Gosh what a song. and to think that it was played live would anyone ever even think of doing this today. i simply adore this song and have even gone so far as to sing the song and read the narration accapella to a group of children at a summer camp i worked at. my little brother liked it so much i had to make him a version on cassette so he could play it in his kiddy tape player.

id like to mention the different versions of the song available.
the version i am reviewing here is i think the best version. at 40 minutes it is the full length containing narration, and orchestra, and a chorus. it tells the tale and illustrates it magnificently.

but a rather common version which i heard first and mistakenly bought again in an attempt to get the 40 minute version is very good as well.
it runs 30 minutes was recorded in a studio without any narration, orchestra, or chorus. it features improved singing which is a bone of contention with the original song i know. i purchased a two disc set entitled journey to the center of the earth which contained this version.

i would recommend the full version which is only contained in this cd as far as i know. it will not disapoint at filling any listener with awe and wonder.

I was so excited to see this on CD. I still have the album from the 70's. It was just as I remembered, and so fitting to buy it now, with the movie coming out soon!

Like anything from the past, it's never as good as you remember it to be.

Now here is a peice of music written expressly for the book titled, what else, "Journey To The Center Of The Earth" by Jules Verne. The orchestra and mix with guitars and electronics is awesome.

What an exciting listen! The narrator tells the story well and you can see it all unfold while you watch the movie - 'er rather listen to the CD. It's that good!

I owned this title way back when it first came out on vinyl, and bought it the first time I found out it was on CD.

Once upon a time, the world famous rock pianist Richard Wakeman wrote a couple of half-tunes. After not having finished them, he handed them to his arranger, a serious musical mind called Lou Littlejohn, and said: 'well, here are the basics. You think you can make a large scale symphonic sort of opera like thing out of this? I need to put out a new album.' Littlejohn nodded. He took the tapes home and worked feverishly for three weeks. Out came most enjoyable orchestral bits and pieces. Wakeman loved them. 'Now', he said, 'all we need to do is add my pub band and a newsreader, and there's my new masterpiece.'
Again, Littlejohn nodded and dared not speak, in awe of this keyboard giant, this hero of progressive rock. For a moment he considered asking Wakeman to include his name on the LP sleeve, but after another glance at the masters glittering golden cape, he thought better of it.