A question

[ericcoleman]

Every so often I hear someone refer to Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band as a concept album ...

Can anyone tell me what that concept is? It sure sounds like a lot of unconnected songs, one of which is reprised at the end, to me.

Comments

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

Honestly, I think that's the problem - it is an illusion. With Being For The Benefit Of Mister Kite tucked in, which refers to a "show" (and the song at the beginning and end that are obviously about a concert, or show), I think people somehow get the idea that it's a concept album.

What albums do you think of off the top of your head that you believe *are* concept albums?

[erik]

Thick As A Brick.

[born-to-me.livejournal.com]

You should have been in on my "notameme" the other day, about albums that you just like/prefer to listen to in their entirety.

In that vein, may I friend you? We've met off and on, most recently at Cap - I'm gundo's groupie and Bundle Wrangler, we talked a bit during gundo's concert, IIRC.

[ericcoleman]

I think that Aqualung is more of a concept album ... Once again, what is the concept, other than the joke that the lyrics were written by Gerald Bostock ???

[erik]

It's not a concept album.

It is the first album ever produced as an album. That is, the title, the art, etc, were all conceived as a whole, and tracks were, if not written, at least included or rejected based on whether they fit the overall feel.

From another perspective, it is a soundtrack album for a film project that never got wide release.

[ericcoleman]

From another perspective, it is a soundtrack album for a film project that never got wide release.

Are you talking about the film that has a certain Stigwoodma to it ???

[barondave.livejournal.com]

I don't think it is a concept album. Sgt. Pepper was McCartney's reaction to the Beach Boy's Pet Sounds: Pushing the technological envelope. Please keep in mind that the audio killer app at the time was stereo. In this sense, it was less of an "album" in the sense of a collection than it was a "record" in the sense that it was going to be released as a whole. The songs only vaguely relate to the concept of the band Sgt. Pepper, though the movie Yellow Submarine demonstrates that they had that in mind.

It's too early close to noon to look it up, but the track order as released was not their first choice, apparently. With the CD release (many years ago), people were saying how easy it was to program the CD to play in the original order. I have never done so.

[ericcoleman]

I don't think it is a concept album.

I don't either ... I was just wondering if anyone else did

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

Afaik "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were originally supposed to be on there. It's weird to think about since it doesn't seem like there's really any room for improvement on Sgt. Pepper, but if those two songs were somehow fit on there, it would be all the more awesome.

[ericcoleman]

They were on the list of songs for the record, but vinyl has limitations, and so they ended up on a double A-side single instead. They would certainly fit soundwise, but there still isn't a concept there.

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

Yeah... I know :) I have entirely too much Beatles trivia stored up there.

vinyl...what a concept

[archiver-tim.livejournal.com]

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had a definite concept on Side One, going from the Nightmare, through Fire onto Time/Confusion to wrap it up. Side Two continued the Crazy World, but not in such a connect manner.

The Rock Operas Tommy by The Who and Jesus Christ Superstar could also be called concept albums, but then albums that tracked a show were nothing new, it's just that neither of them were stage or film performed before their release.

Terry Kennedy found filking around 1995 and presented his Twilight's Eyes album as a single-listen concept work.

-Ryan

Re: vinyl...what a concept

[ericcoleman]

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown had a definite concept on Side One

I need my vinyl to be living where I live ... I haven't listened to that for too many years ...

Tommy was not meant to be a stage show ... it is more of a cantata ... but I would certainly call it a concept album ... and really the 2nd TRUE concept album ... after SF Sorrow by the Pretty Things (although you could make a case for Freak Out by The Mothers and Face To Face by the Kinks)

[pixelene.livejournal.com]

It's not, but it can seem like one if one wants it to be one. Same with Pet Sounds.

[wyngarde.livejournal.com]

They want to believe! If they don't, they will have nothing...Let the children have their Gods and we'll have ours...