Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. The Eve Of The War - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton And Justin Hayward
2. Horsell Common And The Heat Ray - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
3. The Artilleryman And The Fighting Machine - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton And David Essex
4. Forever Autumn - Featuring Richard Burton And Justin Hayward
5. Thunder Child - Featuring Richard Burton And Chris Thompson

Disc 2:

1. The Red Weed (Part 1) - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
2. The Spirit Of Man - Featuring Richard Burton, Phil Lynott And Julie Covington
3. The Red Weed (Part 2) - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
4. The Artilleryman Returns - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
5. Brave New World - Featuring Richard Burton And David Essex
6. Dead London - Jeff Wayne Featuring Richard Burton
7. Epilogue (Part 1) - Featuring Richard Burton
8. Epilogue (Part 2) (Nasa)

Disc 3:

1. The Remixes � 1979 - 2005

Disc 4:

1. The Coming Of The Martians: Revisited (Original Studio Outakes I Of III)

Disc 5:

1. The Earth Under The Martians� Revisited (Original Studio Out-Takes: II Of III)

Disc 6:

1. The Earth Under The Martians� Revisited (Continued) (Original Studio Out-Takes: III Of III)

Disc 7:

1. Deconstructing The War Of The Worlds (DVD Documentary)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37260 in Music
• Released on: 2005-06-13
• Number of discs: 7
• Formats: Hybrid SACD, Box set

Album Review
This is the 7-disc Collector's Edition, which includes remixes, outtakes and a DVD documentary. Released 40 years after Orson Welles' infamous radio version of the HG Wells tale, Jeff Wayne's musical version of War of the Worlds straddles old-style radio drama and contemporary orchestrated narratives by Rick Wakeman and David Bedford. And while it lacks the sophisticated arrangements of, say, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, it does boast an impressively odd cast--this may be the only time that a member of Thin Lizzy worked with Richard Burton. Indeed, it's Burton's sonorous tones that sustain this work; his frequent solo narrations are eminently listenable, whereas sections featuring dialogue with other characters often come off as a bit stilted. The music is competent studio rock, and "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" does strike just the right balance between Burton's narration and an accompaniment built around a buzzsaw guitar riff. Overall, it's pleasant as a period piece, and still a fine way to introduce younger listeners to Wells' classic tale. (And if you can find it in a vinyl, it comes with a nicely produced narrative booklet with gloriously lurid illustrations by Geoff Taylor.) --Paul Collins, All Music Guide

CD Description
Re-released to coincide with Steven Spielberg's big budget remake of the HG Wells novel, this six CD and one DVD set isthe ultimate collectors edition of Jeff Wayne's rock musical. Featuring a remastered 5.1 surround sound version of the original album, this CD set also includes the remix album, and a wealth of unreleased material.

Customer Reviews

A real, long overdue treat for fans
This is an excellent package for die-hard fans of this epic work. The sound quality is superb when listened to on a conventional cd player, but it is awesome when heard in 5.1 surround sound. It serves to remind us how innovative and powerful this album remains today. Although the musicians were fairly well known, they weren't big name stars and it's amazing to think they produced music and atmospheres of this quality. Imagine some of their equivalents today producing such work. No, I can't either! The real gem is the outtakes disc. It's very interesting to hear Richard Burton working with David Essex and the two of them sharing laughs, although David Essex is clearly nervous due to the presence and sheer charisma of Richard Burton. The Spirit Of Man alternate versions and band run-throughs make fascinating listening too. The lyrics altered considerably before the final version was nailed. The documentary offers a great insight into the making of the album and compliments the info in the book very well. The artwork in the book and the package in general is both beautifully and lavishly presented. The original paintings are here as with the double vinyl release, but they're more vibrant and clean without losing any of their eerie charm. Overall, this is a fascinating, worthwhile package, but I would only recommend it to the dedicated fan. The asking price, from the stand point of a War Of The Worlds fanatic, is quite reasonable, but it could possibly be too great for the casual fan. My only criticism concerns the paper sleeves that the discs are sleeved in. They are flimsy and a bit cheap looking compared to the rest of the package and the artwork that adorns them does not match the quality found elsewhere in the book and cover. The artwork on these paper sleeves appears to be the result of a rushed after though. Apparently, the Italian printing company who produced the sleeves, used the wrong paper and later copies of this set will have cd sleeves of thicker paper. This will improve their appearance. Nevertheless, these are minor niggles and it doesn't prevent me from giving this release five stars.

WOW huge boxset-quick review
It goes without saying you won't be buying this unless you are a big fan of the musical version of WOW.

If you are then this plush, wonderfully produced CD collection is for you.

There are 7 cds, that consist of the original album re mastered, all the out takes, richard burton reading the abridged version of the book ( around 45 mins long) and lots of track remixes. That alone is truly the definitive WOW collection.

But then you have the amazing LP sized case, beautiful art work on two thick cardboard covers.

Then finally you have the sleeve notes...I say notes, there is so much stuff in here thats it more like a small magazine, photos of the recording sessions, all the renditions of the WOW book covers, newspaper clippings, various photos of the Album as its been released over the years, and lots of notes.

Frankly this whole package is gorgeous, even if it is outrageously expensive ( I only paid £54.00 for mine and I thought that was steep), but its going for a lot more in the shops !

WOW in more ways than one...if you like the Jeff Wayne version, you'll love this.....but really, one for the true fans only.

Stunning
This simply stunning piece of rock-opera is not only given a new lease of life but repackaged into this collector's edition seven disc set.

The first two discs are the original double album remastered in 5.1 surround sound. I haven't listened to it on surround sound but the newly remixed stereo version sounds superb. I guess it's a matter of taste as to whether you prefer the original anolgue mix or this new digital remix but either way you won't be disappointed.

The third disk is a DVD of the making of TWOTW. An absolutely fascinating insight into Jeff Wayne's inspiration from HG Wells obviously to his father Jerry Wayne and Jeff's contemporaries and collaborators of the time such as David Essex. Jeff also sits down at his piano and plays major pieces of the composition from memory and explains harmonies etc - I was glued to my chair for the whole 90 mins.

Disc four containes dance versions of various tracks such as Eve of the War and Forever Autumn - funnily enough the best of these are the versions that sound very similar to the originals - which shows that it is very hard to improve on near-perfection!

Discs five, six and seven are outakes and early versions. These early versions are again fascinating - listen to the original 1972 version of Forever Autumn by Paul Vigras and Gary Osborne and then an early TWOTW version of the same track sung by Chris Spedding, listen to Eve or The War sung by Chris Amoo - this vocalist also sang versions of Forever Autumn and Thunder Child as well as Parson Nathaniel which never made it to the original album. The Spirit of Man sung by Clare Torry and Bob Saker is also an interesting unreleased out-take.

The 12" gatefold booklet these discs are presented in is absolutely gorgeous. The original artwork is all there but bigger and better as well as the story of the making of, pictures of Jeff, David Essex, Phil Lynott etc. There's loads of info and pictures on various Spanish and German language versions too. There are also out-takes of these foreign language narrated versions on the out-takes discs included here. FYI the German narrated version "Jeff Wayne's Misik-Version von Kreig der Welten" is still available on amazon.de!

At under forty quid on here this collector's edition is a bargain. If you're a fan buy it - you won't regret it. If you know a fan of Jeff Wayne's TWOTW then buy this for them and they will love you forever!