Search - Various Artists :: The Decline Of Western Civilization (1980 Film)

A Classic!

Livid Imp | 10/04/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This cd contains a collection of some of the best punk bands ever. To hear these bands studio albums is great, but to hear them play live is euphoric, it gets the adrenaline going like no bands ever before or since. Black Flag(pre-Rollins, when they were good) and the Circle Jerks really get your heart racing, the Germs are, well, the Germs, Catholic Discipline is awful, but still better than any "punk" bands today, X is great, by far the most mainstream band on this cd, Fear is great as usual, and the Bags are the best band in this film, very underrated. You also get some sound bits from the film by the moronic kids that Penelope Spheeris interviewed. The only bad thing about this cd is that it only included one Bags song, "Gluttony", and left out "Prowlers In The Night", very dissapointing as this is the only version of this song they ever recorded, as the band broke up before they could release a studio album. Other than this tragic mistake, this cd is a classic and everyone who considers themselves into punk rock should own the film and the cd(and the lp, if you can find it.)"

Greatest punk bands of all time in a classic soundtrack...

N. Humar | holtville ca | 02/22/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...I love the Germs,Black Flag,X,Circle Jerks and Catholic Discipline...and i love this movie too...this is the greatest soundtrack of all times...it shows how was the real 80's punk hardcore scene at it's best...you gotta buy it...I think it's outta stock...you'll be lucky if you find it..."

I'll never forget anticipating this album coming out. A vir

Chris bct | San Diego, CA USA | 03/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Yeah, one of the greatest lp covers too. That's truely one of the few things I miss about albums, the size of the cover just worked so much better simply due to the size compared to these little CD covers that are even smaller than 7" record sleeves.

You really notice when it's a great record cover and this is one of them. Course, MANIC HISPANIC's homage to this cover is equally priceless.



Meanwhile, Aside from the Yes L.A. clear vinyl one sided album that came out about 1980 this was one of the few albums back in the day that really captured the big L.A. region punk bands, particularly live.



Sure, since then we've had the Live at the Mosque series and the release of the Dangerhouse comp albums of the early classic 7"s from the region and mainly many of these same bands. But back then, this was sorta it.



Which is kinda funny cuz one of the main things about punk was and, fortunately, continues to be DIY and bands cooperating with each other and indie labels doing compilation albums. They've always served a lovely purpose of getting the music out working together without the help of big music business and giving punx a chance to hear a bunch of bands at once.



Course, except for the road film with SOCIAL DISTORTION which came out a year or so later than this film, there were precious few films back then actually documenting the scene. Heck, far as I remember, this was it.



Pure punk rock baby. Each part of the country, generally and, really, each city, at least the bigger ones, had their own scene. Naturally, the greater L.A. region had a thriving one and this is the proof. If ya think about it, several of these bands were able to weather the storm of time and make out mostly alive.



FEAR, CIRCLE JERKS, X have all given and given to the scene and we've all benefited. Thanks. And who could ask for more than first four years period BLACK FLAG live? That's what ya wanna hear from them kids and here it is. Life's a sweep through time and this catches them when they were younger. Uh, we all were, those of us alive then. This record delivered the goods back then. Just what we were hoping for, live hardcore. Still does. Feel free to purchase it. There's no question, the late 70's and early 80's were the prime punk period, though there's been some fine bands since, those were the hayday and this album captures it for ya, live. Yummy. ps, if yer not into hardcore punk rock you'll probably think this album's horrible. chrisbct@hotmail.com"