What's your favorite Concept Album?

[LukeBurke1]

Mine is "We Don't Have Each Other" by Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties. This past year, Dan Campbell (lead singer of the band The Wonder Years, if there are any other pop-punk fans on the forum) put out an acoustic/folky solo concept project based on a character he created (Aaron West), and the album details the worst year of Aaron's life. His dad dies, his fiancée has a miscarriage and ends up leaving him, and he turns to alcoholism as a result. A dismal concept, I know, but the storytelling behind the songs is remarkable, and any time Dan plays Aaron West shows, he does them in-character, so he keeps it interesting.

So if you have a favorite concept album, what is it, and what's the concept behind it?

[Yarbicus]

As a prog nerd, there are too many to list. Hard to beat 2112 but I actually listen to Clockwork Angels more. Also, Operation: Mindcrime is pretty much a perfect album.

For non-prog, Tommy is a masterpiece.

[headlessdeadguy]

Side one of 2112 followed by Scar Symmetrys Holographic Universe.

[Yarbicus]

Side one of 2112 followed by Scar Symmetrys Holographic Universe.

Ooh! That's a good one. I need to listen to Scar Symmetry right now!

[Dickarms]

the Hazards of Love by the Decemberists guest starring the lovely Shara Worden and Becky Stark (and apparently Jim James, though i'd have to check where he is on it)

probably not what yall get down on, but its awesome.

ready for this hippie dippy shit?

the concept:

While riding through the forrest, Margaret finds an injured fawn. When she stops to help it, the fawn changes into a young man named William, and the two make love Margaret soon learns she is pregnant and flees to the forest to find William. William comes to Margaret and proclaims his love for her, but a short mysterious instrumental announces the threat of William's mother, the Forest Queen.
William and Margaret reminisce about their first meeting and anticipate the birth of their child when they are discovered by the Forest Queen. William begs the Queen to allow him to be with Margaret, but the Queen accuses him of being ungrateful, pointing out that she rescued him from the human world when he was a baby and bestowed on him immortality. Their exchange continues until the Queen resolves to allow William one night as a mortal man with Margaret, but afterwards reclaim him forever.
Elsewhere, we meet the Rake, a widower who feels no remorse about having murdered his three children. Ruthlessly breaking her promise, the Queen commands the Rake to kidnap Margaret and violate her, then further flaunts her power by parting a raging river to allow his escape. William pursues the Rake, but is unable to cross the river until he offers his own life in exchange for safe passage.
The Rake gloats over Margaret, while she calls for William to rescue her. Before the Rake can strike, the ghosts of his three murdered children appear. William arrives and escapes with Margaret, but, as they are approach the river, the lovers vow to marry each other by drowning themselves in the river while William is still a mortal man. As they sink into the water, William and Margaret proclaim their love a final time, reflecting that, in death, "the hazards of love" can no longer trouble them .

[clipless bumper]

Pink Floyd Animals

[Adrian]

King Diamond - Abigail

[Tyrone Biggums]

Operation:Mindcrime

[Noizemaker]

The Crimson Idol - W.A.S.P.

[ajaxlepinski]

We're Only In It For The Money - by The Mothers of Invention

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpCp9DMPGkM[/video]

[VTM]

Kiss: Music From the Elder.

[Walt]

We're Only In It For The Money - by The Mothers of Invention

Yep

[Marc G]

Pink Floyd Animals

this all day long....

[Devin]

Probably Haken - Aquarius

It's about a couple who give birth to a mermaid and abandon it in the river/sea....a fisherman finds her and exploits her for fame and fortune by putting her in a circus exhibit for the world to see, and falls in love with her in the process. A flood threatens to destroy humanity and the fisherman realizes that sacrificing his mermaid love is the only way to save humanity.

There's obviously more to it than that, but it's a prog masterpiece IMO. Concept aside, the songwriting and musicianship is off the charts awesome


Edit: found a long ass entry detailing the story of the entire album:

https://www.facebook.com/notes/the-prog ... 0953867296


[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkycq9Suok[/video]

[Yarbicus]

I also really enjoy Brendon Small's Galaktikon. Great music and the story cracks me up:

"The album is about a superhero called Triton. At the start of the story, he receives his divorce papers from his ex-wife and takes an angry drive through space to try and cool off ("Triton"). Triton then goes to a therapist, a Lazer Witch, to see what his next step in life should be. As it so happens, the Lazer Witch is also a soothsayer. During their sessions, the Lazer Witch foresees danger and warns Triton not to attempt to save his ex-wife if she gets in trouble ("Prophecy of the Lazer Witch").

Meanwhile, Triton's arch enemy, Beastblade, escapes from prison and swears revenge on Triton ("Beastblade"). Beastblade seduces Triton's ex-wife and has sex with her ("Deathwaltz"). Triton finds out about their get-together and knows that she is in danger and contemplates whether or not to save her ("Truth Orb and Kill Pool").

He ultimately decides to save her, but gets kidnapped by Space Pirates as he tries to reach her. Triton is taken to a planet where a corrupt government runs gladiatorial games. There, he and the other slaves are forced to fight a giant worm. Meanwhile, his ex-wife realizes that she is in danger as Beastblade reveals that he plans to kill her and then Triton ("You Can't Run Away").

Triton unites his fellow slaves in the arena and defeats the giant worm. They then turn against their masters and the crowd ("Arena War of the Immortal Masters"). A large space battle ensues as Triton destroys the Space Pirates and the government that ran the arena games.

Afterward, Triton rushes to save his ex-wife ("Dangertits"). Triton has his final confrontation with Beastblade and kills him. Saving his ex-wife one last time, Triton and his ex-wife part ways ("On My Way")."

[spawnofthesith]

As a prog fan, I can't pick one

[ajaxlepinski]

We're Only In It For The Money - by The Mothers of Invention

Yep

Whoa, dude! I didn't think anyone else would pick that album!

[greatmutah]

Mindcrime gets a lot of rotation from me. 2112 is of course a given but I also like Clockwork Angels quite a bit. Scenes From a Memory is another favorite. I thought it was so cool to have a song like Metropolis and write a sequel to it that winds up being the whole album. Kind of the same reason I love to jam Cygnus X-1 and side 1 of Hemispheres in succession.

Also not prog but I love Spiritual Machines by Our Lady Peace.

[nightflameauto]

The greatest travesty of this thread is that it's existed this long with no mention of King Diamond. Galaktikon was a great call too, but Them/Conspiracy are together one of the best stories ever told through music. Sure it's a bit cheese-centric, but for 80s horror fans it was like hearing a truly great B movie series through song.

[jnurp]

^ thank you was just coming in here to post Them. What a fantastic album and story King tells.

[spawnofthesith]

Speaking of kings, King Crimson should probably get some mention in this thread

[Yarbicus]

The greatest travesty of this thread is that it's existed this long with no mention of King Diamond. Galaktikon was a great call too, but Them/Conspiracy are together one of the best stories ever told through music. Sure it's a bit cheese-centric, but for 80s horror fans it was like hearing a truly great B movie series through song.

You need new glasses.

[K-Bizzle]

Thrice - The Alchemy Index
Devin Townsend - Ziltoid the Omniscient

I'm not saying these are the best concept albums by any means but they are the ones I listen to and enjoy the most.

[Crunchtime]

Pink Floyd- The Wall. Fond memories of being a teen and renting it on VHS, getting baked with my friends, and zoning out on The Wall.

[100 watt]

Im with Yarb. 2112 & Tommy.