Two of the best albums I’ve heard are electroshock blues by the eels (about the band leader coming to grips with the death of his mom and sister) and the heroin diaries soundtrack by Sixx AM, about Nikki Sixx’s battle with heroin.
So are there other good albums, preferably (but not necessarily) in the alternative, rock or metal genres, that are written as an expression of the emotions that come up with loss, challenges, trauma, humiliation, setbacks, etc?
A lot of bonnie prince Billy’s early stuff was extremely melancholic and desolate. He really found his form with ‘I see a darkness’ from around 10 years ago. It’s a landmark album that leavens real sadness with a lot of uplifting, fighting spirit.
He’s gotten a lot more cheerful since then, but never made an album as strong IMO.
The Streets, A Grand Don’t Come for Free tells the story of his recent troubles and triumphs
You can’t go any further “down” than with Type O Negative’s World Coming Down. Cocaine addiction and wry humor (“White Slavery”) abound here.
Sea Change by Beck. I bought that album not long after a long-time girlfriend and I broke up. I shed a lot of tears to that record, but it was very cathartic.
Neil Young’s Tonight’s the Night written after the death of two friends is a truly great album. I’m sure the poor poor rock star me stuff is really about his grief.
Lou Reed’s Magic and Loss is good but not great. It features a handful of good songs and is about the death of two of his friends.
In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel is supposedly about Anne Frank but it seems to be more universal than that. Holland, 1945 is sheer genius and since I have discovered Jeff Mangum it seems that most Indie bands owe him a huge debt.
Mellon Collie & the infinite sadness by the Smashing Pumpkins is good for that kind of thing (break ups) too.
Life of Agony - River Runs Red
“Electro-Shock Blues” is a stunning cry from the heart that thankfully ends with a cathartic affirmation of life in “P.S. You Rock My World”. I consider it a modern pop masterpiece.
Maybe not a masterpiece but there’s a world-weary beauty and emotional honesty in “Sea Change” that Beck hasn’t since matched.
I came into this thread to nominate the above two albums and I honestly can’t think of anything else at the moment. I briefly considered some of Roger Waters era Pink Floyd, specifically “The Wall” but I think a lot of the genuine emotion gets overwhelmed by murk and artifice.