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Nine Inch Nails - Help Me I Am In Hell - I thought about leaving Richard Burton's narration without any backing as per the original, but decided to use this NIN tune, a slow ominous building of distorted guitar that effectively sets the scene for the carnage to come.
A-Ha - Minor Earth, Major Sky - Aside from the title of the song being ironic considering the story, there was something about this tune that once it had gotten into my head just seemed so right as a backdrop for the Narrator's description of the initial sighting of the cylinders and their arrival on Horsell Common.
Nine Inch Nails - Suck - The second of seven NIN tunes used mainly because (a) I'm a huge fan and (b) Trent Reznor writes such cinematic music. I did consider doing the whole project with NIN tunes, but I'd already scored the All Saints track at this point and nothing else seemed to fit anywhere near as well. The rhythmic, repetitive nature of this music lends our first description of the Martians and their deadly heat ray an unsettling feeling.
All Saints - Pure Shores - This was an obvious choice to convey the feeling of calm before the storm as the Narrator describes people going about their lives blissfully unaware that in a few short hours everything would be different forever.
Nine Inch Nails - Slipping Away - This slow, relentless, driving tune matches the feeling of unease that grows within the Narrator as he struggles with the impossible scenario that is unfolding before him. The brief spoken vocal by Trent Reznor at the end perfectly captures the Narrator's state of mind as he slips into a restless sleep.
Nine Inch Nails - Deep - Again the strong rhythmic drive of this song matches the Martian's trieless, single-minded construction of their fighting machines.
Nine Inch Nails - We're In This Together - This title again has a weird synchronicity with the events being narrated as the Narrator and the Artilleryman set out towards London. The tune kicks into its frenzied guitar assault just as our Narrator gets his first look at the fighting machines and continues relentlessly until he has his lucky escape at its' climax. The quiet coda at the end also fits the Narrator's despair as he arrives at Carrie's house to find her gone.
The Bravery - Honest Mistake - The sheer driving nature of this track made it an easy choice for the Narrator's flight through the refugees and his last glance of his beloved Carrie, before the fighting machines arrive and take on the valiant Thunder Child. It's a brave stand but ultimately futile as the Martians melt the battleship's hull, and to the final distorted chord of NIN's Hurt we brace ourselves for life under the Martians..........
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Chris Isaak - Wicked Game - I needed a track that was laid back, but not too morose. The idea was to take the pace down a little after the frenetic pace of Thunder Child's demise, and Chris Isaak's tune fitted the bill perfectly. They give the Parson's words a certain cinematic quality, a Parson voiced not by Phil Lynott as in the original, but by Charles Davis, and which gives us a much different feel to Lynott and Julie Covington's duet, and one which is true to Wells's novel. By a happy coincidence the instrumental that I used ends just as the cylinder lands on the house that they're in.
Ride - Leave Them All Behind - Another cinematic tune, and one that had been a firm favourite of mine since seeing it live at the Reading Festival in 1992. It compliments Burton's breathless account of the Parson's insane ramblings, of his constant threat of giving them away to the Martians outside, and of his ultimate demise. Again, an oddly synchronistic title as the Narrator literally leaves the Parson behind.
Duran Duran - Planet Earth (night version) - An upbeat, uplifting tune that perfectly matches the Artilleryman's optimism for his Brave New World. Ultimately his hopes and dreams for Planet Earth (yes, I know) are futile - he's a dreamer, nothing more and our Narrator moves on, alone.
Wolfsheim - Once In A Lifetime (club mix) - This tune for me always had a strange kind of uplifting feel to it, despite the original lyrics actually being quie bleak (strange, that, for a German electronica band). As our Narrator makes his way into the heart of dead London, this provides a fitting soundtrack, capturing his momentum as he is drawn towards the Martian camp.
Nine Inch Nails - La Mer - After the abrupt silence, it seemed fitting for a hypnotic, slowly building piece of music as our Narrator hurries into the lion's den, his hope gone, intending to throw himself at their feet only to find that the threat is no more. Which leads us nicely to.... As it builds to its crescendo and fade, it provides a fitting end to our journey, except that, in the spirit of Jeff Wayne's original version you don't really think I'm going to give you a happy ending. Do you?
Nine Inch Nails - Pinion - In the spirit of all good tales, we end where we began, with a menacing, slowly building tune, underpinning a previously unheard alternate ending to Jeff Wayne's masterpiece. And to round it all off, I just couldn't resist one final homage.......
Legal Bit
Obviously all of the copyright in this project resides with the various bands and songwriters, and I sincerely hope that they are flattered that I think enough of them and their music to include them in my labour of love, but should anyone want me to remove anything from this site (which due to the nature of the project would effectively terminate it), then I will of course, albeit with a heavy heart, comply. This is a strictly not-for-profit site, and done out of a love for the source material. It would, of course, be remiss of me at this point not to point out that I'd love to do something like this 'officially', so please feel free to contact me via my website, the link for which you'll find to your left........