Lexicon Devil

Overview

Lexicon Devil found Bobby Pyn, the rather innocent "Sex Boy" from the band's debut single, reinvented as the much more darker Darby Crash, who sings his fascistic mission statement in the self-mythologizing "Circle One", the guitar frenzy which opens the side B:

The EP's title track is an apocalyptic manifesto full of fractured images, whose lyrics were written by Crash in the first person in the name of Adolf Hitler, who proclaims himself a "lexicon devil" in the song, which is featured here in its slower and tamer first version. "Lexicon Devil", however, might also fits Paul Beahm's new punk persona, since Crash was an aspiring cult leader obsessed with the idea of the mind control through the rhetoric, that is, using the power of words. In fact, Crash was one of the wordiest lyricists in the early Los Angeles punk scene, hence, while it is more musically developed than "Forming", the band's previous record, the Lexicon Devil EP is rather remarkable for its lyrics.

"You didn't know the words because [they were unintelligible], when Darby'd sing them live, so [I] was just astounded when [the Germs] got that first Slash record and actually read the lyrics. They were great!..."
                                – John Doe, member of L.A. punk band X

"I loved to read his lyrics. You couldn't always make them out when he sang them ... Darby was one of the only performers I know of who literally used the English language as a weapon."
                                – Chris Desjardins, frontman of L.A. punk band the Flesh Eaters

The record closes with "No God", a Nietzschean rant which borrows the intro from Yes' "Roundabout".

Background

The Germs were already gaining notoriety ever since the release of their first single, "Forming", and their early live performances. However, their increasing success was not without some roadblocks. They did not have a permanent 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' Nicky Beat, who took the seat in the sessions for the Lexicon Devil EP. Also, Pat Smear did not own an amplifier for his Rickenbacker electric guitar.

The band's second record came about when the publishers of the punk zine Slash agreed with the Germs to release an EP on their newly formed record label, Slash Records.

Production

Lexicon Devil was recorded in Los Angeles, California at an unidentified studio, underneath a bank building, on Hollywood Boulevard.

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 Smear an amplifier for the recording sessions, but had forgotten; instead he strung together some effect pedals and Smear plugged directly into the studio's mixing board.

A few days before recording commenced, aspiring drummer Don Bolles came down to Los Angeles from Phoenix, Arizona to audition 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. Bolles still participated, however, helping chant "Non deus, non deus, non deus" and clapping his hands, along with the Deadbeats' saxophonist, Pat Delaney, and the rest of the band, during the bridge 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. The record was available mostly through mail order from the Slash punk zine.

At the time of its release, the band proposed an advertisement to promote the EP, which displayed Nazi iconography accompanied with the darkly humorous slogan "Six million Jews can't be wrong", but Slash deemed it potentially controversial and refused to print it.

Conceptually connected to the lyrical content of the record, which reflects the messianic and apocalyptic obsessions of Crash, the cover art 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, in ideological contrast, reproduces an anti-fascist political cartoon by Arthur Szyk from 1942, portraying Hermann Göring, the Grim Reaper, Benito Mussolini, and Hirohito; who are humorously featured as alter egos of Darby Crash, Lorna Doom, (the) Drummer (Nicky Beat at the time), and Pat Smear, respectively. The EP's artwork was printed in black ink on red, deep pink, golden and yellow paper record sleeves.

Reissues

In August 1979, a rare alternate mix of "No God" was featured on the Dangerhouse Records compilation EP Yes L.A.

Long out of print in its original form, the entire Lexicon Devil EP was later included in the 1981 posthumous 12-inch vinyl disc EP What We Do Is Secret, and in the band's 1993 compilation album (MIA): The Complete Anthology.

Re-recordings

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), released in 1979.

Cover versions

The 1996 tribute album to the Germs, A Small Circle of Friends, featured cover versions of "Lexicon Devil", "Circle One", and "No God", recorded by the Melvins, the Holez (Hole featuring Pat Smear), and D Generation, respectively.

Appearances in other media

In 2013, the song "Lexicon Devil" was included in the video game Grand Theft Auto V, for its reproduction through the in-game radio station Channel X.