War
 

Been listening to the Jeff Wayne musical version of H.G. Wells classic The War Of The Worlds recently, think it's quite cool so I took an image of one of the tripods for my avatar, a line from the prologue for my sub-title thing and part of the lyrics for my signature :)

That's excellent Neil. I always loved that show too.

In my case I just changed my sig to reflect what I have been listening to to cure the Winter Blues :D Sometimes a very old song will hit me as new all over again. Or maybe that's what happens when you start to age :p

Kathleen

I just got the remastered 2 disc album on SACD, remixed in 5.1, it sounds awesome. I'd heard it in bits and pieces before because my dad has it on vinyl from the original release, but I've been listening to it in full and it's very interesting. I'm not generally into musical interpretaions of stories but this is done quite well. I noticed a live version on DVD recently, not sure how that would work but I might get it.

I'll check that out - I didn't know about the SACD version. I have a son who is a huge science fiction fan (same guy who does origami) - and I think this show is what started his addiction LOL. There was a re-run of the original 50's movie on TV somtime in the early 80's when he was about 6. He absolutely fell in love with it - I was afraid it would freak him out - but no - he loved it.

And Grover's Mill, NJ is still a tiny little town LOL.

Kathleen

I keep meaning to read the original, I downloaded the eBook of it but haven't read it yet. I love the 50's film version though, I remember seeing it years ago and I have it on DVD now, and though of course it is very dated it is still enjoyable. I can't say I cared for the Spielberg version though, one of the few of his films I can say I didn't actually like.

I know it isn't officially even based on it, but I think that the best interpretation of it I've seen is Independence Day. It has the same basic points - the aliens appearing and targetting specific strategic points, the massive heat ray, and then in the end they are foiled by a virus (albeit for the modern era it was updated to a computer virus) It is the only film I've managed to wear out my DVD copy of and had to buy again.

The SACD though Kathleen is availabe in a few different versions - the one I got is the standard 2 disc, which are hybrid discs so you can play the redbook layer on any standard CD player, but with the SACD layer in stereo and 5.1 for SACD players. There is also a collectors boxset which consists of the 2 hybrid SACDs, 4 regular CDs of remixes and studio outtakes, along with a DVD documentary, and all presented in a 12" x 12" hardback, 80 page bound collectors book.

Thanks Neil - I will check out the various versions - one of them sounds quite expensive. My son has a birthday coming up soon and this might be a very good preesent for him.

Interestingly - I did try to read the original a long time ago. I must say that I found it rather dry and uninteresting. Perhaps it's a story that lends itself to sensationalism - and Orson Wells hit the correct delivery with it perfectly LOL.

Kathleen

I've heard bits and pieces of the original Orson Wells broadcast, quite interesting the reaction it got, especially since they kept re-affirming the fact that it was a dramatisation throughout the broadcast. I wonder what H.G. Wells thought of it at the time, I think he was still alive at the time.

I also love The Time Machine, and though I thought the recent remake was very good I again have to say I love the classic film more. I got an eBook with all of Wells work in, I keep meaning to read them, perhaps over the summer when I have finished uni.