Penelope Spheeris' ground-breaking documentary The Decline Of Western Civilization captured the agony and the ecstasy of the Los Angeles punk scene of the late 1970s and its excellent soundtrack is required listening for all west coast Punk fans. The raw, jagged live sets by icons such as Black Flag, the Circle Jerks, the Germs, and Fear must be heard to be believed and the numbers by X point to their later commercial breakthrough; Catholic Discipline, with Claude Bessy of Slash magazine, provide another nugget. Totally essential!
