Dust off the Vinyl: Jeff Wayne - War Of The Worlds

I’ve picked up the baton from @blockchainyouth and decided to share some vinyl with you all. I’ve been collecting vinyl for many years and treasure my record collection immensely! This seems like a great way to share some of it with you, and to inspire people to come forwards and share their music with the community...

I thought I’d start with something special, go big or go home as they say. I’ve been a fan of Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds since I first discovered it back in 1989. It think it’s that instantaneous hit from the opening track, The Eve of The War. It’s a little like when you first hear Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, it just grabs you by the balls and takes you on a journey...

If you don't know anything about WOTW, it's a musical version of the H.G. Wells novel, created by Jeff Wayne. We made it the 1970's, with the help of Richard Burton, Justin Hayward, David Essex, Phil Lynott and many more. It's got some great rock, disco and electronic moments, and tells a great story along the way. If this sounds like your thing then go and check it out!

Almost as good as the music is the artwork, there was no expense spared here, with stunning paintings on the gatefold, inside and out, as well as booklet that depicted scenes from the story. Hours have been spent studying those images whilst listening tot he music!

So onto the vinyl, my copy is the ‘Unofficial Super Deluxe Box Set’, not available in the stores. This comes with the original vinyl, gatefold sleeve, with the original booklet. It came with a large ’Thunderchild’ poster, and a copy of the original H.G. Wells novel. Also in the box is the 12” Special Disco Remix. It’s a great package.

Mine has been pimped with an original 1970’s polyester War of The Worlds T-Shirt, along with a Marvel comic from 1976. It’s a wonderful package. It’s not in great shape, not worth a great deal, but special to have it all together, and something to treasure…

I'll leave you with Horsell Common And The Heat Ray, a great moment from the album, and something that builds up from a simple riff into a fantastic rock workout...