Concept Album.

[Nakatira]

Cool, I'm doing one as well.

one song at 45 minutes or so, so that it will fit on vinyl

I based mine upon a historic event, I think that has been done many times, but I dont think anyone has told this story yet

Writing lyrics for this stuff is hell, I've actually taken up reading of some old english litterature, just to steal a few lines

 

[Armistice]

Cool, I'm doing one as well.

one song at 45 minutes or so, so that it will fit on vinyl

I based mine upon a historic event, I think that has been done many times, but I dont think anyone has told this story yet

So, just checking here... one song, 45 minutes...your concept/historical even isn't another band's recording of a one song 45 minute album based on a poem by a ficticious child prodigy is it...?

 

[Nakatira]

So, just checking here... one song, 45 minutes...your concept/historical even isn't another band's recording of a one song 45 minute album based on a poem by a ficticious child prodigy is it...?

I wish it was

 

[tango44]

Worst album ever.

hehe. I didn't say it rocked. There is no doubt it's terrible, but it does contain a storyline and uses mixed genre's to get the job done.

The one album I bought as a kid, that I was like WTF??? while listening to it.

 

[Seafroggys]

So, just checking here... one song, 45 minutes...your concept/historical even isn't another band's recording of a one song 45 minute album based on a poem by a ficticious child prodigy is it...?

I think Brick takes the cake for being the Mother of all Concept Albums, despite the fact the whole album is supposed to be a joke.

It is very much one of my favorites for sure.

 

[DrewPeterson7]

I wasn't huge into the whole metal Concept album things. I may check some of it out for lyrical stuff.

Can I offer up some suggested listening, then?

Pink Floyd's "The Wall," "Animals," and "Wish You Were Here" and The Who's "Tommy." Goes without saying, really. This is about where it started.
Dream Theater - "Metropolis Pt. II: Scenes from a Memory." Spin "Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle and the Sleeper" from their album "Images and Words" first too, I suppose, as it's a concept album that expands (drastically, haha) on that one song. What's doubly interesting is the way little motifs from the first song become entire songs on the album based on it.
Floater - "Angels in the Flesh and Devils in the Bone" or "Sink" These two, while absolutely fucking brilliant, are a bit obscure and will be hard to find. The later is their debut, the story of an abused child maturing and finding himself going full circle, and the later is the story of a man's search for identity in a world completely devoid of it. The opener, "Endless Pt. 1" is about the most perfect two minutes of music I've ever heard. This is more a rock concept album than a metal one.
Symphony X - "Paradise Lost" Probably more technical than you'll want to get, but an album loosely based on the Milton poem of the same name.
Kamelot - "Epica" and, especially, "The Black Halo" Don't mind the absurd band name, this two-album conceptual work is based loosely on Goethe's "Faust" and at it's best ("March of Mephisto" or "This Pain" of the latter) is fucking spectacular.

 

[Nakatira]

I think Brick takes the cake for being the Mother of all Concept Albums, despite the fact the whole album is supposed to be a joke.

It is very much one of my favorites for sure.

I very much agree to this

 

[Shankapotomus]

So i have ideas of a concept album in the works. Loosely based on a book that indirectly i relate myself to the subject character. Who happens to be somewhat of a non-fiction legend from my home.

Allegorically realted. It's complicated.

But as i am fumbling for lyrics (which i have struggled with in general my whole life) im finding this is turning out to be a daunting task. Incredibly.


has anyone ever done this before?

Got tips?


Like i am thinking of reading agian and making jot notes? So things are fresher and name's places etc, come together more clearly.

Just need some tips is all.

If any can be provided. I do understand lyrics come from the heart mind and soul but.....

What I do is get myself in an appropriate setting for writing, if I can. Someplace I know is peaceful and quiet. Somewhere where you can look at the sky and think. Then I let my consciousness wander where it wants to go. Then I write down what I like.

I wish you the best for your concept album and applaud the fact you are pursuing your creative dreams. I'm assuming you prefer to work on it yourself. However, if you are ever interested in working with a lyricist, I have several sets of loosely tied together rock & prog concept lyrics (all finished) with recurring themes available for collaboration.

Best Regards,
Mike

 

[apamallard]

Can you talk more about the book and the character?

 

[rayc]

All albums are concept.
Album is a concept.
Best of is a concept.
cash in on the dead bloke is a concept.
Just don't do anything as tired and sad as Lou Reed's last couple. With those even the concept felt it had to conceptualize is place in past time & space on a playing field where neither melody nor metre had a say.
Metal machine music was a better concept.
The Wall is probably the worst concept album I've heard.
SF SORROW by the Pretty Things was probably the 1st true "concept" album. Nirvana's 2nd may have beaten it. The la De Das did one (the Little Prince) before Tommy.
Aphrodite's Child's 666 wasn't bad.
801's Listen Now is the KING of prog concept albums - the concept Control & Paranoia.

 

[grimtraveller]

Metal machine music was a better concept.
SF SORROW by the Pretty Things was probably the 1st true "concept" album. Nirvana's 2nd may have beaten it. The la De Das did one (the Little Prince) before Tommy.

Metal Machine Music would have made a great piece if it was 10 minutes long because all that guitar feedback does generate interesting little snippets of melody, though completely random. But 64 minutes of that noise is just pushing it, 37 years on !!
SF Sorrow is a great album. Pete Townshend has admitted and denied that it was an influence on "Tommy". Nirvana's "The story of Simon Simopath" came a year before "Sorrow" and two before "Tommy" and "The happy prince".
Considering the kind of negative reputation concept albums have had in the past, there were a heck of alot of them.

 

[rayc]

Well done on your chronology.
I have all the ones you mentioned & really enjoy a good "concept" well developed.
Simon isn't so well developed but then again they were only just dipping the brush into the paint.
Thanks for the response.

 

[Atom Bomb]

Can you talk more about the book and the character?

Sure.

Basically, there is little fact about the guy. hence the mystery surrounding him. that was the allure on my part in the first place. The book was mainly an intrested party throwing any and all 'fact' together in one place for readers to agree with his, or draw their own conclusions as to who he was might of been.

The character was found washed up on a beach in my home province, with freshly amputated legs, and in a state of shock near death and really pissed off to be there. From the moment he was found until his death he spoke not a word of his own existence. To anyone. Ever. and if he did it never made it to public audience.

Nothing.

People surmised and fantasized about his pre-castaway life . So there are many tales of who he was or may have been and what his home country may have been.

He was beligerent towards adults due to the how he was 'taken' in by his caregivers at any time but then treated as a freak show. hense his semi nasty disposition. A suitable candiadte for someone with a punk rock energy. But it was rumored he would tell children stories when adults weren't around?

And of course he did have a love intrest, which could be a better part of the record. I will thorw it in but, i wouldn't want this shevled with the 14,395,329 records on that topic if i involved her too much?

But i'm still undecided there.

More or less id like to write it around the concept of me being his voice. i know its wrong or weird on many levels but i also have a vested intrest in psycology and in a weird way i think he and i are alot a like when it comes to dealing with society. Only difference being i can speak, he can't. now espically that hes been dead for over 100 years.

Also in another whole end of the spectrum, and on a personal note, for some resaon about 6 years ago i got stagefright or something and have refused to sing on stage or in front of people. no idea why, a bigger part of my earlier bands draw and drive had been my voice (keeping in mind the genre punk rock) but yea... It's like a switch got turned off.

I personaly feel that this would be a fitting way to break my own 6 year dry spell by telling a story of an 80+ year dryspell of his, only in my own words?

you know?

In my head it's beautfiul in conception, but to get to the end is going to be alot of work. espically now that my 'day job' is in it's busiest time of the year and i am being spread thin between other offices.

I guess i am not really in a rush, but you know how it is when you want a finished product so bad you can taste it.

 

[grimtraveller]

It sounds like you've got plenty of scope for a good concept album there. Actually, you can write pretty much what you like and elaborate to the nth degree because virtually nothing is known about this geezer that died 80-100 years ago. We know more about Abraham, Jesus, Caesar and Plato ! Even if it takes you 5 years, I reckon it will be worth it.

 

[Atom Bomb]

It sounds like you've got plenty of scope for a good concept album there. Actually, you can write pretty much what you like and elaborate to the nth degree because virtually nothing is known about this geezer that died 80-100 years ago. We know more about Abraham, Jesus, Caesar and Plato ! Even if it takes you 5 years, I reckon it will be worth it.

Thanks man. I am at work right now for like an hour or two but i got the entire house to myself so i will be a better part of the day plugging away at that...