Even the biggest fans of Jeff Wayne’s rock opera retelling of War Of The Worlds have never quite worked out whether it is a sci-fi prog classic or schlocky camp – glorified panto for the Ziggy Stardust generation. 35 years after the original, Wayne, a TV composer by day, has decided it’s time for a revamp: out has gone Richard Burton’s singular narration, replaced by a rather croaky Liam Neeson (clearly still channeling Ra’s al Ghul from Batman). Meanwhile Gary Barlow inherits Justin Hayward’s Ogilvy the astronomer on ‘Eve of the War’ and the swooping ballad ‘Forever Autumn’, Ricky Wilson flexes his ‘acting’ chops as the artillery man, and, fulfilling the project’s token Irishman quota, Wexford’s Maverick Sabre takes over the role of Parson Nathaniel, as original played by a heroically OTT Phil Lynott (Joss Stone is his melodramatic wife).
What hasn’t changed is the over-arching structure, which chronicles the invasion of Victorian England by tripodal Martians via ‘70s concept album ludicrousness. Jittery disco heralds the arrival of alien capsules from the Red Planet, the sweep of the Martian invasion force across the Home Counties is conveyed via the medium of Rick Wakeman-style wonky synthesizers and glam guitars on short-term loan from Diamond Dogs. This is all perfectly fantastic of course – though you do wish Wayne would widen his focus somewhat. Who’s up for gaudy disco interpretation of The Empire Strikes Back?
ED POWER