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It’s laborious to consider many long-form items of music which have the longevity of Jeff Wayne’s The Conflict Of The Worlds. Musicals have revivals, however this 1978 extravaganza was by no means actually that – fairly a multimedia occasion wherein the instrumentation and visuals change into as vital because the songs and the dialogue.
This huge deluxe set options 16 CDs plus Blu-rays of the 2006 and 2012 live performance variations, which additionally seem as audio mixes. A 156-page hardback guide supplies a wealth of background info and interviews, whereas the Final Version additionally has colored vinyl reproductions of the unique album, plus the 2012 New Technology reboot.
The contents primarily hit, however often miss. The unique album, narrated by Richard Burton, maintains its appeal, and solely the disco-tinged The Eve Of The Conflict has dated.
The 2012 re-recording provides some further digital synth and new vocal performances from Liam Neeson as narrator, plus Take That’s Gary Barlow among the many singers. However except a robust Joss Stone, the temporary appears to have been to sound as very like the 1978 artists as potential, and their distinctiveness is buried within the manufacturing.
4 CDs of thumping remixes may check many listeners’ endurance, however there are additionally treasures to be discovered; not least three albums of outtakes and prolonged dialogue from the unique.
Burton followers will benefit from the nice Welsh thesp’s various readings, in addition to David Essex’s amusingly self-effacing flubs. It’s additionally clear that all the Parson Nathaniel part was supposed to be a far longer, extra trustworthy dramatic part, earlier than being rewritten for Julie Covington and Phil Lynott, with an unused music and dramatic dialogue reproduced right here in full.
The ultimate CD provides two sequences from later stage variations, Eternally Autumn carried out as a duet and a brand new music With Pleasure, Hope And Surprise, which is a bit cloying however fairly sufficient.
The brand new variations of Conflict Of The Worlds are on sale now by way of Madfish.
