Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1982
Electric Eye (song)
Buy Electric Eye (song) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
"'Electric Eye'" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, from their 1982 album 'Screaming for Vengeance'. It has become a staple at concerts, usually played as the first song. AllMusic critic Steve Huey called the song a classic.
Benediction and Helloween, amongst many other bands, have covered this song.
Background
Musically, the song is in the key of E minor, and its guitar solo is played by Glenn Tipton.
"Electric Eye" is an allusion to the book 'Nineteen Eighty-Four' by George Orwell, in the use of the name of the pseudo-omniscient camera that watches over the community at all times. In this dystopia, the form of government, Ingsoc (Newspeak for English Socialism), is utterly totalitarian, and if citizens are caught rebelling in any manner, they "disappear". In the song by Judas Priest, however, the cameras are updated to take the form of a powerful satellite, that is "elected," to take "pictures that can prove," and "keep the country clean". Thus, the song has been called "prescient" for its depiction of a modern surveillance state, operating within the context of an ostensibly democratic nation.Kinsella, Stephen (2011-01-15) [http://www.lewrockwell.com/blog/lewrw/archives/75577.html#more-75577 Judas Priest on the Surveillance State] , 'LewRockwell.com'
Covers and other uses
Helloween recorded a version of this song for the Tribute to Judas Priest: Legends of Metal. It also appears in the single The Time Of The Oath, and in the expanded edition of the album 'The Time Of The Oath'.
"Electric Eye" is featured in the 2006 video game 'Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories' on the fictional in-game radio station "V-Rock". It is also a playable track in 'Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s' as a master track, including "The Hellion", and it also appears on 'Guitar Hero Smash Hits'. Additionally, it is available for download on 'Rock Band', as of 22 April 2009, as part of the entire 'Screaming for Vengeance' album download, or as a single song. It was also featured in the second trailer for the video game 'Brtal Legend'.
[http://www.gametrailers.com/player/43624.html]
This song is referenced in the movie 'Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny', in the song "Break in-City (Storm the Gate!)".
The song was played live at the 2011 'Revolver Magazine' Golden God Awards show by Duff McKagan's Loaded, with vocals by Slipknot and Stone Sour's Corey Taylor and guitar by Sex Pistols' Steve Jones.
The song was referenced in the South Park episode Fat Butt and Pancake Head; when the boys visit the mall to spend Cartman's $20 gift certificate, they can be seen arguing in front of a store called "The Electric Eye".
"Electric Eye" was covered by the metalcore band As I Lay Dying from the compilation 'Decas', and was released as a single. The band made a music video for the song and was first available to stream via Noisecreep on 3 October 2011.
The song was also covered in 2014 by Lissie and released on an EP album "Cryin' to You" and performs the songs on tour.
Professional wrestler Aja Kong uses the song with "The Hellion" as her entrance music.
Personnel
*Rob Halford vocals
*Glenn Tipton lead guitar
*K. K. Downing rhythm guitar
*Ian Hill bass
*Dave Holland drums
See also
*Mass surveillance
*New World Order (conspiracy theory)
References
Category:Judas Priest songs
Category:1982 singles
Category:Songs written by Rob Halford
Category:Songs written by Glenn Tipton
Category:Songs written by K. K. Downing
Category:1982 songs
Category:Columbia Records singles
Buy Electric Eye (song) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1982