Circle Jerks- Group Sex
-When a group of males stand in a circle to jer…
Whoa there, hold yer horses. I’d be leading into one hell of a misuse for the definition of the phrase we’re looking at here. I say, on with the review.
It was the early 80’s, and by now, “hardcore” punk had nearly exploded upon everything else that consisted of any recognizable pull to the genre. In Los Angeles, it had become average for a spontaneous rise of a new group to hit the scene every few months. Among some of the most highly successful groups of the genre hurling out of the area at the time include
The Germs, X, The Screamers, Fear, and the
Circle Jerks. With middle-fingers outstretched, and huge smirks wiping across their faces, the Circle Jerks were first widely documented in the film
Decline Of Western Civilization, a movie focusing on the Los Angeles punk scene in the early 80’s. The bands listed above were interviewed and recorded at their shows, and shown to a grand audience that later became most of their loving fans.
You could say a small part of fellow “hardcore” band
Black Flag has always been with the Jerks, because in a sense, this is true. Vocalist Keith Morris, who founded the Jerks with guitarist Greg Hetson, was one of the original members of Black Flag, and merely recorded one single for the band until he decided to leave and start his own universe of perverted, crude ambiguity, that may I add, very quickly shot the band into the very peak of the mountain that’s been called American punk.
Group Sex is the band’s debut LP, and also one of the very highly distinguished, and most well-known albums of the 80’s. What the Jerks offered to their audience in and out of the studio was a rush of reality-depraved subjects, but yet, they centered around the reality of the life of an insomniac, a high-class pervert, and of course, and anarchist. Morris, after leaving a newly-established Black Flag with haste, partnered up with guitarist Greg Hetson, and later picked up drummer Lucky Lehrer, and bassist Roger Rogerson, and got right down to the addicting late-nights and constant touring that later led to the recording of Group Sex.
Some people see a very noticeable flaw in certain punk albums, and that is that most tracks can easily cease after about fifty-odd seconds or so. Others see it as getting the job done fast and with fashion. Like the idea or not, Group Sex to this day continues to contain 15 full minutes of the material that got them so high up there throughout the band’s later career. The album centers mostly around Morris’ vocals as well as Hetson’s solos, but those don’t come so often. Morris is the very best part of the whole album and is what really stands for the Jerks in every term. Ignoring whatever anyone else may retrieve the Jerk’s music as, Morris emits snotty sets of vocals by the dozens, and sometimes may turn into light screams that lead to the conclusion of another song that is without a doubt pointless but yet struck you or maybe even touched you in some way. Heton’s guitar-work follows the blatant yells that beam straight from Morris and Rogerson and for the most part saves the fancy stuff for the concluding discharge of a track. When he does play a nifty solo, it shows and adds to the overall composition of the song.
Back Against The Wall,
Red Tape, and
World Up My Ass are fine examples of how Hetson’s material can go as far as impacting the album to a greater extent. For the most part, its simple chords induced to rapid-fire speeds and spontaneous solos for Hetson. Not much to ask for, and for the kind of album Group Sex is, that seems like it’s enough to me.
Rogerson and Lucky are a strange couple indeed, but very straightforward to their material nonetheless. To supply as the band’s rhythm section, the boys engage in the kind of action the others are in, but the actual show of their extent can sometimes be invisible to the naked ear. Rogerson tosses in a line that will tread the steps of Hetson’s work, but around bridge time, when things extend to a higher level of insanity, Rogerson will start doing his own thing, enabling you to hear more of him. He doesn’t exactly impact the album’s outcome, but if he wasn’t there, it wouldn’t have gotten as far. Lucky is one hell of a drummer. His speed is often unbeatable by most of the genre’s other drummers at the time, and as far as Group Sex goes, Lucky can use simple fills an average drummer might use everyday and increase the speed dramatically to make it seem like it was a flash that struck every other high point of the song. In a nutshell, Lucky’s material is nothing earth-shattering, but it makes the section of the Jerks about twice as much more worthwhile, and with Morris, creates a cloud of damage that leaves a mark until the next
minute of doom approaches.
What’s left to say. Group Sex is truly one of the definite albums that screams progression of the punk movement that would later morph around into many forms. Who knows how many artist out there now have influences ranging from the Jerks. I wouldn’t consider the answer to the question to be on the low side, but that’s just me. The Jerks to me. Don’t hold a lot of the aggression that could be recognizable in a lot of other “hardcore” punk bands of the time, but yet, they use their pointless lyrics and over-the-top, united musicianship to an advantage. As I can’t change their label, it’s still worth mentioning an opinion. The Jerks went on to use their no-excuses musical fashion later throughout the 90’s with different variations and band members. They made more albums, but none of them will ever be Group Sex. If you’ve ever heard another band that consists of providing songs that range from 45 seconds to a long minute, thank the Jerks for the push they unintentionally gave artists of the future.
Circle Jerks-
Group Sex-
Keith Morris- Vocals
Greg Hetson- Guitar
Roger Rogerson- Bass
Lucky Lehrer- Drums
Stand Out Tracks
I Just Want Some Skank
Behind The Door
Live Fast, Die Young
Red Tape
Superb.
4.5/5
