As I write this, I’d have to go with Operation: Mindcrime by Queensryche. Nice coherent storyline, interesting characters, and the character made a good try at learning something from his ordeal. Also, it was pretty much the only time that hard rock gave a shot at doing something interesting. There really hasn’t been an interesting concept album since this time, and rock has slid into stupidity quite rapidly since 1988.
After this one, I’d fill out the top 5 of concept albums with…
2.) Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3.) Jethro Tull - A Passion Play
4.) Moody Blues - To Our Childrens’ Childrens’ Children
5.) Pink Floyd - The Wall
Depends on what you call a concept album. Radiohead’s OK Computer and Kid A, Weezer’s Pinkerton and Cursive’s The Ugly Organ are all great albums that have been often described as concept albums.
I agree with Operation:Mindcrime. An amazing album, especially if you consider the genre it came from.
I also think Three Sides to Every Story by Extreme is a great album. Not so much from the storyline, but some of the music (particularly part three) is captivating and a departure for a hard rock band.
I’d go with Arkansas Traveller by Michelle Shocked. It’s basically a primer on the history of Southern music. I’d assumed that “Come a Long Way” was tacked on as a sop to the label (i.e. a salable single that had nothing to do with the album’s premise), but it wasn’t; it was part of the greater story. She had to get out of LA to rediscover her weird Southern musical roots.
Savatage - Streets: A Rock Opera is one of my favorites, and it tells a really good story.
Eminem - The Eminem Show and The Marshall Mathers LP: Both albums are excellent tools that Eminem uses to get his story across. Both records together tell a really good story, although not as traditional as others in the thread.
Incubus - The Morning View Sessions: While not a story exactlly the songs have a path through them that you can follow if you listen closely enough.
Radiohead- Kid A
Deltron 3030- Deltron 3030
Handsome Boy Modeling School- So… How’s Your Girl?
Prince Paul- A Prince Among Thieves
Yes- Closer to the Edge
Pink Floyd- Darkside of the Moon, The Wall
Beastie Boys- The In Sound From Way Out
Gorillaz- Gorillaz
Tenacious D- Tenacious D
Beatles- White Album
The Who- Tommy
Best? Matter of opinion, probably. But one of my early favorites was Spartacus by the German ELP clone Triumvirat. Based on the Roman slave revolt, I think it slightly edges out their other concept endeavour, Pompeii, strangely mistitled on Amazon.
Berlin by Lou Reed was so far ahead of its time that we’re all still trying to catch up! That, and, uh, Metal Machine Music, but I’m not sure we want to catch up with that one…
All good suggestions, so far. Operation Mindcrime is absolute genius, and I can’t argue with Savatage’s Streets or the epic Aqualung.
But The Amazing Blue Oyster Cult’s Imaginos owns you all
H.P. Lovecraft, voodoo, John Dee, this album’s got it all.
“At the terminal point
of the cul-de-sac
Patient’s are dyin’
the horses are dazed
from the glare of stars
starry wisdom
owned by the Baron
and he’s got the cure…
a drug by the name of
WORLD WITHOUT END!”
Frank Zappa’s Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, We’re Only In it For the Money, Lumpy Gravy, Cruising with Ruben and the Jets, Uncle Meat, Joe’s Garage, Thing-Fish, Civilization Phaze III, and probably some others that are escaping me.
Perhaps Devo’s first album, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! counts. Perhaps not.
