Get ready for some exciting news! In 1991, Maximum Rock & Roll magazine released a promotional 7″ called “New World Order: War #1” (also known as the “Noam Chomsky 7″). The idea came about when Tim Yohannan of Maximum Rock & Roll reached out to Brett from Bad Religion and suggested they do a single. Brett loved the idea but didn’t want people to think they were trying to profit from such an important issue. So they came up with the brilliant plan of releasing a non-profit single through Maximum Rock & Roll, a highly respected international publication.
Brett was absolutely appalled by the Persian Gulf War, finding it to be nothing short of pornographic. He felt a responsibility to use his platform and his relevant lyrics to speak out against the war. He wanted to create a song that would stand the test of time and serve as a powerful anti-war anthem.
Noam Chomsky, the renowned intellectual, received a letter from Bad Religion in 1990, asking him to talk about the invasion of Iraq for eight minutes. At that time, speaking out against the war was practically forbidden. But Chomsky, intrigued by the band’s name, agreed to do it. He recorded his speech on a tape and sent it back to them. In return, Bad Religion sent him a 45-inch record with his speech on one side and what they called an anti-war song on the other. Chomsky couldn’t quite decipher the meaning of the song, so he enlisted the help of a friend’s daughter, who provided him with a detailed analysis of its significance in popular culture. To Chomsky’s surprise, this record became a highly sought-after item for autographs all around the world.
Now, let’s talk about the recording process. Bad Religion recorded the songs for this 7” in a unique way. They recorded the music for “Heaven is Falling” on one coast and sent the tape to Greg Graffin. To ensure it sounded just right, Brett sang a scratch vocal on the tape. Greg then went into a studio and recorded the vocals. For “Fertile Crescent,” Greg recorded his vocals, along with a drum machine, guitar, and bass, and sent the tape back to the rest of the band. They then added their music to Greg’s vocals, creating a collaborative masterpiece.
When the record was finally released in 1991, the Persian Gulf
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