Description
Offered for sale is a limited edition U.S. half speed mastered pressing of the double album Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds.
About this copy: This copy of The War Of The Worlds is a 1981 U.S. pressing on the Columbia label of an album that was originally released in 1978. This limited edition audiophile pressing was issued as part of Columbia’s short-lived “Mastersound” series of half speed mastered LPs.
The cover is VG++, with no wear, but with bends on the two upper corners. There is a promotional stamp on the back cover.
The original clear outer sleeve is included; it has become a bit cloudy with age. The sleeve has a hype sticker that mentions four songs and that Richard Burton narrated the album.
The 16 page booklet is M-.
The two discs are M- and look unplayed. Clean discs!
A nice copy of one of the harder to find titles in the Mastersound series. This is one of only three double albums that were issued in the format, and they sold poorly due to the high price.
Background: Released in 1978, Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds was a various artists LP that included performances by Phil Lynott, Justin Hayward and David Essex, among others, and featured narration by Richard Burton.
The album reached #5 on the UK album chart and #94 on the U.S. album chart.
Allmusic.com gave Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version Of The War Of The Worlds a 4 star review:
Released 40 years after Orson Welles’ infamous radio version of the H.G. Wells tale, Jeff Wayne’s musical version of War of the Worlds straddles old-style radio drama and contemporary orchestrated narratives by Rick Wakeman and David Bedford. And while it lacks the sophisticated arrangements of, say, Journey to the Centre of the Earth, it does boast an impressively odd cast — this may be the only time that a member of Thin Lizzy worked with Richard Burton, and the presence of Julie Covington and the Moody Blues’ Justin Hayward in very attractive singing roles attest to its pop/rock aspirations. It’s Burton’s sonorous tones that sustain this work; his frequent solo narrations are eminently listenable, whereas sections featuring dialogue with other characters often come off as a bit stilted.
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| Country of origin: | U.S. |
| Size: | 12″ |
| Record Label: | Columbia |
| Catalog Number: |
HC2 45290 |
| Year of Release: | 1981 |
| Format: | Stereo |
| Share: |       |
