Tuesday 5th September

The Seventies were the time of Prog-Rock and Concept Albums.  Many bands tried to combine Classical and Modern Instruments, probably the most successful were Barclay James Harvest and The Moody Blues and Jethro Tull.  But in 1978 a little known American composer, Jeff Wayne, released “The War of the Worlds”.  This was the concept album to beat all concept albums.  Based on H.G. Wells book written in the early years of the Twentieth Century before any Space Exploration at all.  It was and remains a phenomenal success.  Narrated by Richard Burton it is largely instrumental with a handful of songs.  A stellar cast of Justin Hayward, Julie Covington, David Essex and Phil Lynott sang the songs.  The whole double album was Symphonic in it’s construction with repeating motifs and a great mix of electric and orchestral instruments.

Listening again recently it sounds a bit dated now to my ears, but it was certainly a favourite back in the Seventies.  It has sold over two million copies in the UK alone and was a huge hit worldwide.  There can be few people over fifty who have never heard it.  Jeff Wayne hardly composed anything comparable after  – a few TV themes and Commercials.  But he has toured the album for years with various different singers.  The album has been re-released and expanded and even re-recorded with a new cast in, 2002 I think.

It seems that ‘War of the Worlds’ has a life far exceeding any ambitions H G Wells may have had for it.