I know that there are a lot of concept albums that tell a story as the songs progress. The Wall and Welcome to My Nightmare come to mind. I only know this because I have read about it.
Are you able to follow most of these albums as a story?
I’ve tried but, to me, they are just a collection of songs. I can’t identify a story from listening to the album.
Perhaps if I read the lyrics as a book I might recognize it. But I’ve never identified a concept album from hearing it.

Rick Wakeman did several

Also perhaps Mike Oldfield in Tubular Bells might qualify

But do you recognize it as a story being told?

A few of them are more on the nose than others. Sometimes the concept tells a story, like The Who's Tommy but more often the concept is not a story but a theme for the various songs to revolve around. Tommy is more of an opera, which is more of a linear concept album.

For instance, Sgt Peppers is a concept album but doesn't just tell a story. The Beatles are performing as another band, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which they felt gave them the freedom to experiment more. It was all in their heads, of course, but that was the concept.

Similarly, Willie Nelson is performing as a character, The Red Headed Stranger, in his concept album of the same name. This means he could experiment with songs of a certain theme about that character, aka The Preacher.

What's Going On is a concept album in that it is an album whose songs are about the black experience in America in the Civil Rights Era. That doesn't mean that the songs weave together to tell a linear story.

The first concept album that I recall is Tommy, the Who. Two others that quickly come to mind are Alone Together, Dave Mason, and Phases and Stages, Willie Nelson. Yes, I can follow the story in all three of those albums, and appreciate the brilliance of them.

Yellowjacket above, reminds me that Willie Nelson did more than one concept album.

For me, The Who's Quadrophenia is the standard bearer for concept albums, more so than Tommy. Pete Townshend actually had a narrative, a plot in mind with characters and distinct events. The album not only had songs but musical interludes that would segue within the songs, almost like a film soundtrack. It is one of my "masterpiece" albums from the other thread, because the songwriting, musical performances, singing, and production were all The Who at their best. Even Townshend considered this album their peak. And of course the band turned it into a very good and underrated film.

I echo the statement - Quadrophenia is a great concept record and it finally started getting it's due as a classic just in the last decade.

From what I read, the songs were difficult to perform live because of the sync and were more technical than the Tommy songs so it was not as well received as Tommy was during the tour supporting the album. John Entwistle's bass and horn work on that album are nothing short of amazing.

The movie is a gem. One of the few teen movies I have seen where I felt that I was actually watching real life teenagers on the screen. It perfectly captured the angst of a teenage boy growing up and finally maturing into an adult.

IMO Pink Floyd’s The Wall is one of the finest concept albums ever made.

It’s still easily in my top 10 favorite albums

quote:

Originally posted by oddball:
For me, The Who's Quadrophenia is the standard bearer for concept albums, more so than Tommy. Pete Townshend actually had a narrative, a plot in mind with characters and distinct events. The album not only had songs but musical interludes that would segue within the songs, almost like a film soundtrack. It is one of my "masterpiece" albums from the other thread, because the songwriting, musical performances, singing, and production were all The Who at their best. Even Townshend considered this album their peak. And of course the band turned it into a very good and underrated film.

Agree with this.

Also, Thick as a Brick and A Passion Play by Tull.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project is a collection of songs around Edgar Allan Poe. Their I Robot too...

For me, Operation: Mindcrime can’t be beat.

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
For me, Operation: Mindcrime can’t be beat.

Was just coming here to post the same. A great album with all great songs. Only the original, of course. Mindcrime 2 sucked.

Who killed Sister Mary?

“Days Of Future Past” by The Moody Blues (1967) represents an entire day, musically. Overall a really good album with a couple of great songs.

If concept half albums count, then 2112 and Hemispheres.

quote:

Originally posted by Dwill104:

quote:

Originally posted by Leemur:
For me, Operation: Mindcrime can’t be beat.

Was just coming here to post the same. A great album with all great songs. Only the original, of course. Mindcrime 2 sucked.

Who killed Sister Mary?

I’ve heard worse than Mindcrime2, but it certainly wasn’t up to the standard.

Coheed and Cambria In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth shows that the idea didn’t die in the 80s.

Planet P Project's Pink World comes to mind.

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
If concept half albums count, then 2112 and Hemispheres.

Kate Bush, Ariel,
A Sky of Honey, as in side 2,

also, Hounds of Love Side 2, is a concept album (1/2)

Zappa did concept albums, some more loosely associated than others.

Joe’s Garage, etc.

Wakeman's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" is a classic and the story flows well.

^^^ I did an album review of that in the high school newspaper.

This will be out of most folks' wheelhouse, however if you're one of the few who digs metal....there's a band called Babirusa with a really cool concept album about A.I. and the human condition and a character (343) who is ripped between reality and this cybernetic world run by the sinister A.I. Pretty rad. Album is called Humanoid for anyone interested.