''Lexicon Devil'' is a three-
song
A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetiti ...
EP and the second
release
Release may refer to:
* Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song
* Legal release, a legal instrument
* News release, a communication directed at the news media
* Release (ISUP), a code to id ...
by
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the " United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, ...
punk rock band the
Germs. It was also the debut output of
Slash Records
Slash Records was an American record label originally specializing in local punk rock bands, active from 1978 to 2000. It was notable as one of the first and most successful independent record labels in alternative music, before its eventual ...
,
[Morris, Chris (October 23, 1999)]
"Declarations of Independents: In Memory of 'Kickboy,' the Voice of L.A. Punk Scene"
''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
'' 111 (43): 71. and of
Geza X
Geza Gedeon (born September 28, 1952), professionally known as Geza X, is an American producer. He was a personality in the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s. He is now a producer. He was born in Indiana and moved to California when he was a ...
both as a
producer and as a
recording engineer
An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproducti ...
. The record was named after its leadoff song.
Overview
In the Germs, a man whose birth name was
Paul Beahm served as singer and one of the principal songwriters. During the time of the Germs, Paul actually went by other names he made up for himself. At the time of
the band's debut single, he called himself
Bobby Pyn. Bobby Pyn's
persona
A persona (plural personae or personas), depending on the context, is the public image of one's personality, the social role that one adopts, or simply a fictional character. The word derives from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatri ...
on the single was the rather innocent "Sex Boy".
[Adams, Tim (August 24, 2008)]
"The death and afterlife of an LA punk"
''The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...
''. Retrieved April 17, 2016. On "Lexicon Devil," he reinvented his on-record persona as the much darker
Darby Crash
Jan Paul Beahm (better known by his stage name Darby Crash, formerly Bobby Pyn; September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980) was an American punk rock vocalist who, along with longtime friend Pat Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded the punk ro ...
,
[Mullen, Brendan; Spitz, Marc (May 2001)]
"Sit on My Face, Stevie Nicks!: The Germs, Darby Crash, and the Birth of SoCal Punk"
''Spin
Spin or spinning most often refers to:
* Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning
* Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis
* Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...
'' 17 (5): 104.[Othen, Christopher]
"What We Do Is Secret: Mind Games and Germs Burns with Los Angeles Punk Legend Darby Crash (1977–80)"
''Bright Review''. Retrieved April 17, 2016. who sings his
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy and the ...
ic mission statement in the self-mythologizing "Circle One",
the guitar frenzy which opens the side B:
[Jelly, Kames (July 5, 2009)]
"L.A. Punk Vol. 1- The Germs"
''New Jersey Noise''. Retrieved April 17, 2016.[Campion, Chris (January 20, 2011)]
"Strange Notes: The Story of Darby Crash and The Germs"
. ''Sabotage Times
James Brown (born 26 September 1965 in Leeds) is a British former journalist, author, radio host and media entrepreneur. His first book, ''Above Head Height: A Five-a-Side Life'', was published in 2017 by Quercus and received positive reviews in ' ...
''. Retrieved April 17, 2016.[Mullen, Brendan (December 27, 2000)]
"Annihilation Man"
''LA Weekly
''LA Weekly'' is a free weekly alternative newspaper in Los Angeles, California. It was founded in 1978 by Jay Levin, who served as president and editor until 1991. Voice Media Group sold the paper in late 2017 to Semanal Media LLC, whose pare ...
''. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
The EP's title track is an apocalyptic manifesto full of fractured images,
[Deming, Mark]
""Lexicon Devil": Song Review by Mark Deming"
''AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
''. Retrieved April 12, 2016. whose
lyrics
Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a "libretto" and their writer ...
were written by Crash in the first person in the name of
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
, who proclaims himself a "
lexicon devil" in the song, which is featured here in its slower and tamer first version.
"Lexicon Devil" might also fit Paul Beahm's new punk persona,
since Crash was an aspiring
cult
In modern English, ''cult'' is usually a pejorative term for a social group that is defined by its unusual religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals, or its common interest in a particular personality, object, or goal ...
leader
obsessed with the idea of the
mind control
Brainwashing (also known as mind control, menticide, coercive persuasion, thought control, thought reform, and forced re-education) is the concept that the human mind can be altered or controlled by certain psychological techniques. Brainwashi ...
through the
rhetoric
Rhetoric () is the art of persuasion, which along with grammar and logic (or dialectic), is one of the three ancient arts of discourse. Rhetoric aims to study the techniques writers or speakers utilize to inform, persuade, or motivate par ...
, that is, using the power of words.
Crash was one of the wordiest
lyricist
A lyricist is a songwriter who writes lyrics (the spoken words), as opposed to a composer, who writes the song's music which may include but not limited to the melody, harmony, arrangement and accompaniment.
Royalties
A lyricist's income de ...
s in
the early Los Angeles punk scene,
[Jelly, Kames (July 27, 2009)]
"L.A. Punk Vol. 3- The Flesh Eaters"
''New Jersey Noise''. Retrieved June 3, 2016. hence, while it is more musically developed than "
Forming", the band's previous record,
the ''Lexicon Devil'' EP is rather remarkable for its lyrics.
The record closes with "No God", a
Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (; or ; 15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, prose poet, cultural critic, philologist, and composer whose work has exerted a profound influence on contemporary philosophy. He began his ca ...
an rant
which borrows the
intro
Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:
General use
* Introduction (music), an opening section of a piece of music
* Introduction (writing), a beginning section to a book, article or essay which states its purpose and g ...
from "
Roundabout
A roundabout is a type of circular intersection or junction in which road traffic is permitted to flow in one direction around a central island, and priority is typically given to traffic already in the junction.''The New Shorter Oxford E ...
" by
Yes
Yes or YES may refer to:
* An affirmative particle in the English language; see yes and no
Education
* YES Prep Public Schools, Houston, Texas, US
* YES (Your Extraordinary Saturday), a learning program from the Minnesota Institute for Talente ...
.
[ Rabid, Jack]
"''(MIA): The Complete Anthology'': AllMusic Review by Jack Rabid"
''AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
''. Retrieved April 17, 2016.
Background
The Germs were gaining notoriety since the release of their first
single
Single may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Single (music), a song release
Songs
* "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004
* "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008
* "Single" (William Wei song), 2016
* "Single", by ...
, "Forming", and their early live performances. The band's increasing success also presented some roadblocks. They did not have a permanent
drummer
A drummer is a percussionist who creates music using drums.
Most contemporary western bands that play rock, pop, jazz, or R&B music include a drummer for purposes including timekeeping and embellishing the musical timbre. The drummer' ...
at the time. After Donna Rhia left, the band had a succession of aspiring drummers and part-timers taken on loan from other bands,
including
X's
Don Bonebrake, who filled in at a few gigs, and
the Weirdos
The Weirdos are an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California. They formed in 1975, split-up in 1981, re-grouped in 1986 and have remained semi-active ever since. Critic Mark Deming calls them "quite simply, one of the best and bright ...
'
Nicky Beat,
who took the seat in the sessions for the ''Lexicon Devil'' EP.
Also,
Pat Smear
Georg Albert Ruthenberg (born August 5, 1959), better known by his stage name Pat Smear, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles-based punk band The Germs and for being a rhythm guit ...
did not own an
amplifier
An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost th ...
for his
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation is a string instrument manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California. The company is credited as the first known maker of electric guitars – a steel guitar in 1932 – and today produces a rang ...
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
.
The band's second record came about when the publishers of the
punk zine
A punk zine (or punkzine) is a zine related to the punk subculture and hardcore punk music genre. Often primitively or casually produced, they feature punk literature, such as social commentary, punk poetry, news, gossip, music reviews and arti ...
''
Slash
Slash may refer to:
* Slash (punctuation), the "/" character
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Slash (Marvel Comics)
* Slash (''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'')
Music
* Harry Slash & The Slashtones, an American rock band
* Nash th ...
'' agreed with the Germs to release an EP on their newly formed
record label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the prod ...
, Slash Records.
Production
''Lexicon Devil'' was recorded in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, California at an unidentified
studio
A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design, ...
, underneath a bank building, on
Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood Boulevard is a major east–west street in Los Angeles, California. It begins in the east at Sunset Boulevard in the Los Feliz district and proceeds to the west as a major thoroughfare through Little Armenia and Thai Town, Hollywo ...
.
Smear's non-ownership of an amplifier at the time actually led to the unique guitar sound on the record. Geza X was supposed to lend him one for the
recording session The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.
Studio cast recordings
In the case of Broadway musi ...
s, but had forgotten; instead he strung together some
effect pedals
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in e ...
and the guitarist plugged directly into the studio's
mixing board
A mixing console or mixing desk is an electronic device for mixing audio signals, used in sound recording and reproduction and sound reinforcement systems. Inputs to the console include microphones, signals from electric or electronic instr ...
.
A few days before recording commenced, aspiring drummer
Don Bolles
Donald Fifield Bolles (July 10, 1928 – June 13, 1976) was an American investigative reporter for ''The Arizona Republic'' who was known for his coverage of organized crime in the area, especially by the Chicago Outfit. His murder in a car bo ...
came down to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
from
Phoenix, Arizona to
audition
An audition is a sample performance by an actor, singer, musician, dancer or other performer. It typically involves the performer displaying their talent through a previously memorized and rehearsed solo piece or by performing a work or piece ...
for the group. He got the job,
but it was too late for him to learn the songs in time to go into the studio. Instead, Nicky Beat kept the drum seat warm for the session while Bolles still participated, helping
chant
A chant (from French ', from Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two main pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of note ...
"Non deus, non deus, non deus" and
clapping his hands, along with the Deadbeats'
saxophonist
The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...
Pat Delaney and the rest of the band, during the
bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
in "No God".
According to Bob Biggs, Slash Records founder, the EP cost the label only $600 to produce.
Release and artwork
''Lexicon Devil'' was released as a
7-inch vinyl record in May 1978, with about 1,000 copies pressed, most of them available through
mail order
Mail order is the buying of goods or services by mail delivery. The buyer places an order for the desired products with the merchant through some remote methods such as:
* Sending an order form in the mail
* Placing a telephone call
* Placing ...
from the punk zine ''Slash''.
In order to promote their EP at the time of its release, the band proposed an advertisement displaying
Nazi iconography
The 20th-century German Nazi Party made extensive use of graphic symbols, especially the ''swastika'', notably in the form of the swastika flag, which became the co-national flag of Nazi Germany in 1933, and the sole national flag in 1935. A ...
accompanied with the darkly humorous
slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a clan, political, commercial, religious, and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose, with the goal of persuading members of the public or a more defined target group. Th ...
"Six million Jews can't be wrong", but Slash deemed it potentially controversial and refused to print it.
Conceptually linked to the lyrical content of the record, which is a reflection of the messianic and apocalyptic obsessions of Crash,
the
cover art
Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper (tabloid), comic book, video game ( box art), music album ( album ...
for ''Lexicon Devil'' is notorious for its contentious imagery. The front cover features a
Nazi propaganda painting by Hubert Lanzinger from ca. 1935 portraying a
glorified Adolf Hitler;
while the back cover,
[''Lexicon Devil''](_blank)
''Punky Gibbon''. Retrieved March 28, 2016.[Flakes (October 11, 2006)]
"The Germs – Lexicon Devil E.P. 7″"
''Killed by Death Records''. Retrieved March 28, 2016. in ideological contrast, reproduces an anti-fascist
political cartoon
A political cartoon, a form of editorial cartoon, is a cartoon graphic with caricatures of public figures, expressing the artist's opinion. An artist who writes and draws such images is known as an editorial cartoonist. They typically combine ...
by
Arthur Szyk
Arthur Szyk (Polish: �artur ʃɪk June 16, 1894 – September 13, 1951) was a Polish artist who worked primarily as a book illustration, book illustrator and political artist throughout his career. Arthur Szyk was born into a prosperous mi ...
from 1942 which portrays
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
, the
Grim Reaper
Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...
,
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in ...
, and
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
, who are humorously featured as
alter ego
An alter ego (Latin for "other I", "doppelgänger") means an alternate self, which is believed to be distinct from a person's normal or true original personality. Finding one's alter ego will require finding one's other self, one with a differe ...
s of Crash, Lorna Doom, (the) Drummer (Nicky Beat at the time), and Pat Smear, respectively.
[ Backman, Karl]
"The Germs Discography"
''The Summer of Hate''. Archived fro
on October 7, 2016. The EP's artwork was printed in black ink on red, deep pink, golden and yellow paper
record sleeve
A record sleeve is the outer covering of a vinyl record. Alternative terms are ''dust sleeve'', ''album liner'' and ''liner''.
The term is also used to denominate the outermost cardboard covering of a record, i.e. the ''record jacket'' or ''album ...
s.
Reissues and re-recordings
A rare
alternate mix of "No God", with an extra drum beat at the end, was featured on the 1979
Dangerhouse Records
Dangerhouse Records was a Neff, Joseph (August 13, 2013)"(Re)Graded on a Curve: Dangerhouse Records' Compilation, ''Yes L.A.''" ''The Vinyl District''. Retrieved August 21, 2015. punk music record label based in Los Angeles, California
Overvie ...
compilation
Compilation may refer to:
*In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler
**Compilation error
**Compilation unit
*Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products
*Compilation thesis
M ...
EP ''
Yes L.A.
''Yes L.A.'' is a six-song compilation EP featuring first-generation Californian punk rock bands. It was also the final release of the short-lived but influential Dangerhouse Records label.
Overview
A one-sided picture disc released at the ...
''
[LeBlanc, Larry]
"Industry Profile: Lisa Fancher"
''CelebrityAccess''. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
Long
out of print
__NOTOC__
An out-of-print (OOP) or out-of-commerce item or work is something that is no longer being published. The term applies to all types of printed matter, visual media, sound recordings, and video recordings. An out-of-print book is a boo ...
in its original form, the ''Lexicon Devil'' EP would reappear in 1981 as part of the Germs' posthumous
12-inch vinyl disc EP ''
What We Do Is Secret'', as well as included on the band's 1993 compilation album ''(MIA): The Complete Anthology''.
In October 1978, a faster second version of "Lexicon Devil", this time with Bolles on drums, who gave the song a harder and more manic drive, was recorded for the Germs' first and only
studio album, ''
(GI)
''GI'', stylized as ''(GI)'', is the only studio album by American punk rock band the Germs. Often considered the first full-length hardcore punk album, it was released in the United States in October 1979 on Slash Records with catalog number ...
'', released in 1979.
Cover versions
Southern California punk band
D.I. cover
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of cop ...
ed "Lexicon Devil"
[The faster second version of the song, from the band's 1979 studio album, ''(GI)''.] for their 1994 album ''
State of Shock''.
Also in 1994, the German record label Bitzcore released ''Strange Notes!: A Germs Cover Compilation'', featuring versions of "Lexicon Devil"
[ and "No God", done by ]the Freeze
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in ...
and Final Conflict
Final Conflict is an American hardcore punk band from Long Beach, California, United States, formed in 1983. They have gone through various lineup changes with the only constant member being original guitar player (and founder) Jeff Harp.
Final ...
, respectively.
The 1996 tribute album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records co ...
to the Germs, ''A Small Circle of Friends
''A Small Circle of Friends'' is a 1980 American drama film directed by Rob Cohen (in his directing debut) and starring Brad Davis, Karen Allen and Jameson Parker. It was distributed by United Artists.
Premise
The film follows the life ...
'', featured cover versions of "Lexicon Devil",[ "Circle One", and "No God", recorded by the ]Melvins
Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appe ...
, the Holez (Hole
A hole is an opening in or through a particular medium, usually a solid body. Holes occur through natural and artificial processes, and may be useful for various purposes, or may represent a problem needing to be addressed in many fields of en ...
featuring
In show business, a guest appearance is the participation of an outsider performer (such as a musician or actor) in an event such as a music record or concert, show, etc., when the performer does not belong to the regular band, cast, or other pe ...
Pat Smear), and D Generation
D Generation (also known as DGen) are an American glam punk band formed in 1991 in New York City. They released three albums and several EPs, to much critical acclaim, before breaking up in 1999. In 2011 the band reunited for a series of sho ...
, respectively.[Various artists, ''A Small Circle of Friends''](_blank)
''AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the dat ...
''. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
Appearances in other media
In 2013, "Lexicon Devil" was included in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto V
''Grand Theft Auto V'' is a 2013 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the seventh main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2008's ''Grand Theft Auto IV'', and ...
'', for its reproduction through the in-game radio station Channel X
Channel X Productions is a UK comedy and entertainment company with a 22–year history of producing programmes for all of the major broadcasters. The company specialises in scripted broken and narrative comedy, comedy-entertainment formats and g ...
. Similarly, the sped-up version of the song was featured on the soundtrack for the 2004 video game ''Tony Hawk's Underground 2
''Tony Hawk's Underground 2'' is a skateboarding video game, the sixth entry in the '' Tony Hawk's'' series after ''Tony Hawk's Underground''. It was developed by Neversoft and published by Activision on October 4, 2004 in the U.S. for the PlaySta ...
''.
Track listing
Personnel
Germs
*Darby Crash
Jan Paul Beahm (better known by his stage name Darby Crash, formerly Bobby Pyn; September 26, 1958 – December 7, 1980) was an American punk rock vocalist who, along with longtime friend Pat Smear (born Georg Ruthenberg), co-founded the punk ro ...
– vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
*Pat Smear
Georg Albert Ruthenberg (born August 5, 1959), better known by his stage name Pat Smear, is an American musician. He is best known for being the lead guitarist and co-founder of Los Angeles-based punk band The Germs and for being a rhythm guit ...
– guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
*Lorna Doom
Lorna Doom (born Teresa Marie Ryan, January 4, 1958–January 16, 2019) was an American musician best known as the bass guitarist for the punk rock band the Germs from 1976 to 1980, and again after they got back together from 2005 to 2009.
Ea ...
– bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
* Nicky Beat – drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
Additional performers
*Don Bolles
Donald Fifield Bolles (July 10, 1928 – June 13, 1976) was an American investigative reporter for ''The Arizona Republic'' who was known for his coverage of organized crime in the area, especially by the Chicago Outfit. His murder in a car bo ...
– backing vocals
A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are u ...
and hand clapping
A clap is the percussive sound made by striking together two flat surfaces, as in the body parts of humans or animals. Humans clap with the palms of their hands, often quickly and repeatedly to express appreciation or approval (see applause), b ...
(track
Track or Tracks may refer to:
Routes or imprints
* Ancient trackway, any track or trail whose origin is lost in antiquity
* Animal track, imprints left on surfaces that an animal walks across
* Desire path, a line worn by people taking the short ...
B2)
*Pat Delaney – backing vocals and hand clapping (B2)
Production
*Steve Samiof – executive in charge of production
*Geza X
Geza Gedeon (born September 28, 1952), professionally known as Geza X, is an American producer. He was a personality in the Los Angeles punk scene in the late 1970s. He is now a producer. He was born in Indiana and moved to California when he was a ...
– production
Production may refer to:
Economics and business
* Production (economics)
* Production, the act of manufacturing goods
* Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services)
* Production as a stati ...
, engineering
Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...
*Hubert Lanzinger – illustration
An illustration is a decoration, interpretation or visual explanation of a text, concept or process, designed for integration in print and digital published media, such as posters, flyers, magazines, books, teaching materials, animations, vide ...
(front cover painting)
*Arthur Szyk
Arthur Szyk (Polish: �artur ʃɪk June 16, 1894 – September 13, 1951) was a Polish artist who worked primarily as a book illustration, book illustrator and political artist throughout his career. Arthur Szyk was born into a prosperous mi ...
– illustration (back cover cartoon)
See also
* ''An Ideal for Living
''An Ideal for Living'' is the first EP by the English post-punk band Joy Division. It was released in 1978 by the band's own label, Enigma, shortly after the group changed its name from Warsaw.
Background
All tracks were recorded at Pennine S ...
'', 1978 Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
Sumner and Hook formed the band after att ...
's EP featuring Nazi-like iconography on its front cover
Notes
References
Works cited
*
Further reading
Magazines
* Gehman, Pleasant (May 1978). ''Lexicon Devil''. ''Lobotomy'' (6).
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lexicon Devil (Ep)
1978 debut EPs
Germs (band) EPs
Albums produced by Geza X
Slash Records EPs
Song recordings produced by Geza X