To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performances these music videos are intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply Turn Me Up! (www.TurnMeUp.org)
Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. All rights to clips and music belong to their respective owners.
01 - Incantation 02 - Masterplan 03 - Headbanger 04 - Summer Nite 05 - Nothing 06 - Fast Food Service 07 - Hitman (Live Milan) 08 - Living Dead 09 - Sex Junkie 10 - Plasma Jam (Live Milan) 11 - Pig Is A Pig
"Beyond
the Valley of 1984" - An Essay
The
cover of this Plasmatics album appears to show Wendy in sexy attire
and a car being blown apart. Of course, as is usually the case with
the Plasmatics, things are not quite what they seem ...
The
title of the album seems to combine "1984", i. e. the
suppression of the individual by the state, and Hollywood film title
"Beyond the Valley of the Dolls", a 1960s production
concerned with sexual morality in America. It is most unlikely that
this is coincidental. The use of the word "valley" also
implies a low point in human affairs, as if 1984 represents a
situation from which mankind will pass. But towards what?
The
Plasmatics, as pictured on the cover are intended to represent the
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This symbolism originates in the
Book of Revelation, when God will make his final judgement of man.
This classical image has been portrayed, with surprising attention to
detail, in the scenes depicted. The action takes place in a valley,
which ties in with the album title and also suggests Death Valley.
The photographs were taken when the sun was low in the sky, casting
long shadows across the ground. The tall cactus tree suggests
fingers, and its shadow subtly suggests the finger of death. The Four
Horsemen classically represent war, civil strife, hunger and death.
All these are clearly shown on the cover. War is represented by the
gas masks and helicopter, civil strife by the burning car, hunger by
the bleak desert location and death by the bodies on the ground. The
gatefold cover, when opened out, gives four images; this reinforces
the biblical reference. All four images are of the same size. The
colours of the horses, in Revelation are red, white, black and pale.
It would be rather too much to expect such animals to have been
obtained for the photo session, and it would also have made the
imagery rather too obvious. Nonetheless, these colours are clearly
present; the album title is written in red and white lettering and
the credits etc on the back are in red, the car is white, black
appears in the clothing and the band's name is shown in pale silver
letters against a pale blue sky.
The
Plasmatics do not look at the camera, i.e. at their listener, until
the inset photo on the rear cover. This shot was taken at the end of
the sequence, with black smoke rising from the destroyed car and a
bleak desert background. This symbolises the situation at the Day of
Judgement. The posture of the band in this shot seems to he saying to
the listener "The rest of society has been judged and found
wanting, and you are next". The facial expressions are
consistent with this. Wendy seems to be less hostile than the others.
"Sex
Junkie" is another moralistic song. A fascinating aspect of
Wendy Williams' stage persona is that it mocks that part of the
audience that is attracted to the band by her semi-clothed body. This
is entirely consistent with the classic attitude of the dominatrix
toward her clients who are humiliated by and subservient to her. The
lyrics are highly explicit and critical, not just of the sex junkie
in the song, but of two hundred million people (presumably, the
entire American adult population).
"Plasma
Jam", an instrumental, follows. This could be included as a
straightforward piece of rock music, but it is virtually at the end
of the album. The songs are therefore contained-between "Incantation"
and "Plasma Jam", encapsulating them. The album finishes
with "Pig is a Pig". This number almost shouts at us "if
you missed the message in the previous songs, here it is plain and
simple!" It strongly continues the album's theme. It says
"Everyone else is like you", the same theme as that in Sex
Junkie.
The
songs on this album are, without exception, an expansion of the "Day
of Judgement" theme of the album cover. And if anyone has any
remaining doubts about the meaning of "Beyond the Valley of
1984" they should look at the dead and dying figures on the
album cover. They are wearing what looks like white laboratory
assistant's coats. Why should they be dressed like this, out in the
desert? The answer is in the book of Revelation, Chapter 6. Following
the description of the four horsemen, the scripture goes on to say in
Verse 11: "And white robes were given unto every one of them".
All
in all, a quite extraordinary album.
II - "Metal Priestess"
12 - Lunacy 13 - Doom Song 14 - Sex Junkie (Live) 15 - Black Leather Monster 16 - 12 Noon 17 - Masterplan (Live)
"Metal
Priestess" - An Essay
The
Metal Priestess six-track EP is the companion volume to the Beyond
the Valley of 1984 album. Both were released in 1981.
Metal
Priestess is a title worthy of some analysis. At first sight it might
not appear particularly significant, merely a link between heavy
metal and Wendy. There is however a deeper meaning. A priest, and
hence a priestess, is someone authorised by the church to administer,
on behalf of God, baptisms, confirmations, the eucharist, penance,
extreme unction, orders, and matrimony. And also to pronounce
absolution, in which sins are forgiven. The priestess acts as the
link between the physical world in which we live, bound by the laws
of space and time, and the mysteries of eternity known only to God.
On
the cover, Wendy is pictured on stage on her knees, leaning
backwards. At first sight this is simply a good photo - and a sexy
one! But it has a religious aspect. Wendy - the priestess - can be
seen as subordinate to a superior being or set of beliefs.
This
becomes clear when we examine the tracks. The first - Lunacy - begins
with a fairly long instrumental prologue, which is somewhat
mantra-like. Lunacy means insanity or madness, and in the past
intermittent lunacy was attributed to the cycles of the moon. This
lunar aspect features clearly in the song. Wendy is describing some
form of cosmic power which is given to people, and which they can use
for good or evil effect. This is entirely consistent with Christian
teaching, in which people have free will to choose between good and
evil and the future is not predetermined.
The
next track - Doom Song - maintains the religious theme with an organ
introduction. Doom Song is a kind of alternative Lord's Prayer. The
priestess - Wendy - is administering a form of eucharist. Casual
listening to the record can lead to the mistaken impression that she
is swnmoning up dark forces, but the opposite is actually the case.
The condemnation of hypocrites echoes the words of Jesus, and the
priestess has been given considerable power to use some force against
the enemies of good. The hypocrites are described as "filthy",
and some mysterious crawling, oozing, slimy "something" is
going to deal with them.
The
reference to the Prince of Darkness is curious. Superficially, Satan
is being invoked, and that is why the song can easily be
misinterpreted as a form of Black Mass. But the figure of Satan is
always a baffling one; if Satan is in charge of Hell - the purpose of
which is supposedly to punish sinners for all eternity - he is
clearly acting on behalf of Ciod and is hardly the sinner's friend.
In fact, Satan would be one of God's key workers, albeit with a
rather hot and unpleasant working enviromnent! The concept of Hell
does not derive from the Bible but from later ideas, and Satan is an
ambivalent figure. It is possible that the "something"
referred to above is Satan - and therefore the priestess, acting on
Go&s authority, has summoned Satan from the underworld to punish
the hypocrites. The reference to "YI"" at the end of
the song, i.e. to Jehovah, confirms the fascinating religious theme
of this song.
The
third track - Sex Junkie - also appears in Beyond the Valley of 1984
and is a condemnation of sex-obsessed American culture (see the
analysis of this song in the section about the 1984 album)
The
fourth track - Black Leather Monster - follows the same theme as Sex
Junkie. The meaning of the title refers is unclear; it could be a
phallic reference, or maybe even to the priestess herself, the song
being sung in the third person i.e. Wendy is taking the role of one
of the sex junides who is at the mercy of the priestess/dominatrix.
The
fifth track - 12 Noon - is in many ways a prologue for the excellent
Maggots album that would follow some six years later. Wendy is
describing the corruption and pollution in modern society. The song
is very interesting because it takes the opposite line to the
stereotypical warnings of "destruction just around the corner".
For it is corruption and pollution - rather than civilised society -
which is about to be destroyed. Whether this destruction will result
in the restoration of morality, or simply the end of human life,
isn't clear. In a way, the priestess may be giving the world an
opportunity to confess sins and make peace with God before possible
annihilation, the suggestion being that the world has been given 24
hours or so to do this.
The
final song - Masterplan - is also on the Beyond the Valley of 1984
album and an analysis of the song is in the commentary on that album.
The song suggests that society had it made, but ruined everything.
This echoes the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Metal
Priestess is very clearly an album with a strong religious theme. It
can be interpreted as the priestess - Wendy - describing how mankind
has been given the power to choose between Good and Evil, but has
chosen Evil. She has summoned the forces of destruction to sweep the
corruption away, and has given the world time to make peace with God
and seek absolution of its sins.
III - "Coup d'Etat/Coup De Grace"(The Original Electric Lady Land Recordings ) 18 - Put Your Love In Me 19 - Stop 20 - Rock 'N' Roll 21 - Just Like On TV 22 - Uniformed Guards 23 - No Class 24 - Mistress Of Passion 25 - Lightning Breaks 26 - Path Of Glory 27 - Country Fairs 28 - The Damned
"Coup de Grace" is a posthumous release by punk / metal band The Plasmatics in 2002. The album is the original demo of the album Coup d'Etat.
During the spring of 1982, the Plasmatics were signed to Capitol Records and Dan Hartman offered to produce a demo of the album for Capitol with Rod at Electric Lady Studios, Jimi Hendrix's old studio, in NY. The whole album was arranged, recorded and mixed within a week. Dieter Dierks, who had just come off a number one album with the Scorpions, also expressed interest in producing. Dan Hartman was soon replaced by Dieter.
The Hartman demo was released in 2002 under the name "Coup de Grace". This rawer version of Coup d'Etat took less than a tenth of the time and a fraction of the budget of the original.
Reception to the album is generally positive. Many fans of the band have
stated that this version is the one they prefer due to its rawness.
"The Damned" lyrics
BLACK VISIONS FROM THE SATELLITE SKY
DEAF EARS HEAR NOT THEIR CRIES
FAT JACKALS HOWL AT THE MOON
FLIES BUZZING PLAYING DEATH'S TUNE
NIGHT ENDS BUT THE SUN IT DON'T RISE
TOMBS OPEN AND THE DEAD THEY WILL RISE
BLACK MARKET BUYS YOUR SOUL REAL CHEAP
NO ESCAPING WHAT YOU SOW YOU WILL REAP
PRISONERS OF THE DAMNED, FIND ANOTHER LAND
PLANET OF THE LOST, LAND OF FIRE AND FROST
PRISONERS OF THE DEAD, FEAR THE UNKNOWN DREAD
TIDAL WAVES AT SEA SET THE SERPENTS FREE
COUP D'ETAT ON A GLOBAL SCALE
OPOSITION LOCKED UP IN JAIL
DOMINATION THE GOONS ARE THE BOSS
HUMAN RACE NAILED TO A CROSS
Deathofarockstar: thesuicideofWendyO. Williams
Within
days of the death of
Frank Sinatra, record stores worldwide were full of Sinatra
merchandise. The industry had
been waiting for such an event: longstanding ill-health had given the
men in suits ample
opportunity to design the artwork and get everything ready for the word
go. Or, to be more
precise, the word goodbye. For, as in the case of so many deceased
singers and musicians,
death gives a massive boost to an artist with limited contemporary
appeal.
The death
of Wendy Orlean
Williams falls neither into the category of Sinatra, nor that of the
younger casualties
such as Kurt Cobain. Aged 48, her death was untimely yet, having
retired from the music
business ten years before, there is no sense of incompletion or of her
career not having
come to "full term" - Williams' work can be judged as a complete
entity, neither
dragged out into old age, nor cut short.
The Plasmatics' music
and live act has been
misconstrued a lot - in the actual music, and in its lyrics, themes and
sentiments. Thus,
the band laid the foundations for a music scene which would later serve
as a vent for the
hedonism of the disaffected, disenfranchised youth of the late 1980s.
Yet all too often,
people have tended to equate punk music with 'inability to play', for
the Plasmatics'
music can best be defined as thrash-punk - though it is and symbolises
many other things
besides. 'Coup d'Etat', the band's last recorded album (apart from the
Maggots
WOW/Plasmatics reunion album of 1987) showed a slightly more mature
rock edge than their
previous work, but the Plasamtics' punk ethic was never lost. Yet the
stereotypical punk
comparison does not hold - true, in the last few years there has been a
proliferation of
punk nouveau (most notably the early '90s grunge scene) influenced by
the archetypal
stroppy cartoon image brought to mind by the Adverts' "Gary Gilmore's
Eyes",
anything by the Ramones... but witness the lyrics, chord sequences and
Richie Stotts et
al's lead playing on many of the tracks...
Williams' solo work also
shows a more
melodic side, especially on tracks such as 'Opus in Cm7' and 'Legends
Never Die'. Critics
claim that these tracks are a 'non sequitur' on the otherwise decidedly
'don't fuck with
me' W.O.W. album, yet it is here that Rod Swenson's musical
sensibilites and Wendy's vocal
talents combine to best effect.
Though the Plasmatics'
songs are not best
known for subtlety, the theme of Maggots is unclear. Drawing together
many of the themes
expressed in the rest of the Plasmatics' work, at one level it seems to
relate to AIDS,
and the sleeve liner includes a message to practise safe sex. It can be
seen, in may ways,
as a continuation of 'Just Like On TV' from Coup d'Etat: the ultimate
horror story
scenario... the end of Maggots no doubt symbolises the end of
civilisation (many of
Wendy's songs deal with this). "As she looks down the ten flights to
the street
below, [Cindy] sees a scene of chaos and pandemonium. Feeding on the
people with
uncontrollable lust are giant maggots... the sun is setting in the sky.
It will be night
time soon." Now, one cannot know whether Wendy had AIDS in mind, but
many references
throughout the album suggest it. Though it is, of course, always
possible to see a
posthumous significance or relevance in music, especially in the
lyrics: see Hole's 1994
album "Live Through This".
The Maggots album, and
several of the
Plasmatics' other songs, can be seen as a condemnation of contemporary
Amerian
middle-class values. From the beginninng of Maggots, the atttitude is
obvious: "We
are in a middle class apartment in a middle class apartment building.
The decor is
shopping mall modern. The White family are sitting around a shiny
formaica kitchen table
eating dinner..." Fast Food Service and 12 Noon are also an expression
of this.
The
majority of the music press's reaction to Wendy's
suicide has been to concentrate on certain 'stereotypical rock star'
aspects of the band's
career and live shows - aspects which should almost certainly be taken
as, at least
partly, tongue in cheek on the Plasmatics' part. (Their act
"...featured chainsawing
guitars and smashing televisions - as their popularity increased, the
budget stretched to
blowing up Chevrolets..." according to the NME, the week after reports
came of
Wendy's death.) The band's destructive nature onstage has been much
misinterpreted - their
gestures can be variously interpreted as materialistic or anti-... in
many ways the
Plasmatics, and Wendy, were the antithesis of the 1980s mindless
materialism, especially
that in the music business.
One of Wendy's recurring
themes is 'the
rock star', what it is to be one, the trappings of rock stardom and her
portrayal of the
nature of our here worship is pretty accurate: in Opus in Cm7 she asks
"Why do our
heroes all vanish? Why are our heroes all dead?" Legends Never Die is a
paean to the
characteristics of fame generally; having "been to hell and back" (It's
My Life)
Wendy was in a position to be able to talk about it. (It makes one
wonder why, if Wendy
was so against stardom, she became famous in the first place. It would
seem that the
Plasmatics' success happened almost by accident...) Pig Is A Pig is an
exploration of
human cowardice in the context of fame, and is "dedicated to a special
kind of person
- the kind of person who's hiding... behind a guise of
repectability..." This desire
for the authenticity, for the "real thing" was, in the end, one of the
contributing factors in Wendy's despondency: she could not bear the
"hypocrisies of
life" (as she called them) and her suicide note spoke of "a place where
there is
no self, only calm".
Essays by Anna Sthetic
These recordings were remastered from the Original Sterling Masters in 2026.
To preserve the excitement, emotion and dynamics of the original performances this music video is intentionally quieter than some. For full enjoyment simply Turn Me Up! (www.TurnMeUp.org) Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. All rights to clips and music belong to their respective owners.
Anne Hathaway has stepped into the recording booth with a new role that goes beyond acting. The Oscar-winning performer has released a single titled Burial, a song tied directly to her character in the upcoming A24 film Mother Mary. The track marks Hathaway’s first commercial single and offers an early taste of the film’s musical direction.
The song accompanies Mother Mary, a dramatic story centered on a fictional pop icon played by Hathaway. In the film, the character navigates fame, identity, and complicated relationships while living under the intense glare of celebrity culture.
Burial serves as the lead single from the soundtrack album Mother Mary: Greatest Hits. The song was written by Hathaway in collaboration with several figures from the contemporary pop world, including Charli XCX, producer Jack Antonoff, and George Daniel of The 1975.
Musically, the track leans into a moody synth-pop atmosphere. The arrangement pairs dramatic vocals with layered electronic textures, reflecting the heightened tone of the story. In promotional clips for the project, Hathaway performs the song as her character, presenting the fictional artist Mother Mary through stylized stage imagery and music-video-style sequences.
Although Hathaway has sung in film before, including her Academy Award-winning performance in Les Misérables, Burial represents a different kind of musical release. Rather than a traditional film number, the track functions as a standalone pop single connected to the movie’s narrative world.
The film itself is directed by David Lowery and explores the intense friendship between Hathaway’s pop star and her former costume designer, played by Michaela Coel. Supporting appearances from performers such as Hunter Schafer and FKA twigs add to the project’s mix of music, fashion, and cinematic drama.
Mother Mary is scheduled to open in limited theaters on April 17, 2026, before expanding to wider release later in the month. The soundtrack album is set to arrive on the same day.
Ever since 1984 when I first heard "The Lee Aaron Project" album I was a
huge fan of Lee Aaron. I gathered a lot of video via tapetrading over
the years and last year I decided to restore and remaster the footage as
best as I could. Hope you enjoy this as much as I still do.
Directed By – Dominic Sena
Producer – Aris McGary
The movie "Rhythm Nation 1814" features selections
from the album "Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814" including:
Black Cat
Miss You Much
The Knowledge
Rhythm Nation
"Rhythm Nation 1814" is a 1989 American musical short film based on Janet Jackson's fourth studio album of the same name. Directed by Dominic Sena, the film notably includes the music video for "Rhythm Nation", as well as the videos for "Miss You Much" and "The Knowledge". It was filmed at a power plant located in Pasadena, California. The video is notable for its "post-apocalyptic" warehouse setting, the unisex black military-style uniforms in which Jackson and her dancers were outfitted, and its choreography, considered to "set the template for hundreds of videos to come in the Nineties and aughts". The film premiered on MTV on September 16, 1989, coinciding with the release of the album, and was also later released on VHS and LaserDisc by A&M Video.
It won multiple accolades, including MTV's Video Vanguard Award for Jackson's impact on entertainment. Various actors and choreographers, including Wade Robson and Travis Payne, have cited Jackson and the "Rhythm Nation" routine as a primary influence to their careers. Entertainment Weekly considered the video "legendary", and Rolling Stone included it in a list of 10 Favorite Dancing Musicians, calling Jackson "a brilliant dancer”. The publication also titled it "the gold standard for dystopian dance pop music videos", featuring "some of the most memorable choreography in pop video history".
The long-form video won a Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video in 1990. The home video release has been certified two-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 200,000 units.
Talking about pleasure, either given or taken, I love drums. Sadly you can't put headphones in them, oh well, you can but what's the point right?! But, I really would like to practice but alas, it's quite an expensive hobby so it's not been in the cards yet.
But I also love to hear and watch drummers and I love drum solos very much too. (Unless the drummer is really, really terrible...)
A very nice bonus is always the joy of hearing and seeing a woman do the banging. Why is it that so few known recognized artists are female I wonder. Why is that?
In 1996 I had the pleasure to attend a tour of the brutal dudes from Fear Factory and they had two support acts. One was Manhole (later better known as Tura Satana and My Ruin with the bad ass sweety Tairrie B. handling the mike.) The second band on the bill was Drain from Stockholm Sweden. Due to confusion because there had been a US band with the same name, the all girl doom rockers were later on stylized as Drain STH.
I had the total pleasure of being invited back stage and I first was invited by the guitar player from Manhole L.A. to come see Tairrie backstage and say hello. It was the cutest thing because when the door to the dressing room opened Tairrie stood there all freshly showered and smelling like roses in her perfectly white bathrobe. After some inspiring and warm words had been shared I asked Tairrie if she wanted to sign my CDs. One was the debut Manhole album and the other her first solo album 'Power of a Woman'. She blushed and she gasped for air or so it seems, whispering "Dude! You got one?! I thought I'd burned them all!" She wrote to me on that legendary album (One of the first true Female Gangsta-Rap albums in history if I remember correctly) that I was 'DJ Eddy Lite, DJ Supreme' and that I was down with the Tairrie right from the start. Awe. (and she was rite!)
After some quality time in the venue Noorderligt in Tilburg, The Netherlands, the bands were eager to go into the city and party. I heard the question where to go and so I proposed to go to the legendary (yes, yes) Extase Café in the historical center of the city. And thus a half hour later Fear Factory and following (yes, yes, is sneer) entered Café Extase. After a few beers I saw Burton C. Bell and Tairrie almost flying hand in hand through the emergency exit door in the back of the part of the Café where the DJ-booth and dancefloor are. Once someone opens this door there is an alarm light (luckily without siren) going off and so the DJ and bouncer rushed and looked what happened and then closed the door behind Tairrie and Burton. Aren't they lovely people, those Tilburgers?! Tairrie and Burton probably made sweet, sweet love that night. I believe they dated for some time too.
Because I spent some money on beers (ofcourse I did!) and because the women and following of the Drain STH clan offered me more I got a little tipsy there. I did find singer Maria Sjöholm a bit scary to look at and she didn't say a word that nite but she married Tony Iommi later on so I guess I was rite and wrong at the same time. Now, ever since I had heard and seen Martina Axén from Drain STH (best all female band ever I MUST add!) drum, I had fallen in love with that gorgeous and mighty talented woman. Intelligent too, because she had me seen smoking one doobie earlier and she said that it mushes your brain. Direct talk, love it! But one or two beers too many, and the unthinkable stupidity came over me and oh, god, there it was... Didn't happen before and it probably will never ever happen again, but I asked Martina to marry me! Right there on the spot. *poof* Mushed brain!
I've talked a few times to Martina on various places in cyberspace after the event and she's been really cool. She moved to the USA and played in some bands there. Not the biggest names but quite lovely music. But, the thing is, although it had been quite idiotic of me to propose to her that way, I did have the best intentions. I wanted Martina to conquer the world and be a big star. I wished her nothing but the best.
I lost track of her some time ago. Where are you miss Axén? And how you're doing, are you happy?
