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I don't think you can drop Brian Eno and RATM in the same argument.

I think the common theme of "concept albums" is that all the songs share a single theme.

They're dissimilar, but thematic concept albums.

So is 'songs about fucking', if you want to take that approach.

There's no rule against concept albums being explicit about their themes!

That's fair. Sounds snooty of me to say it, but 'real' bands always seem to release concept albums, and pop stars release...albums. Filler tracks sandwiched between singles. Art/commerce.

D.o.S. wrote:So is 'songs about fucking', if you want to take that approach.

Just listened to an Albini podcast (WTF) on the way to work. Pretty good ish. He's a wickedly articulate guy.

casecandy wrote:*looks around nervously* PROG ISN'T REALLY MY THING *runs away*

*catches up to you*
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ9W2pZwvlY[/youtube]
*plays again and again while holding you down*

Invisible Man wrote:

D.o.S. wrote:So is 'songs about fucking', if you want to take that approach.

Just listened to an Albini podcast (WTF) on the way to work. Pretty good ish. He's a wickedly articulate guy.

Yeah. He's also had nearly 40 years of direct exposure to what seem to be his main talking points, as far as "what you expect when you see his name on the keynote schedule", so in addition to being very consistent he's also had a lot of time to piece together his cultural-artistic thesis, if you will.

Re: "I don't get concept albums," no, definitely not all albums are concept albums. Some albums are just collections of songs with no overarching or unifying theme, and that's not a bad thing, it's just one way to make an album. Like... there's no theme to Brand New's Deja Entendu, they're just songs together on one CD.

Some albums have a loose theme tying the songs together (example: Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea is Jeff Mangum's very esoteric, personal reaction to reading Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl). Or The Magnetic Field's 69 Love Songs is literally just 69 different love songs.

And some albums are more of a cohesive whole than a collection of songs. For example, Titus Andronicus' The Monitor explores the connections between the life of frontman Patrick Stickles and the battles of the American Civil War. The concept is so tight that very few songs hold up on their own; you have to listen to the entire album to appreciate any song on it, because they all relate back to it lyrically.

The latter kind of album might go as far as having characters, plot, mythology, setting, as in a film or novel. Or, more to the point, like an opera or a ballet, I suppose.

Probs b/c you don't understand opera or ballet.

But I'm sure the Rent soundtrack is a banger, you should give it a spin.

Using your shitty definition though (which is shitty) I am actually sure you would love The Hold Steady if you haven't listened to them yet.

D.o.S. wrote:Probs b/c you don't understand opera or ballet.

But I'm sure the Rent soundtrack is a banger, you should give it a spin.

I fucking love Rent. Rent: Original Broadcast Recording turns 20 this year. Jonathan Larsen was a pretty awesome and pretty tragic artist.

D.o.S. wrote:Using your shitty definition though (which is shitty) I am actually sure you would love The Hold Steady if you haven't listened to them yet.

I fucking love The Hold Steady. Been listening since Separation Sunday came out. That is indeed what I'm talking about.

They tour with Titus Andronicus, too. That's the kind of American indie I love. Replacements worshippers.

So really you're looking for albums with a string of songs featuring the same unusual nouns.

Got it.

Outside by David Bowie is a pretty insane concept record. Berlin by Lou Reed is another good one too, if you want to fall into a deep dark pit of sadness.