Golden Shower of Hits is the third studio album by American hardcore punk band Circle Jerks, released July 21, 1983 by the labels Allegiance and LAX Records. It was the band's last album to feature the band's original rhythm section of bassist Roger Rogerson and drummer Lucky Lehrer. Lehrer was fired from the group in the middle of recording the album, and John Ingram was hired to finish the recording. After their departures, the band's music took a different direction on their next studio album, Wonderful.
Background
The album was produced by LAX's owner, Jerry Goldstein, who had signed the band to his Far Out Management company. Goldstein was known for his work as a former member of the Strangeloves, co-writer of the 1963 hit "My Boyfriend's Back", producer/songwriter for War and former manager of Sly and the Family Stone. The title track, "Golden Shower of Hits ", also released as a single, was a riff on the popular "Stars on 45" medley from 1981. It featured a medley of six cover versions strung together to create a storyline of two people who fall in love, have an unplanned pregnancy, rush into marriage, and end up divorced.
Reception
Critical reception for Golden Shower of Hits has been mostly positive. Greg Prato of AllMusic gave the album 4 out of 5 stars and claimed that "everything you love about legendary Californian punkers the Circle Jerks is gloriously displayed on Golden Shower of Hits." He added that "obnoxious humor, disjointed guitars courtesy of Greg Hetson, and sloppy yet excited rhythm work all add up to perhaps the ultimatepunk rock party", and called Golden Shower of Hits an "ultimate introduction to this one-of-a-kind band". Golden Shower of Hits received another positive review from Jeff Bale of Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, who claimed that the album "ranks somewhere between their great debut and its so-so follow-up, Wild in the Streets". About the album's music, Bale stated that "the songs range from vintage Jerks - short, tuneful blasts like 'In Your Eyes' and 'Coup d'Etat' - to boring mid-tempo rockish numbers that seem to be aimed at a crossover hard rock/HM audience".
The songs "Coup d'État" and "When the Shit Hits the Fan" were featured on the soundtrack to the 1984 Alex Cox film Repo Man. "When the Shit Hits the Fan" was re-recorded for the soundtrack, with Earl Liberty and Chuck Biscuits replacing Rogerson and Lehrer.
