Favorite rock concept album?

[Samus Aran]

Before anyone asks, yes this is (mostly) a repost from NSF, for anyone who goes there too.



The Who - Quadrophenia

Mr. Pete Townshend has always been a master at concept albums, but that talent never came to such a perfect boil as it did with Quadrophenia, the tale of the split personality Mod kid Jimmy and his experiences in (then) modern day England as he pops pills, goes to shrinks, gets kicked out of his home, winds up homeless on the beach, and even confronts old friends (Bell Booooy!!!). And don't forget the scooter.

Major album highlights:

The opening "I Am the Sea"
CAN YOU SEE THE REEEEEEAL ME, DOCTAH, DOCTAH??? Listen to that fucking bass.
The instrumental summary "Quadrophenia"
Is it me...for a moment?
ZOOT SUIT, WHITE JACKET WITH SIDE VENTS FIVE INCHES LONG
"Sea and Sand"
BELL BOOOYYY
LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE, REEEEEEEEEEEEEIGN OOOOOOO'ER MEEEEEE (best moment in The Who's history)


In case you were curious, my second pick for best concept album would be Jethro Tull's Thick as a Brick, and third would be Pink Floyd's Animals.

Your turn.

Yo bro, use message icons. The cool kids do it.

[Houdini]

[sans culottes]

Not my favorite concept album, but it doesn't get enough love, so I figured I'd mention it.

My favorite concept album is the Dark Side of the Moon. I know, my choice is very unoriginal. A lot of my favorite "concept albums" are sorta half-way between a normal and concept album - ie, Pet Sounds, Face to Face, Aqualung.

[Samus Aran]

My favorite concept album is the Dark Side of the Moon. I know, my choice is very unoriginal. A lot of my favorite "concept albums" are sorta half-way between a normal and concept album - ie, Pet Sounds, Face to Face, Aqualung.

Aqualung is "special"...it's kinda a concept album because it has two "concepts," the character sketches and the anti-relgion/pro-god themes...but the problem of course is that the concepts aren't connected at all.

I don't recall Ian Anderson ever saying whether he meant it to be a concept album or not, really.

Oh, and about Dark Side...when it comes to Pink Floyd, I would choose Animals over that myself.

[sans culottes]

Dark Side is just so awesome. I don't care if it's overrated and the most popular, I love it. All their other concept albums were nearly as good, though.

And yeah, Aqualung is less of a concept album and more like two concept EPs. Aqualung the hobo has nothing to do with gidgeon's bible.

[Andria]

Ayreon-The Human Equation would probably be my current favorite.

[Sync]

Aqualung is "special"...it's kinda a concept album because it has two "concepts," the character sketches and the anti-relgion/pro-god themes...but the problem of course is that the concepts aren't connected at all.

I don't recall Ian Anderson ever saying whether he meant it to be a concept album or not, really.

Oh, and about Dark Side...when it comes to Pink Floyd, I would choose Animals over that myself.

I like Wish You Were Here over both of those.
Animals comes a really close second though.

[Meyer Lansky]

[burzumfan420]

Zen Arcade-Hüsker Dü
Daydream Nation-Sonic Youth
Sister-Sonic Youth
Downward Spiral-NIN
Sgt Peppers Gzgzgzgz
Of Montreal's newest albums
Neutral Milk hotel's albums


There are probably more that i cant rpeember atm

[the shortest route to the sea]

Ayreon-The Human Equation would probably be my current favorite.

Pretty good. Into The Electric Castle is nice.

Supposedly Abbey Road counts as a concept album, but I don't totally buy it.



Fantastic album, even if you can't call all of it rock.

Sgt Peppers Gzgzgzgz
Of Montreal's newest albums
Neutral Milk hotel's albums

These are sort of on the line...

[Samus Aran]

Yeah I don't consider Abbey Road a concept album at all. It has a medley, but most of that medley doesn't contain the same theme or even musical structure. A few exceptions of course.

I also don't consider Sgt. Pepper one, because other than the opening track and its reprise none of the songs have much to do with each other.

As for Neutral Milk Hotel, well I only have In the Aeroplane and there are kind of some concept album qualities but it's only like 1/4 of the album that really does that.

[the shortest route to the sea]

As for Neutral Milk Hotel, well I only have In the Aeroplane and there are kind of some concept album qualities but it's only like 1/4 of the album that really does that.

I would contest this. Death and sex and the same girl dying and being reincarnated as a boy, and that concept being called a "Two Headed Boy," covers the entirety of the album. I just don't think the themes are well developed enough to constitute a concept album.

[Samus Aran]

I would contest this. Death and sex and the same girl dying and being reincarnated as a boy, and that concept being called a "Two Headed Boy," covers the entirety of the album. I just don't think the themes are well developed enough to constitute a concept album.

Well yeah, multiple concepts, but some of the songs I can't really see where the themes come in. Namely the title track and "Oh Comely." But then again I dislike that song anyway.

But I dunno I don't listen to it enough so I'm probably just missing things but then again even if I did, I don't think I would consider the themes prominent and developed enough to be a concept album, like you said.

[the shortest route to the sea]

Well yeah, multiple concepts, but some of the songs I can't really see where the themes come in. Namely the title track and "Oh Comely." But then again I dislike that song anyway.

Oh comely, I will be with you when you lose your breath,  death
Chasing the only meaningful memory you thought you had left. family / meaning
With some pretty, bright and bubbly terrible scene
That was doing her thing on your chest. sex

But oh comely,
It isn't as pretty as you'd like to guess  harsh realities
In your memory, you're drunk on your awe ,to me
It doesn't mean anything at all.

Oh comely,
All of your friends are all letting you blow,
Bristling and ugly, bursting with fruits falling out from the holes
Of some pretty, bright, and bubbly friend
You could need to say comforting things in your ear  consolation / torment

But oh comely,
There isn't such one friend that you could find here.
Standing next to me,
He's only my enemy
I'll crush him with everything I own.

Say what you want to say
Hang for your hollow ways
Moving your mouth to pull out
All your miracles aimed for me.  stop hiding my eyes from this awful reality

Your father made fetuses with flesh licking ladies, more sex
While you and your mother were asleep in the trailer park.
Thunderous sparks from the dark of the stadiums,
The music and medicine you needed for comforting. comforting
So make all your fat fleshy fingers to moving,
And pluck all your silly strings, bend all your notes for me.
Soft silly music is meaningful magical, comfort
The movements were beautiful, all in your ovaries. sex
All of them milking with green fleshy flowers,
While powerful pistons were sugary sweet machines.comforting
Smelling of semen all under the garden sex
Was all you were needing when you still believed in me.

Say what your want to say.
Hang for your hollow ways.
Moving your mouth to pull out
All your miracles aimed for me. etc.

And I know they buried her body with others,death
Her sister and mother and five-hundred families.
And will she remember me fifty years later? reincarnation
I wished I could save her in some sort of time machine.

Know all your enemies.

We know who our enemies are.

Goldaline, my dear,
We will fold and freeze together
Far away from here.
There is sun and spring and green forever. comforting

But now we move to feel for ourselves inside some stranger's stomach.

Place your body here, transformation / reincarnation / sex
Let your skin begin to blend itself with mine.

I have a lot of wonderful perspective on the album from seeing "With the Needle That Sings In Her Heart," a play inspired by and containing songs from the album, written by the Lexington High School Drama department and Amanda Palmer of the Dresden Dolls. The album revolves around comfort and hiding from truths, the nature of death, sexual interaction, and how they all tie back into the distant subject of the album: Anne Frank.

[Samus Aran]

Well like I said I don't like "Oh Comely" so I don't even remember the lyrics or any themes in it as a result of skipping it when I listen to the album.

But that play sounds awesome, I've never even heard of it.