The Decline of Western Civilization

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The Decline of Western Civilization
Cover of the VHS tape.
Directed by	Penelope Spheeris
Produced by	Jeff Prettyman Penelope Spheeris
Written by	Penelope Spheeris
Starring	Black Flag The Germs X Alice Bag Band Circle Jerks Catholic Discipline Fear.
Cinematography	Steve Conant
Editing by	Charlie Mullin
Distributed by	Media Home Entertainment Nu Image Films
Release date(s)	July 1, 1981
Running time	100 min.
Country	US
Language	English
Followed by	The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years (1988) The Decline of Western Civilization III (1998)
Official website
All Movie Guide profile
IMDb profile

The Decline of Western Civilization is a 1981 rockumentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris about the Los Angeles punk rock scene in 1979 and 1980.

Contents 1 Synopsis 2 Performances 3 Soundtrack 3.1 Track listing 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Synopsis

Featuring concert footage of legendary Los Angeles punk bands, and interviews both with band members and with the punks who made up their audience, the film offers a look into a subculture that was largely ignored by the rock music press of the time.

Eerily, the promotional poster for The Decline (and the record cover of the soundtrack album) featured a close-up frame of Germs singer Darby Crash supine on stage with his eyes closed. Crash died from a heroin-induced suicide shortly before the film was released (the poster was designed before his death).

Bands included are Black Flag, The Germs, X, The Bags, Circle Jerks, Catholic Discipline, and Fear.

[edit] Performances

• The Bags
  • "Gluttony"
  • "Prowlers in the Night"
• Black Flag
  • "Depression"
  • "Revenge"
  • "White Minority"
• Circle Jerks
  • "Back Against the Wall"
  • "Beverly Hills"
  • "I Just Want Some Skank"
  • "Red Tape"
  • "Wasted"
• Catholic Discipline
  • "Barbee Doll Lust"
  • "Underground Babylon"
• Fear
  • "Beef Bologna"
  • "I Don't Care About You"
  • "I Love Living in the City"
  • "Let's Have a War"
  • "Fear Anthem"
• The Germs
  • "Manimal"
  • "Shutdown"
• X
  • "Beyond and Back"
  • "Johnny Hit and Run Paulene"
  • "Nausea"
  • "Unheard Music"
  • "We're Desperate"

[edit] Soundtrack

The Decline of Western Civilization
Soundtrack by Various Artists
Released	December, 1981
Genre	Punk rock
Label	Slash
Producer(s)	Gary Hirstius and Alan Kutner
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link

The soundtrack was released in 1981 by Slash Records on CD and LP. It is out of print. Germs singer Darby Crash appears on the soundtrack album cover. He died shortly before the film was released, though the promotional images for the film and album release had designed before his death.

[edit] Track listing

1. "White Minority" – Black Flag
2. "Depression" – Black Flag
3. "Revenge" – Black Flag
4. "Manimal" – The Germs
5. "Underground Babylon" – Catholic Discipline
6. "Beyond And Back" – X
7. "Johny Hit And Run" Paulene – X
8. "We're Desperate" – X
9. "Red Tape" – Circle Jerks
10. "Back Against The Wall" – Circle Jerks
11. "I Just Want Some Skank" – Circle Jerks
12. "Beverly Hills" – Circle Jerks
13. "Gluttony" – The Bags
14. "I Don't Care About You" – Fear
15. "I Love Livin' In The City" – Fear
16. "Fear Anthem – Fear

[edit] See also

• The Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years (1988)
• The Decline of Western Civilization III (1998)

[edit] External links

• The Decline of Western Civilization at the Internet Movie Database
• The Decline of Western Civilization at All Movie Guide
• The Decline Official webpage
• Interview with X singer John Doe
• Interview with Germs drummer Don Bolles
• Interview with Fear bassist Derf Scratch