War of the Worlds New Generation

[MartG]

Out today - thankfully it retains the essentials from the original, but I'm not sure if he's doing a 'George Lucas' on it or not i.e. remaking it just for the sake of it ( and making £££ selling another version ) or if it was really necessary to allow new talent to appear in the live version as the original performers are getting on a bit ( those who are still alive ).

[DoctorX]

MartG said:

Out today - thankfully it retains the essentials from the original, but I'm not sure if he's doing a 'George Lucas' on it or not i.e. remaking it just for the sake of it ( and making £££ selling another version ) or if it was really necessary to allow new talent to appear in the live version as the original performers are getting on a bit ( those who are still alive ).

Bit of both probably. That version of Forever Autumn by Gary Barlow isn't a patch on the original.

[rhinochopig]

Whilst I should give it the benefit of the doubt, I have to say the very idea of it fills me with horror.

No one would have believed that he'd remake it with such a demonstrably inferior cast, and what I've heard of it I thought was a poor facsimile of the original material.

Still, if it keep Jeff in beer vouchers then good luck to him.

Wonder if he'll ever get his film off the ground.

[Russ35]

DoctorX said:

MartG said:

Out today - thankfully it retains the essentials from the original, but I'm not sure if he's doing a 'George Lucas' on it or not i.e. remaking it just for the sake of it ( and making £££ selling another version ) or if it was really necessary to allow new talent to appear in the live version as the original performers are getting on a bit ( those who are still alive ).

Bit of both probably. That version of Forever Autumn by Gary Barlow isn't a patch on the original.

Just given it a quick listen, and I would say Gary Barlow is the best out of the vocalists. I got used to Liam Neeson by the end.

My favourite section of the original version is the Phil Lynott/Julie Covington - The Spirit of Man. I could listen to this track all day. This is totally ruined on this new version. I'm trying to work out if Maverick Sabre(who ?) was just taking the p**s when he did his bits. The accent just sounds absolute s**t and goes all over the place. Joss Stone is hard to judge due to Maverick Sabre being so distracting.

Jeff must have got a new toy as there are plenty of echos and other effects put on the vocals throughout the album. It just doesn't seem as smooth as the original.

I'll give it another go tomorrow when I'm probably a bit more awake and can get the volume up a bit more.

[russell_ram]

I have front row seats for the 'revised' stage show at the NIA next Friday. Saw the 'old' version a couple of years back - superb. Hopefully the updated Fx will make it even better. Thoroughly recommended to anyone who bought the original album. Even Mrs RR enjoyed it even though she claimed no knowledge of having heard it previously - perhaps that had more to do with her teenage obsession with David Essex?

Edited by russell_ram on Thursday 29th November 13:21

[mike80]

Just started listening to this. It's a bit of a mixed bag to be honest!

[duncancallum]

Liam Neilson fk off

Gary Barlow fk off

I think I have said enough

[s3fella]

I have the original especially for stereo only mode in our cinema room on my Ruark Crusaders. It's just a brilliant piece of music, a real treat to listen to. Why do they think it necessary to redo it?

[MartG]

Well I've listened to it a couple of times now, and although it has one or two interesting segments, overall it isn't a patch on the original. Pretty much all of the vocals are flat and uninteresting, Neeson's narration completely lacks the emotion of Burton's, and the slight Afro-Carribean accent of the parson just doesn't work at all.

[s3fella]

MartG said:

Well I've listened to it a couple of times now, and although it has one or two interesting segments, overall it isn't a patch on the original. Pretty much all of the vocals are flat and uninteresting, Neeson's narration completely lacks the emotion of Burton's, and the slight Afro-Carribean accent of the parson just doesn't work at all.

Racialist.

[Halmyre]

duncancallum said:

Liam Neilson fk off

Gary Barlow fk off

I think I have said enough

I'm OK with Liam Neeson, so Barlow can fk off twice.

[fatboy69]

duncancallum said:

Liam Neilson fk off

Gary Barlow fk off

I think I have said enough

Agreed. The orginal recording is perfection IMO. Got it on 12 inch vinyl, cassette for the car...., cd & on my iPad.

If I need to chill out at home I nearly always out War Of The Worlds on for an hour or so. It soothes me. I also think that Richard Burtons narration is possible the best narrative ever recorded.

The original is worth buying just for the narration.

[Marvindodgers]

I've listened to it through a couple of times on Spotify now and I've grown to like Liam Neeson's narration. Gary Barlow doesn't sound a whole lot different to Justin Hayward to be honest and so not an issue to me. However, I have big issues with the artillery man and the parson - just terrible!

Can't see why I would listen to it again though - I'll just stick with the original.

[marcosgt]

I guess we have to accept that this is a way to bring it to a new generation.

I was pretty young when the original was released and, whilst some will appreciate music regardless, Joss Stone and Gary F'ing Barlow will resonate with a younger audience than David Essex (was he really any more credible than Barlow, musically?) or Justin Hayward. The same with Neeson, he's Qui-Gon Ginn for God's sake!

I've heard a bit of it and wouldn't mind hearing it all, but from what I've heard I can't imagine it being a patch on the original and I won't be buying it without a listen first.

M.

Edited by marcosgt on Monday 3rd December 10:38

[Marvindodgers]

marcosgt said:

I was pretty young when the original was released and, whilst some will appreciate music regardless, Joss Stone and Gary F'ing Barlow will resonate with a younger audience than David Essex (was he really any more credible than Barlow, musically?) or Justin Hayward. The same with Neeson, he's Qui-Gon Ginn for God's sake!

I have no issue with Gary Barlow at all. To be honest, I think he is a credible singer/songwriter.

[TheHeretic]

Listened to this using the previews on iTunes. Just feels wrong with Neeson, but seems to be more upbeat from the little sections I listened to.

[Morningside]

I am a great fan of the original and have on most formats.

But this version is not as bad as people are making out.

Did it give me some goose pimples in places? Well, yes. Yes it did.

Even if you hate it at least it (hopefully) will get people listening and maybe they we lookup the original.

[CrabDan]

If ANYBODY was ever to have gone near this, it should've been Devin Townsend

[marcosgt]

Morningside said:

I am a great fan of the original and have on most formats.

But this version is not as bad as people are making out.

Did it give me some goose pimples in places? Well, yes. Yes it did.

Even if you hate it at least it (hopefully) will get people listening and maybe they we lookup the original.

I must admit, I agree. I'm listening to it on WE7 right now.

I'm sure it's not as good as the original, so it does beg the question whether it was really needed, but given it was (for whatever reason), it's really not a bad effort and does, as Lynn said in a radio interview I heard a little while ago, take advantage of some of the advances in production techniques.

If you really LOVE WOTW and play it over and over you might want this one too, but I'll stick with the original being an occasional listener.

I do, though, agree that 'The Artilleryman' is very unconvincing.

M

[stephen300o]

Sounds the same as the old one to me.