Author Topic: Favorite concept albums (Read 9327 times)

chknptpie · « **on:** June 24, 2009, 06:50:24 PM »

This kind of stems from a conversation started in another thread.

I feel I'm just getting my feet wet in the prog world and the concept album world. What are some of your favorite concept albums of any genre? Descriptions of the album (general concept and genre) would be nice!

I would definitely have to list Quadrophenia by The Who at the top. For those who don't know it, its basically a rock opera about a teen with four personalities. Each personality relates to a member of the band. The last four songs are just amazing, the final two are orgasmic.

Nick · « **Reply #1 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:07:18 PM »

Operation: Mindcrime is in my opinion the standard setter for concept albums in metal.

Wrath42147 · « **Reply #2 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:10:49 PM »

scenes from a memory
the puppet master-king diamond and alot of other king diamond albums
the wall

Crow · « **Reply #3 on:** June 24, 2009, 08:19:40 PM »

Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane

Not their best album but the best for someone just getting into the band.

Phantasmatron · « **Reply #4 on:** June 24, 2009, 09:19:18 PM »

Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Superior - Ultima Ratio
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Pain of Salvation - Remedy Lane
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Shadow Gallery - Tyranny

to name a few. Apparently I'm more a fan of recent ones as opposed to ones like Tommy or The Wall.

Ultimetalhead · « **Reply #5 on:** June 24, 2009, 09:27:52 PM »

The Human Equation is the only logical answer.

JoeBob · « **Reply #6 on:** June 24, 2009, 09:30:42 PM »

Radiohead - OK Computer
Opeth - Still Life
Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Mastodon - Leviathan
Mastodon - Crack the Skye
The Mars Volta - Frances the Mute
The Who - Quadrophenia
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Pink Floyd - Animals
Between the Buried and Me - Colors

blackngold29 · « **Reply #7 on:** June 24, 2009, 10:19:01 PM »

Definately The Wall.

Jamesman42 · « **Reply #8 on:** June 24, 2009, 10:53:11 PM »

Neal Morse - ?, One, Sola Scriptura (Testimony, if it counts)
Ayreon - The Human Equation
(if it counts) James Labrie - Elements of Persuasion
Pink Floyd - The Wall

glaurung · « **Reply #9 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:10:11 AM »

Operation: Mindcrime, Scenes from a Memory and The Wall are my favorites.

And let's not forget Thick as a Brick by Jethro Tull.

ZBomber · « **Reply #10 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:18:20 AM »

OCTAVARIUM LOL!!

But really:
SFAM is probably my favorite concept album.. it is just so perfect. Animals is also another contender.

glaurung · « **Reply #11 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:19:49 AM »

Quote from: ZBomber on June 25, 2009, 01:18:20 AM

OCTAVARIUM LOL!!

No. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence if off limmit for this thread too. We don't want to start that again.

tri.ad · « **Reply #12 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:23:31 AM »

Marillion - Clutching At Straws (and also Brave).

Fuzzboy · « **Reply #13 on:** June 25, 2009, 02:03:21 AM »

Opeth - My Arms Your Hearse (story wise)
Pain of Salvation - BE (music)
Pain of Salvation - One Hour by the Concrete Late (good mix of both)

Progmetty · « **Reply #14 on:** June 25, 2009, 03:08:10 AM »

Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Pink Floyd - Animals
Green Day - American Idiot

Ben_Jamin · « **Reply #15 on:** June 25, 2009, 03:42:17 AM »

Riverside - Out of Myself, Second-Life Syndrome, Rapid Eye Movement
Kamelot - Epica, The Black Halo
Isis - Oceanic
IQ - Subterranea
Chroma Key - Graveyard Mountain Home
The Arkitecht - Hyperstructure (it's two concepts in one cd. The last song is it's own 30 min concept)
Ayreon - 01011001
After Forever - Invisible Circles

Fluffy Lothario · « **Reply #16 on:** June 25, 2009, 04:01:37 AM »

Off the top of my head,

Mars Volta's Frances the Mute
and Van Morrison's Astral Weeks (I'm pretty sure this is a concept album).

Portrucci · « **Reply #17 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:05:09 AM »

The Human Equation and Scenes From a Memory.

skydivingninja · « **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2009, 07:07:51 AM »

I love concept albums. I even did a paper on Tommy for a junior-year comp. class.
Some of my favorites:

*Brave-Marillion. Absolutely beautiful music throughout, with sprinklings of very cool rock stuff and amazing solos from Rothery. About a girl found on a bridge, who refused to speak and could not be ID'd. The album explores possible ways she may have come to the bridge.
*Operation: Mindcrime-Queensryche. One of my favorites by a band I can normally take or leave. Not much actual "prog" on this album, those NWOBHM influences take over, but its fine, because the music is AWESOME. Speak is a song I don't think gets enough praise.
*Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd. I consider this the best album of all time. Musings of the band's feelings about the departure of Syd Barrett, and where he was after they had achieved success with Dark Side of the Moon.
*The Coheed & Cambria Discography. I'd feel bad not listing one of their albums but neglecting the others. Basically, its a hugely complicated space opera with lots of long names for things. Basically the BBEG Supreme Tri-Mage William Ryan has taken over the keywork, which controls the orbits of all the planets in the galaxy. He hears that a child of Coheed & Cambria could destroy the keywork. He doesn't like that, so his general Mayo tricks the two into killing their own children before he kidnaps them and they do a lot of stuff I'm not clear about. One son escapes, Claudio. He is The Crowing (aka Chosen One) who goes out to destroy the keywork, and bring the end of the galaxy as a result. I'm not quite clear on the whole thing.
*Days of Future Passed-The Moody Blues. An orchestral rock album that goes through the day of the average man.

Hope you check them out and love them as much as I do.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #19 on:** June 25, 2009, 08:03:41 AM »

Rush-------2112
Marillion-----Misplaced Childhood
Porcupine Tree----Deadwing

Blind_FaithX · « **Reply #20 on:** June 25, 2009, 08:14:03 AM »

My 2 favs are:

Remedy Lane by Pain of Salvation
and
SFAM by DT

Fuzzboy · « **Reply #21 on:** June 25, 2009, 08:59:51 AM »

Quote from: kingshmegland on June 25, 2009, 08:03:41 AM

Porcupine Tree----Deadwig

ololol

TempusVox · « **Reply #22 on:** June 25, 2009, 09:18:32 AM »

SFaM and The Wall

Portrucci · « **Reply #23 on:** June 25, 2009, 09:42:42 AM »

The following I don't know if they are concept albums, but they would be my favourite if they are

Between Buried and Me - Colors
Blind Guardian - Nightfall in Middle Earth
Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Pink Floyd - Animals
Rush - 2112

chknptpie · « **Reply #24 on:** June 25, 2009, 09:49:24 AM »

Quote from: skydivingninja on June 25, 2009, 07:07:51 AM

I love concept albums. I even did a paper on Tommy for a junior-year comp. class.
Some of my favorites:

*Brave-Marillion. Absolutely beautiful music throughout, with sprinklings of very cool rock stuff and amazing solos from Rothery. About a girl found on a bridge, who refused to speak and could not be ID'd. The album explores possible ways she may have come to the bridge.
*Operation: Mindcrime-Queensryche. One of my favorites by a band I can normally take or leave. Not much actual "prog" on this album, those NWOBHM influences take over, but its fine, because the music is AWESOME. Speak is a song I don't think gets enough praise.
*Wish You Were Here-Pink Floyd. I consider this the best album of all time. Musings of the band's feelings about the departure of Syd Barrett, and where he was after they had achieved success with Dark Side of the Moon.
*The Coheed & Cambria Discography. I'd feel bad not listing one of their albums but neglecting the others. Basically, its a hugely complicated space opera with lots of long names for things. Basically the BBEG Supreme Tri-Mage William Ryan has taken over the keywork, which controls the orbits of all the planets in the galaxy. He hears that a child of Coheed & Cambria could destroy the keywork. He doesn't like that, so his general Mayo tricks the two into killing their own children before he kidnaps them and they do a lot of stuff I'm not clear about. One son escapes, Claudio. He is The Crowing (aka Chosen One) who goes out to destroy the keywork, and bring the end of the galaxy as a result. I'm not quite clear on the whole thing.
*Days of Future Passed-The Moody Blues. An orchestral rock album that goes through the day of the average man.

Hope you check them out and love them as much as I do.

Two on there that I don't love and haven't heard of (Marillion and Moody Blues, although I have heard of the moody blues). Mindcrime is absolutely phenominal, Wish you were here can bring me to tears, Coheed I LOVE In keeping Secrets of Silent Earth:3. I really should listen to other coheed albums, but that one is just so damn good.

Was surprised to see someone list American Idiot, didn't think there would be many fans of that kind of genre here. Been a fan of Green Day for years, gotta say not too in love with the new album.

I have Animals and 2112, need to really give those a listen! As for SFAM - that was a given!!!!

tri.ad · « **Reply #25 on:** June 25, 2009, 09:50:48 AM »

Quote from: kingshmegland on June 25, 2009, 08:03:41 AM

Rush-------2112

Sorry, it's not a concept album. The five other songs are not related to 2112.

emindead · « **Reply #26 on:** June 25, 2009, 09:57:24 AM »

Quote from: TempusVox on June 25, 2009, 09:18:32 AM

SFaM and The Wall

This.

PlaysLikeMyung · « **Reply #27 on:** June 25, 2009, 10:53:59 AM »

Scenes (Dream Theater)
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (Genesis)

I kinda wish Rush had made a concept album...

orcus116 · « **Reply #28 on:** June 25, 2009, 10:58:16 AM »

Definitely Quadrophenia.

I see a lot of non-concept album albums being listed, though I suppose the definition has been stretched so thin lately that no one really knows what a true concept album really is.

King Postwhore · « **Reply #29 on:** June 25, 2009, 11:08:06 AM »

Quote from: tri.ad on June 25, 2009, 09:50:48 AM

Quote from: kingshmegland on June 25, 2009, 08:03:41 AM
Rush-------2112

Sorry, it's not a concept album. The five other songs are not related to 2112.

Your right, I wasn't thinking straight.

austin · « **Reply #30 on:** June 25, 2009, 11:18:03 AM »

DT - SFAM
The Who - Quadrophenia (Tommy is overrated)
Green Day - American Idiot
The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
Floyd - The Final Cut
All The Coheed & Cambria Albums (It's all one story.)
- Second Stage Turbine Blade: good illustration of the band earlier in their career; some rocking songs.
- In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3 is my favorite.
- Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness: some good songs, some meh songs, all around pretty solid and a fun album
- Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 2: No World For Tomorrow: Incredibly Epic, very accessible, good songs, very solid. Very cinematic semi-proggy stuff.
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway: Amazing. Awesome. Incredible.
Symphony X - Paradise Lost: Pretty great heavy stuff.
The Alchemy Index, Vol. I - IV by Thrice are all amazing. Each element is a different genre or style - Fire is heavy/agressive, Water is chill and ambient, Air is kinda straight alternative, and Earth is a folk kinda indie sound. Amazing

The Noob · « **Reply #31 on:** June 25, 2009, 12:58:33 PM »

Dominici's O₃: A Trilogy

yeshaberto · « **Reply #32 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:00:05 PM »

? - neal morse
SFAM
OPM1
Puppet Master - KD

Jamariquay · « **Reply #33 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:04:01 PM »

Snow by Spock's Beard and ? by Neal Morse.

Also, I don't think Bridge Across Forever by Transatlantic really counts, but it does a nifty job of reprising itself throughout either way.

wkiml · « **Reply #34 on:** June 25, 2009, 01:24:47 PM »

Misplaced Childhood

News: Track-by-track video for Untethered Angel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Co1_h0GtAw

Author Topic: Favorite concept albums (Read 9327 times)