Author Topic: Your top 3 concept albums?  (Read 3752 times)

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Offline WildRanger

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Your top 3 concept albums?
« on: February 24, 2021, 03:28:21 AM »
My picks:

Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
The Who - Quadrophenia
Dream Theater - Metropolis pt. 2


Offline Bentower

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #1 on: February 24, 2021, 03:41:00 AM »
1. Pain of Salvation - The Perfect Element, Part I
2. Fredrik Thordendal's Special Defects - Sol Niger Within
3. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime

Shoutouts to:

Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage
Meshuggah - Catch Thirtythree
Fates Warning - A Pleasant Shade of Grey
King Diamond - "Them"
Symphony X - V
Voivod - The Wake
Gong - You
« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 08:35:42 AM by Bentower »
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Offline MirrorMask

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #2 on: February 24, 2021, 03:44:58 AM »
Nigh impossible, but I'd say:

Dream Theater - Scenes from a Memory
Trans Siberian Orchestra - Beethoven's Last Night
Queensryche - Operation:Mindcrime

Honorable mentions for all the other Savatage concepts, the Wardruna ones, the Virgin Steele ones (House of Atreus act I mainly), and Ayreon's The Human Equation. Oh, and Kamelot's Epica!!! and Cellar Darling's The Spell. And Elveking's Reader of the Runes - Divination. Gah, so many  :D

Also, do Avantasia albums can be considered concepts? they are, but the story is very loose and you can't really follow it.
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Online wolfking

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #3 on: February 24, 2021, 04:33:34 AM »
Would be 3 of;

WASP - The Crimson Idol
Savatage - Streets
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
King Diamond - Abigail
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Offline Freeze

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2021, 04:43:40 AM »
Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime
Marillion - Brave
King Diamond - Abigail

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #5 on: February 24, 2021, 05:09:52 AM »
Obsidian Kingdom - Mantiis: An Agony in Fourteen Bites
Ulver - Perdition City
Charles Mingus - The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady
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Online twosuitsluke

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #6 on: February 24, 2021, 06:25:01 AM »
Obsidian Kingdom - Mantiis: An Agony in Fourteen Bites

Love this album. What's the concept?

My picks -

1. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness.
2. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness.
3. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness.

Offline Dave_Manchester

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #7 on: February 24, 2021, 06:28:26 AM »
1. Pink Floyd - The Wall
2. Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
3. Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick

Online ozzy554

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #8 on: February 24, 2021, 06:37:18 AM »
1. W.A.S.P - Crimson Idol

2. King Diamond - The Puppet Master. not my favorite KD album musically but it's my favorite story from him.

3. Fates Warning - A pleasant shade of grey
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Offline SoundscapeMN

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #9 on: February 24, 2021, 07:01:41 AM »
My Top 3 FOAT

Marillion - Brave
Kevin Gilbert - The Shaming of the True
Apes & Androids - Blood Moon

Offline Stadler

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #10 on: February 24, 2021, 07:09:13 AM »
Marillion - Clutching At Straws
Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
DT - Scenes


If Clutching doesn't count, and I understand why it might not, its:

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down
DT - Scenes
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood

Honorable mention:
Operation: Mindcrime
The Elder
Seventh Son
Ayreon 10010101
« Last Edit: February 24, 2021, 11:26:43 AM by Stadler »

Offline HOF

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #11 on: February 24, 2021, 07:28:10 AM »
This could vary depending on what is and isn’t considered a concept album. But the three off the top of my head are:

1. Marillion - Brave
2. Kip Winger - Songs from the Ocean Floor
3. Spock’s Beard - Snow

Some honorable mentions:

1. Genesis - Duke (maybe not a concept album but feels like one. Might be number 3 if it is).
2. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
3. Moon Safari - Lover’s End
4. Camel - Nude and also Dust and Dreams
5. Big Big Train - Gathering Speed and The Difference Machine

Offline ReaperKK

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #12 on: February 24, 2021, 07:36:11 AM »
Not sure if my number 1 would be considered a concept album but:

1. Dredg - El Cielo
2. Pink Floyd - The Wall
3. Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory

Online twosuitsluke

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #13 on: February 24, 2021, 07:41:13 AM »
My serious answer is more like:

1. Coheed and Cambria - Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Volume 1: From Fear Through the Eyes of Madness
2. The Dear Hunter - Act IV: Rebirth in Reprise
3. The Ocean - Pelagial

Offline romdrums

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #14 on: February 24, 2021, 07:42:50 AM »
Marillion: Brave
Queensryche: Operation Mindcrime
Genesis: The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

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Offline WilliamMunny

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #15 on: February 24, 2021, 07:47:27 AM »
This could vary depending on what is and isn’t considered a concept album. But the three off the top of my head are:

1. Marillion - Brave
2. Kip Winger - Songs from the Ocean Floor
3. Spock’s Beard - Snow

Some honorable mentions:

1. Genesis - Duke (maybe not a concept album but feels like one. Might be number 3 if it is).
2. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
3. Moon Safari - Lover’s End
4. Camel - Nude and also Dust and Dreams
5. Big Big Train - Gathering Speed and The Difference Machine

Such a good call on 'Songs from the Ocean Floor' — talk about a gut-wrenching artistic catharsis...'Only One Word' might be the most incredible song that man has ever written, and I suspect that the vast majority of his audience has never heard it.

Offline HOF

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #16 on: February 24, 2021, 07:52:22 AM »
This could vary depending on what is and isn’t considered a concept album. But the three off the top of my head are:

1. Marillion - Brave
2. Kip Winger - Songs from the Ocean Floor
3. Spock’s Beard - Snow

Some honorable mentions:

1. Genesis - Duke (maybe not a concept album but feels like one. Might be number 3 if it is).
2. Marillion - Clutching at Straws
3. Moon Safari - Lover’s End
4. Camel - Nude and also Dust and Dreams
5. Big Big Train - Gathering Speed and The Difference Machine

Such a good call on 'Songs from the Ocean Floor' — talk about a gut-wrenching artistic catharsis...'Only One Word' might be the most incredible song that man has ever written, and I suspect that the vast majority of his audience has never heard it.

Absolutely. Shivers thinking about it. It’s an incredible work born out of tragedy, and it really takes you all the way down and back up again. It’s one of my favorite albums of all time (not just favorite concept albums).

Offline Kwyjibo

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #17 on: February 24, 2021, 08:49:22 AM »
For a long time I thought concept albums were the bee's knees but I've come to the realization that a lot of them aren't the pinnacle of creation, either the concept is weak/silly/strange or the music is forced to fit the format. That said, there are still some good ones out there and my favorites are:

Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Must've been Kwyji sending all the wrong songs.   ;D

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #18 on: February 24, 2021, 08:56:57 AM »
Obsidian Kingdom - Mantiis: An Agony in Fourteen Bites

Love this album. What's the concept?

Honestly, I don't know, but it's messed up (check the lyrics) and probably purposefully left a bit vague. It's definitely a concept album, since it's basically one song split into 14 tracks.
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Offline Evermind

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #19 on: February 24, 2021, 09:08:26 AM »
Ayreon - The Human Equation
Ayreon - The Theory of Everything
Beyond the Bridge - The Old Man and the Spirit
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Offline hefdaddy42

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #20 on: February 24, 2021, 09:23:03 AM »
Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Eagles - Desperado
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Offline Setlist Scotty

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #21 on: February 24, 2021, 09:29:51 AM »
Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
Queensryche - Operation: Mindcrime
Symphony X - V
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Offline jingle.boy

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #22 on: February 24, 2021, 09:40:57 AM »
This is really hard to leave some off the list (The Wall, Scenes), but I'll weigh in with these three.

Ayreon / The Human Equation
Queensryche / Operation:Mindcrime
Flaming Row / Elinoire
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Offline pg1067

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #23 on: February 24, 2021, 09:56:10 AM »
Mindcrime
SFAM
APSOG
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Offline Ben_Jamin

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #24 on: February 24, 2021, 10:12:50 AM »
The Arkitecht - Hyperstructure (I don't know if this counts as it's 2 concepts in the album. One that spans the cd tracks and one that is a 42 minute song.)

Anais Mitchell - HadesTown
Beyond The Bridge - The Old Man and The Spirit
Odd Logic - A Penny For Your Thoughts/Ayreon - The Human Equation

That's what they are currently, and can change depending on the mood I am in.
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Offline Grappler

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #25 on: February 24, 2021, 10:17:12 AM »
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
Iced Earth - The Dark Saga
King Diamond - Abigail

Offline lonestar

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #26 on: February 24, 2021, 10:57:19 AM »
1- Marillion, Brave
2- The Who, Quadrophenia
3- IQ, Subterranea

The Wall, Clutching at Straws, Elinoire, and SFaM can be interchanged with any of these.

Offline Lonk

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #27 on: February 24, 2021, 11:02:20 AM »
Dream Theater: SFAM
Coheed and Cambria: Good Apollo, I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 1
Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon
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Offline WilliamMunny

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #28 on: February 24, 2021, 12:23:20 PM »
Haunted—Poe (all time favorite)
What’s Going On—Marvin Gaye
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road—Elton John
                                                                 

Online wolfking

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #29 on: February 24, 2021, 01:18:39 PM »
Would be 3 of;

WASP - The Crimson Idol
Savatage - Streets
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime
King Diamond - Abigail

Adding to this.  House of God would battle Abigail for KD's best concept album.
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Online twosuitsluke

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #30 on: February 24, 2021, 01:39:00 PM »
Obsidian Kingdom - Mantiis: An Agony in Fourteen Bites

Love this album. What's the concept?

Honestly, I don't know, but it's messed up (check the lyrics) and probably purposefully left a bit vague. It's definitely a concept album, since it's basically one song split into 14 tracks.

I've just checked out the lyrics and you were right, some pretty dark stuff. I've heard this album many times, but I couldn't have told you a single lyric! It's easily my favourite album by Obsidian Kingdom  :metal

Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #31 on: February 24, 2021, 01:42:54 PM »

If I had to make an "all time" list of the top 3 I think it would probably come down to these three albums.  If you've ever heard my music you'll spot the influences, especially the Iron Maiden influence. 

1. Queensrÿche - Operation: Mindcrime


2. Iron Maiden- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son


3. Savatage - Dead Winter Dead


================================
Runners up:

Dream Theater - Metropolis Part II: Scenes From a Memory
Megadeth - Rust in Peace
Kamelot - The Black Halo
Spock's Beard - Snow
Neal Morse - ?
Symphony X - V: The New Mythology Suite
Teramaze - Her Halo
Triumph - Surveillance

Offline WildRanger

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #32 on: February 24, 2021, 02:04:47 PM »
Surprised that no one mentioned Opeth's Still Life so far.


Offline pg1067

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #33 on: February 24, 2021, 02:06:43 PM »

Triumph - Surveillance

A concept album?  I've never heard of that.  I even googled "triumph surveillance concept album," and nothing came up?  Did you maybe mean Thunder Seven (which is really only half of a concept album)?
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Offline kirksnosehair

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Re: Your top 3 concept albums?
« Reply #34 on: February 24, 2021, 02:10:21 PM »
To me, as Opeth albums go, I kind of put that one in the "early albums" category, meaning, I don't listen to it very much.  I didn't even know it was a concept album and I've heard it at least 30 times if not more  :lol