"Few men even considered the possibility of life on other planets. And yet, across the gulf of space, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us."
So begins Jeff Wayne's bombastic retelling of H.G. Wells' classic tale of science fiction and horror, narrated by the great Richard Burton (among others). A concept album of remarkable scope, appreciably ahead of its time, Wayne's prog-rock tale successfully merges the hook-laden melody of synth-pop music, the epic, breathtaking grandiosity of a symphony, the soulful, heartfelt spirit of a stage play, and the spectacular literary edge of Wells' original novel, all intricately structured and intertwined with (yes, I'll say it) love, and keen finesse. In my fascination with Wayne's masterpiece, I've found little widespread love for it beyond the short stint of popularity it enjoyed in the late 1970's, when it was first released. Even so, it is hardly regarded as the timeless classic that I wholeheartedly believe it is and deserves to be. Put away all preconceived notions, all unfair judgments, and allow yourself to be swayed by the music, by the story, and by the passion.
"The chances of anything coming from Mars," sing the doomed inhabitants of our planet, "are a million to one."
"But still, they come."
STANDOUT TRACKS:
The Eve of the War
Forever Autumn
The Spirit of Man
Brave New World
So begins Jeff Wayne's bombastic retelling of H.G. Wells' classic tale of science fiction and horror, narrated by the great Richard Burton (among others). A concept album of remarkable scope, appreciably ahead of its time, Wayne's prog-rock tale successfully merges the hook-laden melody of synth-pop music, the epic, breathtaking grandiosity of a symphony, the soulful, heartfelt spirit of a stage play, and the spectacular literary edge of Wells' original novel, all intricately structured and intertwined with (yes, I'll say it) love, and keen finesse. In my fascination with Wayne's masterpiece, I've found little widespread love for it beyond the short stint of popularity it enjoyed in the late 1970's, when it was first released. Even so, it is hardly regarded as the timeless classic that I wholeheartedly believe it is and deserves to be. Put away all preconceived notions, all unfair judgments, and allow yourself to be swayed by the music, by the story, and by the passion.
"The chances of anything coming from Mars," sing the doomed inhabitants of our planet, "are a million to one."
"But still, they come."
STANDOUT TRACKS:
The Eve of the War
Forever Autumn
The Spirit of Man
Brave New World
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