The Concept Album - Vote!

[DanielT]

What do you think of concept albums? Something you like?

I watched this video which is about that, Concept Albums. It starts with Woody Guthrie and his description of the great depression, to Frank Sinatra and the opportunity to get more information. songs on vinyl. Of course, Pink Floyd is also mentioned among others.

 

[diddley]

I approach every album as a kind of concept album: I start at number 1 and listen to the end.
But i love the concept.

 

[DanielT]

I approach every album as a kind of concept album: I start at number 1 and listen to the end.
But i love the concept.

There you have a point. I've been a little spoiled. Thinking about streaming. Discovered one thing. This spring I started buying some CDs again. My idea was to mainly find older CDs that did not fallen for the "loudness war". i have been looking and buying at flea markets (although I am not the first to look for these types of discs). I now listen more to the whole album compared to streaming where only for me are single songs I pick up and listen to.
Nowadays I combine streaming with CDs.

When I saw the title of that video. The first thing I came to mind was ..... no surprise or unique. My choice of record, that is, not the record itself, on the contrary, it is unique.A damn good record. It is probably one of the world's most well-known records.

A song from that album. Gosh darn it what it is beautiful, shameful and eerie at the same time:
(for those who for some reason can not see what song it is, see attached picture)

 

[Jimbob54]

I think every album should be a concept album. Even if the concept is just to capture the musical and emotional mood of the artists at the time. I cant abide albums that feel like a collection of different random ideas, sometimes with many different authors, songs left over from previous releases etc etc . Which is essentially most modern pop records.

 

[Doodski]

RUSH 2112 baby! The ultimate concept album. Even Geddy Lee the bass player & vocalist said he couldn't follow it after the drummer Neil Peart wrote all the songs. Awesome album in it's entirety.

 

[DanielT]

I think every album should be a concept album. Even if the concept is just to capture the musical and emotional mood of the artists at the time. I cant abide albums that feel like a collection of different random ideas, sometimes with many different authors, songs left over from previous releases etc etc . Which is essentially most modern pop records.

I like how Frank Sinatra built songs, storytelling, or concepts if you will.

RUSH 2112 baby! The ultimate concept album. Even Geddy Lee the bass player & vocalist said he couldn't follow it after the drummer Neil Peart wrote all the songs. Awesome album in it's entirety.

Thanks for the tip! RUSH. It was a long time since I listened to them. It's going to be a RUSH day today.
You can count on that, baby! He he.

 

[krabapple]

RUSH 2112 baby! The ultimate concept album. Even Geddy Lee the bass player & vocalist said he couldn't follow it after the drummer Neil Peart wrote all the songs. Awesome album in it's entirety.

A concept *side* , not a concept album

 

[krabapple]

AFAIK the first concept album was by Mel Torme.

 

[DanielT]

AFAIK the first concept album was by Mel Torme.

Maybe, depends on how you define the concept album. It can mean a little whatever.
But that only makes it more interesting because the concept itself , Concept Album, has been around for as long as I can remember listening to music.

From what I remember we considered the concept album to be equated with the plague when we (I) were young in the 80s because we associated it with the 70s, fuzzy 70s. Then we nevertheless had records that could be seen as concept albums was not something we reflected on.

 

[GD Fan]

I approach every album as a kind of concept album: I start at number 1 and listen to the end.
But i love the concept.

I agree with this 100%. Heard this way, many albums reveal common threads of one sort or another on which they hang together in (near) entirety.

That said, intentional concept albums are a rare joy when well executed to one's taste. The artistry required can boggle the mind.

 

[maverickronin]

If they make enough sense, I start trying to evaluate them as narrative fiction instead of music...

 

[pjug]

Something somewhat recent I like is Anais Mitchell's concept-album/opera/musical

 

[DanielT]

I think that just concept album for some is considered good for others not so it depends on this: Pretation
Being pretentious can be considered a bit silly. Especially if the person does not possess that much talent. But on the other hand if you see pretensions as being ambitious. Have a will to convey something, it can be positive. If the talent is there.

I saw this now. Is it possible to post these afterwards in the thread and make a vote about them (or some others)?

https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-12-greatest-concept-albums-of-all-time-pink-floyd-who-bowie/

Edit:
So now I fixed and added the opportunity to vote. Took the album from page above.
Are there any missing in the vote, list? Leave a comment.

 

[gene_stl]

I think pretension is usually the operative word.

 

[krabapple]

People don't seem to be clear on the concept of 'concept album'.

 

[Robin L]

Hijera---Joni Mitchell
Black Cadillac---Rosanne Cash
Only the Lonely---Frank Sinatra

In the "good old days" they were called Song Cycles. Like Schubert or Schumann.

Hijera and Black Cadillac are true song cycles.

The others? Not so much. Hijera is Joni's "Winterreise ". Black Cadillac is an extended Tombeau over the death of her father.

Frank Sinatra practically invented the "Concept Album".

 

[DanielT]

Hijera---Joni Mitchell
Black Cadillac---Rosanne Cash
Only the Lonely---Frank Sinatra

In the "good old days" they were called Song Cycles. Like Schubert or Schumann.

Hijera and Black Cadillac are true song cycles.

The others? Not so much. Hijera is Joni's "Winterreise ". Black Cadillac is an extended Tombeau over the death of her father.

Frank Sinatra practically invented the "Concept Album".

You have a point.

 

[krabapple]

Hijera---Joni Mitchell
Black Cadillac---Rosanne Cash
Only the Lonely---Frank Sinatra

In the "good old days" they were called Song Cycles. Like Schubert or Schumann.

Hijera and Black Cadillac are true song cycles.

The others? Not so much. Hijera is Joni's "Winterreise ". Black Cadillac is an extended Tombeau over the death of her father.

Frank Sinatra practically invented the "Concept Album".

Again, Mel Torme's California Suite predates Sinatra's album by a decade.

musictovisit | When was the concept album first conceived? - Record Collector Magazine

The noise around the Sgt Pepper’s reissue got me thinking about concept albums, and the concept of albums, what makes them different from just a

recordcollectormag.com

 

[Snarfie]

Nice documentaire. The list is endless Petsounds etc etc

 

[30 Ounce]

Styx Paradise Theater