S.P.Q.R

This song is fucking badass

This Heat's Deceit LP may not be particularly representative of this extremely-experimental band's usual style, but it is by far their most satisfying effort.

Its UK art-student members (three of them) decided that the world was in such turmoil and peril in 1981 that the situation called for writing music and performing it, despite their 100% lack of musical experience.

We were killing ourselves with nuclear weapons and energy; our psuedo-democratic institutions were failing us, and the Writing Is On the Wall. If this wasn't a time for an Urgent “GOD HELP US IF WE DON'T SAVE OURSELVES” Cry for Self-Help, when in the Hell Would It Ever Be??

In 1981 I was 16. I didn't hear the Deceit LP until about 1986. When I was 21. Had it become less urgent? Hell no. Reagan was President!!! He'd been re-elected easily.

That was more summary (and examination of the entire LP's social significance) than anything specific about the meaning of the track.

Ordinarily I can do this for hours on end. I'll be relatively brief.

The history of Rome--as metaphor for personal and political domination--and, as kickass rock-and-roll (and a real "earworm," from a band which typically were anything but catchy).

I'm particularly fond of the [slowly-increasing] passion of this section:

Slavehood and freedom Imperial purple Pax Romana!

Sucked by a she-wolf We turn against our brother

Bella bella bella bellorum bellis bellis Veni vedi veci I came I saw I conquered

We Are all Romans!