Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds

Released 40 years after Orson Welles' infamous radio version of the H. G. 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.) Source -- Paul Collins, All Music Guide

The track-list for the audio file you are listening to is as follows:

01 - The Eve of the War
02 - Horsell Common and the Heat Ray
03 - Forever Autumn
04 - The Fighting Machine
05 - Thunderchild
06 - The Red Weed
07 - The Spirit of Man
08 - Dead London
09 - Brave New World
10 - The Spirit of Man (2007 Mix)

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