synsei
20-08-2014, 18:02
http://eil.com/images/main/Jeff+Wayne+-+The+War+Of+the+Worlds+-+The+New+Generation+-+DOUBLE+LP-578666.jpg
I have just tried to listen to this with an open mind and whilst musically it is generally okay, if a little fussy in parts, there are a couple of serious casting issues.
As much as I admire Liam Neeson his voice just doesn't possess the gravitas needed for the part of the narrator. My personal choice for the role would have been Sir Anthony Hopkins who IMO is easily capable of matching Richard Burton on a good day.
Ricky Wilson as the Artilleryman? Do me a favour!!! As musically talented as he is, on this album he's about as characterful as a dead rat. It would have been far more fun to have cast someone with a regional accent such as one of the Gallagher brothers, this would have given the Artilleryman the added dimension so desperately needed here.
Maverick Sabre is trying way to hard to out-'Lynott' Phil, a singularly impossible task. It would have been far more preferable to go in a completely different direction with this character to keep things fresh, perhaps employing the services of Daman Albarn for the part and maybe introducing a less manic but somewhat more paranoid parson.
Now I like Joss Stone but she isn't entirely successful in the part of Beth. I wouldn't necessarily replace her but rather direct her to perform the part in a similar style to that of Julie Covington, who got it down pretty much perfectly on the original album.
The two great surprises of the album are Garry Barlow and Alex Clare, both of whom really run with the spirit of the original. Barlow's portrayal of Forever Autumn in particular is lovely and easily a match for the original. Clare's performance on Thunderchild is virtually indistinguishable from the original, which suits me just fine as it is an epic song.
All in all I came away from this feeling that The New Generation has been a lost opportunity to refresh this iconic franchise... :eyebrows:
I have just tried to listen to this with an open mind and whilst musically it is generally okay, if a little fussy in parts, there are a couple of serious casting issues.
As much as I admire Liam Neeson his voice just doesn't possess the gravitas needed for the part of the narrator. My personal choice for the role would have been Sir Anthony Hopkins who IMO is easily capable of matching Richard Burton on a good day.
Ricky Wilson as the Artilleryman? Do me a favour!!! As musically talented as he is, on this album he's about as characterful as a dead rat. It would have been far more fun to have cast someone with a regional accent such as one of the Gallagher brothers, this would have given the Artilleryman the added dimension so desperately needed here.
Maverick Sabre is trying way to hard to out-'Lynott' Phil, a singularly impossible task. It would have been far more preferable to go in a completely different direction with this character to keep things fresh, perhaps employing the services of Daman Albarn for the part and maybe introducing a less manic but somewhat more paranoid parson.
Now I like Joss Stone but she isn't entirely successful in the part of Beth. I wouldn't necessarily replace her but rather direct her to perform the part in a similar style to that of Julie Covington, who got it down pretty much perfectly on the original album.
The two great surprises of the album are Garry Barlow and Alex Clare, both of whom really run with the spirit of the original. Barlow's portrayal of Forever Autumn in particular is lovely and easily a match for the original. Clare's performance on Thunderchild is virtually indistinguishable from the original, which suits me just fine as it is an epic song.
All in all I came away from this feeling that The New Generation has been a lost opportunity to refresh this iconic franchise... :eyebrows: