"Themed" Albums. Not Theme songs either...

[ArtisFallen]

I've noticed something about the bands i listen to. most of them have at some point put out what i guess you could call a "rock opera" type CD. where all the songs have some sort of theme, and major story line to tie them all together.

Examples:
- Pink Floyd: The wall
- The Mars Volta: Deloused in the Comatorium (Francis, not so much, but close)
- Coheed and Cambria: .... anything really....
- Rush, 2112 (sortof)
- The Who, Quadrophenia (most likely misspelled)

i'm interested to know what are everyone's favorite "themed" albums are.

[WalterBush]

Generally, they're called "concept albums."

Rush put out a string of them in the mid to late '70s, and I like "Hemispheres" the best. I prefer Pink Floyd's "Animals" to "The Wall." Yes's "Close to the Edge" is pretty good, also. Bah, there's a ton of good ones out there, it's hard to make up my mind.

[Kronos]

I'd have to go with Queensryche's Operation:Mindcrime.

[The_Ryst]

Porcupine Tree's In Absentia is great

[Alvaro Martín Gómez A.]

Just wanted to mention that Frank Zappa's "Freak Out" is considered the first rock "concept" album as well as the first rock double LP. BTW, I think he was a true master at that because his "concept" wasn't limited to single, unrelated albums, but he put many "Conceptual Continuity Clues" that tied many of his albums in one way or another. From him, I really like "Joe's Garage".

[nick g.]

"Metropolis Pt. II: Scenes From a Memory", by Dream Theater, is definitely a winner. You might also want to check out the title track of their "Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence" double-CD. This may not quite qualify, but it does technically encompass an entire disc.

[page]

Of Natural History by Sleepytime Gorilla Museum.

The Nothing Show by Idiot Flesh

Mekanik Destructive Kommandoh by Magma

Space Ritual by Hawkwind.

[Planet Boulder]

Pink Floyd: Animals

[Skeezix]

Gentle Giant- In a Glass House
- The Power and the Glory
Jethro Tull - Minstrel in the Gallery
The Kinks- Soap Opera

[Blackbird]

Originally Posted by Alvaro Martín Gómez A.

Just wanted to mention that Frank Zappa's "Freak Out" is considered the first rock "concept" album as well as the first rock double LP.

I think the "1st Concept Album" is generally considered to be Sgt. Pepper, even though it might not really be it in practice.

I like Rush's Hemispheres.

[jrthebassguy]

Zao - The Funeral Of God

Boys Night Out - Trainwreck

[Farley]

Tommy - The Who
V - Spock's Beard
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis
Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull
Operation Mindcrime - Queensryche
Testimony, One, ? - Neal Morse

[Farley]

Originally Posted by Blackbird

I think the "1st Concept Album" is generally considered to be Sgt. Pepper, even though it might not really be it in practice.

I like Rush's Hemispheres.

I agree with Sgt. Pepper being the 1st.

[Matt Till]

Originally Posted by The_Ryst

Porcupine Tree's In Absentia is great

Do you know what the concept is? I'm curious, it's clearly a concept album, but I don't quite know the story. (Serial murder?)

[Woodchuck]

Kamakiriad - Donald Fagan
The Wall - Floyd
Life on Mars - Dexter Wansell

[Scottie]

Mine is Darkside Of The Moon. All about life in the "modern age". Very applicable today as well as in the mid 70s.

Also like American Idiot by Green Day

[nad]

I am such a sucker for concept albums. I mean a lot of times I'll buy one if the concept is good enough, even if I don't normally dig whatever style it might be. I might not like it, but I at least give it a shot.

The Mars Volta - De-loused and Frances
Fear Factory - Obsolete
Meshuggah - Catch 33
Pink Floyd - The Wall
maudlin of the Well - Bath and Leaving Your Body Map (companion albums)
Swans - I think all their stuff would qualify.
Kyuss - Sky Valley
Isis - Panopticon
Sleep - Dopesmoker
Old Man Gloom - Christmas

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. Oh and some of these might not have a full concept story, but have recurring themes in the music, so I count them under the same banner.

[MaskedJackal]

Opeth- Blackwater Park, Damnation and Deliverance- God knows what they're all about, but there seems to be common lyrical themes.
Iron Maiden- Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
Failure- Fantastic Planet
Rush- A lot of records, but the only ones I own are Hemispheres and 2112
Rhapsody- Same as above, I have Symphony of Enchanted Lands II
Atheist- Elements. Not as good as the previous records- a little TOO much fusion leaked into the death metal, methinks.
Mastodon- Remission and Leviathan
Smashing Pumpkins- Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. It's great in some places, and stupid in others, but there's some great music to be had on here.

[nad]

Don't forget Still Life and My Arms, Your Hearse! Those two have pretty clear concepts.

[zombywoof5050]

In addition to the other Tull albums, I'll add these two:

"Too Old To Rock And Roll: Too Young To Die"
"A Passion Play"