I'll never forget the impact this album had on me as a ten year old, hearing it for the first time back in 1979. A school friend had been talking about it non stop for weeks on end, to the point where I was getting sick of hearing about it. He invited back to his after school one day to hear it, and I reluctantly agreed. Two hours later I was left speechless after sitting through all four sides of the album. The album spooked me, enthralled me, hypnotized me and crucially changed the way I listened to music from then on. At that age I had no idea about genres of music. Music was just music, and I either liked it or I didn't. I didn't differentiate between punk rock and prog rock. Your observation that the music is a bit of a mix of everything from the time is spot on. I guess WOTW is a kind of prog rock, as by definition prog rock is typically a fusing of other genres and it's telling that I ended up a big fan of Pink Floyd, Genesis, Moody Blues etc, years later. For me, much of the music has elements of Alan Parsons Project, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, among others. One really crucial component of this masterpiece is Richard Burton's narration. Such an unusual project for an actor of his stature to be involved in, but it's hard to imagine anyone else playing that part. He has such command over the story telling.
This concept LP was very well conceived and performed. I bought it when it premiered. Justin Heyward's "Forever Autumn" has never left my memory. I dedicated that tune in very loving memory of my late wife. Many thanks for bringing this album back into the spotlight.
I used to play this in my car on the way to college every day - it was my wake up music! Loved it then and love it now - it has Richard Burton narrating, nuff said
Massive hit in the UK / Aus. Part of the cultural landscape now. 'Forever Autumn' was a big hit single, and great as a stand-alone song, but the album spent something like 5 years on the charts. A dance version of 'Eve of the War' was a major hit in the early 90's too!
In 1978 I was a toddler and my mother bought this album. It terrified me and I became obsessed with it. I ended up afraid if the dark, an amateur astronomer and even named my daughter after a character in the musical. Best album of all time.
Justin Hayward has to be one of the finest rock singers this country has ever produced. Also one of the few rock singers whose voice didn't lose its clarity and brilliance as he aged.
My dad used to play and replay that album. At the time I didn't know any english but it was so powerful that it became a favourite for me. The moment I saw your cover photo, the music started playing in my mind.
A local radio station played this every Halloween when I was a kid (mid 80's). It blew my mind the first time I heard it. I try to play on Halloween myself nowadays. Next try the remix album - Ulla dub Ulla.
Loved this, a terrific review. I literally laughed out loud at the sheer delight on your face "when the 70's kicks in". Serious nostalgia flashback for me with this one as a cousin had the album on vinyl and played it at Christmas one time. I was too young to pay attention all the way through - probably got distracted by mince pies - but that musical opening has stayed with me ever since: DAH - da -DAAAAH! Don't know if you've mentioned this in one of your other WotW videos, but London has an odd sort of live/virtual reality show based on this album, with the not-quite-catchy title "Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds: The Immersive Experience". Haven't seen it myself but it looks like cheesy/goofy good fun.
Wonderful to see Mr. Jeff Wayne grab another unsuspecting listener - pull them into this incredibly lush , haunting and beautiful production - and turn them into a fan. In 2005, for the 30th anniversary, a SACD was released. If you can get your hands on this version and have a surround set up that plays Super Audio CD’s you’ll be in for a treat. The 5.1 surround mix places you directly in the middle of the unfolding story. It is the best way to experience the martian invasion. I would like to thank you for your sincere and thoughtful reviews that never forget the enjoyment and fun of discovering something new and creative.
Welcome to the club! I've listened to this since the beginning!! One of our local radio stations would play this a midnight. I was in Grade 9 working as a volunteer lifeguard. My "boss" was a student at the university and invited me out to a cabaret on campus. I was wandering around the student residence and a guy was running around shouting "War of the Worlds at midnight!!" and told us what room to go to. What the heck, I went and sat on the floor with the other students. Then, at midnight the lights went out..."No one would have believed...". Just wow!!!
I used to listen to this while doing 5th grade homework all the time. Brilliant album, and the art was much better in the LP format. You've brought back fond memories!
Great review!!! I am a record collector and fan of progressive rock and Sci Fi, so would see this album sometimes while flipping through the bins, and always be on the verge of buying it. The art is amazing! I finally picked it up on double cassette, still need to get the vinyl
I have the live on stage dvd if you can get youre hands on it i recomand it i am from the netherlands i found it in a store i freaked the girl behind the register out when i found it in the rack i was like that monky holding simba up screaming yes yes yes
Thank you for another interesting review! I knew “Forever Autumn” by Justin Hayward but have not listened to the full album. Your review has inspired me to give it a listen. Thanks!
One of my favourite albums! The unscrewing of the cylinder and the Ullas used to scare the **** out of me when I was a kid, but it couldn't keep me away. I believe the Ullas were created with a talkbox btw. Great review. I like how you broke down the musical elements and leitmotifs. I laughed when you said it was harder to pinpoint than prog, the proceeded to describe prog!
There's loads of interviews with Jeff Wayne about the sound effects. If I told you the Unscrewing of the Cylinder was done by scraping a metal spoon in a Saucepan and adding lots of reverb, you may not believe me, but it is true. The best ones are done simply.
Nice review Jerome! Glad you decided to check it out. Fun fact: 'Forever Autumn' was originally recorded and released on the album 'Queues' by Vigrass and Osborne (who co-wrote the song with Jeff Wayne). It was also released as a single. It was re-vamped and re-done for the War of the Worlds album. So that's kind of why you find it accessible and stand-alone, because it was originally an early 70's pop tune. You can hear the original on RU-vid.
David Essex was in the first ever production of Evita, indeed as Elaine Paige wasn't well known at the time and he is very popular in England, he was the biggest star name in it. If you like Phil Lynott, you might enjoy looking up his band Thin Lizzy. Burton's Hologram for the tour was quite infamous.
I love this album (showing my age). I was so happy to see this review pop up. You have great insights into this inventive and haunting concept album. It is interesting that War of the Worlds continues to be source material for modern TV shows produced in Great Britain. I would be interested in your thoughts on Spielberg's version.
My dad played this album when I was a kid, the album artwork and narration and of course the music itself, was so impactful to me and used to scare me. But I loved it and still love it to this day. Makes me miss my dad though, he's still alive but we don't talk, when I listen or watch things he introduced me to it makes me feel like reaching out to him
I'm not one to give unsolicited advice, especially when I don't know the details, but maybe you should follow that feeling and contact him? It might go well or it might not, but even if it doesn't, at least you'll have tried, and I can't imagine he wouldn't be glad to hear you missed him.
Never heard of this but it looks super fun! Between today's discussion and the videos on your Godzilla CDs, I've really been enjoying the recent music content. Keep em coming!
This wasn’t just a hit at the time in the UK, it’s one of those works you end up buying again and again - I had it first on double cassette, then vinyl, then CD, then the remastered CD, then the DVD, then the box set with outtakes and other language versions... then the new cast, the live performance. It’s a classic. A staple. However, under no circumstances bother with Wayne’s other long-form work, “Spartacus” - it is DREADFUL. He tried the same formula again but without the key personnel from WotW, and it really, REALLY did not work. I cringe just thinking of it.
Excellent review, JW, loved your track by track overview. This album is an absolute classic. At the beginning of the video you struggle to categorize this work, insisting on the term "musical", and as you mentioned the songs here do not resemble typical broadway musicals, that's because this album is definitely NOT that. Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds is a concept album, meaning a collection of songs (album) with a definite unifying theme. Concept albums can be of any genre but are most prevalent in progressive rock where musical experimentation lends itself to telling a story.
The Seventies are such a lovable decade. If you don't like the Seventies then you're probably just too cynical for your own good. I've never heard this, but I have no doubt that I will now make an effort to hear it. Thanks as always.
How the Ulla's are done.... The obvious bit is a Talkbox, Performed by Jo Partridge. Same effect used for the Wo Wo noise on Livin' On a Prayer. The trick that gives the unique sound is I believe that all strings on Jo's guitar are tuned to the same, so it builds up with a massive sound. Nowadays for the live version (I saw it live last week) you can see the Band Member use a Talkbox, But I think these days it just triggers samples as they sound identical to the album.
Ok... I'm late to the show... Great album and an excellent review... Just thought I'd toss out a bit of trivia here. Forever Autumn actually started as a jingle Jeff Wayne wrote for a 1960 Lego commercial. Gary Osborne and Paul Vigrass penned lyrics to the tune and released it on their 1972 album, Queues, making the 1978 version on War of the Worlds album a cover. The original, if you're interested, is on RU-vid. Just look up "Osborne & Vigrass Forever Autumn." The original 30-second 1969 jingle music is also on RU-vid. Cheers!
Okay, this sounds awesome, and makes me glad I usually watch your reviews even when they aren’t of something I think I’d be interested in. I will see if I can buy this during the upcoming CD sale at work. Thanks for covering such a variety of content, and to such an in-depth extent!
I hope you enjoy it! It's an unusual work, but I've really warmed up to it. I've begun listening to the highlights edition, which has shorter versions of the tracks with much of the narration trimmed down. It's good if you just want to hear the music; for the full experience, though, the complete version is the way to go. Thanks!
Nice review ! This album was my very first, back in 1978. Still got it now, as I still have the same record player. Fun-fact 1: The guy who was responsible for the synthesizers later on made the theme music for the 1984 series "The Tripods". Funfact 2: Before doing the artwork in the booklet and designing the tripods pictured in it, the artist Michael Trim worked for Gerry Anderson. He was a modelmaker for 1960s/1970s TV series like "Captain Scarlet", "The Thunderbirds", "Joe 90" and even "Space 1999" A lot of talent went to, and came from, this album production.
Don't feel weird that you've never heard of it before now. There are people that are my age, that were people when it came out, that haven't heard of it. I'm always stoked to introduce others to it and see their reactions.
Excellent CD. Very 1970ish. Justin Hayward's song Forever Autumn is a hidden gem. The whole album is similar to something The Alan Parsons Project was putting out at the time.
Ooh, yes, this reminded me of The Alan Parsons Project's Edgar Allan Poe album, so much that I went and gave "The Raven" another listen afterward just for kicks.
seen this live in 2005 in the Netherlands. there is a video called Deconstructing Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of 'The War of the Worlds' with Jeff Wayne himself explaining a lot . the Ullaa is a talkbox. did you notice that the quiet piece before "dead London" is the same as the solo in "Thunderchild?" Like an echo of the action that took place.
Thanks for this review. Just spent the past two hours listening to this awesome production (thanks to RU-vid). Hard to believe I never encountered this before. JW, you really are introducing me to all sorts of video AND audio delights!
@@JeromeWeiselberry The longer it is since listening to this yesterday, the more convinced I am that I must have heard it sometime in the late 1970s. The Richard Burton narration sounded very familiar. I was boycotting television when I first moved out on my own so listened to a lot of NPR and Alternative Rock radio stations at the time. Definitely heard "Forever Autumn". The live show must be amazing to experience in person.
Another great review! I discovered your channel somewhat recently and am really enjoying it. I love this album, very unique & filled with catchy earworms. You do an excellent job discussing all aspects of the production. And what a pleasant surprise hearing you sing! You have a nice voice. Keep up the great work on the channel JW!
I appreciate your integrity about not violating copyright laws. Now I am going to download it from youtube...I mean, hop over to my library and find a copy! (Yea, that's what I meant to say...)
Thanks for this review. I was around when the album came out but never listened to it in full until today after watching this. I enjoyed the whole thing, but particularly from the Red Weed part one track onwards. I can imagine enjoying it more on repeated listenings.
Got this album back in 1979, many AOR FM rock radio stations would play this on Halloween night instead of the Orson Wells radio play (somewhat of a tradition with what was then "Oldies Radio" at the time). I bought it on LP (the paintings are much better in LP size BTW)/ cassette/CD and have the GT Interactive PC game from 1998 that, though buggy, still plays on a modern PC..the game has an adapted soundtrack with a 90s Techno vibe that is playable on any CD player as well.. Glad you like the album!! I certainly do.
The booklet artist, Mike Trim, designed many of the vehicles and spacecraft used in several Gerry Anderson TV shows of the late-1960s and early-70s, such as Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet, Joe 90 and UFO.
The ulas aren't actually vocals, they're a guitar effect, I think it's called a voice box. They make the vowel sounds with their mouth, and it shapes the guitar tone around that, similar to a wah effect. If you're familiar with Pink Floyd, they used the same effect in Pigs to make the guitar sound like pig squeals. The heat ray riff in Horsell Common, if I remember it right, I think they actually tuned all the guitar strings to the same note. The tone also sounds pretty heavily distorted. There's a documentary here on RU-vid if you're interested at all, I think it's called something like "Deconstructing Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds."
I went to see the immersive experience in London a while ago and it was great. My mum also listened to this album when it first came out and I've really got into it. Great album and a good review. There's also a really good documentary on the making of the album which you might be interested in called Deconstructing Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of 'The War of the Worlds'
This was huge in Australia. I was surprised that "Jerome" hadn't heard of it, until she revealed it didn't sell well in USA, which was an even bigger surprise.
It did have radio play in the US that year (well, at least that one song), but you did have to listen to the right station. I have this on cassette tape. Nothing to even play it on anymore! 20:24 Niiiice.
Jeff Wayne did a "Next Generation" recording of the album in 2012 with Liam Neeson as the narrator and an entirely different cast of contemporary music artists. Its got a more dance pop kind of feel but its a very good rendition. The esthetic is a bit different but the core feel of the production is still present.
Listening to the Next Generation recently made me realize two things about the original. As good as Liam Neeson is, Richard Burton's voice as the narrator is just so perfect. And that I didn't appreciate just how utterly incredible Phil Lynott's performance as Nathaniel was - the person on the new one just couldn't live up to it.
You're not wrong, on both counts. The original still has something that the remake just didn't. It was very good and everyone did a fantastic job in performance, but the original was more epic somehow. @@EvilAng3la
First time experiencing you, Jerome. I would describe your review as the "Thinking person's view" - not meant to be in any way a criticism. I bought this on Vinyl when it first came out (yes, I'm THAT old) and must have listened to it on record and YT more than a hundred times. It always gets to me, as, like you mentioned, the listener constantly is reminded what is coming next - sort of a prequel - but to my mind this makes it an even better written piece. And it never gets boring or monotonous. So much orchestral symphonic music employs the same technique. For example, Dvorak's symphony #9. Thank you. This kept me up far longer tonight than I had planned to.🧡
Hey, Sweetie Face! I remember when this came out. My local radio station in Virginia Beach played it every Friday night for a while! There is also a newer version of this that came out recently. It's called "...the New Generation". Liam Neeson playing Burton's character.
Great review! I also the short cover of the eve of the war you did was actually really good. The musical is amazing and seeing it live on strange brings it to another level unfortunately I never had the pleasure of seeing it during its first tour back 2006, mainly because I was 5 but still it was an experience to behold.
I had a friend that used to live in Wokingham. On one visit, having got quite drunk, we decided to walk to the pit in Horsell common where the first cylinder lands... It was a bit dark since this was after the pubs had closed 😁
Thanks for talking about this.My mom bought this for me years ago and I loved it.Sadly,it burned up in fire at my home,and I almost forgot all about it until you took me on this trip down memory lane,so Thanks again.Incidentally,I don’t know if this is something that appeals to you,but there is a movie version of the novel that is set during the time the novel takes place and(and this is what I thought was so cool and unique) utilizes special effects that were the type that existed at that particular time.
I bought this on vinyl when it first came out. I played it so much that I had to replace it twice. I finally bought it on CD in 1985. which I still have. A good companion album, also Progressive Rock, is "Rick Wakeman's Journey to the Centre of the Earth" originally released in 1974. I first heart it on AFR in W. Germany in 1975. I still own it on prerecorded Reel-To-Reel and CD. Also a classic. I also (oddly) like the LP "Meco's The Wizard of Oz," which is Disco. I own three copies on vinyl. Two copies of the commercial release on Black Vinyl, and 1 Promotional copy on Yellow Vinyl.
This is brilliant! As you know, I was waiting for more musical reviews. Thank you! By the way, even though you may already know, some examples of Progressive Rock would be bands like Rush, Yes, or Kansas. I have plenty of experience with that kind of music due to it being played a lot in my house when I was little :)
By the way I just had a little listen to the guitar part you were talking about, and it sounds to me like the guitarist is using a whammy pedal along with a tremolo bar. The tremolo bar is something that attaches onto the bridges of certain guitars :)
Thanks for the review Jerome. I had this for a while, and forgot all about it. I do remember "Forever Autumn" being a nice song though. As for the "Ulla!!!" cries, that was probably a thing called a "vocoder" which allowed you to hook up a microphone to a synthesizer, and "sing" through the keyboard. So in effect, you get an instrument that is organic and mechanical. Best to You Jerome D5
Ah-ha, I thought you might have some suggestion for how they did that! :) We used to have a child's keyboard that had a similar feature. I wish I could say we used it in equally clever and artistic ways, but, well, we did pretty much what you'd expect kids to do. Thanks for the information!
@@JeromeWeiselberry It's a talk box, which is a pedal that hooks to an electric guitar and has a plastic tube that the guitarist puts in his mouth. Put to its most famous use by Peter Frampton.
A bit of Jerome on a Saturday afternoon is always a welcome thing. I've done an obsessive about War of the Worlds since I was a child. I saw it first as the movie, then as a comic book, and then it's hundreds of incarnations since then. If it has some interpretation of the tripods, I will at least check it out. I'm glad you enjoyed this one, I've only encountered this last year, when they broadcast a live event on RU-vid, last year. Your review a spot on and I thoroughly enjoyed your musical reinterpretations of it. In case you haven't noticed, Wieselberry Mania is taking over the internet!
Thank you! If my timing had been different, I could have seen the live broadcast--too bad! Haha, taking over the internet like the Martians taking over Earth? :D
My parents had this and a BeeGees 8-track to listen to while driving in the outback of Western Australia in a broken-down station wagon. They remind me of this story all the time as their true “relationship test”.
So, today, I found it on youtube, complete with all the art pics from the CD, which I never had (literally everything is on youtube, I am more and more convinced). What bugs me about practically all visual interpretations of the war machines from this classic novel, is that none of them would work as described in the original novel. They are supposed to resemble something like a barstool set to spinning. These in this CD (LP) art here are not that. It is mechanically a sound design, but rarely if ever captured artistically.
Yes, in the book the Parson is driven mad by their incarceration & witnessing the Martians feeding techniques. The parson is quite sane when the viewpoint character first meets him in the book.
According to Jeff Wayne the heat ray guitar sound (that sounds like kazoos) was partially achieved by tuning all of the guitar strings to the same note and played with a slide (bottleneck). The Martians Ulla cries are also achieved by a guitar and a distorted talk box.
I was also _"actually a person"_ [🤭] -- 17 years old -- when this was released in 1978. I still have the {vinyl} phonograph album of this musical...👍 *EDIT→* I saw THE MOODY BLUES in concert just once many years ago at the _"Virginia Beach Amphitheatre"_ in Virginia Beach, Virginia {USA}. They were EXCELLENT...👍👍
Thank you for this review! I've often seen the album online but never heard it. You gave a great review and really piqued my interest in giving this a listen. As a War of the Worlds fan, you might be interested in watching "The Night That Panicked America", a 1975 TV movie that re-enacted the Orson Welles broadcast from 1938. It is available on DVD and can probably be viewed online.
You're welcome, and thanks! I hope you're able to check it out sometime. I think I've heard of that movie (possibly someone else recommended it in the last six months) but I haven't seen it, so I'll have to keep an eye out for it.
Isn't that a remake of "The Night America Trembled"? That, at least, is currently on RU-vid. It even includes 50's commercials, which are ... something else.
@@Navigator87110 Apparently it was, although I've never watched the 1950's version in its entirety. Additionally, many radio stations did their own WOTW presentations throughout the 50's and 60's and, amazingly, many listeners again took it as an actual event!
I was 14 or 15 when War Of The Worlds was released. I remember my best friend, David, was a fan and he invited me to his house to listen. He took it very seriously and was very into it - but I thought it was rubbish. It marked the end of our, to that point, close relationship. We were neighbours and had been introduced more than a decade previously as toddlers, fast becoming firm friends. But by 1978 we had chosen different paths. I was angry and confused and listened to punk and Kate Bush. I wanted to go off the rails, David sought conformity. Approaching a half century later, I still don't rate the album. I appreciate its audacity but for me, musically it has little to offer. Happy that you enjoyed it though!
Carrie was introduced because they wanted to have a love song in the production...Forever Autumn. It was actually written in the late 60s, but not recorded/released. I have some Mannheim Steamroller CDs, but not Halloween. I can see comparisons with their tunes.
The original recording of 'Forever Autumn' was actually released on the 1972 album 'Queues' and as a single by Vigrass & Osborne (who co-wrote it with Wayne). You can find it on RU-vid.
I have never read War of the Worlds or seen any adaptation of it. Nevertheless I really enjoyed watching your review of the musical CD. I wish you could review musical cast recordings more often because I think you do a very good job of it. They are so much fun to watch.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! I feel like I'm still figuring out how to do these kinds of videos, but every time I make one, I get excited thinking of all the other recordings I could review. I'd love to talk about more musicals!
The Wells novel is a more tedious read than one wants to remember having read it in junior high. It was probably sensational in the late 1800's Victorian society but latter 20th century? Not so much...
Hey Jerome so I have another music soundtrack I want to share with you. Now before I get into it there are some prerequisites for listening to it. Not equipment wise more in terms of taste and expectation. Please excuse my use of layman’s terms, I’m not too familiar with music terminology. The soundtrack in question is called Symphonic Suite Yamato from Space Battleship Yamato 2199, now as the title suggests, it’s space voyage and adventure… however, the music choices are so… bizarre. Imagine this: the overture: it starts off kinda slow and a bit whimsical with harp and wind instruments building as it goes, then some very nice vocals with accompanying strings for a beautiful and melancholy feel, then some funky bass is added with slight hints of… well, you put it best… “it’s got that wohka wohka wohka wohka wohka wohka wohka wohka sound…” -JEROME of WEISELBERRY 2020 Is added in, then, It slows back down to with more whimsical elements, then… strings… the strings… THE STRINGS… ascend and reach crescendo… then, epic trumpets chime to make their presence known… all while the entire ensemble is backing them… then, back to funky bass and “wohka” guitar, then, it slows down again for a brief pause, then, a military march kicks in, building and ending on a high note. That’s only the first track and I don’t feel I’m doing it justice, it’s one of those you have to experience to get what I mean, the entire soundtrack is mixture/fusion of epic orchestral, symphonic guitar, 70’s disco, 60’s swing, slow dance, melancholy strings, romantic classical guitar, romantic strings and military themes. Not sure if that mixture of all of those genres will suit your taste. Indeed, it is a unique blend of genres, I was confused and amused first time listening. My personal favorites are the overture, sashia (for it’s mysterious feel), Take off, Reminiscence (for it’s beautiful and romantic Spanish guitar and trumpets, almost sounds like lord of the rings in some parts), Scarlet Scarf (having a spy almost 007 theme) Iskandall (just beautiful and romantic) and recollection (sad is all I can say, just depressingly sad and beautiful). “Beautiful” is not a word I toss around lightly, I was really moved by some of these pieces. There you have it. I’ve never seen the anime, yes it’s an anime from the 80’s (I can hear you roll your eyes Jerome) and now it’s on my list. Shame I can’t find it on an streaming service I use for free. One last thing, if you ever come across any soundtracks you wish to share in your “what else I saw” videos, I’d listen to what you recommend. Personally, I’m on the hunt for any epic orchestral or epic symphonic (rock/metal/romantic/instrumental) music. I’ll take a listen to what you suggest. *Correction* the anime is from the 70’s. I also forgot to mention Stasha track 12. That one has to be my absolute favorite of the whole album
In the US, I vaguely remember the original promotion including dioramas in record stores. At the time some FM stations would play entire albums or album sides, including this of course. It flopped here, if I remember correctly.
Thanks for reviewing. A coworker bought the album when it came out and often played it in the office. I loved listening to it. The minister's singing, at the time in modern operas it was common for the singer to kill their voice for emotional impact. The Judas character in "Jesus Christ Superstar" is an example. I'm don't know much about opera so I don't know if it's still done. There was also a micro-budget version of "War of the Worlds", "The War of the Worlds", released in 2005.
Funny story, this was the first version of War of the Worlds I ever encountered. Then I tried to watch the 1950's film, & hated it. Then I read the book, & was pleasantly surprised at how faithful the musical was.
Thunderchild still gives me chills. Hey everyone. For another awesome sci fi musical, well it's actually a rock opera, I can recommend The Source, by Ayreon. There's a few tracks on youtube, including the opening track the Day the World Breaks Down.
I really enjoyed your review. It evoked early memories of listening to the musical for the first time. It really was very big here in the UK. I can recall listening to it on various mediums (LPs and cassette) and, not just the music, but the sound design being very evocative. Have you ever read The Tripods trilogy? It isn’t based on the war of the worlds but the design of the alien machines are definitely influenced by it. The BBC adapted one of the books but didn’t complete the story as it was so costly.
Thanks! I'm glad this video brought back fond memories. I've listened to the musical several times since and enjoy it even more. A couple years ago I read the first book in The Tripods series, but I didn't end up continuing with it.
@@JeromeWeiselberry I was in my teens when I read them. It was around the time of the series being on tv. I’ve purchased the prequel on Audible just now.
The "War of the Worlds' experience is now a massive success in London: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OLxS-A07ZNg.html and the musical is about to begin ANOTHER national tour. Not bad for a show nearly 50 years old! By the way, have you come across the movie, Spaced Invaders? Anyone who would enjoy a humorous rendition of a Martian invasion should take a look.
My parents had this on double LP, I used to love looking through the big booklet with artwork when I was a kid, the Martian war machines really made an impression! (The Tripods was also on the BBC at the time) The PC strategy game made in 1998 that also follows the story and expands on it a bit; there are intro cutscenes from it on youtube that are pretty well done, especially the martian one - makes a nice companion piece!
One more thing, "Jerome"-since you like watching alternate versions of some of your favourite things (like Jane Eyre), you might be interested in H. G. Wells' The War of the Worlds (Pendragon Pictures film) I have the VHS version from the turn of this century, and I've seen the "Special Edition" from 2012 with reworked effects and the inclusion of the narrator as an old man in the 1960s retelling the story (on the cusp of man going to the moon) in the movies. They are VERY good-especially knowing that they don't have a Hollywood budget to back them up. The films are VERY faithful to the book-even taking place in Victorian England. Another thing I'd recommend is the Alien Voices audio play. Speaking of Alien Voices-have you heard of them? Basically, it's a bunch of the Star Trek actors (mostly TOS and TNG) performing classic sci-fi. They did a modern (1990s) taken on Orson Wells' radio play and it is VERY good. You might not even recognise some of the voices (Spock (Lenoard Nimoy) is distinctive, as is Brent Spiner (Data), but many others would probably surprise you. And I assure you, it's not a cash grab because people like the actors-actually, it was a labour of love for them that isn't very well known, but back in the mid-1990s whilst I was in my 20s (and my friends were still single), we used to listen to these audioplays on road trips, and they REALLY are very good. I can play a bit for you, but I doubt your library would have them (I don't think they were ever on CD), but then again, you find MANY obscure things at your library that I am shocked at, so maybe you can find them. They do quite a bit of Wells, and Verne, but other stuff too
As I keep finding you, as I look for reviews & alternative opinions on cinema and music, I have to say you have...good taste in your choices of entertainment, you obviously appreciate quality where you see it & find it, as well as what's...alternative viewing. It's a pity that, as Americans you havent found the right...formula to tell this turn of the last century story (set squarely in London England) on film. I can't rate the 1950s WAR OF WORLD'S or even Spielberg's modern version with the arrogant boring Mr, Cruz, in the lead role. But some how Jeff Wayne got it just right with his clever classic musical
If you watch the live on stage som of the details wil be shown as the metal guitar sound is actuly done on a metal guitar and the oelawww vocal is done with a talk box its a speaker in a closed box with a hose conected to it and it runs up the mic stand next to the mic and youre mouth gose over the tube and by moving youre mouth open and close you can change the pitch of the sound and that gets picked up by the recording mic
That opening tune is the ultimate earworm.Heard it as a child.Have never been able to get it out of my head.Interesting fact.Jeff Wayne and his father owned the rights to War of the Worlds which they negotiated for the 2005 version.Lucky a bunch of judges named Spielberg,Lucas and Hitchcock gave the musical an award in the 70,s.Jeff Wayne previously did a musical version of A Tale Of Two Cities.You sang.Yeah.
,, as teenagers, we'd play this whole album on d-90 tapes on large tape decks,, whilst watching ever reddening sunsets escape reflective stoney shore lines 😏🏆💐 x
,, also mid-way, Rik Mayall infused some of his comic speeches during his anarcho-anti-establishmentarinistic anti-bbc BBC programme "the young ones" with David Essex artillery man's Brave New World,, whenever he thought students could b revolutionaries,, as 11 yr olds this was hilarious, especially as it similarly never worked ! 😏
Have a look at the recent TV adaptations too - see what you think 🙂 But other than the book, I still think this musical version is the best telling of the story. It's really well done.
