Concept albums that don't suck

[DrJoel]

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.

i put these guys right up there with The Mountain Goats. The Goats have those cycles / sets that have characters and themes stretching across albums which is interesting. No hipster in my opinion, there are kids that know all these Cool bands and i'm like, "Neutral Milk Hotel?" and they're like, "Recantours.(sp)!"

 

[Mjukis]

The Mountain Goats actually made it to my sleepy Swedish town a year or two ago, the crowd were talking and they, and the people who were actually paying attention were understandably annoyed. What MG album would you recommend?

 

[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.
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?
Cosmo,

the groups name is Neutral Milk Hotel and the album is called "The Aeroplane Over The Sea".

I believe it came out either in '98 or '99. It's the last studio album the group has released. I don't quite know how to catagorize it, but there are some great lo-fi moments, great lyricism and all-in-all it adds up to one spectacular listen

 

[pointman]

 

[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.
What is this?
Cosmo,

the groups name is Neutral Milk Hotel and the album is called "The Aeroplane Over The Sea".

I believe it came out either in '98 or '99. It's the last studio album the groups released. I don't quite know how to catagorize it, but there are some great lo-fi memnts, great lyracism and all-in-all it adds up to one spectacular listen
Its a grower, and the lead singers voice takes some getting used to. But, MAN. There is a straight up punk tune, some bulgarian barroom music, and some seriously achey type folk stuff to end with.

I'm not the biggest psych guy you'll ever meet, but I'll stand on a street corner and preach this album until I'm blue in the face.

 

[Cosmo]

Okay I'll check it out. I'm open on all sorts of sounds.

Speaking of, I'm ripping the LTD "Togetherness" album and I forgot how fucking dope this shit is. Jeffrey Osbourne is the man indeed.

Okay, carry on with the concept album discussion.

 

[Flomotion]

 

[SoulOnIce]

 

[piedpiper]

 

[LaserWolf]

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?

Right, right and right.

You've got the title song and With A Little Help From My Friends then a bunch of songs that have nothing to do with the concept, but which may be part of a dream (sorta) then the Reprise, then Day In A Life which may be part of some kind of a concept or maybe not. So it really only works as any kind of a concept album because of the genius of George Martin. Yet, it is often called the first concept album.

I know MMT from the US release which predates SPLHCB. Europe got the double pack 45s with the songs from the film.

I think for perpose of this thread a concept lp is not a collection of songs on one theme; like Nat King Cole Going Places, or Belafonte Calypso.

 

[JimBeam]

Refused: "The Shape of Punk to Come" the politics expressed lyrically are pretty flimsy, but what they did musically within the confines of 'punk' is

 

[shakezula808]

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

cosign this one, one of my favorite albums of the 90's.

This next one is also a favorite, although it's status as a concept album is debatable I suppose

 

[pickwick33]

Side one of Tami Lynn's Love Is Here & Now You're Gone, where she's talking about her love problems between songs like a female Isaac Hayes.

 

[DJAck]

either i don't know what a 'concept' album is or there are a lot of strutters who don't...regardless...my fave from the last few years:

 

[twoply]

I still like that one a lot.

And while we're at it:

 

[The_Non]

The Equinox (batches)

 

[NachoManCandySandwich]

Wow, what is this? Looks like a Krushenick print.
big ole cosign on BIRDMAN and Neutral Milk Hotel!

 

[luck]

Doris Duke - I'm A Loser (thematic rather than stated, a la Caught Up)
I Don't Care Anymore is, like, totally the ultimate nadir track in Soul LP history. Arc THAT.

...and then, there's Lightnin' Rod - Hustler's Convention. Hoo-ahh.







([color:white]Who will be the first to mention OK Computer?)

 

[Swayze]

Wow, what is this? Looks like a Krushenick print.

It's an album by Dutch psych group the Outsiders, called "CQ." Super super dope record.

 

[Jazzsucka]

Pretty obvious but these do not suck.