The War of the Worlds [AC-3] [Dolby] [Hybrid SACD] [SACD] [Import]

Well, perhaps it is the perfect gift for that non-event of the year, but it is also the perfect gift for any occasion, for anyone that doesn't own this is missing out on something wonderful. Even if they have it on a dusty old vinyl, it should be re-bought just to make them listen to it again.

Superb, in every way, and yes, it has dated a little, but in exactly the right way. It's impossible not to adore the beautiful tones of Burton's voice, the haunting riff of "oooolaaaah!", and the sweeping songs provided by The Moody Blues. And, even better, this version doesn't include the awful 80's "remixes" of some of the tracks (although Ben Liebrand's version of the Eve of the War wouldn't have gone amiss).

Every person that was alive during the seventies should own this, and pass the message on to those that weren't.

Superb stuff.

There is still a lot to enjoy on this inventive and atmospheric double album. I suppose that this is really a rock opera, and a very good one - it is very well written and performed, and the key theme is highly memorable, and evokes the story brilliantly. It is certainly musically superior to either "Hair" or "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". It is almost certain that a musical score to his momentous story would have displeased H.G. Wells a great deal, but it re-introduced this superb tale to the world in the 1970's, after a disasterous B-movie in the 1950's, and so did his legacy a great service.

The voices are almost universally great, with Richard Burton as the journalist the absolute star of the show, in fine voice as always. Julie Covington is great too as Beth, and Phil Lynott is good as Parson Nathaniel. Davis Essex is the major letdown - his rendition of the artillery man, whilst competent, begins to grate after a time, simply due to the accent he adopts. The singing is of a very high standard throughout, with Chris Thompson especially good on "Thunderchild" and Justin Hayward (The Moody Blues) putting in some great performances. David Essex generally sings better than he speaks, and Gary Osborne's lyrics are well-written and evocative.

The music is the real strength here though - the score is inventive, and there is some great musical talent onboard. Jo Partridge puts in some excellent guitar work, and with session players Herbie Flowers on bass, and Barry Morgan on drums the standard of playing is superb. At times the music is tremendously atmospheric and evocative, and some of the original sound effects are outstanding. "Horsell Common and the Heat Ray" is stirring stuff, and anyone who has not heard and enjoyed the opening theme "The Eve of the War", has been living underground for 30 years. There is also great beauty in "Forever Autumn", with sweet-picked guitar, soaring strings, and a great performance from Justin Hayward. At times, the arrangements and instrumental effects sound very dated to contemporary ears, but overall it is still powerful stuff.

Definitely worth a listen, this album will appeal to those who remember it from younger years, and with the release of the new film version of H.G. Wells' story, hopefully it will find some new fans. As a matter of interest - this release plays with no problems at all on my PC, contrary to previous comments. Excellent stuff and highly recommended!