November 2009
November 25, 2009What a Concept: Top 10 Concept Albums
- By Fredrick
- No TrackBacks
With the advent of recorded music came a phenomenal revolution, and the birth of an entire industry. What, before, was an art more akin to a verbal history of passed down stories or dusty tomes of hymns and prayers became a form of self expression and mystery. The world leapt at the opportunity to catalog the songs floating around and distribute them to people who didn't have access to great musicians. Once established, the music industry introduced the masses to the idea of the single. This was marketing more than art, but there was, above all, an art to the marketing. Bands were acquired as a resource and used until depleted.
But there was an oddball factor to the equation - the album. As opposed to the single, which featured a popular radio tune on one side of a 45 backed with another less popular B-side tune that often amounted to little more than filler. An album expanded this relationship, collecting a series of singles comingled with various fluff pieces and b-sides. For the most part, early albums were chaotic discs produced without concern for flow or staying power; they were simply a means of collecting songs produced solely for radio play in one easy place for consumers to purchase. This was a tumultuous period of the musical industry driven by a lust for money and the readiness of musicians to exploit themselves for the love of their craft, or, for their own monetary gain.
While some bands, by the nature of their subject matters, were able to produce albums that seemed somehow cohesive, it wasn't until people began making music with the album in mind that the industry stepped back from the cacophony of the single - just a step, mind you, as popular music today is still contingent upon the money brought in from singles, still, a step is a step. Once artists began to think of the album as a blank canvas as opposed to a collage was it a viable means of musical expression. Expanding the world view beyond 7 inches unlocked the deepest creativity in artists who were still searching for their place in the world and well established artists alike. Of course, once the album was looked at in this respect it only seemed natural that song writers would see this as an opportunity to create story book albums that carried out an objective of theme throughout the duration of the LP.
Thus the concept album was born, and thus the concept album flourished. By writing, not just a song but an album, artists were able to create unified music that had a beginning, middle, and an end, much like the motifs of classical pieces. Through song craft contemporary artists in the 60's were able to share narratives or discuss ideals through a complete work of art, as opposed to making brief commentaries through singles. Those who blazed the trails of concept work did so in such a remarkable ways that those albums stand as testament to the entire catalog of the artist's work. These albums are timeless, peerless, and consistently inspirational to today's most impressive artists.
I have compiled a list of my 10 favorite concept albums here. In the age of the iPod it's imperative to remember the power of the album, these following LP's should act as the gold standard for all aspiring songwriters.
November 7, 20091 YR NDSA: PXL ED.
- By Fredrick
- No TrackBacks
