[!--QuoteBegin-Onhell+Jan 2 2005, 11:31 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Onhell @ Jan 2 2005, 11:31 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]A concept album tells a story, like Scenes from a Memory from Dream Theater or Pink Floyd's The Wall.
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Not by definition. A concept album does not need to tell a story. The music on the album just has to be a part of something complete, be it in terms of lyrical themes or musically, as part of a musical piece that wouldn't work if single parts are separated. Some examples of concept albums that
don't tell a story would be nearly everything by Pink Floyd or Jethro Tull. Granted, both bands had albums that told stories and were concept albums ("The Wall" or the first side of "Aqualung" spring to mind), but both had albums that either revolved around similar lyrical themes ("Dark Side Of The Moon" or "Wish You Were Here" for example),
and, both had albums that could/should be only regarded as one piece, sometimes even without the possibility of sepparating single parts ("A Passion Play" or "Meddle"). Let's examine "A Passion Play" further, even though I don't know the album that well. Why is it a concept album?
There's only one track on it. This track is not a "song" by our standarts, but a 45 minute long progressing piece of music, with many variations (just think "The Story Of The Hare That Lost His Spectacles").
A concept album does not need a story, it needs a
concept, hence the name. This concept can be a central piece of music that is subject to musical evolution (as "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" on Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here", many of Jethro Tull's albums), a basic lyrical theme (Again, "Wish You Were Here" with the central theme of melancholy and loneliness), a set of lyrical themes that are either related to each other, or combined by the general way the music is built up ("Dark Side Of The Moon" by Pink Floyd is a perfect example),
or the telling of a story, which, however, is the least frequent form of a concept album.
Likewise, concept albums rarely ever occur in the world of Heavy Metal (and if, usually in the last form), but are characteristical for Progressive and Art Rock. In these circles, many, if not most albums are concept albums, and the least of them really tell a story.
Some characteristics of concept albums are long instrumental sections, which usually have a progressive and evolving feel to them, the tracks often form segues, and there are reocurring musical and/or lyrical themes in them (think of the voices and laughter in "Dark Side Of The Moon", the audience cheers in "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" or the various musical reprises in so many albums to get a picture).
Therefore, it's easy to say why "Dance Of Death" isn't a concept album. There is no central musical theme on the album, the tracks do not build up on each other and don't relate to each other. There is no progress in the album: each track is a finished, round song. They work perfectly standing alone or in combination with other album's songs (in fact, I frequently mix them with songs from "The X-Factor", "Virtual XI" and "Brave New World" to form a harmonical playlist).
Now, I could get going about the definition of "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" as a concept album, but it's 1 AM and I have to get up at 5 in the morning [!--emo&
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--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--] ). Anywho I've stated my opinions and I stick by 'em.
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