It's raining and 62 degrees on the first day of summer in New York. SO Don’t know if we’ve ever done one of these types of music threads. So besides opera’s and musicals what Story/Theme albums are there? Off the top of my head… 2112 - Rush – A future society where music is banned. The Wall – Pink Floyd – Dealing with one’s demons Consequences – Godley & Cream (10cc) – Man must write a piano sonata to calm the weather before it destroys the world. Jesus Christ Superstar – okay so I broke my own rule, sue me.
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime 2112, technically, was only a concept record on one side. The other side was just individual songs with no connection to the Ayn Rand objectivist thing on the other side of the record.
The Who...Tommy. He's a deaf, dumb and blind kid who sure plays a mean pinball. Styx...Kilroy was here.
Hmmm. I thought Side one (or two, I don't remember which) was about a guy that found a strange device....a guitar. What is this strange device? When I touch it, it gives forth the...I can't remember what it gives forth, but you get the idea. Tommy- The Who Mr. Roboto- Styx (yeah, I know it blew chunks but it was a story album. What the story was, no one is quite sure except for Dennis DeYoung)
what's the story about Operation: Mindcrime? i.e. 2112 nitpicker behad, see me, feel me! Damit, now I'm gonna have to pull that out!
"Hounds of Love" by Kate Bush was partly concept. The first 5 songs were just that...songs but starting with track #6, the rest of the album was a concept album. I have 2 other Kate albums, and this one by far is her best, IMO. Trying to think of some others....I know some albums that paint a great mood which is what you might mean by theme. "Disintegration" by The Cure as well as "Faith" and "p*rnography" are well-known by Cure fans as their dreary, almost gothic albums. "OK Computer" by Radiohead is what I would considered a concept album. Also, "Mezzanine" by Massive Attack, "The Downward Spiral" by NIN, and "Sea Change" by Beck are all great mood albums in which there seems (to me at least) a general foreboding, brooding, or depressing mood throughout the album.
God! Kate’s first four albums were amazing! The Dreaming Never For Ever (I have on picture disc; Kate on a black piano in a sequin green jumpsuit with that red hair, ummm) The Kick Inside Lionheart
Here is the story in Chris DeGarmo's (guitarist) own words: http://www.users.totalise.co.uk/~bigoleg/queensryche/om/features/om_inhis.html
If we're going with side-long concept albums, Rush actually has two more (besides 2112). One is Hemispheres which takes up one side and is actually the continuation of a song that ended their previous record - so technically this concept stretches accross two albums. The other is the second side of Rush's third album "Carress of Steel".
King's X- "Gretchen Goes To Nebraska" Possibly the most underrated album EVER!!! A fantastic album!!! Here's the story: http://www.kingsx.net/band/albums/ggtn.html#story
Also Thingfish, Live at the Filmore, Side One of Just Another Band from LA (Billy the Mountain) and, arguably, You Are What You Is. All Zappa. The Kinks have several as well: A Soap Opera, Arthur, Preservation Acts One and Two, Muswell Hillbillies and Lola Versus Powerman. Pete Townshend's got a few also: Lifehouse (original idea for Who's Next), White City, Iron Man and I think at least one other.
Oh man! Batman, ever think about staging that show? Now that's some serious theater! It's still raining!
I've wanted to stage all the Zappa stuff for years. Can't get Gail Zappa to reply to rights requests.
more: De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin Brown Whornet - The Radio Album (anybody ever heard this?)
