Concept Albums

[Progger58]

Do you know the storyline behind your favorite concept album(s)?

Let's talk about it?

I will start with one of my current favorites:


DREDG – El Cielo

This album is inspired by and connected around two main themes: 1) Sleep Paralysis, a phenomenon characterized by the "temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up or, less often, shortly before falling asleep"; 2) a painting by Salvador Dalí entitled "Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening". A great and very atmospheric album, by the way. :up:

Cheers,
Demetrio.

 

[doctortornface]

"On a superficial level, "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" can be read as a tale of horror in which a mariner is hounded by disaster and supernatural forces after murdering an albatross. But it is much more than that. Coleridge clearly tries to make the supernatural elements of the poem appear as integral parts of the natural world. His underlying theme is that all things that inhabit the natural world have an inherent value and beauty, and that it is necessary for humanity to recognize and respect these qualities"

I bought the c.d. version of this a couple of weeks ago.......and remembered,why,when it had been lost years ago I had never replaced it.................

 

[pnoom]

This Heat - Deceit.

I'll edit this post later with why, but right now it's time for lunch!

 

[Trollheart]

Misplaced Childhood, Marillion
A musical and lyrical journey through what it means to be a rock star, returning at the end to the delights of childhood. Fantastic music, including lightlights like "Lavender", "Childhood's end?" and "Heart of Lothian".

 

[Sybarite]

War of the Worlds by Jeff Wayne and friends, including Richard Burton's voluptuous tones as the narrator.

A version of HG Wells's novel, it actually sticks pretty close to the book. I remember first hearing it in the 1970s and the music remains as haunting today as it was then. The Chances of anything Coming from Mars is superb, as are Forever Autumn and Thunderchild.

Oh, and the album artwork is cracking too.

 

[Deeru Piotr]

How didn't anyone mention the great classics?
The wall by Pink Floyd 1979 (great movie too) is a devastating tale about incomunication and increasing schizofrenia and what can that do to anyone
brilliant and terrible music

The lamb lies down on broadway by Genesis 1975 a surrealist tale by the great Peter Gabriel full of wonderful hypnotic images (the same should be said about the music, this band in top form was something magical), interestingly enough, the tale speaks in my opinion about incomunication as well

The Snow goose by Camel 1975 don't know really what the story is about, I think is taken from a british children book, but the wordless music is so great

Thick as a brick Jethro Tull 1972, Ian Anderson liked this idea about concept albums, they made some more Aqualung, A passion play, Too old to rock'n'roll too young to die (with a wonderful comic) what a great band

Ziggy Stardust and the spiders from Mars David Bowie 1973 though the songs kind of follow a story this is just a great album, are you a rock'n'roll suicide?

Tarkus by Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Pictures at an exhibition

Tales from topographic oceans by Yes though their best albums to me are Close to the Edge and Going for the One

Tommy and Quadrophenia by the Who

and the list goes on

 

[Sybarite]

How didn't anyone mention the great classics?

But it would be such a boring thread (and a boring world) if everyone thought exactly the same.

Personally, the 1970s were, for me (and many other girls of my age), mainly an era of listening to really light chart pop performed by young men we thought were sexy at the time (naive young fools that we were! ) Not only did I not pay the remotest bit of attention to any prog rock at the time (I have since heard several of the albums that you mention), so War of the Worlds stood out as something different in terms of my then listening habits. Even now, it's inextricably linked in my mind to a time and a place. I can remember exactly where I was and who I was with when I heard it for the first time.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Metropolis Pt. 2 by Dream Theater has a very well developed story, apart from the virtuoses.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Oh, I must not forget: The Soul Cages by Sting, that deals about the death of his father, a sailor.

 

[eslam piko]

nice work

 

[Progger58]

The Snow goose by Camel 1975 don't know really what the story is about, I think is taken from a british children book, but the wordless music is so great.

Yes, great call. One of my personal favorites from this brilliant band. :up:

The album is based on this book, by Paul Gallico:

Demetrio.

 

[Deeru Piotr]

thanks Demetrio

 

[Fretless]

Jenny Agutter. Rawr.


But The Snow Goose brings to mind another concept album--Snow by Spock's Beard.

The rundown, as said on another site:
"What you get is 26 tracks that span just under two hours worth of music (roughly 115 minutes) to tell the "rock opera" story of Snow, an albino 17-year old with mystical healing powers, able to read souls and intentions.
The young "working-man's son" travels to New York City, where he develops from an outsider into a modern rock messiah, first gaining a following amongst the city's wretched refuse, until word spreads to the point where he gets his Time magazine cover. Ego and unrequited love do him in, but in the end he is redeemed by spirituality, achieving peace through his relationship with God."

The album has lots of opinion as to its quality among fans, and it seems it's diverse enough that tons of people have quite a range of favorites and non-favorites. I find the long closer Wind At My Back very moving.

 

[Soubasse]

Sybarite, your choice is near the top of my list too. Did you attend any of the live performances of WOTW in 06 in your neck of the woods? I recently watched the DVD and found it nothing short of stunning (dearly wishing I never had anything to do with this oft wretched hemisphere of the globe when it comes to Prog Rock).

Genesis' Lamb Lies Down On Broadway is probably still my favourite Prog concept album. Also a big fan of Wakeman's Myths and Legends of King Arthur album

 

[FOWL]

My favorite album ever easily Joe's Garage.

The government, realising the drug war has not done a good enough job criminalising the entire population for use in the government forced labour camps called "prisons", so they move on to criminalising one thing EVERYONE partakes in, music!!! Following the life of Joe and showing step by step how music can get you pretty fucked up! Take a tip from Joe, hock your imaginary guitar AND GET A GOOD JOB!!! LOL

 

[FOWL]

My second favorite album is Music Inspired By Group of Seven by the Rheostatics.
A mostly instrumental album, dedicated to the famous Canadian painters, the album itself is a musical interpretation of the vast Canadian landscape, and what Canadian culture actually is. Stunningly georgeous and sounding as enormous as the nation is!

 

[Deeru Piotr]

Also a big fan of Wakeman's Myths and Legends of King Arthur album

that makes me remember another great album, arguably a concept album too: Rick Wakeman's No earthly connection (my favourite from him)
thinking again about it, Wakeman must be the king of concept albums, since I would consider concept albums the already mentioned plus Voyage to the center of the earth, The six wives of Henry VIII..... mmm... there was another one called criminal record but I didn't like that one

 

[methodistgirl]

I like the Moody Blues with Days of Future past and The Present.
they are progressive as a rock group.
judy tooley

 

[Deeru Piotr]

yes! that's a wonderful band with a lot of concept albums: The Days of Future past, In search of the lost chord, On the threshold of a dream, To our children's children's children, a great band of the sixties and seventies sadly forgotten, their not the tipical one song band, though they are always remembered by their Nights in white satin,
is one of those few bands I remember every member, who wrote which song, no one else loves them?

 

[FOWL]

Yes absolutely! Days of Future Past was an amazing album!!! I had it on cassette and listened to it so much it wore out!!!!