Seriously, I can’t believe the lack of love Pink Floyd: The Wall is getting in this thread. C’mon people, it’s The Wall! What, is it too obvious or something?
Of course, I also love a lot of the other ones mentioned already, notably Ziggy Stardust, Quadrophenia, Lamb Lies Down…, and rest of the Floyd stuff. But really the discussion starts with The Wall. 
What about Speakerboxxx/The Love Below by OutKast?
I’m not entirely sure if it falls under the heading of Concept or just a solid Double Album.
The songs seem to play off of each other, and the video for “Roses” seems to pit 'boxxx against 'Below in a West Side Story type fight.
Then again, given that I am just 26, This was one of the first Albums I actually remember listening to, and waiting to purchase the album. (One of the last albums I bought from a brick and mortar store, come to think of it, and the customer in front of me bought it too.)
I’m not THAT big into music, but, I think Speakerboxxx/Love Below actually connected with me, they way that most albums connect with most people further into music.
I don’t think anyone can deny the impact “Hey Ya!” (and the others) had early on in this decade.
*Operation: Mindcrime *may be my favorite album, concept or otherwise. Very close to that is Misplaced Childhood. I’ll have to check out Brave. I could never get into the post-Fish Marillion. That is probably the one musical breakup that pissed me off the most.
I might also add Marillion’s Clutching at Straws. I don’t know if it can officially be considered a concept album. Some tracks stand on their own. But there is a theme that runs through most of the album. Another one of my favorites.
I’d like to add another Willie Nelson album to the two I already mentioned:* Willie & The Wheel*. In which Willie Nelson sings Western Swing & Asleep at the Wheel backs him up. Apparently Jerry Wexler had planned a Willie/Western Swing album many years ago, but Willie left his label. Ray Benson of the Wheel revived the project & Wexler produced. It was Mr Wexler’s last job.
This isn’t a “concept” album that tells a story. More like: “Country Music that Really Swings: What a Concept!” Trumpet, trombone & clarinet appear on some numbers; at their peak, Bob Wills & The Texas Playboys were a genuine Big Band–plus fiddles & pedal steel. And Willie gets to demonstrate the vocal style that irritated the Nashville Squares who were so sure he had no future as a recording artist–he should just stick to writing hits. So he moved back to Texas.
Listening to this new set of tunes made me drag out Ride With Bob–an earlier Wheel effort in which they backed an interesting assortment of artists singing Bob Wills tunes–in a jazzy, bluesy vein. This article gives some really great background. It also mentions Swing–in which the Wheel backed Manhattan Transfer & Stephane Grapellli made an appearance; off to my friendly neighborhood record store I shall go.
Does this stuff fit the definition of “concept album” in this thread? Well, many of the works others have mentioned come from the days when we, umm, augmented the listening experience in various ways. The Annals of Texas Music reveal that Willie Nelson & Doug Sahm invited Ray Benson to move to Texas in 1973–just after the Wheel’s first album came out. Remembering those days (sort of) I guarantee that was a smoke-filled meeting.
Guess you can figure I’m sort of “jazzed” right now–on caffeine & Western Swing.
The Who – Who’s Next was originally a concept album for the never completed Lifehouse rock opera project. Even though they added some non-related songs like My Wife, which rocks, you can still pick up on the story. Elements of the story continued on Who are You and other albums. Pete’s entire life is sort of a rock opera.
Reminds me of a photo caption in Creem: Pete looking dishevelled, saying “Whew, what a day…guess I’ll write a rock opera about it.”
I think Pete’s 6-CD set, The Lifehouse Chronicles is pretty much considered the “finished work”.
He’s involved in another rock opera (of sorts) now, playing parts in Rachel Fuller’s “Ash”.
Incidently, the Oakland-based jazz-rock band Mushroom performed Lifehouse in a series of gigs earlier this year.
Kate Bush: Aerial, (Disc 2: A Sky of Honey) is what springs to mind immediately for me. Plays like one continuous track, and paints a picture of changing light and moods over the course of 24 hours, the birdsong motif topping and tailing the disc. Even the cover design of the album binds the whole idea together.
Sigh, so beautiful.
I am always shocked when I come across anyone else who has even HEARD of this album, let alone loves it like me!
I am jealous that you get to see a stage production of this. Wasn’t a movie version of the album supposed to be made? I thought I’d seen some show that talked about it (maybe it was supposed to be animated?) and haven’t heard a word about it…
I’ve not seen it on Youtube, but there was a documentary on British TV sometime in the last couple of years IIRC.
Yep; the album “Love in Space” is the concert album for the “Alien 4” tour. Aside from the “Alien 4” material, they also added a couple of older songs that fit into the aliens-visit-us frame; additionally, they also did “Assassins of Allah” and one of the better versions of “Silver Machine” I’ve heard.
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Sounds good, I’ll check them out.
Going for the (slightly) bizarre - Easy Star All-Stars Dub Side of the Moon - a re-imagining of Dark Side of the Moon, as done by a reggae/club band.
Similarly, I’ve been listening to Freak Out! (The Mothers’ first album) a TON recently. Wikipedia refers to it as a concept album, so that’s good enough for me.
Also, many of the Wu-Tang Clan’s first few albums could be considered concept albums; I’ll throw out “Only Built 4 Cuban Linx” by Raekwon.