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.
Images copyright Plasmatics Media Inc. 1998/1999
Used with permission
