Was listening to Cloud Cult’s Light Chasers - https://songwhip.com/cloudcult/light-chasers - and thinking about my own album Hello World - https://songwhip.com/fairy-eyelashes/hello-world - and got to thinking…
What are your favorite concept albums?
- Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
- Meat Loaf - Bat Out of Hell
- Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
- The Refreshments - Fizzy Fuzzy Big and Buzzy
That last one is maybe not intended as a concept album, but it has such a consistent sound, feel, and narrative that it’s hard not to consider it one.
Tranquility Base Hotel + Casino by Arctic Monkeys
Bass lines go hard and the lyrics are honestly genius from Alex Turner - the concept is about a washed up musician in a retrofuturistic setting
Not sure if it counts, but In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel I think is sometimes considered a bit of a concept album. Not so much with storytelling, but I think it was all connected to dreams Mangum had.
Also, a band I randomly saw at a Calgary music festival, Hard Drugs, their self-titled album was an epic story driven concept album that I highly recommend https://songwhip.com/harddrugs
Aeroplane Over the Sea was inspired by reading The Diary of Anne Frank.
I think it’s a great album.
yeah, and I think his fevered dreams while reading it. Really great album, almost an indie rite of passage at this point lol
Tallahassee and Beat The Champ by the Mountain Goats. The Suburbs and Neon Bible by Arcade Fire. Deltron 3030 by Del the Funkee Homosapien and Dan the Automator. Edit: how could I forget In The Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel
Ooo good question. Here’s a few that came to mind.
Pink Floyd - The Wall
The Decemberists - Hazards of Love
Andy Shauf - Neon Skyline
The Dear Hunter - Act I through Act V (5 albums)
Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
Deltron 3030
Amazing how many people have never listened to The Wall. It’s the only album from my childhood that’s still 100% listenable and fresh sounding
Absolute ground-breaker at the time
I don’t know if “show and tell” was a thing at your school but somehow I had a copy of Another Brick in the Wall vinyl single and played it for the class. I must have been in grade 5 or 6. What a fuckin legend I am haha.
The Wall has held up so very well. Alarmingly relevant too.
Love Hazards Of Love (and The Wall of course)!!
The Protomen - Act I-II
Vendetta Red - Sisters of the Red Deaththick as a brick
love seeing some prog folks up in here.
You know I thought my music tastes was really broad as I like progressive rock, new wave, alternative, etc. Then I sorta realized they were all sort the same off center sometimes touching mainstream stuff over time.
yeah, same. I love pretty much most genres, but it’s always just outside the mainstream. From rock, pop, prog, country, R&B, and soul, just on the peripheral.
Oh I definately have genres im not wild about in general. Like rap, country, and pop. Still there are some stuff that comes out of it that I like or songs that incorporate elements of it in a way I like.
Not sure if Antic Clay’s Hilarious Death Blues is a concept album but man it’s the darkest double album I’ve ever listened to, to the point that I would not recommend listening to it while depressed or going through some serious shit. It’s a journey through an apocalyptic Americana and its very convincing in its beautiful hopelessness. It’s Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian made into sonic flesh.
Bandcamp: https://stickfigurerecordings.bandcamp.com/album/hilarious-death-blues-double-album
Leviathan by Mastodon.
Also, the full cover album art by Paul Romano is exquisite
Divers by Joanna Newsom. I love the cyclical arrangement of her songs with the last line of her last song looping back to the first line of her first song. I think it really illustrates what she’s trying to say about the nature of love and time.
Thunder Perfect Mind or Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head.
Frank Zappa - The Grand Wazoo The Residents - Commercial Album or Animal Lover or Mark of the Mole or God in Three Persons
DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar.
One of the best lyrical journeys put to wax. I still revisit it pretty frequently and find new layers every time.
@ren dira minus the Bear’s album count? The one where half the track names are from starship troopers?
I should listen to damn bugs whacked him Johnny.
I don’t know! But sounds amazing!
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