Best (and worst) concept albums

[Buzzrock 14,924]

On 3/8/2024 at 10:24 PM, ztejas said:

Damn 37 posts and still not mentioned.

Probably gets my vote for #1 all-time. 

There’s a difference between having a theme and being a true concept album. This is a spectacular soundtrack but not a concept album (to me). 

[NomadFart 2]

[tbone_ 14,129]

This wins for me. On the Empire tour they played the entire Operation Mindcrime. Still one of the best concerts I’ve eve seen and I’ve seen hundreds. Even better than The Wall which was awesome. 

I don’t know if it’s best or not. But I think it’s damn good. And underrated. Kind of always suspected it would get made into a movie.

This, The Wall, and RHS are my favorites.

[dcar00 14,275]

Innervisions has to be up there.

[Slacks 6,821]

On 3/8/2024 at 9:24 PM, ztejas said:

Damn 37 posts and still not mentioned.

Probably gets my vote for #1 all-time. 

I was going to post Sign O' the Times.

Back in the day, the CD player would run the flow because Sign of the Times was supposed to have no gap or break until you flipped the album or cassette. CD had gaps at each new track.

Edited April 4 by Slacks

[ztejas 43,479]

On 3/28/2024 at 8:43 PM, Buzzrock said:

There’s a difference between having a theme and being a true concept album. This is a spectacular soundtrack but not a concept album (to me). 

I would say "hey let's make a musical movie where my band plays a bunch of songs and then every song from the movie let's put that on an album" is a fairly straightforward concept. 

It's not like the songs aren't related to what's happening in the movie. I might agree with you if Purple Rain was a typical soundtrack but it's basically a standalone album with a 90 minute music video. No one else was doing anything like that or really has since and enjoyed nearly as much success. 

[UTCzech III 2,907]

On 3/27/2024 at 9:13 AM, WhatTheBuck said:

In what world is Dark Side not a concept album? I’ve never heard that questioned. The Wall is more explicitly so but Dark Side is an icon of a concept album. One of the most important albums of all time  

Some others: Frank Zappa - Joe’s Garage; Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord; Spirit - 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus (awesome album despite the concept being poorly defined).

Give me Quadrophenia over Tommy all day every day. I’m not disputing Tommy as a concept album but it just doesn’t do it for me like Quadrophenia. That’s a masterpiece.

I don’t know if it counts but my parents had a copy of Peter & The Wolf when I was a kid and that was part of my musical foundation. They didn’t have much in the way of good music but that was a good one. They also had the soundtrack to West Side Story. That’s just a play. But so is Peter & The Wolf, right? And so are Quadrophenia and Joe’s Garage and The Wall, right? Labels are useful when talking about music but they can get fuzzy on the edges. I think we can safely say the West Side Story soundtrack is not a concept album.

But how about this? I used to have this on vinyl. A college roommate bought it on CD. It’s pretty good.

I haven’t read the whole thread. I see the Styx mention but I’m not sure which album you’re talking about. I assume Kilroy Was Here? That counts but I don’t think it was executed very well. I think Paradise Theater was the better effort. I haven’t listened to it in a long time but I still own that one. And I saw them live on the Kilroy tour. That was one of my first three concerts. I think it was my third after Rush and REO Speedwagon. It was a good show. 

Have this on CD, back in high school a friend loaned it to me on vinyl.  Still love it.  Justin Hayward, Phil Lynott, David Essex, Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann), it's really a great album, very proggy.

[wreckatx 141]

Haven’t seen In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel mentioned. Incredible album.