Oct 28, 2006

War of the Worlds

A few weeks ago i mentioned HD problems, well this week my maxtor crapped out completely, leaving me with a 19 days back up gap, gone were my preparations for several blog updates i use to work on in advance, sure it could have been worse. Hopefully the Seagate HD will live up to its reputation and save me from headaches like that.

This next item as you can see comes just in time to commemorate its 68th birthday, and don't think it couldn't happen again.



This article appeared in the New York Times on Oct. 31, 1938.

A wave of mass hysteria seized thousands of radio listeners between 8:15 and 9:30 o'clock last night when a broadcast of a dramatization of H. G. Wells's fantasy, "The War of the Worlds," led thousands to believe that an interplanetary conflict had started with invading Martians spreading wide death and destruction in New Jersey and New York.

The broadcast, which disrupted households, interrupted religious services, created traffic jams and clogged communications systems, was made by Orson Welles, who as the radio character, "The Shadow," used to give "the creeps" to countless child listeners. This time at least a score of adults required medical treatment for shock and hysteria.

In Newark, in a single block at Heddon Terrace and Hawthorne Avenue, more than twenty families rushed out of their houses with wet handkerchiefs and towels over their faces to flee from what they believed was to be a gas raid. Some began moving household furniture.

Throughout New York families left their homes, some to flee to near-by parks. Thousands of persons called the police, newspapers and radio stations here and in other cities of the United States and Canada seeking advice on protective measures against the raids



Shortly after 8 o'clock on Sunday evening, October 30, 1938, many Americans became anxious or panic-stricken after listening to a realistic live one-hour radio play depicting a fictitious Martian landing at the Wilmuth farm in the tiny hamlet of Grovers Mill, New Jersey. Those living in the immediate vicinity of the bogus invasion appeared to have been most frightened, although the broadcast could be heard in all regions of the continental United States and no one particular location was immune. The play included references to real places, buildings, highways, and streets. The broadcast also contained prestigious speakers, convincing sound effects, and realistic special bulletins. The drama was produced by a 23-year-old theatrical prodigy named George Orson Welles accompanied by a small group of actors and musicians in a New York City studio of the Columbia Broadcasting System's Mercury Theater. The actual broadcast script was written by Howard Koch, who loosely based it on the 1898 book The War of the Worlds by acclaimed science fiction writer Herbert George (H.G.) Wells (1866-1946). It remains arguably the most widely known delusion in United States, perhaps world history, and many radio stations around the world continue to broadcast the original play each Halloween eve.

Enjoy the ultimate frightnight, original broadcast 30-10-1938, why not replay at home..the script is included.

>>> O.Welles-War of the Worlds (MP3-27mb)

Welles'WellsWorldsWar @ Wiki



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In 1978 Jeff Wayne decided to put H.G.Wells story to music, with hindsight, it seems almost incredible, a young musician (who at the time primarily wrote music for commercials) fell in love with H.G. Wells' much-loved book.
Nearly three decades after it's initial release, the album still sounds just as fresh & exciting now as it did back then. Besides the legendary, commanding voice of Richard Burton as the album's narrator, Jeff Wayne's stunning music rocks, rouses, has incredible beauty and is effectively eerie. Great singers like Justin Hayward, David Essex, Thin Lizzy's Phil Lynott & Julie Covington backed by incredible musicians like Jo Partridge, Herbie Flowers, Chris Spedding, and Jeff Wayne himself.

Opening with Sir Richard Burton's chilling words to this H. G. Wells classic, the stage is set for the impending doom and terror of the next 90 minutes

>>> Wayne's War of the World (remastered 154 Mb)


01 - Eve of the War
02 - Horsell Common and the Heat Ray
03 - The Artillaryman and the Fighting Machine
04 - Forever Autumn
05 - Thunder Child
06 - The Red Weed (part 1)
07 - The Spirit of Man
08 - The Red Weed (part2)
09 - The Artilleryman Returns
10 - Brave New World
11 - Dead London
12 - Epilogue (Part 1)
13 - Epilogue (Part 2) (NASA)

Here's the dedicated website, it announces the DVD release, Live on stage, War of the Worlds the 6th next month.
War of the Worlds Website check out the microsite !

Wayne'sWellsWorldsWar @ Wiki

Wayne'sWellsWorldsWar @ Amazon


* Downloads are in ogg-7, artwork is included aswell as a very nifty ogg encoder/decoder.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is an interesting but musically very dated project. The rhthym section is quit annoying and Phil Lynnot's part is laughable. There are some interesting ideas here and there but Wayne tends to repeat them over and over again. Worth a listen though.

Jörg said...

We had the book with th cover of the record as a textbook in 81 for our English class! We listened to the records several times, mainly before holidays.
Thanks again for this post!
I liked the music, but not enough to buy it.

A Dashing Blade said...

"I liked the music, but not enough to buy it."
Harsh . . . . but fair!