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)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1121 in Music
• Released on: 2005-06-13
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Hybrid SACD, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .36 pounds

Album Review
This is the 5.1 surround/stereo remixed and remastered double album. 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

This title is in SACD Hybrid format, it will play in 5.1 surround on a SACD player and in normal stereo on CD and DVD players.

Customer Reviews

Shamelessly remarketed, but still excellent
Apparently, according to the advertising lingo, this is "the perfect gift for Fathers' Day!", which makes me feel intolerably old, but at least it stopped an advert for the bloody Crazy Frog from appearing.

Well, perhaps it is the perfect gift for that non-event of the year, but it is also the perfect gift for any occasion, for anyone that doesn't own this is missing out on something wonderful. Even if they have it on a dusty old vinyl, it should be re-bought just to make them listen to it again.

Superb, in every way, and yes, it has dated a little, but in exactly the right way. It's impossible not to adore the beautiful tones of Burton's voice, the haunting riff of "oooolaaaah!", and the sweeping songs provided by The Moody Blues. And, even better, this version doesn't include the awful 80's "remixes" of some of the tracks (although Ben Liebrand's version of the Eve of the War wouldn't have gone amiss).

Every person that was alive during the seventies should own this, and pass the message on to those that weren't.

Superb stuff.

So... what about this new Remastered thingy?
First of all, Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds is fantastic. All those that heard and feared it as kids know this (especially those kids who could watch through any 18 rated film unshacken but are forced to switch off the tape when the bass is left on its own with that repeating theme and the lid screwing off of the cylinder). The work is near genius, lets leave it at that.

But what of this remaster? Those who want a CD that is 100% faithful to the original should probably not get this. I heard the original many times and I can almost be certain that, for example, Julie Covington's (Beth's) original take has been replaced with an outtake or something, or else the remaster has changed her a little. She still sounds like how she should yet I swear some words are sung differently. Maybe its just me.

But what I am certain of is that some instrumental parts which in the original had a lot of emphasis have been turned down a bit, for example, some strums of the guitar seem to have been electronically muted (as if it were played with a muting hand, not switched off by the way).
What has also been done is that parts that formerlly were not emphasised seem to have been given life to, which gives us an interesting alternative view of the album. It is always good to know what's going on in the background I feel.
All in all, its not the same album, but its a shadow of one (or at least it feels a little like it, a feeling lurking in the corner) and for those that like to keep memories as shadows as I do, this is great.

However, if you have no 5.1 surround sound I would highly recommend you get the original album as not only do you get more of a feel for the times but I think it's just generally better. On 5.1 this new one sounds mindblowing, fantastic, perfect even. All the sounds are well balanced and achieve the effect that is desired.

On the other hand, I tried it on a normal two-speaker sterio. When medium volume is applied its fine, but when loud volume is applied, the high-pitched sounds did hurt my ears a little and made the listen rather unsettling and unforntunately, all for the wrong reasons. On headphones it is fine however (just fine/ok). But this album seems very strictly intended for 5.1, where the volume can be as loud as you desire which shall only involve you with the music ever more. On anything else this is just Ok. On 5.1 it's astounding!

Exciting, well-performed and inventive - if a little dated.
I remember hearing this album when I was about 10 years old (late 1980's), and I absolutely loved it! My older brother bought it, and played it non-stop for about 6 months, and that was it - I didn't hear it again until the release of the new film version jogged my memory.

There is still a lot to enjoy on this inventive and atmospheric double album. I suppose that this is really a rock opera, and a very good one - it is very well written and performed, and the key theme is highly memorable, and evokes the story brilliantly. It is certainly musically superior to either "Hair" or "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". It is almost certain that a musical score to his momentous story would have displeased H.G. Wells a great deal, but it re-introduced this superb tale to the world in the 1970's, after a disasterous B-movie in the 1950's, and so did his legacy a great service.

The voices are almost universally great, with Richard Burton as the journalist the absolute star of the show, in fine voice as always. Julie Covington is great too as Beth, and Phil Lynott is good as Parson Nathaniel. Davis Essex is the major letdown - his rendition of the artillery man, whilst competent, begins to grate after a time, simply due to the accent he adopts. The singing is of a very high standard throughout, with Chris Thompson especially good on "Thunderchild" and Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues) putting in some great performances. David Essex generally sings better than he speaks, and Gary Osborne's lyrics are well-written and evocative.

The music is the real strength here though - the score is inventive, and there is some great musical talent onboard. Jo Partridge puts in some excellent guitar work, and with session players Herbie Flowers on bass, and Barry Morgan on drums the standard of playing is superb. At times the music is tremendously atmospheric and evocative, and some of the original sound effects are outstanding. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" is stirring stuff, and anyone who has not heard and enjoyed the opening theme "The Eve of the War", has been living underground for 30 years. There is also great beauty in "Forever Autumn", with sweet-picked guitar, soaring strings, and a great performance from Justin Hayward. At times, the arrangements and instrumental effects sound very dated to contemporary ears, but overall it is still powerful stuff.

Definitely worth a listen, this album will appeal to those who remember it from younger years, and with the release of the new film version of H.G. Wells' story, hopefully it will find some new fans. As a matter of interest - this release plays with no problems at all on my PC, contrary to previous comments. Excellent stuff and highly recommended!