Jeff Wayne's Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds (studio album) by Jeff Wayne

Progressive rock, symphonic rock
I first heard this in primary school and was mesmerised and sometimes frightened. I think the tunes are superb even as a standalone but as part of the concept album they are often atmospheric and build suspense. The change of pace with Forever Autumn is such a beautiful love song.

From Brad1770 02/28/2021 04:54

I have my own War Of The Worlds story

When this album was released as a Double Album in 1978 I was 11 years old and I already had become obsessed with music and I simply had to own this particular release. In those pre internet days how I knew about Jeff Waynes War Of The Worlds I have no clue ? Why I wanted it so desperately again it’s been lost in the mists of time. It just simply was

So you can imagine my excitement when the local Newspaper ran a competition giving away copies of the album , one of those send in your name and address on the back of a stamped envelope type competitions. Naturally I had to enter , I simply had to win a copy because nothing else mattered to my 11 year old brain. So I set to work and sent in my envelopes, I cant recall how many envelopes I posted but believe me when I say it was ALOT

Fast forward one week and competition winners were printed as alway in the Saturday Newspaper Edition and as always there was our copy delivered to our front yard by the paper boy. Excited with hands trembling I tear open the plastic wrap and jump straight to the Competition Winners Section to see if I’d won. Does this tale have a happy ending? Well , you can probably guess by now the fact I am writing this in 2021 it did. And you know what ? When my winning copy eventually turned up in the mail it didn’t disappoint, my tiny mind was blown and I recall playing all 4 sides over and over and over again

Ive recently gone back and revisited this album and its lost none of its charm, terror and general creepiness, Richard Burton is simply perfect as the narrator and Phill Lynott (Thin Lizzy fame) pretty much steals the show as the crazy pastor

Note 1: this album is considered Jeff Waynes debut album having come from a commercial jingles back ground, Jeff has pretty much made an entire career out of War Of The Worlds with rich and popular stage interpretations , and interactive museum and a rather excellent 2012 modern remake featuring Liam Neeson narrating and additional content

Note 2: oddly it took me years to realise that Jeff Wayne WASN’T the ELO lead singer who was in fact Jeff LYNNE. Again, in pre internet days fact checking was nigh on impossible

Back in the eighties, there was a night club in Newquay called Tall Trees. The highlight of the evening (apart from the chilli burger and copious pints of beer) was when they played the main theme, green lasers shot across the dance floor which complimented the music perfectly. I bought the CD a few years ago now and haven't played it much really, don't know why. Having dug this out of the rack last night for a listen, I was reminded how much I enjoyed this album when I first bought it and on the back of that was lucky enough to pick up a mint re-issue on vinyl today. Sounds brilliant on vinyl and has the booklet too! Left my first review in place as that was really for the CD version and the vinyl is better!

Back in the eighties, there was a night club in Newquay called Tall Trees. The highlight of the evening (apart from the chilli burger and copious pints of beer) was when they played the main theme, green lasers shot across the dance floor which complimented the music perfectly. I bought the CD a few years ago now and haven't played it much really, don't know why. Need to dig out of the rack and have another listen. May invest in the vinyl as it is a classic! I may lift the rating score when I have listened some more.

From DeusExMackia 10/23/2016 13:28

Get past of the overly-melodramatic styling and some of the songs, and what you have here is a brilliant concept album, and perhaps the cleverest piece of rock opera of all time.

From Yoooreds 03/03/2015 10:24

A classic of it's type. In my view its not to be taken too seriously. Rock Opera meets a musical.

If only they had this concert in america......

From cannychub1 04/19/2012 10:58

Gripped me from the very start, reading through the booklet that came with the LP (i was 10 at the time)added to the atmosphere of the story. Much better than all the subsequent films.