Group Sex
Circle Jerks
1980
Album Summary
Group Sex is the debut studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks. It was released on October 1, 1980, by Frontier Records. The album consists of 14 songs in 15 minutes and is considered to be a landmark album in hardcore punk. It was included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.
WikipediaI was 9 years old when I attended my first circle jerk. It was a lowly lit room at the Chelsea training ground. I was dressed in a tutu and had my hair in plaits, as was the fashion at the time. My brother shoved me to the middle of the room and then the lights flicked on. I was surrounded by the entire Chelsea first team and backroom staff. They all tugged away at themselves, making strong eye contact with me throughout. I got so swept up by the attention that I didn't realise I was wanking myself. My first time. It was such a turn on. Glenn Hoddle came on my back. Later, we all went out for milkshakes. Somebody bumped into me and I spilt mine all down my front. It was hard to tell what was milkshake and what was jizz. I was completely drenched in both.
Excellent hardcore punk record. Stupid, bratty, loud. What more do you want?
I imagine this type of music is made for desperate teenagers, to fit in with an obnoxious anti-establishment crowd, pretending to enjoy a disgusting screamishly loud esthetic and inflect misery upon themselves. Luckily for my average score, I have not yet been graced with the opportunity to review heavy metal... The only redeeming quality about this record is that the tracks are very short, but there is no excuse for the abhorrent sound "Group Sex" contains. I am contemplating not giving this record a score, because I feel sad about it averaging out a perfect 5/5 to two 3/5's. However, to be fair to the 1001 albums project, this piece of garbage gets an absolute 1/5 from me.
Classic hardcore punk. There's no pretension here. It's a great time and at 15 minutes, you feel inspired to just listen to it again, and then maybe a third time. Side note: I enjoy reading the negative reviews for this. Call it schadenfreude I suppose. I guess it's juvenile of me to feel that way, but I can't help it.
Classic punk album with a million songs packed into 30 minutes. Love it.
In, punk, out. Love Keith Morris and Off! especially. Favorite tracks: "Group Sex", "Deny Everything", "Paid Vacation"
Oh man this took me BACK. I hope I get to rate Give Me Convenience or Give Me Death because boy do I have a story. That album opened up the whole genre of late 70s/80s punk to me that, it seems, I still very much love. This is a great album. Took me back to The DPC (Downtown Performance Center) in Tucson and high school (and beyond) and angst and lyrics and band flyers and everything. Operation really hits differently today than it did in high school lol.
As crisp and snappy as an electrified mouse trap baited with Doritos. This is so tight it’s breathless. Fantastically pithy, filthy and fun.
I have a soft spot for hardcore punk. Had this one on cassette back in the day and they had the album 2xs back to back on side 1, and side 2 was just blank and you were encouraged to record what you wanted on it.
I LOATHE this The only thing that will justify one star is that the longest song is only 1:35 and the entire album is around 15 mins long.
It felt like a load of 14-year-old edgelords wrote this because they thought it sounded cool. Punk just for the sake of it. The lyrics were juvenile with no real substance - hey, let's write a song about an orgy to piss off our parents, regardless of the fact that we're all virgins! Where's the rage against the machine, Kevin? Go to a protest or something.
Missing song on Spotify can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wW6ykueIhX8 44- Circle Jerks - 21:01 - Deny Everything
It's over in about 15 minutes so stop moaning. Best Tracks: Deny Everything!; Operation; Behind The Door
Let's normalize 15 minute albums. There's an argument to be made that if you can't get your point across in 0:31 (the length of the album's two shortest songs), then you should just pack up and go home.
Nice early HC, loud and brash but full of actual melody, with a pretty damn good drummer. And at 15min it knows exactly what it is. 4/5.
Forget lean, this is a single short-twitch muscle fibre. As an aesthetic and/or statement of purpose, 'shorter and faster than everyone else' won't distinguish them all that much, but their brio and animus might. As will their jkz, which are obvious and the better for it. Henry Rollins should have paid attention.
I can see how this band influenced modern punk/hardcore bands. Pretty solid!
I was going to wax lyrical on this then I realised the band is called "Circle Jerks" and the album is called "Group Sex" so anything I write is going to pale into insignificance in comparison to whatever Nigel Spackman writes.
Cram 14 songs into 15-16 minutes of pure energy. This is a great punk album and doesn't need to be longer!
I remember this band from old Tony Hawk's Pro Skater games. I'm a fan of punk rock so this was a great album.
Great energy, and for once I can actually hear the lyrics in a punk album
Great album. They get in and out of songs at a record speed but still manage to pack a punch.
Fuck, my ADHD brain loves a short goddamn album. My Tony Hawk heart is also enjoying the hell out of this. Good on you Circle Jerks.
Fitting 14 songs into 16 adrenaline fueled minutes Keith Morris and the boys make a punk classic still being emulated to this day. If you’ve never heard the origins of punk and hardcore the Jerks are a great introduction…as much as Morris’ former band is.
Super short album with songs that last just over a minute on average. Super political and in your face.
birth of hXc. can't beat it, feel 16 again listening to it. I did NOT know this was recorded in 1980!! So early
It's loud and gritty. Punk isn't my favorite genre but I can appreciate this album.
Un disco rapidito, lo cual se agradece, sobre todo también por el género. Me gusta, caótico, muy "raw", mucha energía acá, como que si provoca una acelaración. Quizá lo único que juega en contra es que la duración de las canciones y su abundancia hace que parezca que de repente es un único track largooooo con variaciones. Mis favoritas "I Just Want Some Skank", "World Up My Ass", "Live Fast Die Young" y la canción titular. 8/10
A este punto ya creo que con un disco de punk en toda la lista hubiera estado bien, lol. Pero bueno... sí me gustó, no puedo decir qué canción me gustó más, parecen todas la misma :v. En su conjunto estuvo chido, pero nada memorable como pa volver a escucharlo.
Fun album. I'm not a huge fan of bands that do purposely short songs, but they do it so well it is still enjoyable.
Nice find, it's funny how it takes less than 20 minutes to play all 15 songs
10/27 Raw essence of Punk. Standout Tracks: Deny Everything, I Just Want Some Skank, Beverly Hills, Back Against the Wall, Paid Vacation, Don't Care, Group Sex
Just what I needed on a bright Sunday morning - 14 hard core punk tracks totalling 15 minutes, so quite bearable, like 1 shot of tequila to perk you up. It's like they couldn't be arsed to extend 14 hooks into 4 minutes songs, so listenable! 4/5
that was surprisingly enjoyable, and such a quick listen at only 16 minutes it also has a really fresh, classic sound for 1980, I think I’ll give it an 8/10
While overall I don't consider myself - in the broad sense - a fan of punk, I am a huge fan of this album. Keith Morris really embodies the snarling 'fuck you' attitude of punk. There's a sense of irreverence to this album that doesn't swirl out of control like later California punk albums but keeps it from becoming overly sanctimonious like some of the more political-minded punk albums of the time. It's fast, blunt, primitive, and doesn't overstay its welcome. While the band's best track - the cleverly ordered medley Golden Shower of Hits - isn't on this album, this is the most focused burst of overall quality from the band.
Banda norte-americana de hardcore punk. O álbum tem 14 músicas e 16 minutos. Sim! Pelo o que li, é uma característica da banda. Temas como sexo e política são recorrentes em todas as faixas.
4/5 Very interesting album. Very short but that makes it more palatable for the genre
Vite fait bien fait Prefs: Operation, Back Against The Wall, Wasted, World Up My Ass, Live Fast Die Young, Group Sex Moins pref: I Just Want Some Skank
If there is a single word that I could pick to describe hardcore punk, it would be efficient. I've been listening to this album for 2 minutes and 45 seconds, and I'm already done with three songs. This album gets through 14 songs in less than 16 minutes. Like I said, efficient This is a fun early example of hardcore and the style of the developing west coast punk scene. I feel like hardcore punk is a bit limited as a genre, but I also know that I would have fucking loved seeing this band when I was a teenager. As I get older, raw power in music appeals to me less and less, but when you're young and full of hormones and anger, it makes you feel like someone else gets it. This album is perfectly that. It's high energy everyday boredom and disaffection. And if you don't like it, it's over in 15 minutes 4/5
Very fast, very loud, very funny, and very short. Kind of good, but I'm not sure "good" is what they were aiming for anyway.
Classic punk at it's best, while not a massive fan of punk, it's bands like these that make me wonder why they weren't anywhere near as famous as the Sex Pistols, whilst being way more talented. Raw energy and fast riffs for 15 minutes straight, what more do you want?!
First things first, what a lovely band and album name. I could tell I was in for some rowdy punk music from that alone, and boy was I right. I actually really enjoyed this one. Apparently it's a vocalist from Black Flag, who I also enjoy sometimes. I love the energy on this project, and the fact that it averages just over a minute per track is a welcome oddity compared to some long ones we've had. Guitars are fuzzy but strong, and the drumming is very clear. Just about everything punk-wise is done right here. Among all the punk projects we've had on the list so far, this one is near the top. Not Stooges level for me, but an excellent angsty-garage-music vibe that flowed throughout. Quite a few highlights for me too. Extra points for efficiency of time. Favorite tracks: Operation, Back Against the Wall, Live Fast Die Young, What's Your Problem. Album art: Excellent picture here, love the splashes of color throughout an otherwise monochromatic picture. Great bold, messy font too. What more could you ask for? 4/5
Straight up West-Coast American punk. Short, punchy, shouty, fast drums and chords. I dig it.
Well, that was quicker than I expected Group Sex to be. Hard to believe this doesn't carry some explicit warning, but it was a different time. I did enjoy it though.
Was prepped to hate this given the name but I loved it. Interestingly short but it reminded me of so many great punk bands all rolled up together.
Hardcore punk and some of its hardcore punkiest. It is a bit uneven at times, but if you don't like a song it will be over before you know it.
This was dumb and fun...not to be taken too seriously, but perfect in its way
Wow. 14 songs in less than 16 minutes it's a proof of how fast they play. Good record. Powerful band. A true classic.
I think I was just in a good mood yesterday because I liked this far more than I reasonably should have from an objective standpoint. Probably actually a 3.5.
Compared to Bad Brains, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and Minor Threat, Circle Jerks has been seemingly overlooked as pioneers of hardcore punk. Group Sex is incredibly brief, wasting no time. Get the idea out there and move on. It's incredible. If you know your punk history, you'll trace lead singer Keith Morris back to Black Flag's early days, specifically the fantastic EP Nervous Breakdown. For me, that early Black Flag energy was something to behold, so I thoroughly enjoyed Morris' energy on this album. Every song on here fucks. There's no doubt in my mind they just threw together songs that wee fast and raw and left it at that. Excellent. That's punk in it's purest form.
You can hear why this was so influential, but you only need to hear it once!
Very punk I don’t mind it though. Well that was ridiculously short lol
19 songs, 23 minutes. Can't really go to wrong with that. Plus old punk friend danny approves.
Fantastic that they fit a whole album into 15 minutes. of all the hardcore punk I've seen this is some of the more enjoyable.
I expected to hate this but I kinda liked it. Short and to the point. 3 stars.
I enjoy old-school socal hardcore punk. nothing nuanced about it. just a blast of energy. sadly there's nothing that's amazing about this, just solid attitude.
While I think other bands did it better there's no denying its a fun listen.
I remember listening to them back in the mid/late 80's during a relatively brief period of time during which I was interested in punk and similar styles. The genre was so different from what I had been listening to, and to a sheltered suburbanite in his late teens, it sounded dangerous and exciting. Totally get the "rebelliousness" cliche I was part of. (I don't feel bad about it at all; just part of the growing up process. Still doing it in my mid-50s. Life. It goes on.) Listening to punk music for me these days usually leaves me mostly uninterested, so I was curious to see my reaction to this one. I expected to shrug my shoulders at it as part of a fading broader memory, and I was suprised to find myself appreciating what they were doing. Really great playing by the musicians, the singing and lyrics are catchy and fun, and it isn't to my ears as cacophonous as a lot of the genre is to me (it's okay, kids, go ahead and make fun of my middle-aged sensibilities ;-). Overall, really solid album.
Brash fast angry punk rock. Music that can only justifiably be made by teens and twenty-somethings. It takes a special kind of athleticism to be able to execute this music and stay in sync with the band. Didn't particularly like this album, but it didn't rape my ear holes like some of the albums on this list (Mekons, Lexicon of Love, Wild Beasts). 3/5
I mean, what is there to say. Its 15 minutes long with just as many tracks. It's hardcore punk from 1980. Influential, but I doubt many people are going to listen to this for its modern originality.
Not a huge fan of hardcore punk, but I thought this one was fine. On the lower side of 3 though, still don't think ill come back to it
Old school punk's not really my bag, but this was an OK listen - didn't find it grating or anything. Fave track - "Don't Care", I reckon...
I did not know this album in advance. It is not in the same league as perhaps better known albums from Black Flag, Minor Threat, Ramones etc. ..some of the songs consist of just a few shouts, but there are some great songs on it too (Beverly Hills, Live Fast Die Young) so it is OK; something I would listen to again.
God the album title and band name combo is eye-roll inducing. But, pleasantly surprised. 15 minutes album... yep it is punk alright. I go back and forth between liking it and not... it feels like it's missing a bit of heart to it for me, it might be just because bands like Dropkick Murpheys and other skank-inducing groups basically co-opted this sound and it ends up being trite and kinda bro-y.
Waffled between loving and hating this basically on a minute to minute basis throughout the album. The lyrics are so dumb but the concise punch-you-in-the-face punk sound is very appealing.
thats one for the search history. zuckerbot is gonna be pushing me all sorts of funky adverts now it knows i searched for this. blink and you've missed it. to be fair that was about as much of it as was needed and that deserves some credit.
Everything about the album cover lets you know what you are going to be in for. Man this music takes me back. I don't want to be a teenager again but having that energy would be nice sometimes. Stars for: fast, energetic, loud. (A little less fun is how well Paid Vacation still works 40 years later)
Great album to have on here when you’re trying to play catch-up, other than that some fine hardcore
A 15-minute blast of hardcore punk that's frankly over too quickly. It's not exactly the most memorable album, but it's a fun little rush of adrenaline that does the job.
Energy, but not so well defined, and some of the guitar solos were just a bit shit.
The shortest album on the list, kind of like the Clash if their songs were only 60s long. The kind of album being always cited as incredibly influential rather than listened to and enjoyed. Bet they were great live.
I'm trying not to hate on this being only 15 minutes long. I get it - it's a real punk rock thing to do. So - outside of the brevity - it's a solid, early-80s punk rock album. Exactly what I'd expect. I can definitely hear how this influenced later bands. Good on you, Circle Jerks.
I was expecting to hate this, but actually, it wasn't too bad. And at only 15 mins it didn't really grate much. A lot of - for want of a better word - spunk, and tellingly songs that are over somewhat prematurely. I couldn't really hear the lyrics in their entirety due to the frenetic pace
Not usually my preferred style of music but I appreciated a lot of this album, catchy riffs and lyrics, high energy. I liked Beverly Hills and World Up My Ass and a few other songs but probably won’t be revisiting this one much. The drumming on Paid Vacation is cool too.
circle jerks - group sex (1980) notes - punk band from la - 14 songs, 15 minutes - vocals and guitar are really intense and passionate - drums are the weak link - lyrics about corporate greed, LA fame culture, general punk activities fav - operation - high energy and catchy - great vocal performance least fav - back against the wall - the broken glass sample is super distracting 3.5/5
After the 2:52 "69 Love Songs" and the 2:01 "Emergency on Planet Earth," Circle Jerks knocking out 14 song in 15 minutes was actually refreshing. With the breakneck speed at which they hit each of these half-developed song ideas, there is no time to even catch your breath, let alone wonder how much longer a song goes on past it's welcome or how many tracks there are left. So "Group Sex" benefits a bit from the context in which it was listened to. I mean, group sex is probably always going to depend on context.
"I just want some skank!" Hell yeah, who can say no to that? "I don't want to live 'til I'm 34, I don't want to die in a nuclear war..." True-dat! "I've got the world up my ass!..." umm yeah, sad story. "Beverly Hills, Century City, all the people look the same, don't they know they're so damn lame...?" - I couldn't agree more. At nearly 50, I'm definitely not the target audience for this. But there's some great unfocused anarchist energy on this. Love the song lengths and that I could hear the lyrics. But I think it falls short of being substantial or consequential. Would've loved to be at one of these shows tho.
Very short only 15 mins long, certainly not the best lyricism going on but very fun and high energy
I think there's some decent music here, but it's ruined by terribly crude lyrics and a lack of substance. At least it's short.
Just not a punk person. Too loud and uncoordinated for my tastes personally.
Some novelty songs, about the length of a ringtone. Not much to sink your teeth into.
Doven og sur amerikansk rock. Får lidt for meget 00'er garage vibes. Ret kedeligt. Surt. Vil gerne være cool på den ligeglade måde. Vil meget nødigt have nogen som helst form for sex til det her album
Very very raw and super short, the latter is the best thing about this album
No comment really. Good length for a punk album that in all reality is noise. Takes intelligence to make it only 15 minutes. An extra star for that.
Niet voor in de stemming. Normaal lust ik wel een potje punk maar na 2 pogingen heb ik het toch maar uitgezet.
I imagine some scenario where a group of teenagers gathered and was like, "lmao let's troll everyone by creating a 15-minute long chain of screaming and speedy instrumental fiddling." And just like that, a new subgenre was born, or popularized: "hardcore punk." As if punk is not annoying enough right? I'm not really allergic to the so-called "hardcore" sounds. This one is just repetitive and bland, hardcore for the sake of being hardcore.
Why in this list? Because the songs are short? Feels actually like one song on repeat.
Wow quickies the whole way - 20 tracks in 20 mins. Reminds me of bands in high school that would play short hitters that sounds nearly identical and repeat. Music style and format were very consistent through. Pace varied occasionally. No real standouts but no real duds either, just pretty straightforward garage punk.
I don't mind aggressive songs in general, but this album just was a miss for me. Most of it was not very interesting to me. Some of the lyrics were decent, but a lot of the lyrics here were just lame. I think that punk is one of the worst subgenres of rock, and that's coming from someone who listens to a lot of rock. The guitarist barely plays anything besides power chords. At least some songs have interesting chord progressions, i will admit. The drums were definitely on point and constantly interesting, though; that was the main reason i didn't give a 1. I've reviewed nearly 60 albums and still haven't given a 1. I'm really not sure what it will take; most albums have at least some saving grace that prevents them from being a 1. Am I being too easy on them?
Too ephemeral to leave much of an impression – tracks appear and exit before they are able to leave much of a melodic impression. I get that this is punk, just not seeing much to return to here.
It’s tight, reasonably well played and probably the shortest album I’ve ever listened to. Its unapologetically punk, and I kinda enjoyed it because of that. 2/5 - I mean, it’s not great though.
Middle school me would probably like this a bit more. Kinda sounds like a punk rock parody that would appear on Bob’s Burgers.
Crap Punk. I know it's the style but i hate the production of this early punk stuff.
Más punkcito que no va ni viene. Quizá podría tener una calificación más alta si lo hubiéramos oído hace un año cuando apenas llevábamos una docena de bandas de punk.
For those that aren't into punk...it's a short album :) For me, I think it is pretty decent. Nothing that I am interested in listening to often, but when the mood is right, this will do the trick. A lot of the songs, kinda sound the same, but they really aren't... but they seem to be.... 2.5 / 5
Thought I would hate this more than I did. Not sure I could have listened to more than 15 minutes though.
Ok 14 songs and a grand total of 15 minutes. I find this hard to appreciate . There are riffs.. the vocals are shouty. The lyrics are angry and rebellious. production is raw (yeah I know its supposed to be.) There is little to engage with. Don't get it....prob never will. 2.
These guys suck on an album. Behind The Door is the only song so far that has gotten my interest. The story of early punk and hardcore band beef is honestly the dumbest shit.
Just not for me personally too mumbled and all over the shop for my kinda taste in music despite loving “ the misfits “
Well this was short. And that was a redeeming characteristic I guess.. didnt like this much whatsoever...
One of the shortest albums on the list (maybe THE shortest?) at 15 minutes and 25 seconds, Group Sex goes by so quickly that one hardly has enough time to form an opinion on it. Lean, brutal, and full of the anger and uncertainty that many young people felt at the start of the 80s.
Short punk songs that are fine. But overall this album doesn’t work for me.
While I can appreciate this albums influence and acknowledge there is some cool stuff on it, it definetly does sound like it's one of the first hardcore punk albums which is to say it doesn't sound very good.
This got to the point where it felt like a parody of punk rock. Each song was like a minute long and each one felt like a string of transgressive and angsty lyrics set to intense guitars and drums. It was even complete with funny, raunchy song titles. Feels like the inspiration for Sex Bob-Omb from Scott Pilgrim.
Who doesn’t love a punk album that’s finished in quarter of an hour so you can get back to listening to Fela, Prince, Creedence or Steely Dan?! Well, not me when it feels like 15 minutes too much shouty noise. Gains a star for brevity and I think I heard one actual guitar solo!
High energy for sure. I appreciate the 68 second average song length. For such short songs, I’d expect then to sound more organized. I mean it’s punk so expecting organization is a bit to much. It sounds like a couple high school kids that had 14 song ideas and couldn’t fully develop any of them. Rock on, but I’ll pass.
Most of the songs just repeat one line over and over. I don't hate the energy, I hate the lazy writing.
Personally wasn’t the biggest fan, I think it was Beverly Hills that I liked part of but the rest I wasn’t the greatest fan.
Short and….anything but sweet! You’d feel ripped off if you’d paid £7.99 for a cassette tape with only 16 minutes of content.
Completely lacking in musicality. Basically a lunatic raving at a mic with some random power chords in the background. This kind of self-serving music is pointless to me.
Американский панк рок 80х. Трескотня муз инструментов и кричалко-лозунги, скороговорки. Говно. Блювота. Понос.
Straight up trash. Short, annoying, and painful, like a rock stuck in your shoe or a bad partner.
- almost without talent. - trying very hard - drums miss the transitions more often than not - lyrical delivery really shows up how vapid the lyrics are. - it's short and I still didn't finish it
I knew the name of the band but none of the music. 14 tracks in 15 min 25 sec. I didn't find anything I'd listen to again. There were tracks I would skip every time.