Ahem. Joe’s Garage, by Frank Zappa.
Also, Dark Side of the Moon by Pink. Preferably, played as counterpoint to the Wizard of Oz.
“If A=B, B=C, and C=D, do not get a job proofreading” --Quid’s Theorem
Random but relevant thoughts:
I never got Moving Pictures as a concept album. Roll the Bones is a better example, almost all the songs on it dealing with choices, luck and fate. Strange that it was bright and hopeful and the next album sooo dark.
Master of Puppets is no way a concept album, you little twit. Had a little too much weed?
Dark Side and Wizard-my Mom and I rented Wizard and we were blown away. She loved the music, never hearing Floyd before.
“On the edge of sleep, I awoke to a sun so bright…”
AzRaek said:
I’m not sure of the timing, but could that have been when Peart found out his wife had cancer (she died last year or maybe two years ago, I believe – and his daughter apparently was killed in a car accident a few months earlier/later).
“What can be more deluding, or even dangerous, than false comfort that blinds our vision and inspires passivity?”
– Stephen Jay Gould, Rocks of Ages
So. Every Floyd album is a concept album, HUH? Not hardly.
I know I’ll be sorry for asking this, but what makes you 100% positive that Master of Puppets - Metallica - is NOT a concept album?
It has vastly more structure and musical integrity than most of the other “concept” albums that are mentioned here in passing.
Forgot to mention The Rock Opera Tommy by The Who. Without a doubt.
“Right is only half of what’s wrong”
- George Harrison -
I miss the concept album format, it doesn’t seem like very many people are doing them anymore.
Roger Waters’ albums are excellent examples of good and easy-to-comprehend concept albums. This of course includes the Pink Floyd stuff toward the end of the time that he was still with them.
Ruhs’s concept albums have always made sense to me (both sides, not just one). But they take more thought. Every album does have a basic theme (except maybe the first one).
It seems funny that no one has mentioned the Alan Parsons Project. Several of their albums have themes, some more obvious than others. Three examples: “Gaudi”, “Turn of a Friendly Card”, and “Tales of Mystery and Imagination”
“The day after tomorrow is the third day of the rest of your life.” -George Carlin
You have all forgotten Ziggy Stardust by Bowie, Another fine concept album.
And yes, Joe’s Garage is a fabulous concept album (and makes me laugh eveytime I hear it also).
Many Talking heads albums could be considered concept albums as well.
To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.
Good point. Keep in mind Pink Floyd’s influence on Parsons was profound. IIRC, he produced Dark Side of the Moon and was nominated for a grammy for his work. He was also an engineer on Abbey Road, if memory serves.
What about concept albums outside the realm of Rock? IIRC Merle Travis’s “Down Home” and Johnny Cash’s “Ride this Train” both predate “Sgt Pepper”!
[quote[You have all forgotten Ziggy Stardust by Bowie, Another fine concept album.[/quote]
A great concept album! That’s why I mentioned it 4 posts down from the top of the thread!
I don’t know if there’s ever been a concept album that had a totally coherent narrative, with characters, cause and effect, dramatic structure, and so on, but several already mentioned here had a general kind of story that you could more or less follow by listening to the songs. (Of course, some required a little extra asssitance, such as the picture book and story synopsis in QUADROPHENIA.)
I would add to the list Alice Cooper’s THE LAST TEMPTATION. It’s easy to follow the general thread: the circus comes to town; the master of ceremonies turns out to be the Devil’s minion, trying to tempt the lead character to Hell. More specific plot points were made in the three-part comic that accompanied the record, but this was actually pretty boring; the strenght of the concept rested on the impact of the songs, not on tightly woven narrative threads
A country concept album–Willie Nelson’s “The Red-Headed Stranger.”
Oops sorry papa bear! <smile>
My bad, after reading all the posts I must have forgotten your mention of Ziggy.
To deal with men by force is as impractical as to deal with nature by persuasion.
The concept album isn’t dead…
Radiohead’s OK Computer is a magnificent ode to modern techno-paranoia. Airbag is about a near-car accident, Lucky about a plane crash, Letdown about mass transit and the uselessness thereof, paranoid android is obvious, the third track (title too long) is about an alien abduction. I could go on…
Also, The Wall is an excellent example of the concept album that tells a story (which really makes it a rock opera, something I think is a separate category from concept album)
The concept album isn’t dead…
Radiohead’s OK Computer is a magnificent ode to modern techno-paranoia. Airbag is about a near-car accident, Lucky about a plane crash, Letdown about mass transit and the uselessness thereof, paranoid android is obvious, the third track (title too long) is about an alien abduction. I could go on…
Also, The Wall is an excellent example of the concept album that tells a story (which really makes it a rock opera, something I think is a separate category from concept album)
Will proceed to make everybody mad, as usual…I don’t like concept albums at all. In the best of cases, like “The Wall”, they’re built around a couple of good songs, but then much of the rest is dull filler that carries the story along, more or less, often unsuccessfully. Even the Who packed “Quadrophenia” and especially “Tommy” with a lot of filler.
I do really like albums like “Highway 61 Revisited” and “Exile on Main Street” in which all the songs have a coherent sound and every song reminds you of every other one and they all just seem to fit together. “Astral Weeks”, “London Calling”, “Nevermind”, “Are You Experienced?”, “Blonde on Blonde”, and the first one of them all, “Rubber Soul” are other records that all just seem to fit together.
I’ve always regarded the Styx album “The Grand Illusion” as a concept album, but maybe I see connections between the songs there that others don’t…
Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post
I’ve always regarded the Styx album “The Grand Illusion” as a concept album, but maybe I see connections between the songs there that others don’t…
Designated Optional Signature at Bottom of Post
Some more obscure ones
The Point - Nilsson
The story of Oblio & his dog Arrow who were banished to the Pointless Forest for not having pointed heads like everyone else. Gave us the song ‘Me and my Arrow’
666 - Aphrodites Child (Vangelis et. al.)
Very strange telling of the Apocalypse of John 13/18
Does anyone remember Genesis’ “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway”? Or “Tales from Topographic Oceans” by Yes? Classic examples of overblown 70’s concept albums (though I really do like them).
Oblio, I think “The Point” was the soundtrack to the animated cartoon. Check www.imdb.com for details.
Your right Guy, I used to play the album often on the air in college before I even saw the animation. IMHO it stands alone as a album but I guess it would be best to leave soundtracks out of the running. Sadly, last I checked both the soundtrack & video were out of print.
A point in every direction is like no point at all