Oldiefangc's Poll - Concept Album

[ronbo11]

Which is the best concept album?

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO SET UP A POLL:

1. Create title and fill in the Message box with the general question.
2. Scroll down to the "Additional Options" section and select the checkbox for "Yes, post a poll with this thread"
3. Type in a number (up to 10) in the "poll options" box (this is how many answers you will provide"
4. Hit "Submit New Thread"
5. A new screen will show up with a Message box (fill in the question again)
6. The new screen will have a number of answer boxes. Fill them in with your choices.
7. Hit "Submit"
8. YOU'VE CREATED A POLL

[GreggFromJoisey]

Thanks so much Ronbo11
This should be a great poll

[ronbo11]

Since I limited it to 1 concept album per artist and Oldfangc already had Floyd on there, I couldn't put my other choices (listed alphabetically because I consider them both equal):

Dark Side of the Moon
Wish You Were Here

I love both of them much more than the more bombastic Wall. When Roger Waters began to dictate his music to the other musicians in Floyd instead of colloborate, then I felt the whole level of achievement declined. The BEST song on The Wall is "Comfortably Numb" which is almost the only one which gives David Gilmour any writer's credit and obviously has his most unrestrained playing.

Dark Side of the Moon has probably the most gorgeous songs ever recorded by the Floyd ("Great Gig in the Sky" written by keyboardist Rick Wright and "Us and Them"). Waters' lyrical themes were mostly the only ones heard, but you could tell that the music itself was developed by the group. This is especially true on the jazzy Shine On You Crazy Diamond suite that was inspired by just 4 notes that Gilmour was fiddling about with in the studio. From that came a gradually building wave of emotional music. "Wish You Were Here" is also a contender for all time best Floyd song. If you don't have these 2 albums - GET THEM NOW!!!!!

Even though it's not a concept album, Pink Floyd's debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is also a wonderful masterpiece. Written mostly by the Floyd's original guitarist and resident genius, Syd Barrett, The Piper is first rate 60's psychedelia which ran the gamut from ferocious, futuristic instrumentals ("Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive") to childlike whimsy ("Matilda Mother" and "The Scarecrow") and some sort of darkly fantastic "Alice in Wonderland"-type pieces ("Lucifer Sam" and "Bike"). Barrett later was dropped from the Floyd due to his erratic behavior (LSD and Quaaludes exacerbated his mental instability), but originally the group was his (including the name which he coined from his 2 favorite bluesmen: Pink Anderson and Floyd Council). Syd is the reason why Roger Waters wrote songs about madness on Dark Side... and was the motivation behind "Shine On You Crazy Diamond."

My 2 cents (or 2 dollars more likely).

[ronbo11]

...Even though it's not a concept album, Pink Floyd's debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is also a wonderful masterpiece. Written mostly by the Floyd's original guitarist and resident genius, Syd Barrett, The Piper is first rate 60's psychedelia which ran the gamut from ferocious, futuristic instrumentals ("Astronomy Domine" and "Interstellar Overdrive")....

Actually, "Astronomy Domine" is NOT an instrumental, but it is futuristic. Canadian progmetal-rockers VoiVod did a hellacious cover of this song on their Nothingface album.

[Don Wishon]

Ronbo...see if you can change the name of The Sign's release to "Signs of Life".

I'll place my vote later...

[mark]

I picked the Genesis album. Always loved Peter gabriels work.
But lots of them and so hard to chose from.

[ronbo11]

Ronbo...see if you can change the name of The Sign's release to "Signs of Life".

I'll place my vote later...


Sorry Compadre'! Once the poll exists, I can't figure out how to edit it. I should've checked my copy of the CD for the title.... Oh well - most everyone on this board knows what we're talkin' about!!!

[pale rider]

How about In The Court Of The Crimson King???

[mark]

Like I said, lots of awesome choices.



How about In The Court Of The Crimson King???

[ronbo11]

Ronbo...see if you can change the name of The Sign's release to "Signs of Life".

I'll place my vote later...

Is it later yet? If you want to vote for the Sign - you better do it soon :p

[rushtrader]

You seriously forgot Marillion's Misplaced Childhood. If you have never heard it, GET IT NOW!!!

[ronbo11]

You seriously forgot Marillion's Misplaced Childhood. If you have never heard it, GET IT NOW!!!

That is a good one! The Fish-era Marrillion made concept album after concept album, but Misplaced Childhood is my favorite as well. Cool call rushtrader!

[ronbo11]

I've never heard more than 1 or 2 songs, but there are a lot of rock critics and cult fans who love S.F. Sorrow by The Pretty Things. Anyone on this message board heard it entirely? If you liked it - what makes it so cool? If you didn't - what bothered you about it? Thanks!

[RnR TNT]

I know it's not a hard rock album but one of the must haves would be
Lou Reed " Berlin " 1972 it'll definately spook you and give you the creeps !

I also think Zebra 1 and IV are very much concept albums

[BigDaddy]

Pink Floyd-Meddle.....Awesome listen.

[BigDaddy]

Has anyone heard the new Green Day Album? I'm not really a big GD fan but this album (American Idiot) is pretty awesome. Even my kids like it, and they hate everything!

[bigdaddysmak]

The Elder by KISS was pretty cool........

[ronbo11]

The Elder by KISS was pretty cool........

I'll have to agree there. It's like my 2nd favorite of theirs (behind "Destroyer"). Gene Simmons bad mouths it all the time saying it's not a real Kiss record or whatever. I guess because it came at a time that they were fading in popularity and the fact they marketed it like a K-tel album must have annoyed him. Also it's a more "serious" work than all the other Kiss albums. Oh well, I guess you can have a least favorite child - I'm just surprised he disparages it in public so much.

[GreggFromJoisey]

I have a feeling we'll have to redo this post when Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime II comes out. Should be a good one!

[hamzehjazz]

i think Tarkus 's the greatest

[Vazor]

Meddle, while awesome, isn't exactly a concept album. The side-long epic Echoes could be considered a conceptual piece, though. Also, Ian Anderson to this day denies that Aqualung is a concept album, as there was no firm concept in mind when he wrote it. Their follow-up, Thick As A Brick, which is a true concept album, is even better in my opinion.

Also, a good number of these are technically rock operas and not concept album, my favorite of them being The Wall, the reason for my music fanaticism. 2112 would be up there, too. And Tommy...who am I kidding, I love them all!

[anna]

where do I go to check my private messages?