Concept Albums

[Ouroboros Anarchy]

Was browsing through the home of the internets biggest geeks, Wikipedia. And began clicking random article and up came the article about Concept Albums. Now its a subject I know quite a bit about cause I like the idea behind them, albums with either a common theme or a narrative story behind them adds a bit of depth to an otherwise shallow chart. I also noticed the increasing amount of them being made in the last few years.

Anyway, heres what my post is about. What are your favourite concept albums and if they are the narrative kind of album, how well can you follow the story behind them?

Mine are
Green Day's 'American Idiot' (Narrative) which I can follow pretty well. Although it did take me about twenty listens before I really managed to get the links between the story and the songs.
Lacuna Coil's 'Karmacode' (theme)
Sepultura's 'Dante XXI' (theme)
System Of A Down's two parter 'Hypnotize'/'Mesmerize' (theme)
Metallica's 'Master of Puppets' (theme)

[Ωmega]

Theres rumors that if you take three of Manson's albums (Anti-Chirst Superstar, Mechnical Animals, Holywood) and rearrange the songs in a certain order, its a 'novel'. So I guess I'll go with that =3

[Ouroboros Anarchy]

Theres rumors that if you take three of Manson's albums (Anti-Chirst Superstar, Mechnical Animals, Holywood) and rearrange the songs in a certain order, its a 'novel'. So I guess I'll go with that =3

Yep, its true. if you listen to the albums in the opposite order to which they were released it does create a 'novel' of sorts. Sort of similar to Coheed and Cambria's 'Amory Wars' Tertalogy where the opening chapter is the actually going to be the final album released.

Taken from Wikipedia's Concept Album (narrative) article.

Antichrist Superstar - Marilyn Manson (1996)- A Nietzschean, semi-autobiographical tale about a young man's (referred to as "The Worm") rise from an insecure child into a celebrity. The album conceptually alludes to Nietzsche's book Thus Spake Zarathustra in exploring the theme of a personal journey from "Worm" to "Übermensch": the destructive celebrity Antichrist Superstar, in this case.
Mechanical Animals - Marilyn Manson (1998) - A story revolving around a gender-bending alien named Alpha, a substance-addicted glam rocker named Omega who sold out on his "revolution" and a woman named Coma White. In the storyline of Marilyn Manson's trilogy, it precedes Antichrist Superstar.
Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) - Marilyn Manson (2000) - Simultaneously the prequel to both Antichrist Superstar and Mechanical Animals and the third and final installment in their concept album "trilogy", Holy Wood chronicles the beginnings of the characters of Adam and Coma White. One day, Adam will become the glam rocker Omega and then the nihilistic Antichrist Superstar.

[Gandizzl]

There are so many great concept albums... Hard to chose the best one.
But I think I'll have to go with

1. Ayreon - The Human Equation
I dunno what to say about this album. The story seems so thin and simple, but if you go under and know the whole Ayreon thing, you will enjoy this album so much.

2. Opeth - Still Life
The story is just so incredible, the tracks are just amazing.
"Face Of Melinda" is the most beautiful song ever created IMO.

3. Pain Of Salvation - Be
Maybe the most complicated one I've ever heard, but it's still awsome.
All the specualtions and the way of placing mankind in this album is genius.

4. Evergrey - The Inner Circle
Very unique theme for a album, and they make it work.
Very passionate and touching lyrics.

5. Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory
This album shouldn't only be listened to, it should be watched.
The dvd made me realize how brilliant DT really is.

[BoldMushroom]

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois (themed)
An album about the state... Sufjan Stevens blends intricate and seemingly personal tales with as many references to the state as he can, within the span of 74 minutes and 22 tracks.

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (themed)
I've never been sure how to describe this album... I guess it would be about the darker side of life, and the things that cause pressure, fear, and anxiety in people. Death, the passage of time, mental illness, war, etc.

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (themed)
An homage to Syd Barrett, one of the founding members of Pink Floyd, who succumbed to mental illness earlier in their career; and a simultaneous critique of the music industry.

The Arcade Fire - Funeral (themed)
Obviously deals heavily with death; also deals heavily with family and society (a group of tracks are named Neighborhood #1 - #4). Weather and light are also featured symbolically in many songs.

[Ouroboros Anarchy]

I was kinda waiting for someone to list a Pink Floyd album. I've not heard the albums so I cant really make a judgement of them. But Pink Floyd is always the band I think of when I think of Concept Albums.