Opinions On Concept Albums Options

[Vinicitur]

Me and a friend of mine were having a discussion the other day on the number of concept albums available (especially in metal) and the importance of lyrics in general.

Due to the size of my music collection (300+ CDs) I don't spend that much time reading lyrics except for concept albums.

Anyway I'd just like to know your opinions.

My concept albums in no particular order:

Queensryche-Operation Mindcrime
King Diamond-Abigail
WASP-The Crimson Idol
Savatage-"Streets" a Rock Opera
Iron Maiden-Seventh son of a seventh son
Blind Guardian-Nightfall in Middle-Earth
Avantasia-The Metal Opera pt 1 and 2
Turisas-The Varangian Way
Opeth-Blackwater Park

This post has been edited by Vinicitur: Oct 28 2007, 03:25 PM

[Resurrection]

I'd like to add a few favourites of mine

"2112" and "Hemispheres" by Rush
"The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" by Genesis
"Brave" by Marillion

+1 for Queensryche and Maiden as well

I like the idea that an album can tell a story using different songs, like the chapters of a book. When it's done well, the concept album is a really powerful concept. There have been a few examples in the past that haven't worked well, and they contributed to the general belief that most concept albums are self-indulgent recordings, designed only to please the artists ego.

[The Uncreator]

Concept albums are great i think, Judas Priests "Nostradamus" looks to be promising.

[botoxfox]

I don't like concept albums that much. I just think they're often kinda lame...

[Smikey2006]

Demons and Wizards- Crimson King.. based on Steven Kings Dark Tower series.. really amazing stuff

[JVM]

Ghost Reveries by Opeth would have been a really awesome concept album, instead because Mikael wrote Isolation Years I'd call it a really awesome theme album. Or something like that.

Also there's Tommy, Sgt Peppers, The Wall, and I'm sure many others. I have a pretty big collection myself, its hard to remember somtimes. 900+ cds.

[Vinicitur]

Concept albums are great i think, Judas Priests "Nostradamus" looks to be promising.

Didn't know about Judas Priest. Gonna start looking for more info

[Fsgdjv]

Opeth has made a lot of good concept albums (Still Life, Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse). Ulver's Nattens Madrigal (wich is maybe even better than any of Opeth's cocept albums, musically) must also be mentioned, it's my favourite black metal album by far. Edge of Sanity's Crimson is just awesome (Crimson II is not quite as good, but still good), I mean, one song that goes on for 40 minutes and it doesn't get boring! Mastodon's Leviathan also rocks and I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of others, but those are my favourite concept albums.

I love concept albums, my favourite theme for a concept album must be the one on Blackwater Park, "Confessor of the tragedies of man, lurking in the core of us all" sums it up really well. I always get the shivers in the end when he says "The sun sets forever over blackwater park", it's sooo good. Ok, I'm gonna stop ranting about Opeth now!

I also have to mention At The Gates's slaughter of the soul, wich isn't a concept album, but more than one song (ecspecially the title track) are about the philosophy from The Dice Man (and the fact that Tomas actually thanks Luke Rhinehart in the thank you-list owns aswell), and that makes it my favourite record, lyric-wise together with BWP.

[Vinicitur]

Opeth has made a lot of good concept albums (Still Life, Blackwater Park and My Arms, Your Hearse). Ulver's Nattens Madrigal (wich is maybe even better than any of Opeth's cocept albums, musically) must also be mentioned, it's my favourite black metal album by far. Edge of Sanity's Crimson is just awesome (Crimson II is not quite as good, but still good), I mean, one song that goes on for 40 minutes and it doesn't get boring! Mastodon's Leviathan also rocks and I'm sure I've forgotten a lot of others, but those are my favourite concept albums.

I love concept albums, my favourite theme for a concept album must be the one on Blackwater Park, "Confessor of the tragedies of man, lurking in the core of us all" sums it up really well. I always get the shivers in the end when he says "The sun sets forever over blackwater park", it's sooo good. Ok, I'm gonna stop ranting about Opeth now!

I also have to mention At The Gates's slaughter of the soul, wich isn't a concept album, but more than one song (ecspecially the title track) are about the philosophy from The Dice Man (and the fact that Tomas actually thanks Luke Rhinehart in the thank you-list owns aswell), and that makes it my favourite record, lyric-wise together with BWP.

Blackwater Park is a concept album? Man do I need to read lyrics more!

[spdalton]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pink Floyd's The Wall yet.
So many good songs in that album. After a while of listening to it, the songs no longer stand as individual songs, instead they become parts of the story. (how it was intended I suppose).

[Vinicitur]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Pink Floyd's The Wall yet.
So many good songs in that album. After a while of listening to it, the songs no longer stand as individual songs, instead they become parts of the story. (how it was intended I suppose).

Though I am not a big Floyd fan, I have to agree with you on this one. The way all the music, vocals and sound effects meld together is amazing.

[Fsgdjv]

Blackwater Park is a concept album? Man do I need to read lyrics more!

Yeah, but it's not like the usual story thingy, it's just that all songs are about "the tragedies of man", stuff that sickens Mikael that humans do. For example, The Leaper Affinity is about rape, Bleak about murder, etc. I like this kind of concept album more than the usual story telling (allthough I actually like the stories in Still Life and MAYH..)

[The Uncreator]

The stories in Still Life and My Arms Your Hearse are great stuff, when i first heard them its all i could think about for weeks

[Pavel]

Honestly, to me it's pretty much the same as i don't really listen to lyrics. The only band who made me become interested in lyrics was Rhapsody. I only care for lyrics of that band as they have all of the albums connected in one huge story. Usually, music to me is just enough to know if the band is good or not, and lyrics are totally unnecessary in music.

[Vinicitur]

Honestly, to me it's pretty much the same as i don't really listen to lyrics. The only band who made me become interested in lyrics was Rhapsody. I only care for lyrics of that band as they have all of the albums connected in one huge story. Usually, music to me is just enough to know if the band is good or not, and lyrics are totally unnecessary in music.

I understand completely. For me the most important thing is how the vocal style and melody fit with the music.
The actual lyrics are like the icing on the cake.

I think the change in opinion that is starting to happen with me is because of my interest in composition that is coming back.

[Robin]

I've never really thought about this. I like to listen to what ever I like to listen to

[Resurrection]

Honestly, to me it's pretty much the same as i don't really listen to lyrics. The only band who made me become interested in lyrics was Rhapsody. I only care for lyrics of that band as they have all of the albums connected in one huge story. Usually, music to me is just enough to know if the band is good or not, and lyrics are totally unnecessary in music.

Good lyrics can't disguise bad music. Good music can allow you to overlook bad lyrics. The best bands can write great music and great lyrics. There is huge skill in making meaningful words fit the mood and tempo of music. That's why people who can write brilliant poetry or novels can't necessarily write decent song lyrics. For me, lyrics are an important part of music. I just can't listen to bands who obviously haven't thought what they're singing about.

[Pavel]

I'm more of a music oriented guy, not lyrics oriented. Lyrics itself are not music so it is obvious that music makes the biggest part of the "song" or better to say - composition.

[Fsgdjv]

I'm more of a music oriented guy, not lyrics oriented. Lyrics itself are not music so it is obvious that music makes the biggest part of the "song" or better to say - composition.

Well, the lyrics are still a part of the art form. But yeah, the lyrics are just the "icing of the cake" for me aswell.

[Resurrection]

Well, the lyrics are still a part of the art form. But yeah, the lyrics are just the "icing of the cake" for me aswell.

Some music can, of course, stand on it's own without needing words. There's plently of good instrumental passages that don't need lyrics to complete them. But, if your going to sing about something. then you should give the same thought to the words as you do to the music, IMHO. Of course, everyone is free to appreciate a song in whatever way they like. I do find the art of writing lyrics very interesting, however.

Getting back to the original subject of concept albums, I think that lyrics play a bigger role in those type of albums, as the words can help to show that there is a common story connecting all the songs.