Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds

[Pip Madeley]

ULLAH!



Any fans of this 70s prog rock audio drama thingy?

I've been watching the excellent live DVD this weekend, just spectacular - a flawless performance by very talented musicians and singers. My favourite section of the album is Thunder Child - some of the cheesy synth work heavily reminds me of Tony Banks of Genesis... but then you all expected me to say that. Nevertheless, it still does the business, even today!

[Darren]

It's good, but it terrified me as a child. It's still ominous today. I bought the DVD for my dad but he hasn't watched it yet, so I can't reallly pop it on.

Ticketmaster are selling tickets for this years tour right now.

[Rob McCow]

We watched the DVD with the scary Burton head recently. I'd never heard the music all the way through before, in fact I'd just heard the main theme. It was jolly good!

Although I always think of Jeff Wayne as an amalgam of Jeff and Wayne. :wayne bizzarre.

[Darren]

That'd scare the Martians!

[Anthony Williams]

it's fantastic!

been a fan of it since I was about 8, when my Dad introduced me to it - and loved it ever since!

Ant x

[Ralph]

Worth a listen just for Richard Burton's rich tones

[SiHart]

This was one of the things I heard most when i was a kid. My Dad loved it, and I can remember it being fine during the day, but when he used to play it loud at night it was absolutely terrifying. The bit where the cylinder opens was one of the most scray things from my childhood.
I can remember looking through the big booklet that came with the vinyl version and being convinced that it all happened. Well if there were paintings of it, it must have been true!

It's brilliant though isn't it? The music is awesome- especially the main theme, which is still really powerful.

Si xx

[Jonno]

I wasn't around at the time of release while living abroad, and largely remained blissfully unaware of it for some time afterwards. I finally got round to buying a CD version of it a couple of years ago, and thoroughly enjoyed it. Really must give it another spin one of these days! I particularly like the single that was released - Forever Autumn.

[Pip Madeley]

I love the bass work at the start of 'Horsell Common and the Heat Ray' - as Si says, the opening of the cylinder is creepy stuff! I also like the 'chugachuga' noise during 'Brave New World'

[Dave Tudor]

"No, Nathaniel!"

Although I've always been aware of the album (I remember being fascinated by the LP in WH Smith's in Liverpool when I was a kid!) I never actually heard it in its entirety until about four or five years ago when I got it on CD. It is a tremendous work, and is expertly structured, both musically and narratively. Of course, Burton is fantastic, and this has to be one of his best-remembered performances.

It's very much of its time, with its wonderful 70's synths and big contemporary stars like Justin Hayward and Julie Covington making appearances, and also David Essex, and, best of all, Phil Lynott giving it all they've got with some brilliantly OTT performances! However, it still sounds so fresh today, and is obviously still hugely popular, thanks to the live show, and the album's Top 10 reissue a year or two back.

Oh, and I've now got a copy of that LP, too - only took me twenty-five years to get it!

[Carol Baynes]

There must be something worth fighting for, even somethings worth dying for, and of one one man could stand tall, there would be some hope for us all...somewhere...somewhere in the spirit of man!

I love that song. It's a great album all round. It has dated, there's no doubt about it, but it's still a great idea and well worth hearing. I have it on vinyl and CD actually, now I come to think of it!

[Captain Tancredi]

One of the stranger performance events I've been to was a hot air balloon display which used this as its soundtrack. My mum has always been a David Essex nut so 'Brave New World' was on one or two of the LPs we had around the house when I was younger.

[Dave Tudor]

"We'll start all over a-GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!!!!!!!"

[Timelord R101]

"Take a look around you in a world we have come to know, is it nothing, Hmmm HHmmm crazy circus show, oh, sorry loved the album and DVD, It bought tears to my eyes

[Milky Tears]

"Dear God! A cylinder's landed on the house! And we're underneath it... in the pit!"

[Pip Madeley]

"Listen! Do you hear them drawing near, in their search for the sinners?!"

[Darren]

"Ulla Ullllllaaaaaaaa"

[Jason Thompson]

"The leaden sky was lit by green flashes - cylinder following cylinder - and no-one and nothing was left now to fight them. The Earth belonged to the Martians."

I love this album, and could listen to it over and over again. I first heard it when I was about ten, staying at my grandmother's house. It terrified me, because I just happened to be listening to it for the first time ever on the evening of the 12th of August. Not quite midnight, but I did have some trouble sleeping that night....

I also recall during the sixth form being so bored during some of my free time that I typed up an entire transcript from memory! The really sad thing is that the only bits I got wrong were a couple of Martian 'Ulla's!

But the best bit is coming this December, when I am going to the O2 theatre in london to see the live performance.

[Pip Madeley]

I'd love to see it played live but sadly I was too late for (good) seats.

I'm sure you'll have a great night Jason

[Lord President]

Bows and Arrows against the lightning!!!!!!!!

[cullsoft]

Oh yes. Funnily enough, just now me and one of my workmates were battling out why the recent movie version is so vastly inferior...

I'm afraid I haven't heard the big live prog-rock version... but I have heard Mitch Benn's response after having been so impressed by it - "Mitch Benn's musical adaptation of The Very Hungry Caterpillar"!

[Allllie]

But the best bit is coming this December, when I am going to the O2 theatre in london to see the live performance.

Oooh so am I!! I'll be there with some of the Dalek Builders Guild! I too am a saddo and will probably be reciting it word for word during the performance ( including Julie Covington/ Phil Lynott style voices during Spirit of Man)
Ooh look I'll show off as well ( so unlike me, I know)

It's me and Jeff Wayne!

[Pip Madeley]

I'll be there with some of the Dalek Builders Guild!

If it was the TARDIS Builders Guild, I'd have thought that was awesome.

What's Jeff Wayne doing with his hand there? Talk about the spirit of man...

[Dave Tudor]

But still he comes....

(Sorry.)

[Pip Madeley]

ANYWAY.

What's everyone's favourite track, or even 'moment', during the whole thing?

My fave bit has to be during 'The Artilleryman And The Fighting Machine' - namely the section between 5:28-7:45 - just listening to it now... it's SYNTH HEAVEN! There really is nothing better than a really full-on ARP polyphonic synthesiser sound. Add the great Clapton-esque guitar sound and what you end up with is Awesome.