Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds
I can’t tell you how much I love Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of the War of the Worlds, but I’m going to try.
When I was in grade ten back in 1984-85 at Crap High, my Drama teacher, for some bizarre reason, decided to play us the opening track of JWMVOTWOTW (hereafter, MWW). The Drama room had the best stereo system that at age 15 I’d ever encountered, and I was immediately magnetised (expect British spellings with plenty of “s”es where you folks put “z”s, by the way) by the sound of Richard Burton declaiming, among other things:
“…And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this world with envious eyes. And slowly, and surely, they drew their plans against us.”
And then, BOOM.
Heavy strings–DOO DOO Dooo… DOO DOO Dooo…. followed by a disco rhythm section and bleebo-bleebo laser sound FX. No, I’m not being ironic and I’m not slamming MWW. On the contrary, I genuinely love it. I tracked it down from the public library, taped both records from the LP, evenutally bought the thing on cassette and just this summer purchased the excellent double-CD album.
The combination of Burton’s superb narration, Wells’ chilling story, Jeff Wayne’s funky music and some fine (although too brief) lyrics are for me a musical feast. Of course, nostalgia is a major factor in my enjoyment, but even though I hated high school (got good grades but had to deal with too many bullies), my capacity for nostalgia is so strong that anything I liked from that period I might possibly love today, and some things I hated then (for instance, ABBA), I’ve grown to like today.
MWW is strange for me to hear as an adult. I’m more aware of its position among other rock operas, and in comparing it to my favourite, Norman Jewison’s film version of the Lloyd-Webber/Rice Jesus Christ, Superstar, MWW doesn’t fare well. That’s largely because MWW uses so much narration instead of actual singing, and no matter how fine a voice actor Burton was, an opera is about singing. Therefore everytime Burton speaks, it’s an opportunity cost for clever lyricism and beautiful song.
As well, while all the singers give fine delivery, the arrangement never clears them for the kind of take-off and soaring that JCS allows on so many tracks. I’m guessing the orchestra was smaller, too, so there’s less variety and nuance in the arrangment.
That being said, I don’t share the opinion of those who complain that MWW is dated, however; its period soul is part of what makes MWW so special. As well, songs such as the disturbingly ironic “Brave New World,” passionate and brave “Spirit of Man,” and especially the mournful “Forever Autumn” remain deeply moving and powerful. “Forever Autumn” contains simple yet poignant lines from the reporter-protagonist’s POV on his life in occupied England following his wife’s flight on a refugee boat across the Atlantic:
The summer sun is fading as the year grows old,
and darker days are drawing near,
the winter winds will be much colder,
now you’re not here.
I watch the birds fly south across the autumn sky
and one by one they disappear
I wish that I was flying with them,
now you’re not here
like the sun through the trees you came to love me
like a leaf on a breeze you blew away
through autumn’s golden gown we used to kick our way
you always loved this time of year
loose fallen leaves lie undisturbed now
‘Cause you’re not here
like the sun through the trees you came to love me
like a leaf on a breeze you blew away
a gentle rain falls softly on my weary eyes
as if to hide a lonely tear
my life will be forever autumn
‘Cause you’re not here
Honestly, I find it hard to hear those lyrics some times, especially in autumn. Music like that was the soundtrack of all my youthful melancholy.
So I’d like to hear from all of you, your thoughts on MWW, and also the songs that filled out your own soundtracks of youthful melancholy (and romance, and adventure, for that matter).
September 8, 2008 at 3:59 pm
MWW was probably my gateway drug to speculative fiction after a rather inebriated but very enthusiastic friend of my father’s played it to me when I was about ten (1987 or thereabouts). Sounded like nothing I’d ever heard from my parents’ stereos (Neil Diamond, Crystal Gale), and WOW, what a story. Still love it now… and have a soft spot for the early nineties house remixes of a few of the tracks (for different yet complementary reasons).
That said, my youthful melancholy was fuelled by any number of obscure goth and shoegazer bands of the nineties. Fields Of the Nephilim, anyone? I still have an abiding love of spaghetti westerns and bad cyberpunk movies (Hardware cameo!) thanks to that lot…
September 8, 2008 at 4:09 pm
Spaghetti Westerns? I’ll love Ennio Morricone and Maurice Jarre til the day I die. Why can’t there be a single-note clang on a chime every time something vaguely threatening happens in real life? Damn… I feel like wearing a heavy black trench coat and standing in the wind at sunset.
September 8, 2008 at 4:11 pm
One of the most amazing concept albums of all time. Just brilliant. The Spirit of Man and Forever Autumn are dazzling. Here’s hoping the animated movie becomes a reality someday.
September 8, 2008 at 4:12 pm
i first heard it sometime in the nineties but have only a vague memory of it… i’ll have to track it down and listen to it again to offer a more-or-less educated opinion. but, since you brought this up, that is the lit-to-music thing… in my teens (must’ve been in 1983, i think) a friend of mine offered me a tape of Alan Parsons Project’s Tales of Mystery and Imagination by E. A. Poe. i can honestly state that it changed my vision about what music is and should be and opened a whole new world to me. i still listen to that and it still amazes me, after all these years (25 already!) and Parsons is, to this day, a highlight in my music collection.
September 8, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Don’t know enough Parsons. For some reason, about 11.5 months ago, the song “Eye in the Sky” popped into my head while I was raking leaves in my backyard. I had no idea what the song was about, since I sadly pay too little attention to lyrics, generally. Someone told me it was about God. I checked it out… definitely wasn’t about God. Hard-luck romance, instead. But very catchy and with unexpectedly turns in the melody. Parsons doesn’t have a strong voice, but he’s a fine songwriter. I must’ve listened to that song two to four times a day for four weeks (I usually listen to a song a maximum of once per day to avoid burning it out… but I was in a job with a coworker from hell at that time, and the song appealed to me).
September 8, 2008 at 5:11 pm
I love The Eye in the Sky. If you’re relatively new to Parsons, you might want to try The Turn of a Friendly Card (1978 I think) and the Tales of Mystery of Imagination (which was the debut album of the Project, in 1975 or 1976). And after that, for a real revelation, listen to his 2004 album, A Valid Path, which is a revisitation of the themes of his seventies’ albums. It gives a great sense of how music and its perception has evolved since then.
By the way, did you knew that Parsons was the sound engineer for Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon (and it shows, especially on Vulture Culture, his 1984 album)? And also worked with the Beatles, before that?
September 8, 2008 at 5:28 pm
I love MWW too, but being Very Old I grew up on Ziggy Stardust.
September 8, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Does this means I’m old too? :)
September 8, 2008 at 6:21 pm
too hilarious not to share: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHUFMeV-GVo
Metallica played on harmonica and Violin. Apocalyptically funny!
September 9, 2008 at 11:33 am
I think I would like MWW! I should seek it out. While we’re on the subject of War of the Worlds, I’ve got to say I found the new film adaption with Tom Cruise rather drab. I enjoyed Independence Day more. Does anyone else feel that way?
November 13, 2010 at 11:32 am
Thank you man ! Good Good!
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October 28, 2011 at 6:08 am
The US launches the first of its next generation of polar-orbiting satellites dedicated to gathering weather and climate data.