Germs: The Complete Anthology 2000

 

The Germs were an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California, originally active from 1976 to 1980. The band's main early lineup consisted of singer Darby Crash, guitarist

Pat Smear, bassist Lorna Doom, and drummer Don Bolles. They released only one album, 1979's (GI), produced by Joan Jett, and were featured the following year in Penelope Spheeris' documentary film The Decline of Western Civilization, which chronicled the Los Angeles punk movement.
                                             

In April 1976, the band added Lorna Doom (born Teresa Ryan) on bass, with transitional member

Dottie Danger (later famous as Belinda Carlisle of the Go-Go's) on drums. Carlisle never actually played with the band, as she was sidelined by a bout of mononucleosis for an extended period. She was replaced by her friend Donna Rhia (Becky Barton), who played three gigs and performed on their first single.
                                                  

Carlisle remained a friend and helper of the band (she can be heard introducing the band on the

Germicide: Live at the Whiskey recording, produced by Kim Fowley), only leaving because her new band, the Go-Go's, were becoming popular and, as she put it, "I was really disturbed by the heroin that was going on". Nickey Beat, of various noteworthy Los Angeles bands including the Weirdos, also sat in on drums for a time.
                                         

                                         
The band's first live performance was at the Orpheum Theater, a 99-seat venue on the Sunset

Strip in then-unincorporated area West Hollywood, California (later the location of Book Soup). Smear recalled: "We made noise. Darby stuck the mic in a jar of peanut butter. It was a dare, we had no songs or anything! Lorna wore her pants inside out, and Darby covered himself in red licorice... we made noise for five minutes until they threw us off".
                              

The Germs initially drew musical influences from Iggy Pop, David Bowie, Ramones, the Runaways,

Sex Pistols, and New York Dolls. Early on, Smear was the only musically experienced member; Doom survived early performances by sliding a finger up and down the fretboard of her bass while Rhia generally kept a minimal beat on the bass drum, periodically bashing a cymbal.
                                            

Early performances were usually marked by raucous crowds made up of the band's friends. As a result,

their gigs became notorious for being rowdy and usually verged on a riot. On December 3, 1980, an over-sold Starwood hosted a final live show of the reunited Germs, including Bolles. At one point, Crash told the amazed kids in the audience, "We did this show so you new people could see what it was like when we were around. You're not going to see it again".
                                                         

Crash committed suicide on December 7, 1980, at age 22. Unreported at the time, Crash had overdosed on heroin in a suicide pact with close friend Casey "Cola" Hopkins, who ended up surviving.

She later insisted that he did not intend for her to live, nor did he change his mind at the last minute and intend for himself to live. According to Spin, apocryphal lore has Crash attempting to write "Here lies Darby Crash" on the wall as he lay dying, but not finishing. In reality, he wrote a short note to David "Bosco" Davenport that stated, "My life, my leather, my love goes to Bosco".
                                                      

Outside the world of the Germs' fans, news of Crash's death was largely overshadowed by the murder

of John Lennon the next day. A local news station mistakenly reported that Crash had died from taking too many sleeping pills.  
Germs disbanded following Crash's suicide.
                                           

Their music was influential to many later punk rock acts. Smear went on to achieve greater fame

performing with Nirvana and Foo Fighters. After the Germs ended, Bolles played with several other L.A. bands, including Nervous Gender, 45 Grave, Celebrity Skin, and Ariel Pink. In fall 2009, Bolles joined the cast of punks, mods and rockers web series Oblivion.
                                            

In 1993, Slash released (MIA): The Complete Anthology, with liner notes by Pleasant Gehman. Smear went on to play with Nirvana during their last year and, after the death of Kurt Cobain, with Mike Watt, and then Foo Fighters.
                                                 

Lorna Doom died of breast cancer on January 16, 2019.

Germs – (MIA) The Complete Anthology
Label: Slash – R2 79954, Rhino Records (2) – R2 79954
Format:    CD, Album, Compilation, Reissue
Country: US
Released: Oct 17, 2000
Genre: Rock
Style: Punk

TRAXS

                                                      

01. Forming    3:03
02. Sex Boy    2:12
03. Lexicon Devil    2:03
04. Circle One    1:46
05. No God    1:52
06. What We Do Is Secret    0:42
07. Communist Eyes    2:13
08. Land Of Treason    2:09
09. Richie Dagger's Crime    1:55
10. Strange Notes    1:50
11. American Leather    1:09
12. Lexicon Devil    1:42
13. Manimal    2:11
14. Our Way    1:57
15. We Must Bleed    3:01
16. Media Blitz    1:30
17. The Other Newest One    2:45
18. Let's Pretend    2:32
19. Dragon Lady    1:37
20. The Slave    1:02
21. Shut Down (Annihilation Man)    9:39
22. Caught In My Eye    3:23
23. Round And Round  (Drums – D.J. Bonebrake/Written-By – Chuck Berry)   2:15
24. My Tunnel    2:28
25. Throw It Away    2:08
26. Not All Right    3:55
27. Now I Hear The Laughter  (Written By – Crash, Doom)   2:46
28. Going Down    1:49
29. Lions Share    2:29
30. Forming 2  (Drums – Don Bonebrake)   1:37

MP3 @ 320 Size: 166 MB
Flac  Size: 507 MB

Re-Up on Flac Germs: GI Vinyl LP (Slash SR-103 U.S.A 1979) HERE