| Product: |
War Of The Worlds: Ulladubulla The Remix Album - Jeff Wayne - Soundtrack |
| Date: |
31/05/05 (1029 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Gripping, Excellent Stuff
Disadvantages: Can scare you, Not for younger listeners
-A Little History-
War of the Worlds was originally written by H.G Wells back in 1898 and was later aired on the radio by Orson Wells on 30th October 1938; Orson Wells could not comprehend what mass hysteria his play would cause to the people in America. People who tuned into the show after it had begun actually believed that Earth was at war with Mars and that the human race was set for destruction.
In 1953, a film adaptation was released, directed by Byron Haskin.
In 1978, Jeff Wayne's musical version of the classic thriller was released to the unsuspecting public and instantly became a hit with multi-millions sales of the double album as well as two hit singles 'The Eve of The War' and 'Forever Autumn'.
29th June 2005 - A modern day version of the film is to be released in cinemas, Director Steven Spielberg and starring Tom Cruise.
Jeff Wayne was born and raised in New York and moved to London when his father Jerry Wayne created the part of Guy Masterson in 'Guy's and Dolls' and later returned to New York.
Jeff Wayne has had a successful career writing and composing various soundtracks and television themes such as TV-AM's 'Good Morning Britain' as well as shamefully producing Catherine Zeta Jones's debut solo album that was released in 1995.
-The Album-
I first heard War of the Worlds when I was 10 years old and always being into old movies and such like I squirreled the double record version that my parents owned upstairs one evening and set it going and was instantly a fan.
I have since bought my own record copy of this musical as well as having bought an up to date double CD version.
There has been several remixes and highlights released over the years but in my mind these cannot and will not compete with the proper version and as such I haven't taken the time to buy such things.
The CD album is split into two separate pieces as the record version was. Part One on CD 1 is titled 'The Coming of the Martians' and Part Two on CD 2 is titled 'The Earth under the Martians'.
~The Coming of the Martians - Part One~
This sets the scene and captures your imagination about what is about to happen and the tracks reflect this.
-The Eve of the War-
This track starts of with the classic narration 'No one would have believed, in the last years of the nineteenth century that human affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water'.
This statement automatically captures the listener, with the eerie sense of foreboding as the narrator/Journalist describes what is happening to his part of the country over the next ten nights.
-Horsell Common and the Heat Ray-
The narrator/Journalist describes how many people have gathered on the common where a cylinder landed. He states 'Next morning, a crowd gathered on the common, hypnotised by the unscrewing of the cylinder. Two feet of shining screw projected when, suddenly, the lid fell off!
This track catapults the listener to the common. You can hear the lid slowly turning before it falls with an almighty crash on the ground.
The narrator/Journalist describes how a tall funnel rose from the cylinder and launched a heat ray at some of the men turning them into fire and how people ran in terror from the common and how the next day he saw soldiers turn up at the common and how he realises that he is in danger as his home is in range of the Martians heat ray.
-The Artillery Man and the Fighting Machine-
The narrator/Journalist hears someone or something creeping into his house and you can hear the relief in his voice when he realises that it is a young artillery man; as the man is describing the nights events they realise that they have to get moving, the narrator had to save his beloved in London and the artillery man had to report to headquarters.
It is on this track that we get to hear the Martians chilling cry 'ULLA! ULLA!'
-Forever Autumn and The Thunder Child-
Here the narrator/Journalist describes that as he reaches his sweethearts house in London she is gone and as such he now feels the only safe thing to do is to head to the ocean and get a boat out of England.
The song Forever Autumn is on this CD and it describes how life isn't the same without the love of his life.
As the narrator/Journalist reaches the dockyard he sees his beloved on a steamer and as she fights to get off, the gangplank is lifted and he's swept away from her by the crowds. He goes on to describe how the nation is pinning its hopes on a war ship which tries valiantly to defeat the Martians only to be fatally hit by the Heat Ray and sunk.
The narrator/Journalist realises that the Earth now belongs to the Martians.
~The Earth under the Martians - Part Two~
This part has several tracks to it and at the end of Part One, the listener is under the impression that all is not well and that the future seems bleak.
-The Red Weed and Parson Nathaniel-
The narrator/Journalist stumbles across the body of a Parson in a ruined churchyard and decides to bury him, just as he wakes up; the Parson is very delirious and believes that Satan has claimed the souls of the living and feels that he's the only one to stop them. The Parson is even under the impression that his wife's one of them until she drags him into a house that's still standing.
-The Spirit of Man-
A cylinder lands on the house where they are hiding, killing the Parson's wife and as the Parson who is still delirious believes that he has been given a sign and must cast out the devil. Just then the narrator/Journalist knocks him unconscious but it's too late, the Martians' have heard the commotion and take the Pastor away.
As the narrator/Journalist leaves the ruins of the house and makes his way across the country he meets the artillery man again.
-Brave New World and Dead London-
The artillery man has a plan, civilisation must rebuild but not above ground; the narrator/Journalist feels that the man is a dreamer and must leave him behind.
As the narrator/Journalist leaves he sees the tripod figures of the fighting machines and the glowing red weed that gives Mars its colour. He can hear the formidable scream of the Martians' and ready to die he moves towards the figures just as the noise ceases; it is then that he realises that Bacteria won the fight.
-Epilogue-
Bermuda and Pasadena have landed a spacecraft on Mars unfortunately all is not as it seems when Pasadena see a green flare heading towards Earth.
-The Cast and Crew-
Richard Burton - Journalist/narrator
Julie Covington - Beth (Pastor's Wife)
David Essex - The Artillery Man
Philip Lynott (of Thin Lizzy) - Parson Nathaniel
Jo Partridge - The Heat Ray
Chris Thompson
Justin Hayward
Garry Osbourne - Lyricist
Paul Vigrass - Lyricist
Jeff Wayne - Composer, Orchestration, Conductor and Producer
Jerry Wayne - Executive Producer
Doreen Wayne - Script Writer
-Price and Availability-
This album is available from most music shops and I would hazard a guess that you will still be able to pick up a copy of the double record album at from most second hand shops.
I paid £5 for my copy of the record and £24.99 for the double CD album.
You can pick up an audio cassette book, read by Orson Wells for £9.99.
The soundtrack for the newer version of the film is available for £9.99.
The Highlights of Jeff Waynes War of the Worlds album is also available for £9.99.
-My Opinion-
This is a must have album, whether you get it in its record format or CD format. The insert for the CD is the same as for the record with wonderfully produced paintings and lyrics for each track.
Although I first listened to this when I was ten I doubt that it would be suitable for any child under this age, although you should use your own judgement when it comes to this album.
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