Group Sex

Wow. Not quite sure what happened there! Whilst I do enjoy a lot of punk influenced music, this was way too hardcore and extreme for me. It makes the Sex Pistols sound like a complete commercial sell out (which I guess it probably is considered to be by those that really love punk music). I understand it and can appreciate it as a piece of art, but it’s just not something I’d ever buy. Glad I listened but can’t rate too highly.

Pretend this 1 star review is 0 stars. Disgusting.

Not surprised that I would get a 15 minute album generated a day after getting an over 3 hour album. This is just some short brainrot punk rock with a funny name.

They’re going to tell you that this album is only 15 minutes long. But… what else could you do with those 15 minutes? — Call and check on a loved one. — Enjoy a hot chocolate. — Read the first chapter of that book you’ve been meaning to get to. — Watch a video about how to make homemade bread, or how to roll your own cigarettes. — Sit in silence. — Doom scroll. Any of these options are better than the offer made by the 1001 Algorithm today.

At least the torture was short lived. This was awful.

Music for kids angry at their parents. I am so grateful this was only 15 minutes long. Complete and utter headache-inducing, shouty crap.

When I was 12, an older kid put on the Circle Jerks and I pretended to like it to fit in. But now I’m grown up and don’t have to pretend to like terrible music.

Nope.

drafts should stay in drafts

Lame unless you’re 12. I swear it’s all the LA bands I come away thinking how lame it was but can’t spell it without LA. Keep your loser hardcore punk, thrash and glam metal away from me. I don’t need a soundtrack to shotgun energy drinks to. I wish I could meet some of their fans in person to make fun of them more directly but this will do. Rating: 1.4

Not for me

The 15 minute runtime of this was its saving grace! I'm not really a fan of punk but 15 songs over 15 minutes makes it almost impossible, for me at least, to gauge or engage with anything. I feel that this would be best enjoyed live where you get an energy that's just missing on record and so you're just left with small blasts of noise that are gone as soon as they've arrived, Testing my patience now algorithm,,, 3 duds in a row!

REAL ramones problem with this one, unfortunately. even fifteen minutes felt samey

This felt longer than 15 minutes. Not in a good way.

What have I done to deserve this

Stopped listening to hard punk music when I stopped skateboarding

I used to think you couldn't make a good song that's less than a minute long. You can and should if your music is a statement rather than a story. This is punk af.

Punk rock masterpiece. I feel like if you had 15 minutes to explain to someone what "punk" was all about, this would be the way to do it.

Who doesn’t love a little bit of group sex and a good ol’ circle jerk?

I loved their appearance in Repo Man and this is great!

Perfectly ugly fast music. with humour provocation and good riffs.

Me gustó bastante, me hice acordar a épocas de colegio

All time classic

Мабуть панк? О то це хардкор-панк! Цікаво)

Short and sweet

PERFECT NO NOTES PLAY IT AGAIN TWICE

I had no idea that the Circle Jerks were linked to Black Flag. 14 songs, 15 minutes, rinse, repeat.

Maybe the best Hardcore punk record ever made. 14 songs in 16 minutes? Yes please.

quarter an hour of power

So, for those, and I gather most young audience members, who do not know it, The Circle Jerks are a core punk era band. They, while not quite as known as the biggest of them, still are part of the canon and it shows here in the presentation, the lyrics, and the spiritual energy. Short abrupt songs, no question anti-establishment vocals, nothing overly sophisticated but it still all works, and it is very very classic punk scene brilliant. Asch, we really need this stuff back right now to stir this stinking pot.

De Cristos

Perfect example of early US Hardcore Punk. Press a copy in gold and send it to outer space for the aliens to discover some real Earth culture. 5/5; no notes.

Heard many times; 5; One of the classic albums establishing the punk/hardcore sound. Yes, it is simplistic, rough, and immature, but that's what makes it great. And while I haven't factored this into my reviews on other albums, I think it's important to consider the context of this album as part of the DIY scene and how it plays live. Favorite Track: Back Against the Wall

Deny Everything made me worried, because this started by sounding like that kind of Punk that people listen to in movies where they want you to think it's edgy nonsense. But then I Just Want Some Skank sold me on the album entirely. Hilarious way to end that song. Operation and Group Sex are funny, Back Against the Wall is great, and Paid Vacation was the song that made me decide this deserved a 5. Is it good? Debatable. Is it a group of people angry and yelling in a way only they can do? Absolutely.

I'm giving this a five for the album length alone. Crazy. 5

no fuckin around Will I listen to again: 100%

Quick and fast and dirty and mad and quick

Great quick album. "Wasted" "World Up My Ass" "Paid Vacation" "Live Fast Die Young" and "Group Sex" are all great

veryyy niceee real essence of punk rock

HARDCORE PUNK YEAH In 1980 I was still listening to lots of prog and such, so it took me a while to get a real appreciation of this kind of stuff. I didn't really get it at the time, but I love it now. So here we have 14 tracks, none of which is more than 2 minutes long - the perfect length for songs like this. This record makes me want to jump around. 5 stars because FUCK YEAH

Grew up with this album and love it. Was one of the first ten records or so when I first started collecting. Short and snotty

Good.

Personal enjoyment: 5/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Monday morning commute mosh!

Perfect punk álbum, I listened to it 3 times

15 minutes!! Heaven. This is like the exact thing I would show someone to be like hey yeah this punk music. This and like the ramones self titled. Killer album. I’ve given so many 5s recently, I feel like it’s losing its value, but here goes.

Seminal punk record. A straight five, will listen at least twice today.

Maybe it's the length, but this might be my favorite punk album.

Classic snotty hardcore.

I could've done another hour of this. Great punk record

Long live punk music

So many great songs on this album.

This is so stupid. It's perfect. Pissed off at nothing and having a blast. This is what being 23 with no job and nothing better to do then getting fucked up feels like. Punk at it's purest. Any longer and I would have hated it.

Good Lord! I'm 17 years old again and "that kid" in school introduced me to punk rock. This is going to be part of the soundtrack at the old folks' home I get sent to.

Wow. 14 songs in 15 minutes. It is like a shot of frenetic energy. I have never listened to these guys before, but if somebody asked me to explain punk to them, I think this is the album I would use. I feel like this album does exactly what it sent out to do, gotta give it credit. Full marks.

phantastic

Such a cool album. Hard-core just does it for me sometimes!

'I've got the world up my ass' made me actually get punk. Lots of stupid, raucous fun aimed at pissing people off because you're just tired of their games. Why not

I've heard of the Circle Jerks before but never listened to them until now. I was not really looking forward to this album. And it turns out, THIS is the old skool 80's punk rock that I never knew I was missing! Phenomenal drumming. Great guitaring. And there are some cool recording things going on with the guitar tracks. The songwriting is pretty creative. I don't feel like it's the same song over and over like I often do with this genre. The album doesn't start that great. I'm a pass on the first two songs but it gets better with Beverly Hills, Operation, Back Against the Wall... then from World Up My Ass on out, the rest of the album is a blistering work of art. I'm not usually a fan of short songs like this because they can often seem like incomplete song ideas but these jerks pack so much intensity into a minute in a half, it feels complete. They make it work.

Big fan. So short so sweet.

Short and sick. 10/10

First album I could listen to on vinyl! Does in 15 minutes what takes others an hour and a half to do.

4.5 Love this album. 14 songs which all seem full and complete delivered in 15 minutes. It's amazingly efficient. Frankly I shocked this album made the list but I think I should reframe my expectations from "1001 Best Albums" to "1001 most Influential albums" I had this album on a bootleg (record cassette to blank tape) cassette as a kid and loved it. I figured out if I ran as hard as I could I cover the 2.9 miles from school to home in 15 minutes and 25 seconds. This was only possible if the walkman was playing Group Sex.

This is punk done right.... brief, brash, ballsy and blue. Five stars!

This is a tight album. Extremely short. I would always rather a brief album that leaves you wanting slightly more than one than drags out unnecessarily. A punk album where they can play their instruments. Love it

Hardcore sometimes gets too much like Metal for me but this is more on the punk end so really enjoyed it. Also nice to have a 15 minute as compared to the 1+ hr albums in this list! “Back Against the Wall”, “Beverley Hills” were standouts.

A classic.

Skemmtilegt. Pjúra reiði og leiðindi. Gaman.

I think this is such a good next step from 70s punk, still so ahead of its time. I’m a big fan. I could do without the incel lyrics, those definitely take it down to a 4.5 but it’s a product of its time so I guess it’s excusable. But I love the 15 minute timing on this, 90 second songs are fun and don’t overstay their welcome. Surprising amount of melody too for punk of this time. I’ve got the world up my ass!

Dark but hilariously funny songs about vasectomies, sex – group or otherwise, prostitutes, drugs, politics, society, the idle rich, corruption and more. A chaotic, nihilistic slap in the face. It’s fast, filthy, funny, and full of anti-everything energy. And it rocks. In short, ‘Group Sex’ by Circle Jerks is fucking great.

Another punk classic that still holds up

5/5. This was about how long I wanted to listen to this, not because I didn't enjoy it, but because these are supposed to quick and done. There is not anything else that needs to be said, they are complete and to the point. This was perfect in my opinion, punk at its finest. It doesn't have to be solving world peace, sometimes we can be angry just to be angry. Best Song: World Up My Ass, Back Against The Wall, Don't Care

That's gonna boil some piss innit...

Hardcore punk in its ideal form.

So I was familiar with the track “Wild in the Streets” but I had not heard of anything else from Circle Jerks. That ring said I’m definitely more of a fan now. This album is super super short, insanely short. Literally 14 songs in 15minutes! Even for punk music that’s a real accomplishment. But this album has that energy and angst of like an all time punk album. It’s so creative too. Punk music has a tendency to lean on simple riffs but this album has a lot of cool ideas and it’s got a surprising amount of variety for a punk album. Honestly this album the more I think about the more I love it. GO BUY IT!!!

1980 California. Hardcore punk. !!!!!

Disaffection incarnate. Masterful.

Huereguet!

Great album. Forgot about the activist angles on these songs. So fun to scream along with. Beverly Hills is still right on with its lyrics. Even more so now that people get so much plastic surgery that they look like clones.

Hardcore punk kicks ass and anyone who says otherwise is a coward. Solid 5 Stars.

Seminal hardcore record.

Perfect hardcore album

This record rules. A succinct less than 16 minutes. These songs have energy, hooks, blend together well. It's like a fever dream. Been a really long time since I had listened to this, great stuff.

What a fun short killer punk record. Were it longer I’d have found lots of fault in this but its short snappy and balanced length ended up getting me to listen to it three times in a row and enjoy it thoroughly. Even in its simplicity it’s funny, smart and clever while being anarchic. Loved it.

Frenetic, humorous, FAST. Drummer rides in the bell at a furious pace :)

really fun punk album. fast, aggressive, the purest example of raucous. it ends just as soon as it starts, which i love. hard to say a lot about an album with so little, but it is really great and a nice little hit of punk aggression. would ride this ride again.

punk classic

hmmm idk it's pretty good but it might be a little on the long side

get in>upend the place>get out. 15 mins well spent

Group Sex" is the debut album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks. The album delivers 14 songs in 15 minutes and is considered a landmark album in hardcore punk. It expresses an overall theme of adolescent frustration. The bandmembers include former Black Flag singer Keith Morris (lead vocals), former Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson (guitar), Roger Rogerson (bass) and Lucky Lehrer (drums). The opener "Deny Everything" comes out hard and fast. Morris screaming "Deny Everything." They slow it down a bit (only a bit) in "Back Against the Wall." A searing guitar solo by Hetson. Oh, and broken glass sounds of course. Morris took over a few songs from Black Flag and "Wasted" is one of them. Skateboarding and getting wasted. The guitar and drum have a rockabilly vibe at the start of "Paid Vacation." They get back to business as usual and speed it up as your paid vacation is a trip to the Middle East to go to war for oil. The tom-tom drums are featured on "Live Fast Die Young." He doesn't want to live to 34 or in a nuclear war. The album ends with the ridiculously fast "Red Tape." The drummer Lehrer shows his jazz background with some great drumming. Wham bam thank you ma'am. Fast, short, angry and lyrically to the point. In 15 minutes, they address sex, drinking, drugs, making fun of rich people, society, oil companies, nuclear war, taxes and politics. These guys can also play their instruments: pace changes, searing guitar solos and relentless drumming. I can't think of a more direct hardcore punk album and they're mostly all direct. A punk classic.

This album was way more fun than the first impression I got from the album title and group name. This is real punk. The album is fast and angry. You can really feel the angst from these guys as each song blazes by in both tempo and length. But it does so in a way that's pretty funny and just flat out entertaining. I think my favorite was Back Against the Wall, especially the double time at the end. I Want Some Skank, Beveryly Hills, Behind the Door, and World Up My Ass are also pretty great.

The shortest album in the list, but still incredibly dense. Multiple songs stand out and I think it's because the drumming is so goddamn cool. Very interesting riffs and drum beats

Perfect record.

Really fun, fast paced, upbeat, toe-tapping, headbanging old west coast punk. It’s like The Dead Milkmen, but angry and more organized.5/5

Day320 - this one is going in the most underrated album file. it’s fast,loud and the lyrics are awesome

WHAT A CLASSIC! 14 songs in 16 minutes, including the greatest songs ever recorded: Wasted, I Just Want Some Skank, Live Fast Die Young, and Beverly Hills. This album rules. Saw the Circle Jerks in San Francisco in 1982 and it was the scariest show I've ever seen. Life changing. Punk as go intended.

I had seen posts about this being the album with the shortest length on this list and at just over 15 monutes, I have to say it was maybe the only album I will ever have a chance to listen to front to back all the way to work and then again on my way home. I didn't think I would enjoy such a spastic album and it turns out my only gripe is that the songs are so short because there is some really good stuff here! But in true punk rock fashion brevity is key and it shouldn't take too long to get uour message conveyed. They certainly do that here with some great riffs to back up the humorous and yet semi-serious lyrics. I liked it. It definitely didn't overstay it's welcome.

Sure, they're really angry (and rightfully so), but this is a fun album. It was also, along with DK's "In God We Trust, Inc.", my gateway into hard core punk. Thanks, Circle Jerks!

I guess i'll always be a punk guy at heart because this shit rocks.

I like this cacophony hardcore punk! Perfect album! I listened it in one breath!

A deeply, deeply, *deeply* formative album for me as a burgeoning hardcore kid. It’s not my favorite of the Essential Classic Hardcore Starter Pack™️ – I’d personally take Milo Goes to College or Start Today – but I understand why Group Sex is the more “correct” choice to include on this list. It’s crazy how much this still sounds like a kick in the head. Incredible drumming that really paved the way for every drummer in the scene after; great lyrics that are simultaneously politically-aware and valid while still being youthfully naïve and sometimes downright stupid as fuck; and it’s less than 16 minutes long, yet features multiple songs that somehow find time for a guitar solo. It’s all quintessential punk, arguably even its Platonic Ideal. The fact that nearly every song gets stuck in my head for days after is proof of its power, because being punk doesn’t mean you can’t be catchy. I love Group Sex. And yes, you can quote me on that.

Punk rock has always been a middle finger to the mainstream. After reading all the pearl clutching comments, this album is still doing that after 40+ years. Lol. Great album.

Ya goddamn right

This is SO good. It’s a crime it took me so long to hear this. Added to my library

Fast ans easy, you don't like a song? Wait a couple seconds It'll be finish

Quick and dirty. Fuckin' excellent album.

This album is great

Awesome hardcore punk

Fantastic.

Love this album. Have on cd and vinyl

Punk zoals punk bedoeld is. 14 liedjes in 16 minuten. Een bak energie en, ondanks dat het punk is, toch ook best melodieus. Ik wil er gezien de geringe lengte van het album niet teveel woorden aan vuil maken maar ik vind dit wel heel erg lekker. Dit album scoort met 2.69 gemiddeld veel te laag. Ik twijfelde tussen een 4 en 5 maar dan wordt het dat laatste.

Que satisfação um disco com uma sequência de músicas com duração de por volta de sessenta segundos. A dimensão da potência do hardcore.

14 songs in 15 minutes tickles my soul. I hate how much I love this. Never thought I’d really enjoy this band. Fuck me, this is excellent. I really missed the boat. Really fun, fast paced, upbeat, toe-tapping, headbanging old west coast punk. And yet, the band is pretty tight, the singer is really clear and articulate. Lots of tracks worth saving. It’s like The Dead Milkmen, but angry and more organized.

I feel like Skating

circle pit of stars!

Wowzers that woke me up! I absolutely loved this, the raw/live/dry sound, the short songs, the speed, the energy, angry vocals, tight musicianship, no messing lyrics, fuzzy guitar solos, cool cover artwork. 100% punk. Superb in all departments. Yep, that's me converted, gonna go and get a nose ring, spike my hair and dye it green, smoke a pack of fags and smash a few things up. Yeah!! PS - I dunno why, but they sound more British than American

I live for lead breaks like the one in World Up My Ass

Short and...well, not sweet. But sweetly silly. All albums should be 15 minutes long. Maybe not all. But most.

Punk isn’t on my go-to genre list, but there’s something about Circle Jerks that I enjoy. They’re pretty great on their instruments, the songs are interesting, and they don’t overstay their welcome. Much to my surprise I loved it!

Live fast, die young. 5.0/5.0: Iconic

its fast and loud just like a classic punk album should be. easy 5 stars

Gritty, short songs. I liked “Operation” and the drum rhythm on “Back Against the Wall” was very interesting. “Live Fast Die Young” was awesome.

A classic. lol @ the reviews

it was fun, i liked listening to it. what more is there to say?

absolutely love it. kind of bands me and my mom go see. i adore a band that can fit so much in a hurry. don’t waste both our times when you can do this. iconic.

Circle Jerks might be the first punk band I was ever into, though I got into them starting with the last album Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities, and worked my way back. This album is great; short and to the point. I love Keith Morris' voice and the drumming is super tight for how fast it is; never knew their drummer was jazz trained, so that makes sense. At only 15 minutes long, I played through this multiple times and loved it more with each listen; 4.5/5 for me.

Dunno how I never listened to this, but it rules. It's up there with Minor Threat and Bad Brains. Mad that I missed out on this at that time when it would have been more impactful on me. Great album. 4.5/5 (with room to grow)

Bracingly fast, cathartic and non pretentious early hardcore punk. I personally enjoy this more then black flag.

Love the energy

Some overserious pencil dick tried to disparage this album in their review by calling it "music made by teenagers" or something like that. Fuck you, dude, not everything needs to sound like Yes to be important. This is the perfect album to put on when you want to break stuff. In fact, I always have at least three copies of Group Sex at all times just in case one gets broken in the course of listening. Essential.

Omg! Beautiful sweet punk!!!! Short songs!! Fast angry tracks!!! I’m in love

Punk a tope. 19 canciones en 23 minutos. Vinilo.

I wanna have group sex while I listen to group sex

Punk a tope. 19 canciones en 23 minutos. Vinilo.

Full throttle old skool west coast punk/hardcore. Just a fun band.

Mierda clásica no hecha bajo los influjos de la cocaína.

take away! take away! ahhh

Wednesday, 8 July, 2026 15 minutes of my life that were well spent listening to this blistering rip through adolescence in the late 70s/early 80s.

Punk!

a sub-15 minutes album for my afternoon pleasures between final exams. also as a underaged biologically female individual ive never attended a circlejerk in the strictest sense but im one of the people that glazes radiohead too much, does that counts as a circlejerk? also i read about that story of the beatles circlejerking together yesterday, so what the fuck is God trying to tell me. i don’t know but i guess since this album did what its supposed to do at the given moment — successfully waking up a sleep deprived person that is stuck in the limbo between going asleep and being completely sober — in the short duration before testing for some sweet macroeconomics. so it’s good. 4/5

15 minutes of ferocious chaos. It's not pretty - we're not talking Enya here - but it's a lot of fun. A bunch of angry young men being angry about having the world up their ass. And if that's not punk then I don't know what is.

7/10

Ha this was great, only heard the name before this. Tight punk rock, 15 min album, ha.

Great punk album

There’s “hard and fast” and there’s Circle Jerks

Fast, fun, stupid. 4/5.

Rated this actually, short but to the point

3.5 rounded up for being so short.

Can't argue with a 15-minute album, the overlap with Redd Kross is interesting, and they can actually play. No arguments here.

metal alot of

Hell yeah! This is a true punk album. A short blast that’s a blast to listen to. Must-listen #358

Heavy and disorienting, but in a palatable way. More albums should be in that 15-20 minute length. Get your point across and get out.

Панкушно

Was skeptical seeing the title, but honestly, I am pleasantly surprised. Or maybe I just like punk. And I mean, it's only 15 minutes, which is great too!!

Es lebe der punk, 14 Songs 15 Minuten, ideal

Sick punk stuff, some primus sounds early on; really short and fast and in that sense a little repetitive but a good time

I felt Operation dragged on for a bit too long but otherwise this was a solid record

Fun. Fast. Energetic. Wild in the Streets is better.

Group WHAT by the WHATle WHATs??!?! Short and cool

i love hardcore and i love the length of this album

Groupe inconnu. Album ultra-court et ultra-efficace, rempli de morceaux énergiques et entrainants qui n'ont pas le temps de lasser ! Il a été une source d'inspiration pour pas mal de groupes dans : j'avais trouvé une compilation des 'Peel Sessions' Hardcore de fin 80, le groupe n'aurait pas dépareillé dans cette compilation. Découverte sympa donc, que j'écouterais de nouveau avec plaisir, mais pas sur qu'il rejoigne ma collection (un peu trop court quand même). =>3.5/5, arrondi à 4 pour compenser le mauvais album d'hier.

Dikke vette punk, lekker bondig, doet wat het moet doen

Surprisingly good and diverse songs for such a short record. It was really fun and I will probably get back to it.

Punchy right out of the gate. Probably the shortest album on this list too, barely clocking in at 15 minutes. Things don't really have a chance to breathe as a result, but that's not the point of punk rock, is it? I kind of appreciated how tight things were and can certainly see how this shaped hardcore punk.

Group Sex, that’s the best 16 minute album I’ve heard in… ever. Maybe it’s so good because all the tracks are super short, or maybe it’s the contentious content, or the anger. There’s actually some good guitar work and the lyrics are effective, too. Beverly Hills is the best track, and Live Fast Die Young, Deny Everything, and Don’t Care are also worthy. OK, there’s also a lot of screaming. World Up My Ass literally made me laugh. (3.95*s) “It’s not Vietnam, it’s another oil company scam” definitely helps get ya on the 1001 Must Hear List, but I think this one woulda made it anyway.

This album made me want to get my skateboard out of the garage and go hit the old spots again. Circle Jerks were part of a whole punk movement in the SoCal region that became part of the surf and skate culture from the late 80’s onwards, inspiring a bunch of kids to go out and send themselves into a barrel or down a bunch of stairs. There’s a lot of talented musicians and bands on this list but an album like this just pumps pure raw energy and emotion into your veins and is worthy of its place here

Short, sweet and to the point. Super anti-establishment. Fun punk album

Short. Sweet. Angry. Funny. Punk.

Wow. 15 mins of ripping LA punk. Songs only about 1 minute or less. Fascinating. would be perfect for the current short attention span generation and Tik Toks. No lyrics on spotify to help me understand the point.

Deny Everything — Really quick energy that immediately gives an impression of the album I Just Want Some Skank — Uhhh it has the f gay word !! :0 Beverly Hills — god these songs really go by fast how can i even write a review for each oneee but i also like this one it sounds like a song you’d hear in 6teen save the swears but even the rhyming and sound is something Wyatt’d play. Operation — okay ayleeyunss also this isnt circumcision is it its like ball surgery or smth Back Against The Wall — I like this vibe it’s probably one of the more emotional sounding of the album. Wasted — male excuses and apologies: the song Behind The Door — it’s pretty okaysss World Up My Ass — this album so far is very “fight back” Paid Vacation — this song is against american occupation in afghanistan for oil. Don’t Care — i think this guy doesn’t care Live Fast Die Young — personally i disagree, i’d prefer to live a fruitful life with my beautiful wife What’s Your Problem — rightt.. Group Sex — i’m quite the connoisseur of the dual variety. I wonder how many people actually called/call that number.. Red Tape — i think this is another case of me liking the first few songs of the album most….

A breath of fresh air on a list that has a surprising number of completely mediocre albums. Tight, punchy, and engaging album.

Shortest album on the list? Killer songs. Really enjoyed it. Would have loved even more songs to listen to.

14 songs in 15 minutes as a full album is about as punk as you can get. I'm a huge punk music fan, and this is actually the first time I've listened to this album all the way through. I didn't love the album itself, but I'd be lying if I didn't hear the fingerprints of it all over a lot of music that I love. I'm going to rate it 4, not necessarily for my enjoyment level, but for the fact it really is one of those albums that's influence is unmistakable.

What the fuck?? Wait, no… I think this actually supposed to be good. Lemme check the genres. Oh shit, 15 minute hardcore album. Good shit. Again, I’m a punk artist sort of, so this is kinda my wheelhouse. I mean hip-hop’s more my wheelhouse if anything, but… okay I’ll shut up now. Anyway, the big problem with listening to this album today is that I have to listen to an album called "GROUP SEX." By the band "CIRCLE JERKS." At SCHOOL. It's fine though. Some general standouts though: The first song is awesome. I like how they open it with 3 seconds of complete silence, on a 15 minute album. The transitions between songs are really cool too. It makes it feel like one long song that just happens to switch hooks every minute or so. Back against the wall is crazy good. One of the best performances here hands down. The transition between "Don't Care" and "Live Fast Die Young" is astounding. speaking of "Live Fast Die Young," that song's insane. "What's Your Problem" is great too. As a whole this album's ethos seems to be what you'd more or less expect: it's kinda like the sex pistols but weirder and more believable. More obviously affected by the influence of capitalism as a whole (especially on "Red Tape," but you can see the disdain in every song). All this to be said, it's really fucking good. 9.0/10

Super quick album. I enjoyed it very much. 15 minutes more would've probably been too much though.

I have ADD and this was too much dopamine even for me. You know you can make a track longer than 2 minutes and still be punk, right? Songs are a vibe tho!

lekker! degelijke 3,5 sterren plaat maar toch maar 4 voor de 20-minuten heerlijkheid

Short, sharp, spiky and doesn’t outstay its welcome. The album, not this review. But that works too!

Listened to before? Yes Context? A hardcore staple from the SoCal scene, the band’s debut. Reviewed in a holistic format. It’s always nice to have an album where the number of tracks is greater than the runtime. My favorite type of music is the stuff that makes you ask “how’d we get from Mozart to THIS? Whose idea was it, anyway?” In other words: this. This is an undeniable staple of hardcore, from the short songs to the probably-carpel-tunnel-inducing riffs to the vocals that switch abruptly from searing aggression to taunting snark. While more party than political, it even inspired the likes of Bad Religion and Pennywise. Punk as a whole wouldn’t be the same without this album. The devil-may-care attitude throughout is infectious. After listening to this, I immediately found myself reaching for Minor Threat, Bikini Kill, and Bad Religion. While I think Wild in the Streets is the superior Circle Jerks album, with more political lyrics and snarkier vocals, this album isn’t diminished by it.

(in the spirit of brevity, I'm gonna give myself just one paragraph.) after abruptly quitting Black Flag (with which he recorded the highly influential Nervous Breakdown EP) in 1979, vocalist Keith Morris formed the Circle Jerks. the Jerks may not be household names in punk rock the way Black Flag have become, but they're certainly a band worth checking out if you love this early LA hardcore sound. their debut album runs precisely 15 minutes long and pulls absolutely no punches. extremely short songs with a ton of BPM, quick, dirty power chords, and a great combination of crass humor and cultural commentary from Morris. strong 7/10.

Good fast succinct punk rock

What do they do on the other side of the LP though

Jerk it out

This is more varied than I was expecting for a brief punk album. 14 tracks, each a fun and interesting little experience, and boom, we're done. Is it still punk to call these vignettes?

Short, doesn’t overstay its welcome and kicks ass.

How could I hate something that is 15mins long?

Lovely lil hardcore punk banger. The weaker songs are forgotten by the next 4 bars. This is right up my alley. 4 stars on merit because the circle jerks have always been primo, not a perfect punk album but not bad at all. Heavily featured in the Tony Hawks series.

For such a silly presentation and short run time, the Jerks contained multitudes. This feels like the missing link between the aggression and speed of hardcore with the (specifically Californian) melodic punk that partially grew out of this band into Bad Religion et aprés, le deluge.

Appeals to my old punk band days.... I thought the previous album was short, this ones running time is 15 minutes with 14 songs! I just want some skank - like this one Beverley Hills - definitely inspired some later punk bands with that riff Live Fast Die Young - i remember this one. Wow, that album was a surprise. I like it

Never heard them before, pure adrenaline rush!

Stands the test of time

haven't really listened to much punk and my really got the playlist but i like what they advocating and their energy

I like that they compressed it down to exactly how much you want to hear of this.

recognized keith morris’ awesome voice instantly💯💯💯not as good as black flag but still really good . but also their version of Wasted is way better than black flags. 3.5

This is awesome and the best part is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Will always love a short and sweet punk album

Good classic hard core punk. Good in small doses

It sucks im such a hippie cause i wanna be punk so bad

This is #day577 of my #1001albumsyoumusthearbeforeyoudie challenge, and… wow, that was fast, right? It couldn't have been more punk to name a hardcore punk record "Group Sex" in 1980. I can only imagine how impactful this album must have been when it came out, and, well, still is today. I should probably revisit that Germs album I got a while ago, because this one's going down the 4-out-of-5 alley. Looking forward to #day578.

One of the first punk bands I got into- hard to believe this came out in 1980. Beverly Hills is still one of my favorites

Not one moment wasted

interesting 15 minutes album

Better than coldplay

This is the first time listening to Circle Jerks. I liked this.

That was heat

Short review for a short record. This record came out at a strange intersection in my life. In 1980 I was seeing shows every week and was seeing Canadian Legends D.O.A regularly along with the Subhumans, Pointed Sticks, K-Tels (soon to become Young Canadians), Active Dog and a bevy of American punk rockers who were always in town among them Black Flag and the Dead Kennedys. Not present were the Circle Jerks. I recall Keith leaving Bkack Flag at the end of 1979 after having met him earlier that year. When the record came out, it seemed cool but it did not really standout among other better records of the pop period including D.O.A.s Something Better Change and the Subhumans Incorrect Thoughts. So, as I run through the tracks on the Is record 2x because it’s less than 15 minutes long, it is clear that the songs still crackle more than 45 years later. Some songs work better than others such as Beverly Hills, Wasted and World Up My Ass are still catchy and relevant. Others not so much. But because the 14 songs are so short if there is something you don’t like the song is already over. So who cares. Still a good album overall and should be in everyone’s record collection. 4/5

thought about music for 18 musicians a few times.

14 songs in 16 minutes, lol Hardcore punk, very fast drum beats

Short and sweet? Short and Slimey?

Minder mig om at gå på gymnasiet og være på ungdomshuset Konfus i Esbjerg, så det bliver til 4 i stedet for stor 3

Short and angry!

Sounds like I need to check out pre Rollins Black Flag

Fuck yeah

Well done, short album. I think this album would suffer if the songs were longer. Intensity is great. 3.5/5 Will listen again

top 3 - Operation, Red Tape, World up My Ass. Love the energy and vocals on this!

fast, funny, furious, and over before you can complain about it. Hardcore punk efficiency at its finest.

Perfekt lengde XD

I enjoyed this and found myself listening to it multiple times. The songs are tight. Feels as relevant today as it probably did in 1980.

An awesome shot in the arm. A righteously sharp, short blast.

Soooo different and fun, loved this! More crazy punk please

Enjoyed this significantly more than I expected to. 15 minutes was perfecto

Fast and furious punk.

its so short you might as well hear it before you die. far from a waste of time. super speedy punk i like it

Great! 15 minutes for an album is great! Go in, get your shit out and get out!

If you think this album isn't long enough or something you're lame

The album hits like a 15‑minute riot: frantic, sarcastic, and absolutely uninterested in your comfort. It’s the sound of early hardcore discovering its teeth — messy, hilarious, and still sharper than most bands half its age.

I hate Beverly Hills too

Fun and loud.

wild band name sick album cover i dont listen to much punk but im not one that thinks it's "just noise", might have to listen to some more today after this album been to 2 guerilla toss shows tho but that's the most involved i've been with the punk scene lol paid vacation yuh i also dont want to live to 34 or die in a nuclear war goin to the liqo sto favorite song: world up my ass

Wow! Some raw Punk - 14 songs in 15 mins - Fabulous- loved it

Overall: 7/10 Here's my thought process while listening to this: "Hey, this is pretty good!" "Oh, it's over..." "Hey, that was pretty good!" Fav Song: Back Against the Wall

Fuck yeah, I get to talk about Circle Jerks. I checked these guys' set at Coachella last year, and they were dope. Formed by former Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris and Redd Kross guitarist Greg Hetson, they were one of the landmark bands in the hardcore punk scene. Their debut record here, Group Sex, is a tight collection of 14 short songs spanning 15 minutes, boasting the "get in, get out" mentality of abbreviated song lengths that would become commonplace in the genre. The general shortness of the songs is the double-edged sword of this album. On the one hand, the shorter length requires that the point gets across more directly, and the riffs and rhythm section compensate with enough fiery power to make an impression on the listener. On the other hand, I'm left with the feeling that some of these songs could have gone a little longer, especially when songs can feel interconnected at times, such as the transition from "I Just Want Some Skank" into "Beverly Hills". From what I can pick up, Greg's guitar lines were damn catchy in tracks like "Back Against the Wall" and "World Up My Ass", even fitting in tight bursts of soloing. There was still clearly a foot in the traditional punk sense of embracing melody amidst the brutality and brevity. It makes me wish some moments on this record lasted a little longer. As for the direct lyrical content that Keith barks out on here, there's a split between social and political commentary of the time, and the snide sensationalization of the punk subculture and its baggage. Some songs managed to be poignant, such as "Paid Vacation", calling out the United States' involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War of '79 and the ensuing military entanglements across the seas for more oil. But other songs seem to go for over-the-top, borderline-parody exaggeration that it can be hard to take as seriously, such as the described vasectomy procedure in "Operation" or how Cold War paranoia seeped into the relentless alcoholic's desire for more liquor in "Live Fast, Die Young". In referring to the three P's of good political art - precision, power, and populism - while Circle Jerks certainly had the power, their general mockery of everything around them didn't exactly help their populism, nor does it make their messaging come across as accurate as it could have been. Still, I had a good time listening to Group Sex. It is a catchy as hell record, with enough dark humor and instrumental mastery to feel like it could boast more than the 15-minute length. Even if it is flawed, which is par for the course with hardcore punk debut records, I would nevertheless consider it essential in showcasing the history of the genre.

So furious and so fun. Hard to hate something so nihilistic about not wanting to live in the future that’s 14 minutes.

Short and punchy. Early punk was so effective. It takes this album 15 minutes to achieve what Against Me! requires a double album to pull off. Side note, world up my ass is the prelude to angst in my pants.

20ish excellent minutes

Don’t listen to a lot, if any, real punk music so I feel like this was a great introduction to the genre.

I have the humour and attention span of a 12 year old boy, so this is top notch.

Short, aggressive, rough, abrasive. Now this is hardcore! I probably would have given this album a lower rating of it was longer. The length is what makes this album special. It's a 16 minute long flurry of raw emotions that is just a wild ride. Great album, this one is going in my back pocket for a special occasion.

When I saw this record was just 15 minutes I expected to think this was interesting or whatever, rate it a 2 or 3 and move on. But I actually really appreciated this album and what it offers. Certainly the epitome or punk rock! It is creative and raw. The whole point of punk is doing whatever the fuck you want. As another reviewer wisely said: if you can't get your point across in 31 seconds, then you should just pack it up and go home.

I like this. Loud, energetic and raw. I am surprised I didn’t listen to this in highschool. Reminded me of TSOL which I listened to a bit.

7/10 Angry people making guitar sounds and saying stuff, I love it. 12-24-2025

Fine Punk example. Great in the day, still great today. Own it.

I was a little surprised at the length of this album. This is exactly the sound I think of when people say punk music. Strong energy. Not necessarily my kind of music, but the shortness of everything kept everything fresh.

Loved how energetic this was

At first this felt pretty dumb, but then I started windmilling and then I got it. World up my ass is right. Perfect length of an album. I like the bands that were influenced by this more like NOFX, feeling a light 4

Actual fire

I wish I didn’t like this as much as I do

Short, fast, loud, raw, and punchy. I can't ask for much more from my hardcore punk. Fun fact: supposedly a young Tony Hawk was skating at the pool the cover photo was taken at and is standing just out of the frame.

Short and sweet.

After listening 2 hours of Smashing Pumpkins I really needed this - this album isn’t full of filler songs - good concise package.

RAHHHHHHHH HARDCORE PUNK

Love it. Exactly as long as any album like this needs to be.

Totally bonkers and insane. Loved every single minute of this. I FEEL SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW.

I, too, just want some skank. These are songs I've sung in the shower for so long I forgot where they came from.

A classic of my hardcore days as a teenager. Just pure dumb fun, I find the thought of seething with displeasure at this funny. I had a good time being one of those teenagers desperate to fit in with an obnoxious anti-establishment crowd, pretending to enjoy a disgusting screamishly loud aesthetic and inflicting misery upon myself. Highlights: Operation, World Up My Ass, Live Fast Die Young

Whiplash from Beyonce to this. But this is great. Short and sweet. So short and so sweet. Beverly Hills the standout. World up My Ass and I gotta think fast. Great. Aggressive fun great. 4

Like all circle jerks, I thoroughly enjoyed it! And it lasted 14 minutes longer than it usually does!

I love this stuff! This is what I think of when I think of punk; loud, angry, crass. This group throws themselves at the music and while it doesn't always result in something melodic or catchy, I love the emotion. Cover is great too! Both are a 4.5/5 for me.

More 15 minute records please!

Unbelievably short album but they pack more into the 15 minutes than most bands do with an hour. Proper old school punk

Weirdly good for this kind of music

Det første jeg tenkte er at dette høres akkurat ut som hardcore til den grad at det nesten er pastiche. Men så viser det seg at skiva kom ut i 1980, med vokalisten fra Black Flag som bare sang på Nervous Breakdown EPen. Ok, dette gir mening liksom. Det er fortsatt litt drøyt å ha laget det som basically er templaten for all hardcore som har kommet senere men som ikke er post-hardcore; altså det som er hardcore igjen etter at hardcore allerede hadde vært en greie. Det er andre hardcore band som ga ut hardcore samtidig men som har et mer unikt sound; the Misfits (min favoritt) og Dead Kennedys (min andre favoritt) feks., men å kalle Circle Jerk for uorginale for å ha vært med å pionere (sammen med Black Flag) den mest etterapede hardcore sounden er ikke akkurat rettferdig. Eneste problemet er at band som har en sound som var vanskeligere å etterligne, også stikker seg mer ut blant støyet. Det finnes ikke noen Bullet, Attitude, Hybrid Moments (når det kommer til Misfits kan jeg ramse i en halv evighet), Kill the Poor, California Über Alles, Holiday in Cambodia (DK gar ganske mange bangers de og, men ikke liiiiiike mange som Misfits) på skiva, og jeg lurer på om det trenger det for å få full uttelling av meg. Nå har jeg hørt denne skiva tre-fire ganger (ikke akkurat en stor bragd), og jeg begynner å lure på om den er bedre enn Damaged. Misforstå meg rett, Damaged er en mer ambisiøs skive, men den fremstår også som jålete i forhold til denne. Her har vi 15 minutter med no bullshit klimpring på gitarer, trommer, og stemmebånd i 100 og fuckings ti. Sees i moshen!

15 min med balletøff pønk. Kan ikke annet enn å like

To this I simply say: yeah, hell yeah

i got a soft spot for this style of angry punk music man. 4/5

Pretty fun, juvenile punk music. Sounds like real punk.

You have to be in the right mood for this, but I am, so it’s just a brilliant short and nasty hardcore punk blast.

16 minutes and to the point. Good shit man.

We have had a few albums that were described as Punk, but none really were in my mind. This album is what I class as true punk. Full on energy, anarchy and frantic instruments. Every song title just screams punk and because the songs are so short they never lose your attention. I guess the 15 minute album is a unique concept and you can see why punk died out so soon, but I liked it.

Huge number of ideas crammed into very very short songs. Songs about a minute long with rhythm changes part way through.

Just what I needed - 15 minutes of hardcore fun. Love it! Favorite: I Just Want Some Skank Would I listen to it again: Yes

Raw energy with an intenseness that punches

it’s like all the punk rock stereotypes embodied in one album. funny, stupid, young. btw it was excellent for the album to last 15 minutes

This is a 15 minute album, but it feels like 45. So the Circle Jerks are basically THE hardcore punk band that had an incredible influence down the road. This album is from 1980, so it was pretty revolutionary for representing this underground hardcore punk youth. I'm sure their shows must have been absolutely wild. The members have gone on to be in other huge bands like Bad Religion and Black Flag and Queen of the Stone Age, so obviously they are musically talented and it shows with this album. Their playing is really solid so no complaints there. Musically, I think I am passed this phase of my life. Punk is such a great musical representation of youth rebellion and this album is pretty much right in line with that. Hating the mainstream, hating the establishment and basic people...and of course, drinking and partying. Honestly it's a pretty great album for the hardcore punk genre. I wish it was longer for the sake of it even though I don't really want to listen for 45 minutes. Can't take anything away from it, it's a great album for the hardcore punk scene and everything it represents.

Pretty good.

Brings me back to my youth. One the bands that inspired my first band. We named our selves O.M.O.L (one minute or less. - clever , right?) Anyway, we had to change our name early on because one of our songs was too long. Good times tho 4*

Loved it!

классика хардкора - быстренько сыграли за 15 мин и разбежались, хули мусолить

3 stars worth of hard punk. +1 star for being 15 minutes long.

I didn’t realize I knew several songs off this album already, rated slightly high for nostalgia

It’s over before you know it. It’s more melodic than I thought it would be with all of the obligatory punk themes from the late 70s. Solid playing especially by the drummer with some pretty good production.

Stórskemmtilegt paunk. 14 lög á 15 mín, verður ekki pönkaðra en það.

Awesome

An amazing and thrilling 15 minutes. It left me wanting more, but it probably was just the right amount of chaos to allow a person to maintain their sanity.

80s hardcore punk. Loud, fast, messy. Landmark album of the genre.

Wow, that's good. If you want it to be really punk, this is just the thing. It's actually too hard for me. The songs are just the right length. After a good slap in the face, they're already over and the next headbutt rolls in. 4/5

80s punk > 90s punk. 3.5 étoiles

Short snappy punky

There's something about this kind of music I just love. Yes it's simple and dumb but that's kind of the charm. You can always tell that these kinds of punk bands were looking for an outlet for their frustrations or whatever they needed to vent and forming a band was, for some reason, the best or easiest thing for them. This album, at a whopping 14 songs and 15 minutes, is such a great example - fast, loud, brash, roughly played. It's the kind of album that a kid would hear and think 'if these guys can put out a record I probably could too....' It's the kind of album that makes kids want to pick up an instrument whether or not they can play it. And that's a fantastic thing in my book. I do wish the songs were longer, it loses some points for that but I think that's also just sort of standard for the genre. Not like you have a verse and chorus in most of this. One thing I would point out about this is that the drums are really really great. Super tight, always right on. Playing drums well for this kind of music is a lot more difficult than it sounds like it would be, Lucky Lehrer should get more credit for that. Interestingly he was playing jazz before this, it kind of shows. 4/5

Fast and loud, just the way punk should be! Favorite songs: Back Against the Wall, Live Fast Die Young, Beverly Hills, Operation Least favorite songs: Don't Care, Group Sex 4/5

Du punk énervé qui n’a pas que ça à foutre. 14 titres, 16 minutes, faut rester groupé. “Deny everything”, “I just want some Skank” en ouverture mettent bien l’ambiance en place. C’est approximatif, énervé, joué beaucoup trop vite… Conforme, donc. “Operation” avec son refrain “Snip and tie”... Avec 15 minutes seulement pour faire le tour, ça peut s’écouter très facilement, et je sens pousser en moi des envies d’épingles à nourrices et de bière tiède

It’s only 15 minutes long! This reminds of the joke about the old ladies at the restaurant. The first lady complains to the waiter about how terrible the food is. Then the second one says “And the portions are so small!” This is a perfect punk record. Short loud sloppy blasts of teenage aggression. It absolutely succeeds at what it sets out to do. This is what so many punk bands ever since have been trying to recreate. FOUR STARS

Not a huge punk fan but this had some tracks that I could dig

punchy as hell, great album for the length

Подобається тут енергетика та певна фановість в загальній атмосфері. Крутий оупенер, який починається ніби як з середини пісні. Все насичено, швидко, короткі пісні з юнацьким поглядом на все. Є хіти. На наступному альбомі вже трохи інший звук та темп був, він мені й мабуть менше подобається

Absolutely has not aged well lyrically, but this is absolute fire from one of the best LA punk outfits. Keith Morris is on top of his game, the band sounds really tight, and the urgency is there in every song. Somehow this clocks in faster than the Descendents’ Milo Goes to College, but it’s a near perfect 15 minutes. Good shit.

Fun!!!

More albums should be 15minutes long. Youth rage humour and recklessness. 4.0/5.0 Best Song: Live Fast Die Young

Hardcore punk at its best and briefest. 14 songs in 15 minutes, well played lads.

This isn't my favorite genre, but I've got 15 minutes

Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for a good 30 minute post rock song. But sometimes there's something cool about just getting to the point. And this album gets to the point more efficiently than probably any music out there, with each song flowing seamlessly from one to the next, and making it's point just about as quickly as it can.