Concept albums that don't suck
- Thread starter m_dejean
- Start date
Besides the title, how is this a concept album? What's the umbrella theme/common thread?Surely
?
Burger King
Also, rather than just marking the end of the groups dealings with the daisy age the album always seemed to me to be a commentary on what was happening in the rap industry at the time and it's ever increasing focus on commercialisation.
Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa?
Well you could argue that the subject matter of the song was an intentional "fuck you" to the party theme of much of the rap around at the time. Not many rap songs about themes as heavy as child abuse were being released by major label artists.
I mean, the (in my view inferior) CD version of the album has about 30 tracks and there's quite a few that don't address the topic. However I still think that the album's overall concept shines through.
I always immediately think of "Operation:Mindcrime" by Queensryche when I hear the term "concept album" -- but when I tried to think of one that I liked, NMH is exactly what I thought of. Is the "Songs in the Key of Life" a concept album? Sometimes it's hard to define what qualifies. But yeah, "Aeroplane Over the Sea"... and also "OK Computer" -- most definitely.
Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa?
Well you could argue that the subject matter of the song was an intentional "fuck you" to the party theme of much of the rap around at the time. Not many rap songs about themes as heavy as child abuse were being released by major label artists.
I mean, the (in my view inferior) CD version of the album has about 30 tracks and there's quite a few that don't address the topic. However I still think that the album's overall concept shines through.
Saturday's?
Ring Ring(Ha Hey)?
Talk About Hey Love?
Let,Let Me In?
Peas Porridge?
Dogs, this album doesnt have a common concept.
Millie Pulled A Pistol On Santa?
Well you could argue that the subject matter of the song was an intentional "fuck you" to the party theme of much of the rap around at the time. Not many rap songs about themes as heavy as child abuse were being released by major label artists.
I mean, the (in my view inferior) CD version of the album has about 30 tracks and there's quite a few that don't address the topic. However I still think that the album's overall concept shines through.
Saturday's?
Ring Ring(Ha Hey)?
Talk About Hey Love?
Let,Let Me In?
Peas Porridge?
Dogs, this album doesnt have a common concept.
Well Ring Ring is about the negative after effects of the fame that De La got after 3 Free High, Peas Porridge is also an aggressive front hidden behind a happy beat countering the mellow outlook of 3 Feet High.
There's no point batting this a back and forth though.
I can see where you're coming from and agree that the album doesn't carry through the concept on every track. However, for me, the inclusion of the skits with their album being dissed inbetween songs and the subject matter of a good number of the tracks give the album an overall concept.
Duderonomy said:
Doctor Octagon
Would you really listen through that album now? Blue Flowers apart I struggled with it even back then.
Also, I have no recollection of ever posting in this thread or the points above but I still think my argument for...Is Dead is ok.
Junior said:
Duderonomy said:
Doctor Octagon
Would you really listen through that album now? Blue Flowers apart I struggled with it even back then.
Also, I have no recollection of ever posting in this thread or the points above but I still think my argument for...Is Dead is ok.
At the time I loved all of it. Now I stick with Blue Flowers, Bear Witness, and the instrumentals.
ok, Niggamortis. Still solid.
Duderonomy said:
Junior said:
Duderonomy said:
Doctor Octagon
Would you really listen through that album now? Blue Flowers apart I struggled with it even back then.
Also, I have no recollection of ever posting in this thread or the points above but I still think my argument for...Is Dead is ok.
At the time I loved all of it. Now I stick with Blue Flowers, Bear Witness, and the instrumentals.
ok, Niggamortis. Still solid.
Yes definitely, I was playing this a fair bit a year or two ago and I think it sounds just as good now.
I'm trying to think of new, non terrible, concept albums from the last ten years and am struggling.
speaking of those Elephant 6 bands, Of Montreal's early albums are very concepty and pretty good IMO, The Gay Parade and Coquelicot Asleep in the Poppies especially. Those albums remind me a bit of The Kinks, and isn't Village Green Preservation Society sort of a concept album too?
To add to the naysayin', I struggle to see Perry's Super Ape as a concept album. True, his Upsetter/production LPs usually have a theme with dubs given similar titles, but that's about it. Hardly any lyrics on Super Ape and some are just dubs of un-related singles from different artists. Am I missing something?
ketan said:
I always thought De La Iz Dead was about them shedding their hippie rep.
Only in title. The rest of the Native Tongues make appearences and many if the tracks have nothing to do with leaving their previous image behind. And skits dont make a concept.
Combed back through this thread after the bump and didn't notice this:
It's been probably 7+ years since I gave it a proper listen but I always really enjoyed it. Not sure the exact definition of a concept album, but this certainly fits my personal idea of what you would consider a concept album.
Sidebar:
Hearing this again makes me miss seeing Breeze at Fat Beats...and miss Fat Beats, in general.
I do not miss all the dudes hawking "real hiphip real hiphop real hiphop" out front of the bagel buffet, though.
It's been probably 7+ years since I gave it a proper listen but I always really enjoyed it. Not sure the exact definition of a concept album, but this certainly fits my personal idea of what you would consider a concept album.
Sidebar:
Hearing this again makes me miss seeing Breeze at Fat Beats...and miss Fat Beats, in general.
I do not miss all the dudes hawking "real hiphip real hiphop real hiphop" out front of the bagel buffet, though.
Prince among thieves, I'm into that, I'm into that.
I'm gonna chuck in A to Austr which might be a little unfair/inappropriate because it's a album with the concept of being about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table but the album isn't totally about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table
So yeah, to sum up; It's a album where some of it is about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table and some of it isn't.
I'm gonna chuck in A to Austr which might be a little unfair/inappropriate because it's a album with the concept of being about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table but the album isn't totally about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table
So yeah, to sum up; It's a album where some of it is about King Arthur and the Knights of the round table and some of it isn't.
