Here's one that's been overdue for as long as this blog has existed. This was one of the first hardcore bands I ever heard, and my introduction to them among others quite literally changed my life. I revisited their early albums for the first time in a while and they are just as raw and unrefined as ever, and it's awesome.
As a quick summary, the Circle Jerks are from Hermosa Beach, California and formed in 1979. Its two founding members were vocalist Keith Morris and guitarist Greg Hetson, who have been the band's sole constants throughout their duration. The former had left Black Flag, though left his mark on that band forever by providing vocals on the now-legendary Nervous Breakdown EP. Hetson was briefly a member of Redd Kross, but left them upon the Circle Jerks formation. The first incarnation of this band was rounded out by bassist Roger Rogerson and drummer Lucky Lehrer. Both of them were incredible musicians for a scrappy punk rock outfit, with Lehrer in particular being a standout for bringing his background in jazz to the band.
Group Sex, the band's debut, was recorded and released in 1980. Without a doubt this is their undisputed classic. Its 14 tracks in 15 minutes of unbridled, sneering and nasty energy, with an outward anger and an inner complacency. They tackle a number of subjects across its tracklist with a balance of personal and political leanings, but all with an ooze of resounding dissatisfaction. Its lyrics are quick-witted and raunchy, the guitar riffs spark and crackle, the rhythm section is blazingly fast but never overtly sloppy. This is a record that I've listened to a 1000 times, and cuts like "Live Fast, Die Young", "Back Against The Wall", "I Just Want Some Skank", or the Black Flag carryovers "Don't Care" and "Wasted" still get my heart pounding. If you're even remotely into early hardcore or punk rock in general, this is a stone-cold classic.
Lehrer unfortunately left the band around the time they were recording Golden Shower Of Hits, their 1983 release. He was replaced by John Ingram, who only played on this particular album. In some ways it is a return to form, with those raucous hardcore blasts and toilet humour coming back. However, other songs lean even further away from this, like the melodic title track of the closing covers medley. It's a solid albeit slightly disjointed album, with a few more highs than its predecessor.
Things really changed up in 1984, following the departure of not only Lehrer but also Rogerson, who was replaced by long-time member Zander Schloss. Greg Hetson became a guitarist for Bad Religion, who he played with until 2013. The next two Circle Jerks records are fairly divisive, as they slowed down the tempos and started incorporating metal riffs. It's not something they execute particularly well, though there a handful of songs off of Wonderful that always stuck with me ("Making The Bombs", "Killing For Jesus"). They ended up breaking up in 1990, with Hetson focusing on Bad Religion full-time. They reunited in 1994, releasing a brand new album in 1995. Outside of The Soft Boys cover "I Wanna Destroy You", there's really nothing memorable on the aptly-titled Oddities, Abnormalities and Curiosities.
Since then, they've been active on again and off again in some capacity for the better part of the last 20 years, only touring sporadically and releasing no new material, aside from a single in 2007. They did officially split in 2011. Around the same time that Morris founded Off!, a band I honestly think is better than most of the Circle Jerks material. He also took the helm in FLAG, a band consisting of other former Black Flag members playing shows doing Black Flag songs. He came back around to his main project in 2019, along with Hetson and Schloss to do some shows for Group Sex's 40th anniversary. This resulted in some complications (1980 + 40 = 2020). But they're going strong now, and will actually be touring in 2024 with the Descendents.
That about does it, this band has a fairly interesting history and an immense amount of influence, especially that early material. I don't want to beat a dead horse here, but Group Sex is a must-listen, and admittedly a ton of this band's legacy hinges solely on that record. It's worth digging deeper if you haven't before, as there are some gems here and there. Enjoy.
