Circle Jerks - Group Sex
#432
by Aaron Conte
Circle Jerks
Group Sex
Genre: hardcore punk rock
Allen’s Rating: 3 out of 5
Aaron’s Rating: 5 out of 5 stars.
Highlights:
Deny Everything
Beverly Hills
World Up My Ass
Red Tape
In 1985 I was a junior in high school and my new friend Jeremy came to
choir practice wearing a mohawk, ripped jeans, Oxford shirt under a
tartan vest and combat boots. Before this particular day, he was
preppy and I was in a community musical theater production of "A Funny
Thing Happened on the way to the Forum" with his dad.
Well this was different. Turns out the swim team decided they were all
going to shave their heads in some kind of macho solidarity so that
they could win the meet with Syracuse that weekend or whatever. But
Jeremy was different. During breaks from singing the Hallelujah
Chorus, he would whisper-scream lyrics to me from what was The Circle
Jerks then new album "Wonderful": "Be nice, say thank you! Please,
once in a while. It's a beautiful world we live in. Give yer brother a
smile!" Wonderful!!!"
This was punk rock?? I was so confused (already), and this was blowing
my mind. First my very good new friend went from preppy to punk in a
matter of days, and now I'm finding out that puck rock is actually a
good, friendly, forgiving community to belong to?? Yes in fact is the
answer.
Who was this band I wondered, and how fast could I get my hands on all
their records!?
That weekend I drove with my learners permit to "The Last Unicorn", an
oasis in central New York for all things off the recorded beaten path.
Sure enough there was one other album in the Circle Jerks bin, one I
was hesitant to bring home. My parents already had gotten me "Never
Mind the Bollocks..." so could bringing home a record called "Group
Sex" by a band named The Circle Jerks be any less a symbol of my
newfound teen independence?
I know how individual this genre of music is, and also how opinionated
the fans of it are. So I'll simply state right here right now that if
you don't think Keith Morris, Lucky Lehrer, Greg Hetson and Roger
Rogerson gave birth to the hardcore punk ethos, you're wrong. The
Ramones did indeed create the loud fast minimal style that I admit
does predate this band as well as the british movement, but Joey and
Tommy (and soon thereafter Marky) never broke a sweat like all four of
these jerks did. We only saw Johnny and Dee Dee thrashing it out and
coming close to that hardcore abondon. Ramones songs maybe had too
much structure! The Stooges also can wave a punk rock flag I suppose,
but their records sound like rock and roll to me, even pretty catchy
at times. OK OK I HEAR YOU, and The Germs, but c'mon.
The Circle Jerks "Group Sex" album clocks in at fifteen (15) minutes.
Fourteen songs in fifteen minutes. That in itself is punk as fuck,
becuase it says, "here are the 'songs' we want you to listen to them,
oops too late, missed them!" Without subtlety or nuance, without
regret or apology. These songs are so fast, they don't even get to
count to four. It's, "one two three...over!!"
"Deny Everything" - he does.
"I Just Want Some Skank" - it's true.
"Beverly Hills" - about people who live in Beverly Hills, CA.
"Operation" - about having an operation on his balls.
"Back Against the Wall" - david and goliath (great great drums).
"Wasted" - he was.
"Behind the Door" - could be about seeing punk shows or band practice.
"World Up My Ass" - it is.
"Paid Vacation" - corporate america slam.
"Don't Care" - he doesn't.
"Live Fast Die Young" - he didn't; classic anti-Regan era attitude.
"What's Your Problem" - tell him.
"Group Sex" - making fun of the hippies.
"Red Tape" - the hamster wheel of life.
I've been taking so many walks around the Culver City neighborhood
since we can't go anywhere these days, and come to find out, this
record was recorded down the street from me at what is now (still)
Culver Studios. David O'Selznick, big old timey Hollywood producer
type, had a personal screening room there that was abandoned in 1979.
Paul Greenfield, Bob Dacey and Ken Lauber took the place over and
built the recording studio that in 1980 became Byrdcliffe Recording
Studio. A huge live room with the board and tape machines up in what
was the projection room, giving the artists some privacy to record
without that fishbowl feeling of others spying on the process. I can
see how this must have freed the Jerks up well enough to really let
those old walls have it.
Great album. Give yourself fifteen minutes.
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBCJd5JeywQ
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