Search - Various Artists :: Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds

I never saw this coming!

Rykre | Carson City, Nevada | 07/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this CD on a whim back in the late 80's. In my early days of buying CD's, truly unique sound projects were very scarce. Only the most popular albums were being transfered to compact disc at the time.



I read a review many years earlier about a "progressive rock concept" from England. H. G. Well's classic story, "War of the Worlds" on a double LP. When I saw it on CD years later, I thought that I would go ahead and buy it. It was a brave move because a double CD of something I never heard before, was a big expense.



When I brought it home, I started to play it during the dusk of the coming evening. I remember pouring a glass of wine, sitting in the "sweet spot" of my sound room. I turned on the CD, and kicked back:



It opened with Sir Richard Burton (who is the journalist and the main narrator of the whole CD). His chilling, opening words to this H. G. Wells classic, truly set the stage for the impending doom and terror of my next 90 minutes.



The first CD really is just fantastic! The guitar licks, and the ambient, but nerving, incidental music that played in the background as Richard Burton describes what's happening before him. He puts you right there with him. You feel as if you should get up and run because the horror is unfolding right in front of you. Although, it's all just psychological, you might actually feel the heat of the space ship in the commons. Good narration can compell terror quite well. (Just like Rod Serling with the "Twilight Zone" and Robert Stack narrating the stories of "Unsolved Mysteries". A commanding voice, and the effective use of dramatic pause, can inspire terror).



For the longest time, I thought that I was the only one (in America) that has ever heard of this album. This was one of those albums that contributed to my being "proudly unhipp" for many years. Now I have friends calling me and asking me: "Is that the same "War of the Worlds" album that you told me about so many years ago?" Only now, are they interested in hearing the whole thing instead of just a few highlights.



Well, I'm glad it's available again, remastered, and being heavily promoted, along side of the new movie soundtrack.



I give this CD release a 4 star rating because I just don't like the paper digi-paks that they use to release this. CD's belong in jewel boxes. Always. Because, although, jewel boxes can get scratched up, the paperwork can stay new looking forever. Just replace the jewel box, and you have a new CD again. But these digi-paks suck. When these get tethered and worn, you're stuck with a packaging that's deteriorating in just a few years.



Anyway, check this album out. It's one of the UK's biggest selling albums. If you like the narrator concept of music and story, check out Rick Wakeman's "Journey to the Centre of the Earth" (1974), and also, check out a double CD concept called "Closed on Account of Rabies: Poems and Tales from Edgar Allan Poe". That's a gathering of various celebrities telling Edgar Allan Poe stories. (Marianne Faithful, Christopher Walken, Dr. John, Iggy Pop, Diamanda Galas, etc.) Really cool, chilling stuff."

One Of Rock's Greatest Concept Albums

Alan Caylow | USA | 07/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A double album *rock musical* version of H.G. Wells' sci-fi classic, "The War Of The Worlds"? Many people would laugh at such an idea. But in 1978, musician/songwriter/producer Jeff Wayne actually did it, and created one of rock's most supreme concept albums. Although the album has always been much more popular in Britain and other parts of Europe (even having a multi-year UK album-chart run rivaling Pink Floyd's "Dark Side Of The Moon"), it nonetheless has a strong cult following here in North America, myself proudly included. I first became aware of the "War Of The Worlds" album sometime in the late 80's, when I discovered that Justin Hayward, the lead singer for The Moody Blues (one of my all-time favorite bands) was singing on it. Curious, I picked up a vinyl copy of the album at a used record store, dropped the needle on Side One, and I was instantly hooked. I'd never heard anything like it before. The way the Martian-invasion narrative is brilliantly sustained from beginning to end, and, of course, Jeff Wayne's incredible music score that matches it. And, completing the "War Of The Worlds" package, there's the elaborate artwork that accompanies & illustrates the album---simply marvelous to look at. No question about it, "The War Of The Worlds" is quite an acheivement. Nearly three decades later after it's initial release, the album still sounds just as fresh & exciting now as it did back then. Besides the legendary, commanding voice of Richard Burton as the album's narrator, Jeff Wayne's stunning music rocks ("Horsell Common & The Heat Ray"), rouses ("Brave New World"), has incredible beauty ("Forever Autumn"), and, at turns, is effectively eerie ("The Red Weed"). The musicianship that Wayne has ensembled for the album is first-rate, from great singers like Justin Hayward, David Essex, Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott & Julie Covington, to incredible musicians like Jo Partridge, Herbie Flowers, Chris Spedding, and Jeff Wayne himself. The album has amazing moods, atmospherics & sound effects, and the surprise twist at the album's end still gives me goosebumps to this day! There's no doubt in my mind that H.G. Wells himself would've been very happy indeed with this powerful musical treatment of his story. Although Jeff Wayne's "War Of The Worlds" has never been staged, I was very fortunately blessed to see a Laserium presentation of the album at the London Planetarium back in July of 1990. They presented the *whole* double album, complete with lasers, slides, & pyrotechnics. There was even an intermission after Side Two! It was a truly spellbinding show, and a great tribute to the album's timeless appeal. The point of mentioning it is that Jeff Wayne's "War Of The Worlds" succeeds not only as a rock album, but as a storytelling album that lends itself quite well to visual presentation. I can easily see a touring "rock concert" presentation of "War Of The Worlds" someday, complete with rock band & orchestra, singers, slides, lasers & pyrotechnics. Maybe Jeff Wayne could try to hook up with someone in the theater world and mount such a production? One can dream....In the meantime, buy the CD, and discover for yourself what all the fuss is about. Jeff Wayne's "War Of The Worlds" is truly a rock musical masterwork. (NOTE: This is a slightly-revised version of the review I wrote for "The War Of The Worlds" five years ago, as the old CD version is now out-of-print. But I stand by every word of it, 'cause I love this album. Thanks.)"

Outstanding Addition to the SACD Catalog!!!

D. Means | Yorktown, VA USA | 07/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was really anxious to hear this since it has been a favorite of mine for many years. I have to tell you that what I heard justified the existence of the SACD format. It is just incredible listening to this music in SACD Multichannel 5.1. Not only does the music hit you from all angles, I hear things in the new mix, nuances, that I have never heard before after at least 50 previous listenings on regular CD. And the new things I hear make this outstanding album even better! Wow!"