I went through a phase in life, directly succeeding my discovery of Pink Floyd, where I became a concept album snob. If it wasn't a concept album, I wasn't having any of it. Thus began my journey...
I went through a phase in life, directly succeeding my discovery of Pink Floyd, where I became a concept album snob. If it wasn't a concept album, I wasn't having any of it. Thus began my journey through the Dream Theater catalog. It also led me to such discoveries as Coheed & Cambria and Alan Parsons Project.
One funny side effect of this era was that I found myself trying to shoehorn concepts into albums that didn't really need them. For example, I was almost certain I had created a perfect narrative for Morning View by Incubus (unfortunately, I can't remember what it was now -- this was 20 years ago). I was also mostly certain that Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins was just Billy Corgan singing about his spiritual journey, with the first part of the album being vain and nihilistic, and the back half about the discovery or acceptance of a God/faith. I'm not actually sure what the album is about and I don't want to spoil my narrative by googling it, but please feel free to let me know how far off the mark I was on that one (again, the theory was developed by 20-years-ago me).
At any rate, I eventually grew out of the "concept albums only" phase but it was an important part of my musical journey. If I had to rank my favorites, I'd definitely put Animals by Pink Floyd and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater at or near the very top.
This describes my experience too. Concept albums were my gateway into music, but I've come to find most a little forced, and exploration of the concept tends to be limited (or, at least, not...
This describes my experience too. Concept albums were my gateway into music, but I've come to find most a little forced, and exploration of the concept tends to be limited (or, at least, not taking advantage of the medium).
I think music is such an abstract and human expression, it's almost always better to allow the concepts and influences to ebb and flow, rather than expecting a traditional narrative we've come to know from movies and television.
If I can recommend my favourite concept album of late, 'Ajai' by Serengeti and Kenny Segal (recently worked with Billy Woods) is a hilarious but intelligent album that follows a character so obsessed with trends and fashion that his life begins collapsing around him. It's nice to have a concept album covering something less heavy than war or time or death, and something other than prog rock. One of my favourite records of the 2020s.
You're not far off with Mellon Collie. I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan and they've just released their newest album Atum which is a 33-song concept album sequel to Machina: The Machines of God...
You're not far off with Mellon Collie.
I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan and they've just released their newest album Atum which is a 33-song concept album sequel to Machina: The Machines of God which is itself a sequel to Mellon Collie.
The concept concerns a self-insert of Billy Corgan, a character called Zero who becomes Glass by the events of Machina and then becomes Shiny by the events of Atum.
There's a podcast which released weekly up to the release of Atum concerning the story of Atum and how it links to Machina and Mellon Collie. It's all a bit grandiose and wanky, in true Billy Corgan fashion, and I've no doubt that he retconned Mellon Collie to be included in this band mythos he's created but it's all very fascinating anyway.
Machina is a genuinely great concept album though if you're interested in giving it a spin. The story of Machina is contained in this incredibly thorough website by Brad Jaeger and there were even a few episodes of an animated webshow created in 2000 to explain the concept of the album (sadly, only one, two, three episodes were ever released).
Wow, fascinating. I owned Machina many years ago when I was heavily invested in Smashing Pumpkins and I remember giving it a try and not being able to get into it at the time. I'm going to fire it...
Wow, fascinating.
I owned Machina many years ago when I was heavily invested in Smashing Pumpkins and I remember giving it a try and not being able to get into it at the time. I'm going to fire it up right now based on this reply.
It definitely took some time for me to get into it outside of the singles but it's my third favourite Pumpkins album now after Siamese Dream and MCIS, there's some truly beautiful music on there....
It definitely took some time for me to get into it outside of the singles but it's my third favourite Pumpkins album now after Siamese Dream and MCIS, there's some truly beautiful music on there.
Machina II which was released for free as the band were breaking up is also great. Billy is currently in the process of pulling together a Remastered Machina boxset presenting the Machina concept double album in full as he originally envisioned back in 2000 (after the poorer sales on Adore compared to MCIS the label refused a double album at the time).
Kid A very much is though, and I'l place it rightbupbwith (though not above) OK Computer. That just made wonder how much was using "Okay, Google" inspired by that album. The people working at...
Kid A very much is though, and I'l place it rightbupbwith (though not above) OK Computer.
That just made wonder how much was using "Okay, Google" inspired by that album. The people working at Google at the time almost certainly had an awareness.
Berlin by Lou Reed, an art rock album released in October of 1973. A heartbreaking album, this. There aren't many albums like this for me, ones that I both love and fear. This is one of those...
Berlin by Lou Reed, an art rock album released in October of 1973. A heartbreaking album, this. There aren't many albums like this for me, ones that I both love and fear. This is one of those albums I listen to and am grateful for not having lived through. This album is basically the chronicle of a couple falling in love over drugs and falling apart through the abuse of said drugs, the abuse of each other, prostitution, the disintegration of their family, and eventually suicide by one partner, while the surviving partner, though sad, sees the suicide as a necessary escape and relief.
There are a couple that stand out for me, both from the 1990s. Kamakiriad, by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan fame. Interesting VOX article about it here. The Seduction of Claude Debussy, by The Art of...
There are a couple that stand out for me, both from the 1990s.
Kamakiriad, by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan fame. Interesting VOX article about it here.
The Seduction of Claude Debussy, by The Art of Noise. They got John Hurt to do the narration on this.
Wish You Were Here was my first concept album. I quickly dove into the style during my teenage years and fell in love with Rush's 2112. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden is another...
Wish You Were Here was my first concept album. I quickly dove into the style during my teenage years and fell in love with Rush's 2112. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden is another concept album that I find particularly interesting.
I fell off of the boat for a bit, but recently started getting back into concept albums. In Absentia by Porcupine Tree has been a big one for me lately, getting tons of repeated listens by me. I need to check out more of their discography, and also go back to Dream Theater as well.
I went through a phase in life, directly succeeding my discovery of Pink Floyd, where I became a concept album snob. If it wasn't a concept album, I wasn't having any of it. Thus began my journey through the Dream Theater catalog. It also led me to such discoveries as Coheed & Cambria and Alan Parsons Project.
One funny side effect of this era was that I found myself trying to shoehorn concepts into albums that didn't really need them. For example, I was almost certain I had created a perfect narrative for Morning View by Incubus (unfortunately, I can't remember what it was now -- this was 20 years ago). I was also mostly certain that Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness by The Smashing Pumpkins was just Billy Corgan singing about his spiritual journey, with the first part of the album being vain and nihilistic, and the back half about the discovery or acceptance of a God/faith. I'm not actually sure what the album is about and I don't want to spoil my narrative by googling it, but please feel free to let me know how far off the mark I was on that one (again, the theory was developed by 20-years-ago me).
At any rate, I eventually grew out of the "concept albums only" phase but it was an important part of my musical journey. If I had to rank my favorites, I'd definitely put Animals by Pink Floyd and Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence by Dream Theater at or near the very top.
This describes my experience too. Concept albums were my gateway into music, but I've come to find most a little forced, and exploration of the concept tends to be limited (or, at least, not taking advantage of the medium).
I think music is such an abstract and human expression, it's almost always better to allow the concepts and influences to ebb and flow, rather than expecting a traditional narrative we've come to know from movies and television.
If I can recommend my favourite concept album of late, 'Ajai' by Serengeti and Kenny Segal (recently worked with Billy Woods) is a hilarious but intelligent album that follows a character so obsessed with trends and fashion that his life begins collapsing around him. It's nice to have a concept album covering something less heavy than war or time or death, and something other than prog rock. One of my favourite records of the 2020s.
You're not far off with Mellon Collie.
I'm a huge Smashing Pumpkins fan and they've just released their newest album Atum which is a 33-song concept album sequel to Machina: The Machines of God which is itself a sequel to Mellon Collie.
The concept concerns a self-insert of Billy Corgan, a character called Zero who becomes Glass by the events of Machina and then becomes Shiny by the events of Atum.
There's a podcast which released weekly up to the release of Atum concerning the story of Atum and how it links to Machina and Mellon Collie. It's all a bit grandiose and wanky, in true Billy Corgan fashion, and I've no doubt that he retconned Mellon Collie to be included in this band mythos he's created but it's all very fascinating anyway.
Machina is a genuinely great concept album though if you're interested in giving it a spin. The story of Machina is contained in this incredibly thorough website by Brad Jaeger and there were even a few episodes of an animated webshow created in 2000 to explain the concept of the album (sadly, only one, two, three episodes were ever released).
Wow, fascinating.
I owned Machina many years ago when I was heavily invested in Smashing Pumpkins and I remember giving it a try and not being able to get into it at the time. I'm going to fire it up right now based on this reply.
It definitely took some time for me to get into it outside of the singles but it's my third favourite Pumpkins album now after Siamese Dream and MCIS, there's some truly beautiful music on there.
Machina II which was released for free as the band were breaking up is also great. Billy is currently in the process of pulling together a Remastered Machina boxset presenting the Machina concept double album in full as he originally envisioned back in 2000 (after the poorer sales on Adore compared to MCIS the label refused a double album at the time).
What's your favorite concept album?
DSOTM is probably my favorite album of all time. OK Computer is another one of my GOAT picks but I'm not sure you'd really call it a concept album.
Kid A very much is though, and I'l place it rightbupbwith (though not above) OK Computer.
That just made wonder how much was using "Okay, Google" inspired by that album. The people working at Google at the time almost certainly had an awareness.
Berlin by Lou Reed, an art rock album released in October of 1973. A heartbreaking album, this. There aren't many albums like this for me, ones that I both love and fear. This is one of those albums I listen to and am grateful for not having lived through. This album is basically the chronicle of a couple falling in love over drugs and falling apart through the abuse of said drugs, the abuse of each other, prostitution, the disintegration of their family, and eventually suicide by one partner, while the surviving partner, though sad, sees the suicide as a necessary escape and relief.
oh oh oh oh oh oh oh what a feeling!
There are a couple that stand out for me, both from the 1990s.
Kamakiriad, by Donald Fagen of Steely Dan fame. Interesting VOX article about it here.
The Seduction of Claude Debussy, by The Art of Noise. They got John Hurt to do the narration on this.
Another great concept album is "The War of the Worlds" by Jeff Wayne
Wish You Were Here was my first concept album. I quickly dove into the style during my teenage years and fell in love with Rush's 2112. Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden is another concept album that I find particularly interesting.
I fell off of the boat for a bit, but recently started getting back into concept albums. In Absentia by Porcupine Tree has been a big one for me lately, getting tons of repeated listens by me. I need to check out more of their discography, and also go back to Dream Theater as well.
In Absentia is a great one! You should check out Deadwing, the album that followed that one. If you like one, you'll like the other.