The key track on this rare 1980s recording sees Sun Ra warning the inhabitants of planet Earth about the threat of nuclear war and its ultimately apocalyptic effect. ‘Nuclear War’ is based on a call and response gospel chorus with Ra in the role as an interstellar preacher, raging against the nuclear war machine with a repetitive chanted expletive (think MC5!) that decades later still sounds shocking. Later released as a 12” on UK label Y, ‘Nuclear War’ has since passed into Sun Ra legend, only to rise again on this re- mastered reissue of one of Ra's rarest and strangest Saturn releases. While that dominates the album, the remaining pieces are prime examples of where Ra and his Arkestra were taking their music at the time – with the dreamily hallucinogenic ‘Retrospect’ and the more upbeat (but off-kilter) nightclub jazz groove of ‘Makeup’ being the intermission before the title track hits. ‘A Fireside Chat With Lucifer’ is ushered in with heraldic horns and muted percussion before slowly unravelling into a complex composition that involves the entire group. Flickering with fine contributions from main Arkestra players Allen, Gilmore and Thompson, the piece really catches fire with Ra's smouldering keyboard interventions effectively communicating what remains his wildest musical message ever.