Concept albums that don't suck

[m_dejean]

For many people the idea of concept albums bring to mind bloated Rick Wakeman noodlefests. I think the problem with a lot of concept albums is that the ratio ambition/musicianship/songwriting/heart is unbalanced in one way or another.Right now I'm listening to

which strikes me as a prime example of how it should be done.What are some other good albums where the "unified conceptual arc" stretches further than being just a well-sequenced batch of quality songs?

 

[Mjukis]

I'm really into the McDonald & Giles "Birdman" suite, before I heard it I really didn't think the sidelong progressive songsuite concept could be a good look. Not really a concept album, but anyway... "Trout mask replica" kinda feels like a concept album to me, compaired to the other Beefheart albums. Love that record.

 

[kitchenknight]

Never seen this one mentioned on here or the 'Dermy, but it is a fave. Call me a hipster; i've heard worse.

 

[waximilien]

jeff wayne?

 

[LaserWolf]

Do these count? Or are they too obvious?



Let's Get It On, Back At the Sugar Shack, Here My Dear as well. Perhaps Marvin was the greatest concept album artists of all time.

 

[motown67]

All of the songs have to do with being caught in a love triangle with a married man.

 

[JoeMojo]

Jean-Claude Vannier's "L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches"

 

[El Prez]

Master Ace "Disposable Art"

 

[waximilien]

if you melt it down to just the skits, the goats' "tricks of the shade" is one of the best i'll ever hear

 

[Mjukis]

The weird thing about Sergeant Pepper is that it feels like a concept album, way more than Revolver, even though it wasn't really made as one. Apparently the Beatles were going to make a concept album about Liverpool and had started off with Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields (a street and a childrens home, respectively) and were going to make a bunch of other tracks named after places in Liverpool. However, they weren't allowed to put them on their new album, since the rules stated that you couldn't put tracks that had been released as singles on an album that came out the same year as the singles...

 

[Campag_Record]

Serge Gainsbourg - Melody Nelson does not suck (well she was only 15 afterall

)

 

[erewhon]

 

[Special_Ed]

 

[Guzzo]

Never seen this one mentioned on here or the 'Dermy, but it is a fave. Call me a hipster; i've heard worse.

such a great album, fuck a catagorization this album is simply beautiful.

Anyone ever heard the Jeff Magnum live LP? He does a great job of breaking down some of the meanings to the songs on "The Aeroplance over the Sea". Not to mention it also has some amazing tracks on it.

 

[Grope]

Jean-Claude Vannier's "L'Enfant Assassin des Mouches"

i was just listening to it. very experimental. wild music!

 

[kitchenknight]

Never seen this one mentioned on here or the 'Dermy, but it is a fave. Call me a hipster; i've heard worse.

such a great album, fuck a catagorization this album is simply beautiful.

Anyone ever heard the Jeff Magnum live LP? He does a great job of breaking down some of the meanings to the songs on "The Aeroplance over the Sea". Not to mention it also has some amazing tracks on it.
When he sings "Engine," the 'children's song he wrote when his life was going to shit...'

Well, damn. I just hope in my life I can create something like that. jesus.

He/They were something of an obsession for a while. For a bit, I got too into 'Aeroplane,' and stopped reading just to concentrate on it.

 

[LaserWolf]

The weird thing about Sergeant Pepper is that it feels like a concept album, way more than Revolver, even though it wasn't really made as one. Apparently the Beatles were going to make a concept album about Liverpool and had started off with Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields (a street and a childrens home, respectively) and were going to make a bunch of other tracks named after places in Liverpool. However, they weren't allowed to put them on their new album, since the rules stated that you couldn't put tracks that had been released as singles on an album that came out the same year as the singles...

Perhaps you are confusing Sgt Peppers with Magical Mystery Tour. Half of MMT is from the movie, and the other half are the singles you are talking about. Sgt Peppers was conceived and executed as a concept lp.

 

[Mjukis]

They were taking on an alternate identity as another band, yes, but the songs were made as individual songs if I'm not mistaking. I mean, if they had made an entire album of songs named after Liverpool songs every song would have been part of the concept, whereas much of Sergeant Peppers concept feel was created after the songs were recorded. And what does, for instance "When I'm 64" (written years earlier by Paul) have to do with the "Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" idea? Anyway, I could be wrong, my source is mainly Ian McDonalds book on the Beatles (highly recommended). And Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields are on the MMT LP released afterwards, but not on the original double 45 pack, right?

 

[Mjukis]

By the way, here's hoping "Idlewild" is a concept album that doesn't suck...

 

[Cosmo]

Never seen this one mentioned on here or the 'Dermy, but it is a fave. Call me a hipster; i've heard worse.

such a great album, fuck a catagorization this album is simply beautiful.

Anyone ever heard the Jeff Magnum live LP? He does a great job of breaking down some of the meanings to the songs on "The Aeroplance over the Sea". Not to mention it also has some amazing tracks on it.
When he sings "Engine," the 'children's song he wrote when his life was going to shit...'

Well, damn. I just hope in my life I can create something like that. jesus.

He/They were something of an obsession for a while. For a bit, I got too into 'Aeroplane,' and stopped reading just to concentrate on it.
What is this?