War of the Worlds - The Album!

Since I listened yesterday for the umpteen time to Jeff's Wayne's 'War of the Worlds', I'm repeating an old 'Favourite Things' post, now with the addition of a couple of fine YouTube videos - I do so admire the creative talent of some of these film makers!

I read the science fiction novel, 'War of the Worlds', written in 1898 by H G Wells, as a child.
The story that relates the invasion of the Earth by aliens from Mars has inspired many adaptations, including what is now considered one of the most famous Radio broadcasts ever.
Directed & narrated by Orson Welles, the radio play 'War of the Worlds' was aired on CBS in the United States, on the eve of Halloween, in 1938.
It caused national panic; as the first half of the 60-minute broadcast was presented as a series of simulated news bulletins, which suggested to the listeners that a Martian invasion was in progress right across America.

Jeff Wayne's 1978 musical version returns to the stories original setting, England, in the early twentieth century.
The unnamed narrator, [the late Sir Richard Burton with his unmistakable, deep, charismatic voice], a journalist, notes a series flares erupting from the surface of Mars.
Nights later, a meteor lands on a near by common & he's amongst the first to discover the object's a mysterious cylinder...

The cylinder opens to reveal Martians: bulky, tentacled creatures that begin setting up strange machinery in the cylinder's impact crater.
All human intervention is incinerated instantly by the Heat Ray!
After this attack, the narrator recalls his love Carrie in London & sets off in search of her, only to discover more cylinders have fallen & the Martian 'Fighting Machines' are everywhere.
By the time he reaches London, Carrie has gone, which is when Justin Hayward sings 'Forever Autumn' an all time favourite track of mine...

The narrator finally sees Carrie aboard a small steamer fleeing England, the Martians attack but are, before it's destroyed, distracted by 'Thunder Child' a fighting Navel vessel, & the steamer escapes.
The Martian red weed creeps across the landscape.
And, all seems lost.
Then the invasion unexpectedly fails because of the Earths micro-organisms, that attack & kill the Martians.
The album cleverly closes, as the next generation of flares are seen leaving Mars & NASA tracking stations around the globe mysteriously go off line, one by one by one.
The tales brilliantly done, is a feast of sounds and always conquers up powerful imagery in my minds eye, which is why I found the 2005 film version staring Tom Cruise such a huge disappointment.