concept albums

[BrunoBass]

A Grand Don't Come For Free - The Streets
Everybody Down - Kate Tempest

[BassTractor]

[quote name='Stu-khag' timestamp='1455021483' post='2975044']
to see what everyone here would be interested in seeing being mentioned in a tv programme.
[/quote]


"The Amazing Adventures of Simon Simon" by John Surman may be a concept album, Idunno.
At any rate it's not the usual prog suspects.

Possibly maybe perhaps worth mentioning the (IMO bad) concept that Ekseption had for their "Beggar Julia's time trip", where medieval Julia travels in a spaceship-like time machine and picks up classical music pieces during the trip, in roughly historical order.
Thus, the album starts with medieval/Renaissance-like music, before picking up Bach and Beethoven and the like, and megalomaniacally finishing with Ekseption.
(Ekseption tended to use known classical themes for their mainly instrumental pop/jazz.)

[Truckstop]

A Grand Don't Come For Free is one of my favourite albums. A masterpiece!

Year Zero - Nine Inch Nails also has a narrative throughout. It's the story of Earth in the near future and music and 'having fun' etc has been banned by a tyrannical earth government.

What's interesting about Year Zero, is that it was supported by a series of short videos that showed Nine Inch Nails gigs being disrupted by heavily armed police and Trent Reznor being arrested etc etc. Apparently, fans of Nine Inch Nails were none the wiser and genuinely thought that they were part of an illegal gig. The gigs were held in warehouses and basements so must have been pretty cool for the people that got to see it.

The videos were left in USB sticks hidden around venues and stuff and gig goers were urged to post them online. Very immersive and added a dimension to the album that you wouldn't have achieved if you'd listened to the album on its own.

Can't think of another album that was supported by other media in this way?

[RockfordStone]

funeral for a friend - tales don't tell themselves, based around fishermen at sea and deals with the singers own fear of water and the ocean.

[4stringslow]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1455026490' post='2975146']
Wakeman - Six Wives, Journey to the Centre of the Earth
[/quote]

. . . and The Myths And Legends of King Arthur & the Knights of the Round Table

In fact, Wakeman was something of a master of the concept album back in the day (and sometimes 'on ice' FFS )



No mention of The Beatles yet? Sgt Pepper's, Yellow Submarine, Magical Mystery Tour - OK, maybe not concept albums in the classic prog rock sense, but certainly albums with a theme.

Edited February 9, 2016 by 4stringslow

[Zenitram]

The Heart of Saturday Night by Tom Waits has a concepty feel to it, in terms of thematic unity. And the cover is a riff on In the Wee Small Hours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ny3K8Dqth1M

[Bilbo]

The Tony Banks album 'A Curious Feeling' was originally a concept album linked ot the 'Flowers for Algernon' book by Daniel Keyes (not sure why the connection broke).

Also, there is a 1976 Michael Mantler LP called 'The Hapless Child' based around the poems of Edward Gorey.

'Winter Morning Walks' by Maria Schneider is based around the poetry of Ted Kooser

Steve Swallow did an album based around Robert Creeley poems

I guess it all depends on your definition of a concept album.

[lojo]

Ogden's Nut Gone Flake

[gelfin]

Thick as a brick

[KingBollock]

W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol.

[chris_b]

Sgt Pepper. . . . the original concept album.

[Rich]

Holst's Planets Suite? It is a thematic concept, after all.

[Zenitram]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1455031700' post='2975209']
I guess it all depends on your definition of a concept album.
[/quote]

Gatefold sleeve or Roger Dean artwork. Combining the two gets you disqualified, however, for trying too hard.

[toneknob]

Greenslade's "Pentateuch of the Cosmogony". If it isn't then it jolly well should be

[Bassassin]

Tommy & Quadrophenia by The 'Oo, of course.

[Sausages]

Remember the Future & Down to Earth by Nektar
In the Spirit of Things by Kansas
Voyage of the Acolyte by Steve Hackett

[Hobbayne]

The Beatles' Sgt Pepper and Setting Sons by The Jam started off as concept albums which after recording several songs, the concept idea was dropped.

[Japhet]

Aqualung - Jethro Tull.

[Mr Arkadin]

I guess Bowie's Ziggy Stardust would count but definitely 1.Outside. I just wish he'd got round to finishing the proposed trilogy.

[Stu-khag]

Thankyou everyone!
lots to delve into and nice to see some female names pop up as well!

[sykilz]

Marillion - Brave, the story of a young lady found about to throw herself from a bridge , not knowing who she was and why she was there, and told as her back story. Fantastic, moody album.

[Roger2611]

I have never really understood what a "concept" album was, I guess from the albums mentioned thus far, Punk and New Wave had no concept of......err, concept albums then!

[Oopsdabassist]

Olias of Sunhillow, absolutely sublime album!

[Bo0tsy]

Parliament Mothership Connection, Clones of Dr Funkenstein, Motor Booty Affair. In fact many of George Clinton's P Funk albums had some crazy concepts to them!

[seashell]

[quote name='lojo' timestamp='1455032031' post='2975215']
Ogden's Nut Gone Flake
[/quote]

Plus one for this! So glad you mentioned it. Should have been a double album IMHO.