Maso

Breve, efusivo, rompedor, agresivo y cortante. Nunca había escuchado un álbum del género punk, menos algo un poco más hardcore, me sorprendió la energía de la banda fuera de lo típico que escuchaba. Alguna que otra joya, nada que destacar personalmente.

8 / 10

Horrific. I hated it within seconds.

Manageable doses of quality punk rock, with a buffet of dessert ballads.

I could not finish this.

Don’t care for classic punk that much sorry. At least the ramones had enjoyable catchy hits, this doesnt to me. Its fine, i just don’t care for it so i won’t be too harsh on it. No standouts.

What we do is secret - 3 Communist eyes - 3 Land of treason - 4 Richie dagger's crime - 3 Strange notes - 3 American leather - 3 Lexicon devil - 4 Manimal - 3 Our way - 3 We must bleed - 3 Media blitz - 3 The other newest one - 3 Let's pretend - 3 Dragon lady - 3 The slave - 3 Shut down (annihilation man) - 2

it’s fine. lyrics are imperceptible to me

Can see how this became the base of the LA punk scene. Amazed that I haven't heard this before

One of those albums where I appreciate their significance in shaping the musical landscape (lots of bands I love were directly influence by Germs) but that I don't really enjoy listening to. Lots of early punk I just find sonically unlistenable. Richie Dagger' Crime is pretty decent...

No.

d damn

My lukewarm defense is this: in the new AI apocalypse of algorithmically trained music, bland pop releases, and attention span deterioration, I believe there's value in music that it is unabashadly human. The rage is human, the howling is human, the interplay between the band members is human. It is ugly and drugged out, about as raw as hardcore punk gets, but what surprised me this listen was how catchy it was at points. There are honest to god hooks in the middle of the howling and obscenities. I can't be too surprised at the general negativity towards punk rock on this site, but I can be dissapointed.

The guitar scratches like a dog with fleas. The drummer plays for dear life as he and his kit and shoved out of a police helicopter over a junkyard. If there's a bass, it fell into a LA River culvert. Darby just wants to get these words out before the time bomb goes off. This no-fidelity hardcore classic does it for me.

A lot of the hardcore I used to love hasn’t aged that well, but this sure as shit has. It’s dangerous-sounding, aggressive, malevolent, filthy and nihilistic. Amazing they got Darby to stay clean long enough to record (relatively) coherent vocal tracks, and his lyrics are incredible. “Land of treason, waste no reason / We are breathing fire / We're packs of dogs / We're enemies of men / we are not desired.” He sounds pretty wasted by the time of “Shut Down,” an agonizing dirge that surely must’ve inspired the likes of Flipper and late-era Black Flag.

this is the shit that makes me glad I'm doing this project. A breath of fuckin' fresh air.

Man, I dunno, I know they're important but I've never enjoyed this record, and Darby is just a sad junkie and not a brilliant nihilistic lyricist. Somebody get me a beee-ahr.

I knew I was in for a real treat with this one. Complete garbage from the first note. Man can't sing, music is high school quality, songs are a minute long, all signs of a weak band. This has no place on the Top 1001 albums you must hear before you die. This could be anyone. Maybe minor influence, but other than that this is crap and has no hits, no longevity and every song sounds just like the one before it.

The guy who compiled this list really liked (post) punk bands and it gets boring after a bit. Reading up on this band was more interesting than listening to this album. No doubt they were great live, but punk on an album rarely catches the energy from the stage. Being in a band with Pat Smear is a more dangerous job than being a frontline soldier.

Oh this is good. What's funny is I thought I had listened to it before. Then I realized I'd listened to other bands that were trying to sound like this album. Early punk isn't everyones cup of tea. My son can't stand it, meanwhile I added this to my library to listen to it more later. Good punk album. Worth a listen for historical reasons and it's just a solid album.

Це один із перших альбомів у жанрі гардкор панку. Звучить дуже вторинно. Просто вторинний, не надто цікавий альбом. Оцінка: висока 4/низька 5

The more punk I hear, the more I realize that I don't like it.

All tracks sound the same to me

Punk, nice ./,,/

Stooges era Iggy-like vicals. Sex Pistols on soeed as the back band. I should really like this but i dont. I dont hate it but throw a dart into a million hard core punk bands and you get the same. Maybe they were ahead of thier time but I’m hearing for the first time. Searching for a future and the world is their aim and they may well have gotten it if they survived beyond this one album and did something more i teresting than what i would have done with a couple if months playing behind me and a shitty attitude. Same same but same will throw up a few good songs every now and then but will mostly just sound the same.

I was listening to this while stuck in traffic, and I think that made both the album and the experience of traffic worse.

Sure. Ok.

'I want out now / I want out now.' The most literary-poetic of the hardcore I've heard, & tho the OG, not as dynamic or intentional as Minutemen, Bad Brains, & Minor Threat. 'Embracing my life between your thighs / We will perform in the deadly skies.' By no means an insignificant achievement, or a release only to be admired for it's having been 'the first,' GI is yet not as explosively relevant as other hardcore albums of note. Perhaps those are the stakes of coming out in '79 rather than a few years later when hardcore had time to marinate & develop a sense of self-urgency. Not only messy - I'd say missing something, tho I'm not sure what exactly. Still, it's got the right message. It just doesn't always land the right punch to the gut/face.

I have never heard of the Germs or really any American punk band from the 70s so I’m actually pretty excited! This album wasn’t bad but, it just sounded like a faster sex pistols but, they just weren’t as good. I wish this was better because I’m actually a fan of punk but this just wasn’t a good listen.

Awesome to hear one of the early pioneers of punk on this list. Not sure it's an album I would actively listen to otherwise. But definitely influential on a lot of bands I love.

I dont love this. But they arent fucking around. And I can hear all the music that comes after it. And the production is great for the year

This album was not my thing, but I do know someone who is going to enjoy it very much!

Probably a bit too on the anarchic side of punk for me - but still always happy for a bit of chaotic energy on the list!

The voice is very annoying, stopped listening at song 3.

The Good: Galvanized Iron it is! The Bad: Germs screwing with our immune system. The Ugly: Watching something galvanized becoming rusted… I liked The Clash. I liked The Sex Pistols. I can even handle The Ramones… Maybe I would have been able to handle the Germs if they would’ve called themselves The Germs? Loads of overdriven guitar. Loads of speedy drums. Loads of screaming into a mic. I guess that is punk… I guess I don’t like it. Except for that lengthy tune towards the end… that one did get my attention. For anyone who tries to play guitar, Pat Smear gives a master class in chaos guitar playing that is soo fucking good it is almost criminal. So, for that tune, I am going to give this album 3* and forget about the experience… Also, Pat Smear has not had much luck, has he? Germs singer commit’s suicide Nirvana singer commit’s suicide Foo Fighters drummer ...

2.5

Yeah no.

Good album cover, lousy album

zoals punk moet zijn... vuil, slordig, lo-fi... maar steengoed

Pretty decent

Simple as this: punk has become my least favorite genre over the years. This album showed nothing to change that. (Note Dead Kennedys Forest Fire came on right after and loved that). This one though?Wholly forgettable. 2/5

Not for me. Just not a gente I particularly enjoy.

É cool mas não estou na vibe

I hate the term "important" when it comes to a record or a band. But the Germs ARE important. Between their songs, performance and the stellar production by Joan Jett, they managed to capture the essence of what they were and yet tame down the insanity of their live show JUST enough to capture a record that had commercial value. The sound is perfect, the songs are amazing and the record IS important. This record is nothing short of a classic. It is certainly one of those records that is enjoyable every single time I listen to it.

Not sure about this album. I thought I'd be open minded and give a good listen but just don't like punk.

Everyone knows not to give children with ADHD Red Bull. Don't worry, they'll be alright when they've run it off. Shite.

Couldn't finish, sounded like if Raving Rabbids made an album but worse

This is absolute horseshit

Aggressive, cutting, angry, but somehow pretty melodic (not those vocals tho). Love this sort of stuff!

Wild and noisy Punk essential. Very samey but it's pretty good in all honesty. If you like the Punk sound, this is it.

The first time I heard of the Germs is from the documentary The Decline of Western Civilization The Punk Years which focuses on the early LA punk scene. They had live footage of the Germs and Darby Crash would rarely sing into the microphone. He was an odd character in a world that was just beginning. The music is tight and that is a testament to Joan Jett who produced the album. This classic LA hardcore punk and it’s great. It would have been great if Darby could have controlled the demons in his and his drug use he might have been a voice of a generation. But alas we get one album and some other recordings. It’s good hear this and I’m glad it’s on the list.

Now this is OG punk

Pretty ahead of their time as far as hardcore punk goes. Sometimes I "get it", but sometimes not so much. Cool though.

Thrash Growl Rahhhhh!!! Good punk album; still feels fresh and full of energy.

I would have been fine with dying before listening to this one.

4/10 - Tough one to rate. Seems to be highly influential in their genre and it’s a genre I like, but I don’t like this album. The lyrics are hard to understand and just kind of spat into the mix. Laid groundwork but not something I’m coming back to.

I really enjoyed this, the energy is great and there are some surprisingly good melodies for a hardcore punk album. 8/10

Sigh... So far i've heard at least 20 punked albums that sound exactly like this and i got 15 more waiting for me and i'm gonna guess they will also sound exactly like this. when will i be free

Appalling, ghastly, insipid ramblings devoid of artistry and lacking wit. I don't have anything to say about the album or the other guys' ratings though, I didn't listen to it. I'll give 1.5 stars based on group feedback and consider myself lucky for having skipped it.

I know there’s redeeming stuff about this one, but I can’t say I’d ever be excited to listen to again. Lexicon Devil is maybe my favorite of the bunch.

It really sounds awful

Surprisingly enjoyable. Pat Smear is in the band! Interesting way to end most of the songs, they just kind of abruptly stop!

It sounds dirty and slimy but not in a way that made me think 'oh this rocks'

Historically significant, but musically I put this into the "had to be there at the time" category.

Better than the Sex Pistols. Still don’t really like punk.

I’m not completely averse to hardcore but I at least want to hear some interesting melodies or clever lyrics - this had neither. Mumbled vocals and washed out fuzz didn’t lead to a great listening experience although each track rattled by at a pace.

This is a very enjoyable album, for sure. It's so up-lifting and with such a punk spirit that it's truly one that couldn't disappoint me. While I don't find it as thrilling as other albums, it's a very interesting and great one, and it's such a fantastic record.

2.7 3x

very sick

Listened previously. Expectations: Mid - Verdict: Good - What We Do Is Secret sets out the intentions of this album very clearly. Land Of Treason is a great energetic rager. The vocals are impossibly snotty and snarling throughout. I like the guitar on Manimal a lot. Shut Down is a sprawling, messy closer that reminds me of the influence of The Stooges on punk rock.

To be honest not my cup of tea 2/5

3 stars

Good

It's so bad that it is almost good. The best part here are certainly the lyrics. Hate it/Love it..idk at this point

This was really just noise. Not enjoyable

No thank you

So much better punk music than this came out of America: Ramones, Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, etc Only on the list because the singer died and the guitarist joined Nirvana

Pretty average and fairly polite 'punk' album, probably because of the vocals more than any other instrument. Pat Smear chord work out album way before the Foos. Not a must listen even for its time.

There is so much energy on this album. This is a band that demanded you see them live. If any of you have been to a punk show, you would get the whole thing. It is not swaying or polite movements. Raw and powerful. Make some noise. Move your body. In spite of punk making a living on short songs, the last song keeps threatening to break down. I can see why they ended their sets with this. I'm not going to mythologize this band but Darby Crash, the lead singer, has it. Charisma leaks out of this record. It is the beginning of the recording of hardcore and did enough to capture the spirit. I will give it a 3 though it is close to a 4.

It's a solid little punk album. I can hear the inspiration that this had on the hardcore scene and I believe that it inspired better things, but this is still pretty good

Another Dave Grohl / hardcore connection. Pat Smear has had a pretty successful career post Germs, its easy to see why this album was included.

Toppenpunk! Ny upptäckt dessutom

Riktigt bra, speciellt med tanke på hur tidiga de var!

Jorå! Verkar väldigt inflytelserik men nu kändes det inte så utstickande.

Nä det här var jag inte på humör för

The guitarist for this band is the guitarist for the Foo Fighters. Is anybody else weirded out by that?

I’m glad I’m going through the list. It’s opened my eyes to many new types of music, and crystallized my preferences in most cases. I have determined I like some famous punk songs but not the broad genre. This album is another one of these 'influential but not actually entertaining to listen to' ones. 2⭐️

Ok important record, great to listen to? Not really

I don't know why I keep getting rock and I got this. But I do like it's short.

Very cool. I don't think I will be in the mood to listen to this very often, but when I am there is so much to love. It's kind of got that early wave punk kind of theatre and snarl, but with later wave punk energy. I see where fugazi etc got some of it from now.

shit punk rock

I never would’ve considered myself a snob—especially when it comes to music—but one listener’s review of GI’s Germs album read: “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.” So, apparently, I’m a snob. This album is definitely raw—like a skinned knee after a skateboarding accident—and it hits just as hard as the skateboard getting smashed across my face afterward. It’s completely unhinged, played at a breakneck speed, and sounds like the vocalist gargled razor blades before chasing them with bourbon right before stepping into the studio (which I assume qualifies as a normal Tuesday in punk rock). I found absolutely no joy in listening to this album, and at 38 minutes, it still somehow feels entirely too long for this kind of punk record. But to be fair, the chaos and instability are probably exactly what the band was aiming for. I can absolutely appreciate what punk rock meant for music and the doors it kicked open creatively, but appreciating its impact doesn’t automatically mean I have to enjoy listening to it.

This was a better album than it should be. Darby's vocals get pretty bad at times, but the music is solid and the production elevated this from being as raw and unhinged as I was expecting..

Ok album. The last song dragged on a bit, but the rest moved along pretty quickly. 3.5/5

Wyld Stalyns from Bill and Ted were better than this.

A good example why American punk sucks compared to British.

I know the punk community puts this up there as an all timer so maybe I just need more time with it but thought it was kind of a mess. I’m ok with raw but I wanted there to just be a little more melody or something…

It's definitely punk, I guess. Does being anti-establishment also mean being anti-good-sounding-music?

This is so funny, the vibe is very much "look mom look look look we made a band!!"

I saw the band name and immediately clocked it as punk and was not looking forward to it. I was not wrong; did not enjoy, the growly "singing" was so trash.

Very noisy. It's like a very raw The Sex Pistols. There was one song that was kind of interesting but the rest was just noise in my opinion.

That last song pushed this into unlikable territory for me.

This is the first time listening to the Germs; it's good, thrashy punk. Love it.

eh

at a certain point all the songs start kind of blending in together but considering this is one of the first punk albums ever i'll give it some slack. however, if i ever have to hear another "punk growl" in the next decade of my life it will have been too soon. FAVOURITE SONGS: MANIMAL, STRANGE NOTES, LAND OF TREASON LEAST FAVOURITE SONGS: SHUT DOWN (ANNIHILATION MAN)

A truly irritating album. Chaotic, which to me means produced and played by chaotic people. I'd never even heard of the band "The Germs" before; how influential could this garbage have been? For me, it's a caustic American product, which isn't to say Iggy Pop isn't a great artist. The album "GI" is definitely going in the trash heap of music history for me.

Pretty decent early punk album but maybe I just wasn't in the mood? It felt pretty samey even given the timing and genre.

Ok

I think this album appeals to me most in small doses, but I appreciate its place in the music landscape

I listened to this album as I danced through the parking garage, helping my coworker map out the cameras. Right from the jump, GI sounded pretty much like the platonic ideal of a blistering, rebellious punk album. Some portions of the album get so fast and unintelligible that they almost sound like metal music, and thus, GI has the same issue as a lot of metal albums for me: it's too fast and steady for me to latch onto any dynamics or movements. The rhythm just moves at a tempo I have a hard time vibing with, and that's not even considering how messy the vocals are. I find it near-impossible to decipher what's being said most of the time, and the incendiary lyricism is usually one of my favorite elements of punk. When I can't keep track of its messaging, it becomes difficult for me to stay engaged. This band also has one of my least favorite voices on the list so far, as my brain is simply unable to reckon with this level of slurred and garbled speech. I wholeheartedly respect and admire the punk energy on display from the Germs here, but no amount of ideological admiration can make up for how little this connects with me musically. Highlights: Lexicon Devil, Media Blitz, The Other Newest One, Shut Down (Annihilation Man)

Bad

I get the timing and influence of this album, but, the best I can do is a 3

not as good as Joni Mitchell’s Blue

Its okay, not a gleaming example of punk. I think Milo Goes to College or How Could Hell Be Any Worse? are way more worthy of a place on this list.

(GI) feels like an early step towards hardcore punk, but you can also hear traces of the jagged guitar sound that would later turn up in grunge and the alternative scene. Darby Crash’s snarling rants feel rooted in Sex Pistols/Ramones/Clash/Stooges punk, while Pat Smear’s guitar coupled with the rhythm section feels more like an early waypoint towards what Joey Santiago would later explore on Surfer Rosa. While it can feel like standard punk fare on the surface, as you progress through the album, you get more of a feel for the Germs’ LA punk art-damaged weirdness: a mixture of suburban nihilism, performance art, violence, and Hollywood sleaze. Songs that stand out are the uncharacteristically melodic “Richie Dagger’s Crime”, the very Pixies-esque “Strange Notes” and the freeform avant-garde “Shut Down (Annihilation Man)”. As I listen, I realise I’ve heard one of these songs before: cruising along the roads of Los Santos in a stolen car, Channel X blaring “Lexicon Devil” on the radio, most likely after I’ve enacted numerous random acts of nihilism. 3.5 stars

I’m an old punk, and heard these guys a bunch in my ugly youth. Didn’t really like them then, and no use for them today. Just a handful of wasted boys banging on instruments and heroin. Somehow, it sold. No business here. Next.

I used to think I liked punk music. What this journey has taught me is that I like a certain type of punk - ala The Clash, Bad Religion, etc. There needs to be a certain musicality incorporated for me to like it. Just bashing away at the drums and guitars furiously doesn't really do it for me. So, it should come as no surprise that I find this record/band to be underwhelming. Not even sure why they are on the countdown, other than Pat Smear appeared to be rather influential on Nirvana and Curt Cobain specifically. But is that really enough? Not really. The lead singer here is pretty terrible and the band isn't much better. I didn't find it very funny that they had 15 songs which were 3 minutes or less, most of which were under 2 minutes, and then they close with an almost 10-minute track. I do wonder if they came up with this last and decided to throw it on for the hell of it, or if they came up with this first and then said "we've done enough, put anything else on the record." Regardless, the dichotomy is objectively hilarious. They get an extra star for this album structure, but nothing else than that. 2 stars.

short and early so not 1 star

Great raw punk… shining a light on where things would go.

eeeee ok...

Don't normally write reviews. But the singer on this album sounds exactly like Tim Robinson in the I Think You Should Leave sketch where he's singing about skeletons. 2 stars because it made me giggle, but a pretty trash album otherwise.

Prototypisch und gut produziert. Trotzdem nervig lärmig.

Fast, hard and to the point.

Wowowow. Can't believe I have never heard this and its crazy to think that this came out in the 70s. Seminal album in the history of hardcore punk. Have to be in the right mood to put this on, but damn, what an album it is.

The vocals are definitely interesting, but unfortunately I think I dislike it more than I find it novel. The instruments sound good. I think the sound of the album is interesting, though probably not something I'd choose to listen to again.

what we do is secret이라는 곡이 너무 뜬금맞게 시작해서 뜬금맞게 끝나서 응잉?잉?엉 했다. 하드락...? 디게 원초적인 락하면 생각나는 느낌

This just isn't very good. 2 stars or D+.

True story, I was in my backyard listening to this and a squirrel took up a knife against a chipmunk. It made sense in the moment.

I'm sure it was influential but sounds pretty average. Album cover looks pretty cool for 1979 though.

Listens: 3 Standout Tracks: I am not sure. We Must Bleed has an interesting intro. I think I want to like the Punk genre, but this album did not do it any favors. The music and instrumentation, pretty good actually. I don't really know how to articulate what I like about but the music, but I like it. The singing however was horrendous. Why does it sound like the singer is drunk on EVERY song. Slurring his words like it's going out of style. I kind of wish there was an instrumental version of the album. It would be really cool to hear it without the singing. The lyrics are also of dubious quality. Following along each song, I am not getting any real meaning from the songs. Are they literal? Metaphor? Is there a theme? Comprehending lyrics are generally not my strong suit. ...and I just finished reading the blurb about this being their only studio album for possibly many reasons including the lead singer committing suicide :( .

Lots of yelling.

This really wasn't for me. Every song sounds the same and the vocals are... Unorthodox (read: bad)

Ok

I can absolutely recognise the importance of punk breaking through in 1976. Music at that time had polarised with hippy influenced concept albums at one extreme and sugary pop tunes at the other. Thank goodness for punk. But it was largely a British phenomenan and the US bands were less influential by and large. There are some exceptions (such as the Ramones) but Germs are not such a band. This sounds like generic punk, released at a time when it should have been ground breaking. Only some punk music endures and this album isn't worth listening to all these years on I'm afraid.

I like punk, but this project did very little for me. I thought the production left a lot to be desired, and while you could argue that it adds to the punk aesthetic, to me it just sounded muddy, unbalanced, and frankly amateurish. The songwriting and vocals were also not particularly engaging. Overall, it was a bit of a tedious listen.

Do I not “get” punk?! No, it’s the children who are wrong.

I never paid too much attention to American punk at this time: by 1979 here in the UK we'd moved on to a more interesting post-punk. I actually found this album fun to play, but remain a bit underwhelmed as to how essential it is.

Sorry, but it says nothing to me, may because I’m Spanish and prefer Siniestro Total

DNF - I don’t require a US version of Sex Pistols I just don’t im sorry I would rather an AU version (The Chats) which is, categorically, the best punk band ever

I really enjoyed this... Punked ya I very much did not enjoy

No thank you

This record pushed me to the floor and spat in my eye. 4

Teenagers in a garage.

I considered being merciful with a 2 since the tracks were going by quickly. Then, the 9:40 closing track played.

At times a 4 and even a 5, I love early LA punk, but I guess I'm getting older and ended up at a 3. The 9:40 ending track didn't help. It would have been better with a 28:30 play time.

una genuina poronga.

to what do I owe the pleasure?

The music is pretty solid punk rock. Nice tone and mixing, good riffs, great energy. Darby Crash's voice is mostly not for me. Not a huge fan. "Lexicon Devil" was in some Tony Hawk game and I've loved it since then. I could kinda take or leave the rest of it. The music is nice but dragged down by the vocals.

Very good well produced angry punk. Something you’d hear odd Tony hawks pro skater

A brash, grating hardcore punk album with excellent mixing and production and aggravatingly sloppy vocals. The band brings the intensity and impressive technicality and Darby brings the drunken sludge that muddies the whole thing over. I have to give them credit for being an pioneer of the genre and it's tragic what happened to Darby not long after this album, but overall wouldn't listen again.

Not for me. I had to pause the album a few times and put on YouTube videos of dreamy-sounding modulation and delay pedals for guitar.

A few awkward cuts between songs; not sure if that was Spotify or what. Overall, pretty solid punk album!

These guys are the real deal. Doesn’t get much more punk than this

Oh hell yeah - love hearing punk pioneers like these guys. Also Lexicon Devil is definitely from Tony Hawk. Had no idea this was Pat Smear's band well before Nirvana/Foo Fighters.

ROUGH

not the best export from punk

Heck yeah! This is the good Friday energy I needed. Never listened to the Germs before. Lorna Doom plays some real nice bass lines. Dig her vibe. Really enjoyed listening to it cranked up and driving on a sunny afternoon. Nice coincidence that Pat Smear plays guitar on this and the Foo Fighters released an album today with him on it also. What are the odds? I've always been drawn to punk rock because of the attitude. I missed out not listening to this sooner.

This is actively unpleasant.

Mi primer uno

La verdad empecé odiándolo, la primera canción me hizo sufrir al pensar que tenía por delante 40 minutos de este ruidero y estridencia. Después se puso un poco menos peor y no fue tan tortuoso como pensé, pero tampoco es un disco que haya disfrutado especialmente. Leo que es el primer disco que existió de hardcore punk y entiendo su relevancia. De eso a que disfrute escucharlo, hay mil galaxias de distancia. Fastidioso, demasiado grito.

Almost jazz at times, some great crunchy punk. Fug ya 4+

I welcome punk over a lot of the other drivel I've endured so far. Still, this ain't no Dead Kennedys. If one *must* hear punk, I'd nominate them or The Stooges over this. You don't really need much else to represent first-gen punk.

Some really solid punk rock. Love the vocals too, they're what punk rock should be about

No me gustó nada este álbum. Apenas escuché la primera canción me dieron ganas de sacarlo pero dije bueno le doy una oportunidad, pero realmente no pude terminarlo creo que llegue más o menos a la mitad y lo tuve que sacar porque no me gustó para nada. Sentía que estaba escuchando ruido de fondo no música.

A fine punk album! Could have given it 4 stars too, but felt cranky today.

19/04/2026 I'm all for carnage in my music, but this just didn't click for me. Spotify listeners: 186.3k

Un poil long pour autant de violence simpliste.

I can't listen to this without thinking of singer Darby Crash's spectacularly bad luck to commit rock n roll suicide the day before John Lennon was shot. Lorna Doom is an awesome bass player but she's too loud in the mix, overshadowing Pat Smear's guitar. This is punk, not funk!

This is *exactly* what I feared all of the punk albums in this collection would sound like, so it's a credit to this project that this is the only truly painful and unlistenable album (for me)--at least so far, as there's still a couple hundred left to prove me wrong. It's funny that this was apparently as clear/coherent as their fans would get, as it's just a muddy album to me; according to the Wikipedia entry, "the album's clarity [thanks to recording engineer Pat Burnett and producer Joan Jett] redefined the Germs for California audiences, who had only seen the band thrash around onstage while an intoxicated [Darby] Crash avoided singing into the mic as much as possible." For me, "Land of treason" is probably the best example of how bad this album is, and Crash is still largely incoherent despite the "clarity"; on the other hand, "Lexicon devil" seems to be vaguely familiar, but they could have just been riffing off of someone else, I guess, and just downright weird to get a 9+ minute punk track at the end. Sad that leadman Darby Crash died of an apparently intentional overdose not long after the album was released, and weird that guitarist Pat Smear went on after this to join another suicide-plagued band (Nirvana). Regardless, I see no redeeming value to this album aside from perhaps its claim as the "first" full-length hardcore punk album.

Sounds like a good high school punk band--Lexicon Devil is the track I recognized.

Nothing amazing but not bad either. I thought it actually got better and better as I progressed through the songs. Didn’t love the singer. Overall, don’t think there is anything really great or memorable here. Would much rather have seen Suicidal Tendencies’s self-titled album on this list.

Got to love a little PUNK. Aggressive and angry.

Listening session: april 15th, while going for a walk Listened to before: no Thoughts: After reading a bit about true album I understand that this is influential but I did not find it really enjoyable to listen to. I imagine that this is a genre that I could appreciate more when hearing/seeing it live Favourite tracks: Land Of Treason & Lexicon Devil

Good punk, but somehow most of the bands sound sooo similar. For the history of punk a very important album so well worth being here on the list!

Sounds well ahead of its time. Lexicon Devil takes me back to the halcyon days of playing Tony Hawks

Whole album sounded very similar to me, and just not really to my musical taste.

Seriously cool album I’ll only listen to once. You hear sounds from 1950 to 1990 and a lot of bands in between. This album answers a lot of questions for me like How did we get from The Temptations to NOFX? And, what would it sound like if the Tasmanian Devil sang lead vocals for Deep Purple?

Influential but not enjoyable. Just not for me, vocals are quite unpleasant.

Understand why some like it… not me. But the short song lengths are appealing.

7/10

Didn’t enjoy the album on the most part and couldn’t finish it. I enjoyed the instrumentals but just could not get past the dreadful vocals. 3/10

Absolutely a vital record in the history of punk music.

Exceptional. Thats it. Its exactly what I like in alot of music. Its fast. Its aggressive. Iy just plain kicks ass. Doesn't hang around too long except for the final song but even then its not that painful. 40 minutes anf what over 20 tracks? Its perfect. At least as close as anything made by some guys or gals could be. Lexicon devil is the biggest stand out and a song i knew but never put the name of the band to it. And I saved damn near evey song onto his thing. Only a couple didnt make it. It rules from start to finish. Might be my newest obsession. Fucking sick

Music expresses the range of human emotions. Sometimes the emotion is screaming.

This picked me up and shook me violently for 40 minutes before throwing me back to the ground. A masterclass in hardcore punk, these guys would eat the Sex Pistols for breakfast.

you could argue this is a 3 on the basis of it being inoffensive but look man i gotta give out more 2s. being boring doesn't cut it, and this dudes voice is annoying to boot

2.0 - Weak

Ma che razza di album ci sono in questa lista?

Anything less than 100 seconds isn’t a song. It was ok, but there is just too much mediocre punk on this list and none of it stands out.

Groupe de punk rock Américain. Considéré comme le premier 'full length'' album hardcore punk rock. Leur seul album, car le chanteur est mort par suicide 1 an après la sortie de leur album. Grosse histoire intéressante autour du chanteur et même un film fait à cet effet. 16 chansons, 38 minutes, donc courtes chansons. Je comprends l'ambiance full length en l'écoutant. Les chansons se ressemblent toutes et on comprend pas toujours les paroles vu que le chanteur fait juste crier avec une voix un peu nasillarde. J'aime en général, mais je capote pas mettons.

Meh

Punky, energetic and raw, I liked how this album brought these things to their core and brought it out in every song on this album. I will say that it brought about shorter songs then I would like but I did enjoy how every instrument had its place in each track. 5.5/10, Favorite Song: Shut Down

No. 155 Germs is hardcore punk band. Super fast and thrashy like punk should be, but I haven't got an idea what the lead singer is saying. It's exactly what you expect from a good punk band.

Punk by people who can actually play their instruments. Good rhythm section. Can’t understand the lead singer half the time and his personal story is tragic. Good but kind of a downer. Better than the Pistols.

01) What We Do Is Secret - 5,0 02) Communist Eyes - 4,5 03) Land of Treason - 5,0 04) Richie Dagger's Crime - 5,0 05) Strange Notes - 5,0 06) American Leather - 4,5 07) Lexicon Devil - 5,0 08) Manimal - 5,0 09) Our Way - 5,0 10) We Must Bleed - 4,5 11) Media Blitz - 5,0 12) The Other Newest One - 5,0 13) Let's Pretend - 5,0 14) Dragon Lady - 4,5 15) The Slave - 4,5 16) Shut Down - 4,0 TOTAL: 4,78 (48/100) Current ranking: 831/873

Lo logré. Finalmente lo terminé.

Some alright tracks here and there. But mostly felt like a mess.

A bit too much punk for one sitting

Not for me at all. Brutal listen. 2.1/10

You caught me at a very punk time in my life

3 meno

Aside from Shut Down, a bunch of mini tracks with pretty good drumming but that irritating punk vocal where he just groans into the mic

I like punk but never really liked this album. Wild that Pat Smear and Belinda Carlisle were in the same band.

Even a quite solid drummer couldn't save this shit.

Not really my thing. Musically, I like it, vocally not so much.

Ready for a half an hour of eight notes and "nyah blah rah!" lyrics? This album requires the correct headspace before listening. Perhaps if mine had been different, my rating would have been higher.

i dont get the genre

A glorious noise Raw and in your face! Not really my thing, but good to know its out there in the world

Rough and raunchy, just how I like it. 5/5

Honestly probably SO fun live but man despite being an influential punk album, this just does not hold up. Old but mold. Can’t understand any of the lyrics, and that’s ok its thrashy and raw but it’s just hard to listen through, not entertaining.

Not for me, but kept me motivated through a morning at work.

America's answer to the Sex Pistols? Oh yeh, also SHIT

A reasonably solid three. I liked this, but not as much as some of its contemporaries.

Honestly surprised this is on the list, after all the dad rock and British electronic crap from the 90s. This is what a lot of people think of when they think of punk- loud, angry, sloppy, abrasive. Darby Crash was the enbodiment of punk and probably did himself and his legend of favor by overdosing. My favorite song of theirs isn't on here- ¨Caught in my Eye¨- but this is still an all-time classic from probably the punkest band of all time.

Solid punk album.

I wouldn’t say this is a great album, but it’s clearly important. Playing hardcore like this in 1979 is wild. That said, I DO like it - it’s just not something I’d want to listen to often.

no me gusta mucho el punk pero espero toda clase de recomendación de ese estilo, algo quizá, superador

I liked this more than I expected to based on what I knew of their music. Being produced by Joan Jett most certainly must have helped.