Concept Albums

[The Salty Vulcan]

Another simple thread, but with a twist. What are your favourite concept albums and why? Also, if you were a recording artist and you decided to make a concept album what would it be called? What is it about? What's is theme/motif/purpose?

Me? I love Peter Gabriel's "Scratch My Back". It really is just a great collection of covers that actually improve upon the originals thanks to both Gabriel's vocals and the orchestra accompanying him. Also, it was originally meant to be one part of a two piece collection where the artist he covered would cover his songs. That album was meant to be called "And I'll scratch yours". I have no idea if its still on, but I would love to see how that album would sound.

As for my own album, I would call it "Running from Daedalus". It would be about how the scientific and technological advances mankind has made will only lead to horror if these advances are left unchecked or worse exploited and twisted.

 

[Andy Shandy]

Linkin Park - A Thousand Suns and Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero. Just love listening to both those albums.

As for my own concept album, it would be called "My Hands are Goddamned Cold" and it would be an album of songs with the word "Cold" in the title. This is inspired by my current situation of me being particularly cold, especially my hands =P

 

[DugMachine]

Is Aphex Twin selected ambient works a concept album? If so yeah that one. Fucking awesome

 

[Offworlder_v1legacy]

It's already been said but Year Zero is one of my favourites the other being (quite blandly) The Dark Side Of The Moon, obviously Pink Floyd. They just capture that idea of madness so well with all the yelling and such.

 

[klaynexas3]

My favorite concept band is Coheed and Cambria, followed by Aryeon. Concept albums are good, but I prefer full lengthed discographies of it.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool- Based off of the song "The Cool" on his debut album, Lupe tells the story of Michael Young History (My Cool Young History)and his journey through the debauchery that can come about from living the American Dream. Goes through such themes as Greed, Lust, Commercialization dumbing down the media and its content. It also features a rap song rapped from the perspective of a Big Mac


The Roots' Undun-The Jazz Hip Hop legends tell the story of a young man by the name of Redford Stevens. Much like the story of Lupe's The Cool, it is about the want for more money and the fast life. It ends in Steven's death. The twist of this story is that it is told from the moment of his death to his birth.


The Protomen- These guys have made 2 rock opera albums (Act I and Act II) that tell the story of Megaman(Protoman) in probably one of the more dedicated and epic ways.

Tyler, The Creator(Bastard, Goblin)- As much flack as I am going to get for posting anything Odd Future related, Tyler's solo albums are scary good as concept albums. Each album details Tyler's talk with his therapist Dr. TC and him explaining his hate of lost love, his father never being there, and hating those more privileged than him.(Those with complete families and homes). He also mixes in his psychotic inner self known as Wolf Haley. It's like Eminen's alter ego Slim Shady, but with no drug influence and less wanting to kill some lady named Kim..

 

[Launcelot111]

The Who Sell Out is the gold standard of concept albums in my book. It doesn't have any ponderous storylines that get lost in the mix or anything, it's just a seamless hour of 1960s British radio (with commercials and all) with great songs and a great sense of humor.

 

[Nouw]

I'm going to restrict myself to one concept album per artist here.


Plastic Beach by the Gorillaz. We're fucked, but look on the bright side!
Human After All by Daft Punk. More darker[footnote]Forgive my grammatical mistake but I couldn't find another word that would fit with 'more.' Lesser of two evils you know?[/footnote], more repetitive and more human than before!
The Wall by Pink Floyd.
Rust in Peace by Megadeth. Wars, aliens and the nuclear apocalypse!
King of the Nordic Twilight by Luca Turilli. Should be the album of the Night's Watch.
Power of the Dragonflame by Rhapsody of Fire. This is the epic end to the legendary tale.

 

[JaceArveduin]

Nightfall in Middle-Earth. It's a Blind Guardian Album that has something pertaining to just about every story that's told in the Silmarillion. Along with little bits that aren't songs, but are great exposition dump type things that are awesome if you listen to the album in order.

 

[ohnoitsabear]

Everthing from Ayreon (or really, any of Arjen Lucassen's stuff) has been a concept album, and they're all damn good. Plus, it's actually possible to follow the plot in them, unlike most concept albums with a plot. There may be albums that I like better than Ayreon stuff (although not many) but as far as which albums are the best as concept albums, these take the cake. For the record, my personal favorite is The Human Equation, with The Dream Sequencer taking a close second.

 

[Yvl9921]

My favorite is Dream Theater's "Metropolis pt 2." It takes a bit of research to figure out what's actually happening though, bu I guess that's true of most story-based concept albums.

 

[Tanis]

I'm not really sure
I do love a LOT of Pink Floyd's stuff, and Avantasia has some great albums as well.

 

[Evil Smurf]

It is a toss up between Animals - Pink Floyd and The Incident - Porcupine Tree

 

[lacktheknack]

I have no idea why I enjoyed Embryodead by :wumpscut:, seeing how it contradicts... everything... I ever stand for. Yet for some reason, I rather enjoyed Embryodead by :wumpscut:, a concept album about how dying in the womb is better than being born.

Woo.

If I'm allowed to include "Selected Ambient Works Vol. II", which consists entirely of synaesthetic fits, then I'll pick that instead.

 

[Klumpfot]

Could Strapping Young Lad's 'City' be considered a concept album about frustration? If so, that's my pick!

A more conventional concept album (in terms of commitment to a theme) is 'Catch 33' by Meshuggah, which is about paradoxes. Or the 21 minute song/EP/sonic bulldozer 'I'.

Or speaking of EPs; 'The Art of War' by Vader! It's about war. Total war.

 

[Evil Smurf]

I went to see The Wall this year, amazing gig.

 

[AzrealMaximillion]

MM..Foood By MF DOOM (love anagrams) A hip hop album by the always unique MF DOOM who sports a modified version of the mask that Russel Crowe wears in Gladiator (can't go around wearing a Dr.Doom mask, he'd get sued, though that's who MF DOOM's persona is inspired by.

All of the songs are related to food in some way. Especially in the titles of the tracks:

Beef Rapp
Hoe Cakes
Potholderz
One Beer
Deap Fried Frenz
Poo-Putt Platter
Fillet-O-Rapper
Gumbo
Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate
Kon Karne
Guinnesses
Kon Queso
Rapp Snitch Knishes
Vomitspit
Kookies


A well done concept album.


Once again, I guess I'm the only guy on the Escapists that listens to mostly hip hop :S

Ah well, used to it by now.

 

[Vault101]

Most albums are concept albums if not through any lyrical theme then through a compositional theme. I'm actually struggling to think of albums that don't have a concept.

but the "concept" in some concept albums is clearer than others....

somthing like NIN's "Year Zero" which has a clear story and setting (not to mention insane ARG)

 

[BreakfastMan]

Well, I am quite fond of Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime and Mastodon's Blood Mountain, if I do say so myself. Both are damn fine pieces of music. Also, Anthrax's Persistence of Time, if that counts.