THESE FORUMS NOW CLOSED (read only)
Fun Stuff => BAND => Topic started by: Super Dave on 13 Aug 2005, 19:21
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I've been looking into past topics, and I haven't been able to find one of these, so here we go.
What are some of your favorite concept albums?
Although I despise them, Dream Theater's "Scenes From A Memory" was pretty damn good, along with The Mars Volta's "De-Loused In The Comatorioum". however, the only concept album that has truly blown my mind, was Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son". It's beyond words.
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Pink Floyd - Animals
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Animals is actually my least favourite 'classic floyd' concept album.
Crotchduster - Big Fat Box of Shit
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Skyclad - The Answer Machine?
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon/The Wall (I am weighted towards duality because of my strong nostalgic affection for The Wall)
Sopor Aeternus - Dead Lovers Sarabande
That's a good top 5(ish). I love concept albums though, so listing any more would be silly.
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Animals is actually my least favourite 'classic floyd' concept album.
Weird. Wish You Were Here sort of loses me regularly...I feel like it can't keep a steady pace. The Wall really just pissed me off....there was material for only on album and they stretched it to two so they could make that (crappy) movie. Dark Side is okay, but highly overrated. Animals, though, really just clicks with me. I dunno, maybe I'm crazy.
Oh, and Final Cut was shit.
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I don't count 'Final Cut' in the 'Classic Floyd Concept albums'.
I dunno...Animals just totally loses me during 'Dogs'. Although I have to say 'Sheep' is one of my ten favourite Floyd songs.
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I'm just going to use wikipedia's definition of a concept album:
"In a concept album, all songs contribute to a single overall theme or unified story."
The Residents - Animal Lover, Eskimo, Commercial Album, Mark of the Mole, The Tunes of Two Cities, Intermission, The Big Bubble, God in THree Persons, The King and Eye, Freak Show, Wormwood: Curious Stories from the Bible, Demons Dance Alone, The Third Reich N' Roll (how can you beat a concept album that compares popular music to Nazism?! You indie kids should eat this stuff up!)
Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage, Acts I, II, and III
The Mothers - Freak Out, We're Only in it for the Money
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (Yes, I like myself some cheesy 80's prog rock/metal)
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (That was a concept album, right?)
King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King, In the Wake of the Poisedon, Lizard, Islands (Each of them was based around a mythical element)
Jethro Tull - Aqualung
Zao - The Funeral of God
As much as I love concept albums, I seem to be severly lacking alot.
and Speaking of Animals; I've sure you (At least those of you who have attended high school sometime in the past year) have seen all these kids wearing the Pink Floyd shirts, and somethings been bugging me about one; Some kid I know has a shirt for Pink Floyd's Animals, yet the logo/design thing is that of the Division Bell. Bootleg? wtf?
EDITED to add in some stuff I missed.
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I think quite a few of Maidens 80's works could broadly be described as concept albums. I've always considered Powerslave to be one, though in my typically fashion I can't really explain what I know it to be about. Power, in a basic sense I suppose.
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^^^^^^^^
Face it, 80's Maiden Kicked everyone's ass.
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Was the entire album about Power, or just the song Powerslave (Which is basically that guy who is... a... slave to power. Way to be subtle, Iron Maiden!) I'm not exactly sure. Either way, it's a fucking awesome album.
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Well: Aces High portrays the honourable and glorious side of war, then 2 Minutes To Midnight portrays the far darker, nuclear side. Both the flying ace and the 'reasons for the carnage' have the same basic power, but how they use it is different. Flash Of The Blade is about the power the desire for revenge imparts, and The Duellists develops another sort of dual theme around that. Back In The Village is about the consequences of misusing power...the person who's perspective it takes was one of the 'Killers Breed' of 2 Minutes to Midnight. Powerslave is about the consequences of believing you have a power you don't (those of a god) and that 'the power of death' is stronger, and the Rime Of The Ancient Mariner, which they adapt, is a poem all about the power of nature and death.
So, that's how I see it anyway.
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Also, I forgot an album.
Rush - 2112
How the fuck did I miss that one?
and that's a nice interpretation. Fits the album and makes sense.
Anyways, I think the concept album that has possibly made the most impact on me, story wise, is easily Zappa's Joe's Garage story, since it basically starts out with this kid who goes into rock music, and his life is turned to hell. and the Central Scrutinizer, who enforces all the laws that haven't been passed yet!
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Oh shit.
Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds!
OOOOH-LAAAAA
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The Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas
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i was about to say Tallahassee by the Mountain Goats hehe
out of curiosity, what is the common theme that you see running through All Hail West Texas?
Also:
Vama Veche - Am sa ma intorc barbat (probably the most complete concept album i know, it's a romanian band in case you were wondering)
and
NIN - The Downward Spiral
anyhoo
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Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland (I still maintain that its a concept album)
Miles Davis - Aura
The Dandy Warhols - 13 Tales From Urban Bohemia
Emerson, Lake, and Palmer - Tarkus, Brain Salad Surgery
Eels - Electro Shock Blues, Blinking Lights and Other Revelations
Moody Blues - On The Threshold Of A Dream
Tom Waits - Alice, Blood Money
Mr. Bungle - California (I mantain that the entire CD is about Lucifer and the fall except for maybe Pink Cigarette and Golem II)
Michael Franti - Stay Human (<---- Best rap album ever, I swear)
The HIppos - Heads are Gonna Roll
GWAR - EVERY GODDAM ALBUM
Green Jelly - Cereal Killer Soundtrack
Gustav Holst - The Planets (Symphony)
Tenacious D - Tenacious D
The Sugarplastic - Will, Resin
Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
I love concept albums. A lot.
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GWAR - EVERY GODDAM ALBUM
GWAR FTW!
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Pinkerton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_%28album%29).
Also, I'm working on conclusive proof that Sloan's Pretty Together is, in fact, a concept album. Yeah. I'll let you guys read it when it's done.
(p.s. GWAR = RAWK spelled backwards and with a G instead of a K. Coincidence?)
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There's an episode of the Ska Parade Radio Show in which Gwar take over the Ska Parade headquarters and the Aquabats defeat them by rapping their name backwards (Raw G, Raw G, etc.) It is pretty much the meaning of 'wtf is going on zomg zomg'.
Anyways, I forgot: Chick Corea - Mad Hatter
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If you can find an online excerpt from that radio show, I will pay you with nothing.
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I'll get it from my brother and make a thread of it tomorow, but I expect at least 13 nothing, or if you're feeling generous maybe 14 or 15.
Yeah, no worries man. It'll be up tomorow.
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GWAR = God What's that Awful Racket?
also, I want that radio show!
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out of curiosity, what is the common theme that you see running through All Hail West Texas?
As it says on in the cover art, "fourteen songs about seven people, two houses, a motorcycle, and a locked treatment facility for adolescent boys"
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some no ones mentioned that im fond of :
cursive's domestica
hawkwind - space ritual (yes it was live but it certainly has a conceptual theme)
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And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
Modest Mouse - The Moon and Antarctica
The Dears - No Cities Left
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The Moody Blues - Every Good Boy Deserves favour
The Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream
Nine Inch Nails - the Downward Spiral (I'd have said 'the fragile'...but that's not as coherent a concept)
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe <--The first 5 or 6 songs run right into eachother
Frank Zappa - Joes Garage(s)
Tweaker - the Attraction to All Things Uncertain
Children of the Monkey Machine - Septic Dreams (for some reason, I don't think the title has anything to do with the content...)
Sigur Ros - ()
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By golly gosh, isn't Threshold of a Dream just the greatest. I love it when the intro flows into that really Grateful-Deady guitar line. I think that may be the greatest crossover between tracks ever.
Which reminds me, I forgot: The Greatful Dead - Blues For Allah
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Mr Lif - I, Phantom
Handsome Boy Modelling School - Both albums.
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hawkwind - space ritual (yes it was live but it certainly has a conceptual theme)
FOR THE WIN.
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Music From the Unrealized Film Script: A Dusk at Cubist Castle - Olivia Tremor Control
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The Arcade Fire - Funeral
How could I have possibly forgotten?!!!
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You were so bored by it you fell asleep!
Must be it...
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Eliteism... (dunh dunh DUNHHHHHHHHhhhh)
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Most of these aren't really concept albums y'know.....
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All the ones I've mentioned are.
Concept albums don't have to be definitely narrative. Or even good!
Hell, I hear 'American Idiot' is apparently a concept album.
*shudders*
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*Also Shudders*
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*shudders with the force of your shudders and a goat's combined*
And all of the ones I listed are definatly concept albums.
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Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall kick any other concept albums ass, and basically kick the ass of any other albums.
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i registered just to say
Mount Eerie by The Microphones
it may not be the best concept album ever made but my appreciation for phil elverum is so great that i could not bear to see it go unmentioned.
its still really freaking good though.
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Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall kick any other concept albums ass, and basically kick the ass of any other albums.
You know Joe's Garage is way better than anything Pink Floyd ever did. Come on. Admit it. Just do it. In fact, I can pretty much vouch that any concept album (or album, for that matter) that Zappa/The Mothers did is better than Pink Floyd.. but whatever.
Also, after reading a whole bunch on Norse Mythology, a concept album featuring it would be totally awesome. Khar, cough some up, I'm sure you have some.
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All the ones I've mentioned are.
Concept albums don't have to be definitely narrative. Or even good!
Hell, I hear 'American Idiot' is apparently a concept album.
*shudders*
For a second, I was like: "Yeah, he's right! The Arcade Fire IS boring", but then this. Meh. 1 out of 2 is ok, and most people hate AI.
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I completely agree with Pink Floyd- The Final Cut, every song on it is gold ... although I'm not a huge fan of 'not now john'.
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I just got Sufjan Steven's latest, and now Illinoise is on the list. Amazing piece of work.
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Also, after reading a whole bunch on Norse Mythology, a concept album featuring it would be totally awesome. Khar, cough some up, I'm sure you have some.
Holy shit. How the hell could I forget 'Blood on Ice' by Bathory? It's pretty much just a musical telling of a saga that Quorthon (who did everything in Bathory apart from drums) wrote himself from the old mythological conventions. I love the shit out of it. Also:
Black Sabbath - Tyr (easily the crappest album they ever made)
Burzum - Balder's Dod (All Burzum albums are arguably conceptual in an esoteric way. This album is basically based off the story of the murder of Baldur by Loki. It's entirely instrumental though)
Arguably all of Finntroll's albums. Though they're more based off the settings of Norse mythology, and they all (apart from Visor Om Slutet) have one concept: Trolls beating the crap out of Christians.
I'm sure there's more. Countless songs as well, of course.
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There is a difference between concept albums and regular albums.
A concept album, such as Sufjan Stevens' Come On Feel The Illinoise, Pink Floyd's The Wall, either Mars Volta album or a crapload of albums involving Frank Zappa, is strongly centred or driven by one theme or storyline, or it has a loose hold on one or both of those and also has a narrative arc. Pinkerton, for example, is very loosely based on "Mme. Butterfly," but it qualifies because it also has a narrative arc.
() is not a concept album; though some "lyrics" are repeated, they mean literally nothing to anybody except the listener (so I guess it could be a concept album if you really really wanted it to be). No Cities Left isn't one either. Good tries, though.
Funeral is the only one I'm not really certain about; the theme that it reportedly has is death, but although death does crop up in the songs on occasion I don't think it's fair to call it a concept album based on a few references. We don't call AC/DC albums concept albums, despite the fact that most songs carry some allusion to
a) how hard AC/DC rocks
b) how much Bon Scott / Brian Johnson loves womenfolk
c) some combination of the two
Come to think of it, we should maybe base the criteria as "having a stronger concept or argument for concept than the average AC/DC album."
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Everyone else is going to kill me, I'm sure, but as far as theme goes, I thought Boys Night Out's newly released 'Trainwreck' was kind of cool. Then again, I am a sucker for all concept albums.
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The concept for Trainwreck is actually really, really cool.
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What is it's concept?
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Best explanation I can find is here (http://www.punknews.org/reviews.php?op=albumreview&id=4202).
For starters, Trainwreck opts for more melodic pop-rock injected with post-hardcore flourishes and dream pop overtones as the vehicle for the conceptual narrative surrounding it, but with a fluid number of tempo, pace, and dynamic changes through and through. Written by guitarist Jeff Davis, each of the 12 tracks follow the story of The Patient, our protagonist who, after murdering his wife in his sleep, seeks to create the song stuck in his mind created by medication, prescribed in the first place to fill the "holes" and imminent loneliness following the murder. Most bands attempting this sort of musical novella would tend to rely on overblown instrumentals or overly vague narration, while Boys Night Out are mostly to the point, simple enough lyrically to clue the listener as to what's going on while at least keeping some open interpretation to it. "Introducing" finds The Doctor, the one other directly notable character in the tale, recording notes about The Patient following one of a few hospital releases granted to him, but all on top of delicate instrumentation being composed. Upon "Dreaming," the second track, The Patient takes over the story. From there, without giving too much away, we follow his attempts at recreating the aforementioned song save for a final narration from The Doctor in "Dying."
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Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen + Black Love
I guess Gentlemen may fall into a grey area as to if it be a full fledged concept album, but I always saw it as such.
MF Grimm - The Downfall of Ibliys
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I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Neutral Milk Hotel's 'In The Aeroplane Over The Sea', or was I just skim reading?
Bleh.
Dark Side all the way for me.
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It's not a concept album.
To be a concept album it's got to have more then just a narrative.
It is fucking brilliant though
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GWAR = God What's that Awful Racket?
Not true. It's not even an acronym.
Also, War Party is Kick-Ass
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Pink Floyd - The Wall
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots.
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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."
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Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall kick any other concept albums ass, and basically kick the ass of any other albums.
You know Joe's Garage is way better than anything Pink Floyd ever did. Come on. Admit it. Just do it. In fact, I can pretty much vouch that any concept album (or album, for that matter) that Zappa/The Mothers did is better than Pink Floyd.. but whatever.
.
I love you.
Anyway, my personal favorites are-
Everything by Frank Zappa
Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche
Quadrophenia by The Who
Welcome to My Nightmare/Alice Cooper goes to hell by Alice Cooper
Jesus Christ Superstar
Sad Wings of Destiny by Judas Priest
I have a lot of concept albums, (most of my collection are concept albums) but I'm only listing my personal favorites.
"The Wall" is a pretty good album, but the music doesn't grab me as much as other things do. It is admittedley very dramatic, and is more like a movie too me. I think that's why people like it.
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Another vote for Jesus Christ Superstar here.
Nine Inch Nails - the Downward Spiral (I'd have said 'the fragile'...but that's not as coherent a concept)
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.
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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"
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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.
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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)
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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."
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.
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I am going to have to go with Dark side of the moon on this one, partially because I own the LP with the original dust cover but that's only a very very small reason why, really it's just cause the album kicks ass all the way to the dark side of the moon. not a very good joke, I know.
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Rhythm Nation.
What? It's a concept album. Kind of.
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Not true. It's not even an acronym.
Also, War Party is Kick-Ass
WRONG! It stands for God What an Awful Racket. Kai was pretty close.
If we're goin' Gwar, they're all concept albums but the best (as a complete thought) is Violence Has Arrived. This Toilet Earth is the best album though.
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Concept Albums? Would that include concept bands? If so my favorite recent concept albums are:
Deltron 3030
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Madvillainy
Handsome Boy Modelling School (So...How's Your Girl?)
Maybe the Gorillaz stuff
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If Miseducation of Lauryn Hill counts as a concept album, then that would be my favourite..
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Concept Albums? Would that include concept bands? If so my favorite recent concept albums are:
Deltron 3030
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Madvillainy
Handsome Boy Modelling School (So...How's Your Girl?)
Maybe the Gorillaz stuff
well, for concept band, it's Devo, hands down. Also, The Causey Way.
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couple recent ones I'm fond of are:
Mae - The Everglow
Armor For Sleep - What To Do When You Are Dead
The Everglow is a concept album is ever I heard one. not even close to BEST EVAR or anything, but it's just very obviously a concept album. and a pretty good one, I think.
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The Residents definatly take the cake for Concept Band. Theory of Obscurity and Anominity, anyone? 98% of their albums are concept albums? Eyeball masks and tophats? yeah. I think they win.
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two words.
KING DIAMOND
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Protest the Hero - Kezia
Decemberists - The Hazards of Love
both of them are a fucking journey.
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Whoa
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Yeah, mega 4-year topic necromancy going on here. Serious magic.
On topic, Kezia is a really cool concept album :-P
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Ghost by Radical Face is pretty good.
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uh black sheep boy i guess
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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))
Seriously, just look at the liner notes.
Yoshimi doesn't count as a concept album. Only the beginning does.
I second Tommy. I also say Antichrist Superstar with zero shame.
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Pink World by Planet P Project.
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Ramona Cordova's The Boy Who Floated Freely
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Andrew Lloyd Webber? Now, I admit that I've never heard "Jesus Christ Superstar," but every musical that man has ever written has just been him taking a massive dump on music. His requiem inspired a 12-year-old kid to say "That's not a requiem, that's crap." Even children can tell that he can't compose his way out of a wet paper bag.
Anyways, I actually like a lot of the songs off of Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle-Earth." I don't tend to enjoy concept albums, because they tend to sacrifice the quality of a few songs in order to get them to match whatever theme they're shooting for. As such, I feel that it's not as solid an album as what the band tends to turn out when not trying to go for a concept.
Although I despise them, Dream Theater's "Scenes From A Memory" was pretty damn good,
I think I am the only person in the world who likes Dream Theater but can't listen to this album. After Rudess joined the band, it all became noodley, pretentious crap. I hear that they seem to be trying to make music again, but I'm having trouble believing that.
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime (Yes, I like myself some cheesy 80's prog rock/metal)
I saw them play this straight through live, followed by Mindrcrime II, which was completely unmemorable. The original was tons of fun and I like most of the songs off of it.
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Meat Loaf's Bat out of Hell
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Space Crackers by Clawjob. I'm not sure if it's a concept album. It feels more like a soundtrack to a musical than anything but it tells a story and all so I guess it counts.
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[...] Skyclad - The Answer Machine? [...]
Concept album? However do you mean?
Also Mindcrime and 7th son of a 7th son basically were my youth.
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The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute is my favorite fully fledged concept album. The are a few coneptish albums I like a little better, but nothing goes all out like Frances.
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"The Wall" - Pink Floyd
"Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness" - Smashing Pumpkins
"Discovery" - Daft Punk
"Zen Arcade" - Hüsker Dü
"Computerworld" - Kraftwerk
"In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" - Neutral Milk Hotel
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"The Wall" by Pink Floyd
"Scenes From a Memory" by Dream Theater
"Fear of a Blank Planet" by Porcupine Tree
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I got so worn out on the Wall. All Pink Floyd really, I was obsessed with them for years.
How is Discovery or Mellon Collie a concept album?
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Gotta be '13 Tales From Urban Bohemia'...
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Concept album? However do you mean?
I don't know, I wrote that four years ago.
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Hmmm.. one "concept album" i like to listen to every now and then is
The Who: Tommy
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Did anyone say Blood on the Tracks?
Once you take out that godawful Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (or whatever it is).
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How did I forget "Chill Out" by The KLF? *facepalm*
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Did anyone say Blood on the Tracks?
Once you take out that godawful Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts (or whatever it is).
That's only really a quasi-concept album, though.
It's fucking AWESOME though.
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I know few concept albums that I find brilliant... some of those are:
Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea
Doooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom metal about Moby Dick. The sound of this baby is as huge as a fucking tsunami. An amazing album with well written lyrics [some of them are even taken from the book]
Ahab - The Divinity Of Oceans
This is about The Loss Of The Ship Essex... A really disturbing tale about how the crew got stuck in the sea and even started eating each others. Amazing concept once again.
Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Really intelligent Grindcore imo. One of the best in the genre by far. The story is sick but goes well with the music. To sum it up... The dude losses his girl in a fire and then he goes to the cementery at takes one of her limbs and get all crazy about it and so on.
Sepultura - Dante XXI
Just like the title says... This is about The Divine Comedy. And that alone is plain awesome
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Probably Ayreon - The Human Equation or Deltron 3030
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The Who-Tommy
Dream Theater-Scenes from a Memory
Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here
Muse-Absolution
Queensryche-Operation: Mindcrime
Coheed & Cambria-Entire discography (all four albums are about the same concept, I'd feel bad excluding 3 of them).
The Mars Volta-De-Loused
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"Travels" by Defeater is pretty epic (and depressing, but kinda in a good way) in the concept album stakes. Especially for a hardcore record, a genre which can be pretty hit or miss when it comes to lyrics, I find.
Alice in Chains' "Dirt" is pretty much wholly about smack and the effects/lifestyle that surround its use.
both Isis' "Oceanic" and Circle Takes the Square's "As the Roots Undo" have had supposed concepts exlained for them by their creators, but I'm fucked if i can follow them myself, especially the latter:
A man at the brink of emotional numbness finds a female counterpart who completes him ("The Beginning and the End"). However, he soon finds that she has had a long-term incest relationship ("False Light", "Weight") with her brother ("Hym," "The Other"). This drives him to lose all hope, and he commits suicide through drowning ("from sinking sands, he stepped into light's embrace").
In a nutshell the concept behind the songs was to document the different points on a path to self-realization. In our interpretation of this journey, the wanderer ends up essentially in the same place that he or she began, if not humbled and even more overwhelmed. In a sense the ending is somewhat tragic, but without experiencing all of the lows how can anyone ever appreciate the amazing subtleties that this world has to offer? And so, if the search for beauty and understanding is cyclical and unending, then at least we'll never stop experiencing the thrill of the hunt...
Also, I'm sure I read something about Calexico's "Carried to Dust" having a loose concept of sorts, but I can't remember quite what it was, or where I read about it...
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Surprised nobody has said The Antler's "Hospice". Great album.
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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.
I can't believe this thread had to reach second page before this album was mentioned.
This is, if anything, the classic rock opera / concept album.
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The Wall -- Pink Floyd
Second Stage Turbine Blade -- Coheed and Cambria (though in my opinion, the whole story throughout all four CD's is brilliant)
This Life is Where You Get Fucked -- Rabbit Junk
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Uhhhh 2 pages and nobody mentioning Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle Earth? For shame!
So yeah:
Nightfall in Middle Earth - Blind Guardian
Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
Tales From Topographic Oceans - Yes
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Uhhhh 2 pages and nobody mentioning Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle Earth? For shame!
Except this guy:
Anyways, I actually like a lot of the songs off of Blind Guardian's "Nightfall in Middle-Earth."
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
So, uh, what's the concept here?
Other than, y'know, "LOL prog rock"
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Uhhhh 2 pages and nobody mentioning Blind Guardian's Nightfall in Middle Earth? For shame!
I knew about the album. But I just can't stand power metal any longer :lol:
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All 3 of Haggard's older albums: Neo-classical metal wrapped around a historical story, like the trial of Galileo. 8-)
Also, Rick Wakeman's Return to the Center of the Earth is pretty cool, but the definition of it as an album is possibly questionable. At this point, when Patrick Stewart narrates spoken parts of a story, I really don't care.
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
So, uh, what's the concept here?
Other than, y'know, "LOL prog rock"
Its a send-up of concept albums, inspired by a bunch of people saying Aqualung was a concept album. Basically LOL prog rock making fun of LOL prog rock.
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The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
Vivian Girls - Vivian Girls
Just though I'd drop a few more recent ones people have yet to mention.
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
So, uh, what's the concept here?
Other than, y'know, "LOL prog rock"
Its a send-up of concept albums, inspired by a bunch of people saying Aqualung was a concept album. Basically LOL prog rock making fun of LOL prog rock.
Still a fantastic album!
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Well, duh.
It was the first vinyl record I ever owned, too.
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I just got Sufjan Steven's latest, and now Illinoise is on the list. Amazing piece of work.
[uselessrant] I hate it when people say that his albums are concept albums. They are NOT. They are about states, but the songs have nothing to do with each other. If you can tell me how John Wayne Gacy, Casimir Pulaski, and Mary Todd Lincoln have anything to do with each other (besides that state bullshit) than you must be a goddamn genius. [/uselessrant]
Although I do his enjoy enjoy his music, they just aren't concept albums.
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Serge Gainsbourg's "Melody Nelson".
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I adore all of Opeth's concept albums-- Ghost Reveries, My Arms Your Hearse, and Still Life. Apart from Blackwater Park, they are by and large Opeth at their best.
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I adore all of Opeth's concept albums-- Ghost Reveries, My Arms Your Hearse, and Still Life. Apart from Blackwater Park, they are by and large Opeth at their best.
did you just imply that Blackwater Park is NOT among their best material?
better 'splain yerself or you and i and are gonna have fisticuffs!
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I think he said that their concept albums are their best work aside from Blackwater Park. I thought the same thing, so I went back and read it a few more times and arrived at that conclusion.
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Ahab - The Divinity Of Oceans
WHAT THE FUCK NEW AHAB ALBUM!! WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED?!
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I think he said that their concept albums are their best work aside from Blackwater Park. I thought the same thing, so I went back and read it a few more times and arrived at that conclusion.
Yeah, that's what I meant.
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did you just imply that Blackwater Park is NOT among their best material?
better 'splain yerself or you and i and are gonna have fisticuffs!
Meh...
Yo dude, I'm really happy for you and I'mma let you finish but the first 4 albums are the best albums of all their discography, OF ALL THEIR DISCOGRAPHY.
Yeah... Blackwater Park is awesome, but everything before that it's just 10 times better. Morningrise being their best imho.
Ahab - The Divinity Of Oceans
WHAT THE FUCK NEW AHAB ALBUM!! WHY WAS I NOT INFORMED?!
Now you are informed, the album came out 22 july, and from what I've heard... This dudes did it again, amazing album and the best thing is that it's fresh... It's not a copy of what they did in the debut, something that I was really afraid of, but no... The album is fresh and they tried a lot of new things that work really good. And the artwork is a killer as well.
Doom ahoy, mateys
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i'd agree that morningrise and still life are awesome (those two plus blackwater park collectively make up their best IMO), but i just can't get into orchid or my arms your hearse though. one things for sure, they should never have fired the bassist who played on morningrise, his lines were beautiful!
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Yeah I ordered the album about 30 seconds after my post last night. Thanks!
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Not a problem dude, I hope you'll enjoy it !!! :-)
_
i'd agree that morningrise and still life are awesome (those two plus blackwater park collectively make up their best IMO), but i just can't get into orchid or my arms your hearse though. one things for sure, they should never have fired the bassist who played on morningrise, his lines were beautiful!
Orchid and My Arms Your Hearse are way darker and have a more "brutal" approach than the others and The influences of Death and Black are more clear if you hear Mikaels haunting growls almost black-like on Orchid and the "fuzzy" production of My Arms. So I see what you mean. Then again, One of the things I like about Orchid is that it's their debut but it's incredibly well done, they knew what they wanted to do since their very first beginning. And that flower is beautiful!
Mendez is a great dude, Still Life has some sweet bass, but yeah... Everytime I see "bass" and "Opeth" in the same sentence... I think about Morningrise.
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Does Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" count? It's a loose concept album I guess..but the first 3 songs are some of my favorite songs. Ever. Period.
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Just figured out I forgot Misplace Childhood.
Also, I second the Haggard mention. Haggard are awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ2Y9_MwiE8
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Lately one of my favorite concept albums has been B. Dolan's "The Failure," which is - when stripped down to the basic summary - the story of a man in a bomb shelter after massive nuclear war. The last man on Earth.
It's definitely not an album for everyone and many people won't like it or get it, but personally I think it's fantastic. Took a few listens to really get into it, but now I can't stop. The atmosphere of the whole thing is very dark and brooding, and the story escalates perfectly.
"Still Electric," the second track from the album. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTTwccrY7eA)
Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an album that's dark, and filled with some interesting poetry.
(http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/8598/bdolanthefailure.jpg)
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oh hello thread that is over a year old
how long it's been
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New guy, you need to get correct music tasteTM.
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Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here and Dark Side of the Moon
Bruce Springsteen - Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town
Yes.
Pinkerton (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_%28album%29)
(p.s. GWAR = RAWK spelled backwards and with a G instead of a K. Coincidence?)
Yes, definitely.
Does Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" count? It's a loose concept album I guess..but the first 3 songs are some of my favorite songs. Ever. Period.
Aw hell yeah.
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I've always preferred Animals over Dark Side Of The Moon.
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We went over this literally half a decade ago!
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Seriously, how has nobody mentioned this?
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_cLI19EXK2oU/TJioW7aZAAI/AAAAAAAAA1E/j1gmKMc2MPw/s1600/murder-by-death-survive.jpg)
Honestly, I remember when my friend John first leant me this album, I was stunned. The lyrical content is amazing.
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The Archandroid.
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The concept for Trainwreck is actually really, really cool.
This. Fantastic record.
Also:
(http://www.heavymetal.dk/images/gallery/large/1202.jpg)
(http://cdn.pitchfork.com/media/4135-oceanic.jpg) (this has at least a loose concept)
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If Isis' concept was "bore the pants off me", they certainly did it well.
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The first and the greatest FTW:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles.
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NO
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I know saying this will most likely get me shot.
But A Thousand Suns By Linkin Park is totally a concept album... and a shockingly good one.
though I do worry they're becoming U2-2
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Some of my favorites
Scenes from a Memory - Dream Theater
The Incident - Porcupine Tree
The Wall - Pink Floyd
Epica - Kamelot
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I know saying this will most likely get me shot.
But A Thousand Suns By Linkin Park is totally a concept album... and a shockingly good one.
though I do worry they're becoming U2-2
Linkin Park will never be as good as U2, in my opinion. Or even close.
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Fear Factory's Obsolete has been an album that I considered largely concept, without knowing they actually wrote it as such.
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(http://joegiannetti.com/images/products/sabbat.jpg)
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The Chasm - Procession to the Infraworld
Panopticon - Collapse
Ruins of Beverast - Foulest Semen of a Sheltered Elite
Deathspell Omega - Si Monumentum Requires, Circumspice
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I'll mention Darkly, darkly, Venus aversa here. Because I like it.
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The first and the greatest FTW:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles.
Not a concept album or a great album, frankly.
This, although "A Day in the Life" is one of my favourite Beatles songs.
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And even though the album may not be their very best, it's still pretty damn good. Of course, hearing it when it came out rather than as a relic from history might have some bearing on my view of it - but whatever has happened since doesn't invalidate the quality it displayed right then.
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(http://www.limitationnation.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/bolten-alchemy-index.gif)
Yeah, yeah, I know, Thrice. They've come a damn long way from their first couple albums.
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I found Fire & Water so disappointing, though Air & Earth were great. Nothing tops Vheissu, imo.
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Another vote for Dream Theater's Scenes from a Memory and Opeth's Still Life...
Also add to the list:
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient
Porcupine Tree - In Absentia
Rosetta - The Galilean Satellites
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Haha, Rosetta doesn't have concept albums, as much as just an obsession with Europa. I love it, though.
EUROOOPAAAA. BURNOOOIIING DIMMER NOOOOOOW. Most brutal thing ever.
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That's fair :D
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I never would've had In Absentia pegged as a concept either. Especially interesting because everything they've made since then has been overtly conceptual.
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What do we define as a concept album though?
Does it have to tell a story or can it just be something where all the songs explore similiar lyrical or musical themes?
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I usually see concept albums only as being epic - telling a story that arcs over the entire album - because really don't MOST albums explore similar lyrical/musical themes, whether consciously or not?
In Absentia does both, but David Dovey is right, usually that's not the one people bring up when they list Porcupine Tree's concept albums. It just happens to be the one I like best heh. Fear of a Blank Planet is a close second.
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I was forced to make this thread the site of my first post, for fear someone would mention my personal favorite concept album before me.
Between the Buried and Me - Colors.
That is all.
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In Absentia does both, but David Dovey is right, usually that's not the one people bring up when they list Porcupine Tree's concept albums. It just happens to be the one I like best heh. Fear of a Blank Planet is a close second.
I wouldn't bring it up because I have no idea how it is a concept album. Maybe I'm just not listening close enough. What is the concept?
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It's the story of a serial killer, through his eyes, beginning with his childhood and ending sometime during his marriage. I think PT has never come out and called it a concept album but it's pretty well accepted as one.
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Didn't see any of these:
This Heat - Deceit
Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind
Current 93 - Sleep Has His House
Dome - Dome 2
Univers Zéro - Heresie
The Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage Animation Music
Venetian Snares - Doll Doll Doll
Henry Cow - In Praise of Learning
Flux Of Pink Indians - The Fucking Cunts Treat Us Like Pricks
Coil - Musick to Play in the Dark, Vol. 1
Diamanda Galas - Plague Mass
Crass - Yes Sir, I Will
Brian Eno - Discreet Music
Einstürzende Neubauten - Stahlmusik
I'm not going to count any recordings of Alvin Lucier, if only because they are technically "classical pieces", though I Am Stting In A Room is one of the most extreme stretches of a single idea in recording history.
Some of these are fairly loosely held together, but all have something that they are, crucially, oriented around as a concept.
Anyway, as you were.
P.S. To the indie kids: If you like Neutral Milk Hotel's second album so damn much, why do you seem to stridently ignore On Avery Island? It is, at very least, an equally good album, and at points just as worthy of needless over-analysis!
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P.S. To the indie kids: If you like Neutral Milk Hotel's second album so damn much, why do you seem to stridently ignore On Avery Island?
Who does? I don't!
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Best Coast - Crazy for You
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That's a concept album?
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P.S. To the indie kids: If you like Neutral Milk Hotel's second album so damn much, why do you seem to stridently ignore On Avery Island?
Who does? I don't!
That makes me happy in far greater proportion than it logically should.
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I like Hawk and A Hacksaw better than NMH anyway.
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Easy answer: The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
Also:
-The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
-R.E.M. - Automatic for the People (iffy whether this is really a concept album, or just an album where most of the songs share some common themes)
-Tme Mountain Goats - The Life of the World to Come
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If River Runs Red by Life Ogf Agony counts as a concept album (at least the band states it is and there are many common themes) then I would say it is one of my favorites... Such groove it's amazing. Nice lyrics too, I enjoyed the ending.
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That's a concept album?
considering all of the songs are about the summer, getting high, and/or really wanting to fuck this one dude, yeah I'd say that's enough of a thematic consistency to get it classified as a concept album.
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That's not much of a concept though, haha.
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Black Sheep Boy makes me all weepy and weak in the knees.
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Hrm. Gotta agree with you on hating Dream Theater, but only because of their absolutely terrible singer...
My list of favorite concept albums, in no particular order save the first:
Ayreon - 01011001
Kamelot - Epica
Avantasia - Scarecrow
Ania - Ania
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Iron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Opeth - Still life
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth
Iced Earth - Framing Armggedon
Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
Sonata Arcitca - Unia
I know it's metal-heavy, but I love them all.
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Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
What's the concept of that album? :?
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Katatonia - Viva Emptiness
What's the concept of that album? :?
It's a bit loose, but it seems to focus around a single man that has lost nearly everything, and is trying to find his way back to the "City of Glass," referenced in both the first track, Ghost of the Sun, and the instrumental at the end, Inside the City of Glass.
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Panopticon by Isis, Deathspell Omega's trilogy of albums starting with Si Monumentum, Coheed and Cambria's discography (yes, really), and Antichrist Superstar by Marilyn Manson (also, yes, really).
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In The Court Of The King by King Crimson and Flying Teapot by Gong, mainly. But ultimately, Libro Audio (Audio Book) and Cuore Amore Errore Disintegrazione (Heart Love Error Disintegration) by Uochi Toki (noise/rap band from Italy) are my favourite. The lyrics are just wonderful. And too long to traduce for me to you. Maybe if someone is interested I can translate my favourite song of theirs, L'osservatore, l'osservatore 1 (The observator, the observator 1). Here's the song, tell me if you're interested in it. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DID6ReHUyT4)
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Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid Suites II and III is one of my favourite albums in recent memory. It's absolutely fantastic.
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Been enjoying Ludo's Broken Bride album lately.
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(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2297/2251367584_2b13c6a303.jpg)
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Orphaned Land - Mabool: The Story of the Three Sons of Seven
- The Never Ending Way Of ORWarriOR
Soulfallen - Grave New World
Turisas - The Varangian Way
- Stand Up And Fight
The Meads of Asphodel - The Murder of Jesus The Jew
Chthonic - Takasago Army
Dalriada - Arany-Album
I dunno if this counts as a concept album, except that the lyrics are all taken from János Arany's ballads and I feel like it works as a single entity.
And anything by Haggard, of course.
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The Meads of Asphodel - The Murder of Jesus The Jew
You got a nice one there!
Here's my list:
* Abruptum - Potestates Apocalypsis (even though it doesn't have any lyrics at all, it gives a terrifying vision of the apocalypse and the so called four riders of doom, mostly Noise/Black)
* Ahab - The Call Of The Wretched Sea (Mastodon did the Moby Dick but only lyric-wise, Ahab on the other hand takes the "ocean" atmosphere seriously and makes this album a perfect soundtrack in case you feel like being on a boat dyuring a storm)
* Ahab - The Divinity Of Oceans (About the whaleship Essex, same as above... The atmosphere is brilliant)
* Deathspell Omega Triology (specially Si Monumentum... That album really sounds like you are in a Black mass which was the idea considering the names of the songs and the lyrics)
* Devil Doll - The Girl Who Was...Death (About the series "The Prisoner")
* Mayhem - Grand Declaration Of War (Yes, I think that album IS awesome just like the rest of their discography... A war album but not a blastfest like most metal albums about war... It really explores the tension, hate, and even silence that accompany conflict).
* Opeth - Still Life (A tragic love story)
* Almost every single Pig Destroyer album has some sick concept :P
* Pink Floyd - Animals (Three kinds of persons and of course Animal Farm... Dogs being such a personal song for me, sometimes it really seems like it tells the story of my life)
* Sigur Rós - ( )... It feels like a concept album to me, quite abstract though.
* Ulver - Bergtatt (Quite a cool folk tale of a girl who gets lost in the creepy forest of Norway)