Tag: Concept Albums
-
The Mothers of Invention ‘Freak Out’ (1966)
Led by Frank Zappa’s razor-sharp wit and avant-garde musical sensibilities The Mothers of Invention took rock and roll and dismantled it. Combining a mix of doo-wop, blues, musique concrète, and political satire, Zappa transformed the band from a blues rock outfit to a conceptual juggernaut, catapulting them towards an experimental sound which defied commercial expectations…
Written by
·
-
The Who ‘Tommy’ (1969)
The Who’s groundbreaking rock opera Tommy emerged in 1969 as a visionary project primarily penned by guitarist Pete Townshend, who basically wrote the whole thing by himself. The double album weaves the fictional tale of Tommy Walker, a boy who becomes deaf, dumb, and blind following childhood trauma, only to rise as a spiritual leader…
Written by
·
-
Genesis ‘The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway’ (1974)
A lot of people remember Genesis for their pop breakout 1986 album Invisible Touch but forget that ahead of that mainstream success they were a heavyweight prog-rock band with an embarrassment of riches on the talent side of the house. Any band that has Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins on its roster of musicians is…
Written by
·
-
Fucked Up ‘David Comes To Life’ (2011)
The words “rock opera” and “hardcore punk” usually don’t go together for obvious reasons– rock operas are typically self-indulgent affairs with highly detailed musical accompaniment that unveils the story over a protracted period of time, while hardcore punk is raw and emotionally charged that attempts to get to the point quickly. Marrying the two together…
Written by
·
-
Frank Sinatra ‘In The Wee Small Hours’ (1954)
The legendary voice of Frank Sinatra played frontman to the musical march of many different types of numbers over his illustrious career– the grandiose “Strangers In The Night”, the big band ballsiness of “My Way”, the swingy playfulness of “Fly Me To The Moon”– but as the name would suggest In the Wee Small Hours…
Written by
·
-
My Chemical Romance ‘The Black Parade’ (2006)
The Black Parade was emo’s answer to The Who’s Tommy, a concept album that sounded more like a Broadway musical production than a standard rock record. From soaring guitars to a rollicking rhythm section to Gerard Way’s distinctive gritty falsetto and dramatic enunciation, The Black Parade was Vaudeville on steroids and one of the most…
Written by
·
-
Marvin Gaye ‘What’s Going On’ (1971)
Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On stands today as one of the most important records in the history of recorded music in the United States. This is due to a variety of reasons, the primary one being it’s statements and reflections on American society during the 60’s and 70’s, which was fraught with social upheaval that…
Written by
·
-
Parliament ‘Mothership Connection’ (1975)
Welcome to the funk. With a loose and fun as hell mythology surrounding interstellar travel, spaceships, Thumpasorus people, and the ever-healing powers of the funk, 1975’s Mothership Connection is a concept album whose sole concept is to get your butt out of your seat and dance. I can sign up for that. I was first…
Written by
·
