Fun Stuff > BAND
Favorite Concept Album(s)
maxusy3k:
Another vote for Jesus Christ Superstar here.
--- Quote from: Hatebunny ---Nine Inch Nails - the Downward Spiral (I'd have said 'the fragile'...but that's not as coherent a concept)
--- End quote ---
I'm going with 'The Fragile'... I was under the impression it was just a continuation of 'The Downward Spiral', exploring similar themes. I've heard some people describe it as a sort of 'what if' album, as in, what if 'The Downward Spiral' didn't end the way it did.
Plus there's that whole suicide bit after 'The Great Below' where you change discs... that's awesome planning.
My Aim Is True:
I think a concept album has more to do with a story or one very strong unifying theme than just a theme or recurring subject. I would say Pinkerton features an abandoned concept, but is not a "A concept album."
anyway, my favorite concept albums-
The Who- Sell Out
Frank Zappa- Joe's Garage
Sufjan Stevens- Illinois
The World/Inferno Friendship Society- Bridgewater Astral League
Johnny Cash- almost any of his concept albums from the 60s.
The Kinks- several of their albums
David Bowie- Ziggy Stardust
Several albums by Parlaiment/Funkadelic
Husker Du- Zen Arcade
Queensr˙che- Operation: Mindcrime
both Mars Volta albums
Also, many albums may not be entirely concept albums, but feature song cycles. W/IFS's "Just the best party" has one of my favorite song cycles, and so does The Jam's "Setting Sons." Lyrics Born also has song cycle on "Later That Day"
sp2:
Concept albums should not only all be about the same thing, but thhey should also tell a story, not only through lyrics, but also through various musical devices. There should be an introduction, development of a conflict, and a final resolution. One could even consider different songs from a concept album as different movements in a symphony.
Prog rock generally lends itself best to concept albums as prog tends to explore the same musical theme in many ways, and tends to be more lengthy and developed than most other rock genres. Metal and goth rock tend to lend themselves to concepts as well, as both genres tend to be very.....dramatic. Industrial also lends itself to concept albums (sometimes) because industrial music tends to both be dramatic (gooth influence) and revisit the same themes over and over (electronica/prog influence). I would claimm, for example, that Skinny Puppy's most recent album, The Greater Wrong of the Right, was probably a concept album related to the Iraq war. This contrasts with other anti-war albums, such as the above-mentioned Green Day album, because Greater Wrong set up a distinct narrative, and kept a consistent theme both lyrically and musically.
One that's not beenn mentioned yet, of course, is The Who - Tommy, which was an awesome album and I totally forgot about it earlier.
That deaf, dumb, and blind kid sure plays a mean pinball.
KharBevNor:
Damn, no-one has as well.
I'll name a few more of my favourites that haven't been mentioned before, and the concepts:
The Meads of Asphodel - Jihad (Links the current conflicts in the middle east to the crusades via esoteric readings of the bible and a lot of drugs)
Ewigkeit - Radio Ixtlan (Basically, it's about mortality. It's actually far, far, far more complex than that: it's the only album I know of that comes with an explanatory essay and a recommended reading list)
Bal-Sagoth - The Fall of Atlantis trilogy (A Black Moon Broods Over Lemuria, Starfire Burning on the Ice Veiled Throne of Ultima Thule, Battle Magic (The first trilogy of Bal-Sagoths uniting story arc of bizarre lovecraftian fantasy. Explaining the plot would be pointless and tedious beyond belief. Listen to 'em. They're great))
Nightingale - The Legend of the Breathing Shadow Series (I, The Breathing Shadow, The Closing Chronicles, Alive Again: The Breathing Shadow Pt. 4 (Another band pulling the trick of epic storytelling over multiple albums. Good old Dan Swano))
Crown of Autumn - The Treasures Arcane (It is very definitely a concept album. I kinda know the plot too. it's something about a dead lover, and elves, and fairies. The problem is all the lyrics are in atrocious olde english written by Italians. It's a fucking nice album though.)
My Dying Bride - Turn Loose the Swans (Apart from encompassing pretty much every shade and expression of grief, sorrow, rage, despair and anguish, TLtS is about a poets struggle with loss of inspiration, rejection of religion and eventual suicide following the death of his lover)
Cradle of Filth - Cruelty and the Beast (Here's your drama. A superbly ott re-telling of the legend of Countess Bathory, drowned in 100 gallons of stage blood and eyeliner)
Hatebunny:
--- Quote from: TheCourtJester ---Yea...AI was a concept album. Even the music videos they've released run together.
Would A Perfect Circle's first album be considered a concept album? I've got a friend who'd stake his life (or maybe twenty bucks) that is WAS...but I've said it was just the band before they really found their "sound."
--- End quote ---
No, it wasn't really a concept album. Thirteenth Step (their second album) was, though. It's not that great a concept, though. Mer De Noms is more like 'here are some songs, Maynard.' 'thanks billy. now I'll give them names of people I owe favours, and we'll use some pretentious french titling and be on our way.' 'you're an asshole maynard.' 'shut up and play.'
and again, I don't think the fragile is a concept album. The second disc has no running theme beyond the usual 'I am trent reznor' songs, and the first disc, while there is a theme, lacks narrative. If anything, I'd say that the first disc is like a prequel to The downward spiral, rather than a sequel. Fragility is what leads to breaking down.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version