The Germs

There are other collections with rarer material out there, notably the live Germicide and Media Blitz, but unless one is a rabid must-have-everything-Crash-breathed-on fanatic, (MIA) is everything one could ever want from the Germs in one perfect collection. Not simply a reissue of (GI) -- thus the joke of the title -- (MIA) pulls together everything from the very first recordings to the last efforts of the classic lineup, namely six songs done for the film Cruising. Only one was ever actually released on the soundtrack, "Lions Share," so hearing the others in studio form is welcome and long overdue, including the only Crash/Lorna Doom co-write, the brusque strutter "Now I Hear the Laughter." The debut single, the primitive blast "Forming," and its hilarious, chaotic live B-side, "Sexboy," bottles breaking while Crash practically attacks the audibly scared audience, understandably start the collection. Meanwhile, the alternate "Forming 2" (featuring DJ Bonebrake and recorded by Chris Ashford, as compared to the un-produced and proud of it original) wraps it up just as well. All three tracks from the Lexicon Devil EP appear, including the slightly slower original recording of the title song and the sly, self-referential "Circle One," as well as two selections from the What We Do Is Secret EP, with Bonebrake again turning up on a live rip through Chuck Berry's "Round and Round." To be fair, on that number Crash reaches new depths of sheer incoherence. In terms of presentation, one couldn't ask for more -- even the CD case itself has a classic Germs blue tint. There's two separate articles from Pleasant Gehman; the first a piece from 1982 giving a useful history of the group and the second from a decade later reflecting on the band's impact and place in history. Complete lyrics also appear, along with a slew of pictures of the band and Crash in his various incarnations, including one hilarious photo with him sticking his tongue out while a cigarette is propped in his ear. ~ Ned Raggett, All Music Guide