The awesome 80’s. Fuck yeah!
Something less heavy musically but still intense subject matter.
This is “Distant Early Warning” from Grace Under Pressure. From 1984! At that time there was real fear among many that the US and Russia would somehow get into a nuclear exchange thereby bringing on Armageddon.
Many TV shows and movies of the time played up this “End of World” theme: “The Day After,” “War Games” (Ally Sheedy
), “World War III,” “Special Bulletin,” and “Red Dawn” are a few that I have seen. From what I understand, the threat was very real. The “Terminator” movies also played up the nuclear apocalypse theme although that was the result of “computers taking over” (another common fear of the time) and eliminating humanity.
And gave rise to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s career.
This video definitely is showing its age. But is still very cool. Sort of like me.
I’m surprised the technology depicted was not more “state of the art.” The radar screens and aircraft launching the missle carrying the little boy look like something out of 1930’s sci fi.
Rush as always is awesome. These guys are still playing as far as I know and I like the “Miami Vice” jacket and hair that Geddy Lee (bass) is wearing. Speaking of Geddy Lee, that is allegedly his son in the video. Not much older than me. Shit, why couldn’t MY dad have played for a rock band instead of working for General Motors? Anyway, If I were to choose one of them to be my “dad” it would have to be Neil Peart--God of drums. Would have loved to find a red Tama double bass set like that under the tree for Christmas.
Hope you enjoy this look back!
(Originally Rush intended to carry out the video to its logical conclusion. With the boy crashing into a city and the nuclear warhead detonating. This apparently was considered too intense and edited out. I have not been able to confirm this.)