D.I.Y.: We're Desperate - The L.A. Scene (1976-79)

Forming

Weirdos 4eva

life of crime or we're desperate

Wait, two X tunes to split the vote?

I remember downloading this one off Slsk about 20 years ago and the song that made the biggest impact on me was She Don't Know Why I'm Here, partly because I already knew a lot of the others tbf. But I'm voting for that anyway.

If they'd put You're Not Blank on instead of those Dils songs I might've gone for that instead though

I don't know very many of these. Will listen and report back.

Me neither. Can’t even find a playlist.

Great CD. If "Lexicon Devil" weren't on it, this might actually be a contest...

Were Desperate

Desperately seeking the missing ‘

Never had this one so only every really familiar with half. TAQN may be my favorite song here, I Hate the Rich may be the most relatable song, the Plugz may be my favorite band here but Los Angeles by X is the most iconic.

Voting for the Plugz because the way they've largely been written out of history is a fucking crime — Electrify Me is a top three LA punk album, and Better Luck utterly eliminates the need for Los Lobos. Both long out of print, sadly.

God, I love The Dils and The Weirdos, such unique takes on the punk energy. Voted "We Got The Neutron Bomb".

I tried reaching out to Tito Larriva on myspace about a reissue on Acute but he never wrote back.

I literally don't know any of these songs.

Me neither. Can’t even find a playlist.

Try this

Wow this is a tough one

Down on the Boulevard - the Pop! - OK as a statement of purpose I guess but this scans more as an historical curiosity to me now

Younger Point of View - The Dogs - there are SO MUCH BETTER Dogs songs they could have used but again this is kind of an anthem for pre-punk Sunset Strip

Counting (Demo) - The Motels - I always think they are from Portland, but no

Forming - The Germs - classic

I Hate the Rich - The Dils - classic

Don't Push Me Around - The Zeros - classic

A Life of Crime - The Weirdos - ultra classic

You're So Strange - The Zippers
Pretty Please - The Quick
She Don't Know Why I'm Here - The Last
Say Goodbye to the Black Sheep - The Furys

- I don't know any of these except The Quick, guessing this is more post-glam power pop type stuff?

Mr. Big - The Dils - not my fave of their handful of early tracks but def a precursor to Rank And File

We're Desperate - X - ultra classic

We Got the Neutron Bomb - The Weirdos - ultra classic, the B-side is even better I voted for this

Lexicon Devil - The Germs - ultra classic

Nothing Means Nothing Anymore - Alley Cats - OK I guess

La Bamba - The Plugz - classic

You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla) - The Dickies - I never liked joke bands like these guys

TAQN - Eyes - classic

Survive - Bags - ultra classic

Los Angeles - X - ultra classic

I've always liked the Motels song a lot

one vote for zeros just to have some brown representation :D

There's some overlap between these comps and the "No Thanks!" Rhino comp, which is where I heard many of these for the first time, but the "No Thanks!" comp has a few memorable tracks that are missing here: "Cherry Bomb" by the Runaways, and "Wasted" by Black Flag, to name two. I listened through all the songs here that I wasn't familiar with and not too many caught my ear. I think it's fair to say that the DIY punk movement in LA was a few years behind the UK and NYC. I would vote for "We're Desperate" if it was the re-recorded version from Wild Gift, but I guess this is probably the original B-side version from '78, so I would have to go with "Los Angeles", with honorable mentions to "Lexicon Devil" and "We Got the Neutron Bomb".

The X and Germs tracks on this are the original 45 single recordings.

damn that furys song is a very blatant bruce rip off

Los Angeles

xp Yeah... the liner notes describe them as "a stripped-down street version of, say, Bruce Springsteen, crossed with mid-period Rolling Stones and The Who."

("say" doing a bit of work there, ha ha)

iirc the Last song is also the single version, not the one on L.A. Explosion.

Much prefer the single version of We're Desperate anyway

"Forming" and "Lexicon Devil" are the two Germs songs I love, so tough choice, but "Forming."

The Eyes song is listed as TAQN, but Rhino mistakenly put the b-side Topographical Lies on the CD instead.

Are you sure about that? I checked my copy and it's the correct track.

first thought was Neutron Bomb but Lexicon Devil is such catchy chaos.

Are you sure about that?

Maybe they corrected it on a 2nd pressing? (Would there even have been a 2nd pressing?)

Anyway, I remember hearing about it back then, and it's mentioned on Discogs.

Much prefer the single version of We're Desperate anyway

It’s hard for me to be objective. I love the sound of Wild Gift.

I just checked my copy of this comp, and I've got "Topographical Lies," not "TAQN"

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

want to push this song, think if you like stuff like Dream Syndicate it's sort of in that realm

this is the single version which is on this comp https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNKk-Itin64

I think I picked the wrong psych band to compare it to lol but it's kind of psych rock but punk energy and I love it. sorry drunk etc

Yeah it’s a good song

I had a Dangerhouse singles compilation which was quite great and the Germs expanded lp on cd.
Read the Ugly Things Weirdos history and then bought their compilation Weird World. Plus also knew Life of Crime from the Laughing Hyenas cover.
Recently read Kid Congo's memoir which talks about LA Punk scene and listened to No Dogs In Space podcast history of The Screamers that talks about it too to give background.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Love "Life of Crime."

Damn! "Split this, mofos!"

I went with "Los Angeles."

Voted "I Hate The Rich" but probably would have voted for the Screamers had they managed to get a song out then.

D.I.Y.: Come Out and Play - American Power Pop I (1975-78)