War of the Worlds is a work of genius. I’m not referring to the H.G. Wells classic, or the Orson Welles radio play, or even the Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise blockbuster. What I’m talking about is the disco rock opera adaptation created by Jeff Wayne in 1978.

As quaint as the concept may sound in the context of contemporary pop culture, epic rock operas were not so unheard of back in the golden haze of the 1970’s. The Who pioneered the genre in the late 60s with Tommy and Quadrophenia, and Yes front man Rick Wakeman went on to release a number of deranged prog-rock concept albums in the early 70’s. Wakeman’s muddled masterpieces were based on classic British tales such as Jules Verne’s Journey to the Centre of the Earth, the legends of King Arthur, and even a conceptual interpretation of the six wives of Henry VIII (with each dame receiving a song suited to her distinct personality).

Perhaps Wakeman’s LSD-fueled nationalist concept albums are what inspired Jeff Wayne, a largely unknown television jingle-writer, to create what is undoubtedly the most epic document of human creativity ever laid down on vinyl. There is no way to do justice to this seminal album’s depth in writing. The music retells the classic apocalyptic invasion story through incomprehensibly dynamic orchestration, with sparse (but perfectly dramatic) narration by 7-time Academy Award-nominated actor Richard Burton. The characters occasionally burst into songs, sung by Moody Blues front man Justin Hayward, Philip Lynott of Thin Lizzy, David Essex, and Andrew Lloyd Webber muse Julie Covington.

While Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds went multi-platinum in the UK, it failed to catch on in the United States, mostly because of a bizarre shipping snafu. Justin Hayward’s chart-registering single, “Forever Autumn” initially attracted some attention, but Columbia Records was so slow getting the actual album onto shelves that by the time it arrived in stores, the public had mostly forgotten about it.

The legacy doesn’t end there, but I’m sure you can read the Wikipedia entry if you really care about all the specifics. The point is, every human being must listen to War of the Worlds at least once in his or her life, or else they will die without knowing true beauty. If you don’t believe me, check out this amazing track from the second disc, a dire existential debate between a fallen pastor and his wife.

Listen to “Parson Nathaniel (The Spirit of Man)” by Jeff Wayne [download]