Great Concept Albums

There was a time when I followed more musical artists who were responsible for monumental concept albums. I used to listen to much more progressive rock and prog metal, genres that contributed most to this sort of visionary songwriting. Those styles of music followed in the footsteps of a few 60's pioneers, those who experimented with the art form before prog-rock even became a genre.

I don't intend to cover the entire history of concept albums here and now, but I'd at least like to mention some favourites and ones that deserve some extra attention. Here goes:

As I scan my CD shelves (where the majority of my albums lie, since I have far fewer vinyl LPs), I see 60's releases such as Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys, and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, by... um, who was that? Oh yeah, The Beatles. Some argue that Abbey Road is a concept album, which in strictest terms is not, yet the medley and the rest of the tracks do flow together seamlessly from an instrumental standpoint. The Who knocked out the still-revered Tommy back in the day, too. 

What truly kicked off the genre was Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd. While not a concept album in the vein of Tommy, this does tackle related issues that form sort of suites, one to each side of the album. Floyd did a number of albums like this, some more conceptual as a whole, such as Animals, Wish You Were Here, and The Wall. 

In '73 The Who put out Quadrophenia, an even more ambitious and impressive undertaking than Tommy, in my opinion. The 70's set the stage for the bulk of prog rock opuses by bands like Jethro Tull and Genesis. I'm not a fan of either of those groups, but it's a fact that Thick as a Brick and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway are considered among the top concept albums of all time. 

Can't forget David Bowie, with his The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars... I confess I haven't heard the entire record more than once through, but I have a feeling I'll add it to my record collection before too long. Superior songwriting in the exploration of superstardom.

The Alan Parsons Project expanded some great ideas to full album length, such as Tales of Mystery and Imagination. And how about I, Robot? I mean, that's another example of a set of songs that sound best played from start to finish, flowing instrumentally to perfection from top to bottom. Something to think about.

I've long been a massive Yes fan, and it's no secret that those gents produced during their lengthy career some special concept albums. Tales From the Topographic Oceans is the most obvious, and though Relayer isn't a front-to-back concept, its three hefty tracks are impressive in their own right. Same goes for Close to the Edge. And of course, their signature song Awaken from the Going For the One album clocks in at a sprawling 15-plus minutes.

Canada's own Rush earned their reputation with epic song-suites that sometimes spanned half the album, like The Fountain of Lamneth,  2112, and Hemispheres. Rush also spun fantastic tales within lengthy songs By-Tor and The Snowdog, Cygnus X-1: Book One, La Villa Strangiato, and Natural Science. But the boys didn't exactly do a "Tommy" sort of album, with a linear story throughout. The nearest they come to a complete thematic disc is on Grace Under Pressure, where I feel there is a doomy vibe, both lyrically and instrumentally, that flows from track to track, and though song subjects vary, there is something - and it's hard to pin down - that connects them under the umbrella of that striking eerie futuristic cover art... and the album title.

Let's not get too wrapped up in the notion that "concept album" means that every song is a part of a literal story, which certainly CAN be the case, but there are instances where there isn't an over-arcing story thread, but songs are linked thematically - even loosely - by lyrics or instrumental elements. 

The late 1980's saw prog-metal's Queensryche drop the seminal disc Operation: Mindcrime, an old fave of mine. In fact, I'm due to revisit this dark and twisted tale set to heavy, yet melodic music.

In the 80's and 90's, Marillion released Misplace Childhood and Brave, respectively. Both boast intriguing plots that span the entire album. I'd even dare to say their Clutching at Straws is a thematically-linked set of songs... the musical transitions and tone of the overall sound and lyrics sure lend themselves to the idea of a concept album. Marillion's early work took sound ideas from Genesis, but they quickly established their own recognizable style.

Britain's progressive metal band Threshold released Wounded Land in '93, and to this listener, it's a doomy, crushing commentary on world issues, including environmental destruction. 

Quebec, Canada's Voivod demonstrated their prowess at inventive metallic storytelling with 80's albums Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross, and especially their prog-thrash masterpiece Nothingface (though I prefer Technology and Hatross). Even Voivod's newest (2018) offering, The Wake, is a successful melding of metal and sci-fi in a full-length format. Love it!