Member:
ffroyd
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by ffroyd)
Date:
10/28/2001
Format:
CD (Album)
Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic tale War Of The Worlds is an often overlooked and intensely beautiful rock opera.
Expertly narrated by Richard Burton, the album features the speaking and singing talents of David Essex, Lisa Covington, Justin Hayward (Moody Blues), Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy), Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann's Earth Band), among others.
The music is quite wonderfully arranged around the story and features some great sound effects and synthesizers played by Jeff Wayne, Ken Freeman and someone/something known as Pest. Chris Spedding plays some great guitar on the album as well. Although it's quite interesting to follow along with the libretto, the music is strong enough to carry the album on it's own.
Also supporting the story is the gloriously doomy artwork in the booklet. The one that comes with the LP would make a very good argument for buying the old vinyl version. The paintings of the Martian spacecraft devouring the Earth done by Geoff Taylor and Michael Trim are quite detailed and add a great deal to the overall concept.
Even though it's mostly narrative with instrumental interludes there are a few nice songs on the album. There was also a minor radio hit that came from the album, "Forever Autumn", sung by Justin Hayward. I'd say most folks who liked Rick Wakeman's Journey To The Center Of The Earth album might really be able to appreciate this one.
Ulla!
Member:
3LockBox
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by 3LockBox)
Date:
8/30/2007
Format:
CD (Album)
Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds is one of those albums whose legend far surpasses it's content. This album is well-known and well received within prog rock circles, but not well known outside of them. I remember being very taken by it upon first listen as a young man (the artwork accompanying the album is priceless). It was quite the novelty hearing a rock opera with Sir Richard Burton narrating. But beyond the novelty, there isn't much substance.
In 1978 this album had what seemed to be a stellar cast. But in hindsight, most of these performers had passed through the apex of their popularity and relevance (except Lynott). Most all the musical performers had spoken dialog as well as singing parts, except Hayward, who does most of the vocals. And of course there is Richard Burton, whose classically trained, thespian, staccato voice is perfect for this style of recording. His performance carries the show, which doesn't say much for a rock album. Most of the dialog using Lynott, Essex and Covington ranges from banal to overwrought (Lynott's 'parson' is played way over the top and is somewhat embarrassing given how big a Thin Lizzy fan I am).
That is not to say that there isn't some fine moments here and there. Hayward’s “Forever Autumn” and “Thunder Child” are the only two songs that really stand out musically speaking. “Forever Autumn” is a wistful lament expressing separation and loss, and while not directly related to the story, it does serve the plot well. “Thunder Child” is a minor masterpiece, melding story line lyrics and Burton's impeccable narration with pop/rock hooks. If most of the album resembled this work, it might actually be the classic everyone thinks it is. But the people behind the console have to take a hit here as well. A superb, ethereal instrumental like “The Red Weed” is marred by narration instead of being a stand-alone song, save for the lead-in by Burton. The mixing job as a whole is somewhat clumsy. The goofy dialog (along with the disco flourishes) should have been scrapped and more attention paid to the quality of the music.
Jeff Wayne may have had the vision and the ambition, but lacked the chops and flair of a Rick Wakeman, nor did he have the composition skills of an Alan Parsons. And I'm afraid that time hasn't been kind to this release. Instead of being a period as it was intended to, it's sound is inexorably linked to the year in which it was recorded. It may not be the over-the-top cheese fest of an Ayreon album, but nor is it as well executed as an Aryeon album. It was a good idea that never was, in my opinion, realized to it's best potential.
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