Your favorite 'concept' album
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So now, a month later, just realized my original url added letters at the end, here it is proper! https://www.popmatters.com/honeydogs-10000-2495933673.html |
My definition of a concept album is not just one in which a particular theme or concept is explored but also one the I get lost in and that I would prefer to listen to as a whole. I also feel that this should be the intent of the artist. Lots of albums "work" as a cohesive collection of songs (Aja - Steely Dan) but don't fit my idea of a concept album. I look for almost a symphonic structure. Just my take on it and some of the ones I list might not even fit my own definition. A few that I don't think have been mentioned: Astral Weeks - Van Morrison. My favorite concept album and one of my favorite of all albums. Vedon Fleece -Van Morrison. Not as "conceptual" as Astral Weeks and not as good....but still good. Morning Phase - Beck. To me, a true concept album that even has recurring themes throughout like a symphony. Sea Change - Beck. Not as mature or cohesive as Morning Phase. Khruangbin- Con Todo El Mundo. Superb and NEW! Not many solid concept albums coming out these days. Lay It Down - Cowboy Junkies. Maybe? White City - Pete Townshend Agree with some already mentioned: Soul Cages - Sting. Very thematically cohesive. Well recorded too. Wish You Were Here- Pink Floyd. A concept album by every definition of the word as is everything from DSOTM onward but I think WYWH is their best and most cohesive as a concept album. Animals I'd place second. Not saying those are their best albums, just best in terms of the "concept" idea. The Wall is epic and I love it....but maybe a bit too epic. It can be a little tiresome in a Wagnerian way. Rush is tough. I love Rush. Most of their albums up through Suburbs (I never liked their later stuff) are strongly conceptual and thematic but I don't know of any of their albums that carry the concept/theme through the whole album. If I had to pick one I'd say Hemispheres. |
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White Mansions - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Mansions |
10 Yes - Close to the Edge 9 Alan Parsons - Tales of Mystery and Imagination 8 McD & Giles - McDonald and Giles 7 Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord 6 Sting - Soul Cages 5 Alan Parsons - Air 4 Supertramp - Crime of the Century 3 Sting - Mercury Falling 2 Pink Floyd - Animals 1 Eagles - Desperado Tim |
@pgaulke, I would say a concept album is one that carries a consistent theme from beginning to end, like Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys (another all-time concept album) develops several themes around innocence and the loss of it – the innocence of youth, post-war America, American family life, lost love. By the end, the theme of the concept has been developed sufficiently so that the way you look at it is not the same as when the album started, for example, "Caroline, No" in the Beach Boys example. |
For those interested, the Smile boxset is still available through Amazon. Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks started working on this musical imagination on the subject of Manifest Destiny (look it up ;-) in 1966, and closed it down in mid-'67. It is the great "lost work" in Rock 'n' Roll history, Brian's follow-up to the Pet Sounds album. The boxset contains every second of the recordings Brian and Van Dyke were able to get on tape before Brian collapsed. You can read the details on Smile in two chapters in the great book Outlaw Blues by Paul Williams, which were originally published in Crawdaddy magazine as the Smile recordings were being made. Smile may just change your life, musically. It would have been a masterpiece had it been completed; even unfinished it is astonishing. It is not legendary for no good reason. |
Carmen Gomes Inc. 'Up Jumped The Devil' 24bit DXD ;https://www.soundliaison.com/index.php/677-up-jumped-the-devil-carmen-gomes-inc Redbook CD and WAV; https://carmengomes.bandcamp.com/ By framing each of Robert Johnson’s songs with small instrumentalminiatures, Carmen Gomes Inc. have created an album that sounds like an imaginary road movie. Listening one perceives Robert walking late at night, en route in the Mississippi Delta, reflecting back on his life.The low A, 27.5 Hz, from the bowed down tuned double bass representing the Mississippi night, the drums creating the sounds surrounding the night and the guitar being Robert’s mind. |
Ok Computer by Radiohead is the ultimate concept album for me. A few others that may not be full-on concept albums but seem to have a common theme from beginning to end are Suburbs by Arcade Fire, Dear Science by TV on the Radio, College Dropout by Kanye West, and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill by Lauryn Hill. |
