Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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41 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
War of Words for War of the Worlds, 28 Oct 2006
This DVD of the Royal Albert Hall performance provides a visual representation of all that was so great about listening to the original album when it first came out. The fact that they tried hard to represent the late Richard Burton by using a lookalike actor projected into a face mould hovering above the stage, rather than replacing his mellifluous Celtic tones is but one thing that makes the stage version so interesting.
A lot of the original 'cast' appear here, including Chris Thompson (Thunderchild) and Justin Hayward (a superb rendition of both Eve of the War and one of the high points of the album, his 1978 top five hit, Forever Autumn). Musically, it is almost a complete replica of the album - which is actually what you want from the stupendous double-album that is now almost 30 years old. What you want from a stage show you get, with a thirty feet high fighting machine descending on to the stage, a filmic backdrop with an introductory CGI short of the Mars landscape leading to their intended colonisation of Earth, and the frisson you get when the familiar orchestral string chords come in.
Jeff Wayne conducts the orchestra and old stalwarts Chris Spedding and Herbie Flowers are there at the forefront too. The only disappointment for me was the horrendous over-acting and misplaced attempts at operatic delivery by Russell Watson as the preacher. But this was completely tempered by the Soldier and his ability to evoke the fear and despair through his performance of David Essex's album song and through his actions.
Overall, the stage version could have been embarrassingly trite or completely above expectation. The trepidation I felt before the performance was completely blown away once those chords from the string section chimed in.
If you couldn't get a ticket to the stage show then get this DVD - it is a brilliant enhancement to the fantastic vinyl original!
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33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
LIVE ENTERTAINMENT THAT IS OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!, 5 Nov 2006
I've been a fan of live entertainment since a young girl - be it West End shows (musicals my favourite) or concerts of all shapes and sizes. My husband and I recently discovered Jeff Wayne's recording of The War of The Worlds so when we read that it was being presented live across the UK, we booked tickets that included taking our 9 year old daughter and 16 year old son as an Easter holiday treat. My 16 year old son was the most sceptic - it wasn't hip hop or r'n'b. By the time we left the arena (the NEC Birmingham) the 4 of us were all in agreement - The War of The Worlds live had set a new standard for family entertainment. My son the sceptic insisted I purchase not only the double CD but the then newly released ULLAdubULLA2 (the album of club remixes) and has not stopped listening to both since. As a live show I'm not even sure where to begin - the music is an already established classic, but to hear it live simply took it to another level. We were seated about 3/4's of the way back, and when the Martian Fighting Machine totally unexpectedly descended onto the stage having been somehow concealed from the audiences view, the gasps of astonishment from all around us were as one. Quite unbelievable, especially as it was firing Heat Ray's at the audience as it landed. During the intermission the amazing green eyes of the Fighting Machine scanned the audience and suddenly we were all relayed on the big screen, a fantastic touch. The giant 3D head of Richard Burton was mesmerising. It seemed to float over the stage throughout the show and was the perfect compliment to the live performances of the various guest artists playing superbly the roles that were first heard on Jeff's recording. Justin Hayward brought to life his perennial favourite `Forever Autumn', and giant screens projected feature film standard of animation that linked the story to precise timings. Jeff Wayne conducted his own work which made the whole evening that much more special. I don't know how much the show cost to produce, but for the price of the tickets that we paid, the audience was given a most fantastic night out particularly when you compare the prices of other shows with a fraction of the ingredients The War of The Worlds contained. The audience didn't let Jeff, the cast and musicians (58 in all) off the stage until well deserved standing ovations were given. As we left the NEC, we were most aware that the many thousands of people who bought tickets to see this show felt the same as our family - Jeff's masterpiece as a record had truly raised the bar for live entertainment. Will I be buying a copy of the DVD of the show? No I won't. I'm ordering around 10 copies as I know a number of friends and family who couldn't get tickets to the NEC who will be enthralled by this wonderful piece of live entertainment.
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22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
For me, it replaces the original album, 10 Nov 2006
This is absolutely brilliant. They have caught the whole thing perfectly, mixing the visuals on the big screen in the venue to the 'actual' TV screen of the viewer at home, so that the music, the band, the strings, and the animation flow together and tell the story. If you like the album, you'll adore this. And it goes one better than the live performance I saw in Manchester in that you can see the singers and musicians close up. For me, this DVD replaces the original abum.
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