Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds by Jeff Wayne
Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds is a 1978 concept album by Jeff Wayne, retelling the story of The War of the Worlds by H. G. Wells. Its format is progressive rock and string orchestra, using narration and leitmotifs to carry the story via rhyming melodic lyrics that express the feelings of the various characters. The two-disc album remains a bestseller, having sold millions of records around the world, and is the 38th best selling album of all time in the UK with sales of 2,561,286 by 2009. It has since spawned multiple versions of the album, computer games, DVDs, and live tours.
Of all the major rock bands to come out of the ’90s, none have sounded as content to be themselves as the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Written and recorded during the same sessions as April 2022’s <I>Unlimited Love</I>, <I>Return of the Dream Canteen</I> features the same crystalline anthems (“Eddie”, “Roulette”, “The Drummer”) and liberatingly fun funk (“Fake as Fu@k”, “Tippa My Tongue”) they’ve been perfecting for 40 years. But what makes it remarkable is their ability to find variety even within the narrow band of their sound, whether it’s the waltz of “Copperbelly” or the moody, psychedelic “Bag of Grins”, both of which are stranger and more minimal than any other multi-platinum rock artist outside Led Zeppelin. Fans will note the return of guitarist John Frusciante and producer Rick Rubin (also present on <I>Unlimited Love</I>), but with all due respect, it’s beside the point: They serve an institution bigger than any man. In the band’s sparseness, they glimpse the ocean their California hearts can’t deny, and in Anthony Kiedis’ my-name-is-Tony-and-I’m-here-to-say raps an innocence that conjures summer, friendship and, yes, love. May they never grow up.
