Jeff Wayne - Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds (1978) (@256)

Reading from the book The Complete War of the Worlds - Mars' Invasion of Earth from H.G. Wells to Orson Welles (Brian Holmsten & Alex Lubartozzi): "Perhaps the most terrifying version of The War of the Worlds was Jeff Wayne's London stage musical. Frighteningly representative of 1978, this deadly serious rock opera featured Richard Burton in the role of narra­tor with music written by Jeff Wayne and Gary Osborne. The Moody Blues' Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott of Thin Lizzy, and David Essex, among others, performed songs that sounded like an unholy union of Pink Floyd and ABBA. Wayne, who somehow convinced the likes of Burton and Hayward to take part in this questionable production, remained faithful to the text by Wells. The original cast double album inspired some imaginative Roger Dean-style artwork. Despite its overwhelming campiness, Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds entered the UK album charts and remained there for six years, achieving multi-platinum status with sales in excess of six million double albums. (...) Hearing Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, as Pastor Nathaniel, rant and sing about the Martian "devils" makes sitting through the rest of it nearly worthwhile."

album review link: here

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