“The Decline…of western civilization” soundtrack, 1980. Slash Records. Directed by Penelope Spheeris documenting the ‘79-’80 LA punk scene. Featured bands include pre-Rollins Black Flag (great live version of “White Minority”), Germs with “Manimal” – all growling, incoherent sub-titled Darby Crash, X (harmonizing punk!), Circle Jerks and Fear. Less well-known acts Catholic Discipline (”Underground Babylon”) and Alice Bag Band (”Gluttony”) also perform, Catholic Discipline with dissonant keyboards and Alice Bag with shrill screaming vocals.

For whatever reason, it would be years after I bought the soundtrack (I purchased it for the cover – Darby Crash!) that I actually viewed the film. I never bothered to see Spheeris’ subsequent “The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years” but would be interested in seeing Part III at some point, which chronicles the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teens during the 90′s.