War of the Worlds

I really wish the cover art for the album would get updated. As far as the music goes, the performance is indescribable! Richard Burton narrating, vocals by Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues... An entire orchestra... I have been a fan of this piece since the 80's.

Like Rick Wakeman's musical version of Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth, this rendition of H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds by Jeff Wayne combines original music with readings of the text. Wayne's WOTW has more text reading than music, (compared to the Wakeman-Verne recording) but that's fine. This version, with its strange music and otherworldly sound effects really puts you in the time and setting of Wells' story and gives a heightened feeling of the horror of confronting his Martians with their advanced technology. (The picture of the Martian tripods on the cover is not accurate, but that's a quibble.) The "Ulla" cries of the Martians sound odd and scary at the beginning but come across as mournful at the end. The musical numbers fit the story well, are well sung, and are nice melodies that will stick with you. Overall a fine performance that will please fans of H.G. Wells, as well as fans of science fiction in general.

One of the best of the "rock operas," carrying on a tradition of sf adaptations that goes back to Offenbach's "Tales of Hoffmann" and "From the Earth to the Moon." Ordered it for an unusual reason after misplacing my old CD edition...needed "Forever Autumn" for my funeral music. Originally turned on to this by my wife-to-be...was Our Song, specifically with the Richard Burton narration. I discovered after receiving this (well ahead of the scheduled delivery date) that H.G. Wells and Orson Welles did a joint radio appearance in 1941, when they discussed Welles' 1938 adaptation and Wells plugged "Citizen Kane." Gotta love the signature sound effect of the cyinder's lid unscrewing (which Welles did with a large jar in a toilet stall). As the story implies, small world!

An amazing concert, but make sure you have a multi-region or region-free DVD player. A piece of history to own and enjoy with many extras to add to the experience. If you havent watched this "rock opera" you should, as it ranks right up there with Brick in the Wall. Tommy or any other contemporary "rock opera"

I first heard this album at the house of a cousin of a friend of mine in Santa Cruz, California. That was in the 1970's. We were visiting after hiking at Big Sur, and I remember that I thought it was odd that this person wanted us to hear both sides of this album in the middle of the afternoon, but I enjoyed it very much. I bought it on Amazon and listened again this year, and I liked it even more this time. The voice acting is appropriately dramatic and of course Richard Burton is the stand-out. The eerie sci-fi and electronic type music adds a great dimension of feeling to this classic Wells story - scary, melancholy, and inspiring. Highly recommended.

I bought Jeff Wayne's War of The Worlds many years ago when it was first released on vinyl! I am absolutely thrilled that it is available on CD. I bought this and have again enjoyed Jeff Wayne's interpretation of the War of the Worlds. The excellent artists that perform on this musical play are fantastic! I especially enjoy Justin Hayward's performance of Forever Autumn. The arrangement and various artists that perform are simply fantastic. This show has now moved to the stage but so far has only played in Europe. I would pay top dollar to see this show in the U.S. In the meantime I will have to just see it in my mind. The mental pictures that this performance evokes are beyond description. This is a definite collectors item!

An unrecognized classic in the US, this is a stellar piece of music and a must for anyone who enjoys thematic compositions.The musical style incorporates some now slightly dated touches ( a bit heavy on the disco themed percussion line ) but it in no way detracts from the enjoyment of some excellent musicianship as well as Mr. Burton's inimitable narration.

I've owned this on record,tape,cd,and now remastered cd.This remastered 2 cd set should be a 5 star review, but as they chose to remix some of the music I can only give it 4 stars.The remastering is excellent, but by reshaping the story with modern sound effects, it really took away from the old time feeling that the originals had.WHY OH WHY would they do that....support your favorite artists.