Favorite concept albums

[Hink]

Rush "Hemispheres" is my favorite album of all time, but I think "2112" is more of a "concept album" (and may be my second favorit album).

JeffN

The first half anyhow (2112) I've been a fan of rush from jump street (yeah I'm that old) Rush has evolved right before our eyes over the years and it's been fun to watch.

[Steve Newton]

Rush - Hemispheres (as stated only side 1 is really a concept piece)
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Marilyn Manson - Antichrist Superstar (A Ziggy for the Millenium)
Hüsker Dü - Zen Arcade

[bluedad]

I think I should add
Attraction to All Things Uncertain by tweaker.
all the tunes were reactions to\inspired by a certain painting.

[JeffSanders]

Pink Floyd - Animals

!!!!!

[dreibel]

Rush - Hemispheres (as stated only side 1 is really a concept piece)

what's really funny about Hemispheres is that the first half of the concept starts on side two of the previous album A Farewell To Kings with "Cygnus X-1"

[origami]

well i love...

NIN's The Downward Spiral

Tweaker's 2amcall

Pink Floyd's The Wall

The Legendary Pink Dots' The Tower

[Hink]

Hi Origami, nice to see you here at KVR...

[Sleek Month]

How is the downward spiral a concept album?

If the concept is being-depressing-and-shoving-your-head-up-your-ass, then all NIN is about the same concept.

...hmmm...with minor variations, that could make rawk/goth/industrial-crossover a concept genre

-S.

[Shane Sanders]

"Black Angels" by Kronos Quartet is themed along the concept of "War", and there's hardly a better collection of music. And not to be stuffy, but I find Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" to be unmatched, and it was essentially a concept piece. The Cleveland Orchestra conducted by Boulez is amazingly powerful.

Like several have mentioned I like Ziggy Stardust and Hemispheres a lot. That opening chord of H slays me every time.

It's kind of cool how Bowie built up an entire touring concept around his work during that period. It was real horrorshow, if you know what I mean.

[Sicklecell666]

"Black Angels" by Kronos Quartet is themed along the concept of "War", and there's hardly a better collection of music.

I've owned that LP for more than 13 years & I think I was able to sit through the whole thing maybe twice

It's briliant stuff, no doubt, but man, that's hard to go all the way without trying to tear out the insects crawling under your skin, know what I mean?

One of my old G/friends used to blast it when she was house cleaning/vacuuming..no wonder I wound up cheating on her

[opiadream]

ok the polyphonic spree thing was a joke

it's nice to see my fave get a mention
with a screenshot no less

useless trivia
who sang 'the picnic boy' ?

[duncanparsons]

I'm surprised Gentle Giant haven't had a mention...

I would go for:

Gentle Giant: In a Glass House; The Power and The Glory; Three Friends
Godley and Creme: Consequences (Yes, Ian, I had it too!)
Supertramp: Crime of the Century (not officially a concept LP, but has sufficient theme running through)
Paley's Watch: November
Tull: Thick as a Brick
TONTO: It's About Time
APP: Turn of a friendly Card
Gordon Giltrap: The Visionary
Fairport Convention: Babbacombe Lee
The Divine Comedy: Promenade

I'd say those were my fav's. I had stacks of them, but my 750+ strong LP collection is now 2, all gone in 'The Great Album Clear Out of 1998'. Oh well.

DSP

[pacoz]

Here's a few of mine:

OK Computer - Radiohead
Disintegration - The Cure
TNT - Tortoise
Deloused in the Comatorium - The Mars Volta

[foosnark]

How is the downward spiral a concept album?

If the concept is being-depressing-and-shoving-your-head-up-your-ass, then all NIN is about the same concept.

I've heard the first 3 NIN albums referred to as "I hate myself and I want to f**k," "I hate myself and I want to die," and "I hate myself and I want to kill."

[Sicklecell666]

Disintegration - The Cure

This is one of my all time fav albums, but how do you reckon it's a concept aside from every track bieng brilliant?