Concept albums

[Demetrio]

Do you know the storyline behind your favorite concept album(s)?

Let's talk about it?

I will start with one of my current favorites:

DREDG - El Cielo

This album is inspired by and connected around two main themes: 1) Sleep Paralysis, a phenomenon characterized by the "temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up or, less often, shortly before falling asleep"; 2) a painting by Salvador Dali entitled "Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate a Second Before Awakening". A great and very atmospheric album, by the way.

[Rae]

Demetrio, you're on fire. How many threads have you started this week?

I'll play. I've always liked John Vanderslice's Life and Death of an American Fourtracker. It examines the tricky relationship between mental illness and creative genius through the story of a reclusive teenager who runs away from home. I think a lot of the undercurrents of the story are really interesting, including the choice between a tortured life of self-expression or medicated numbness (reaching its peak in the terrifying "Amitriptyline") and the idea that for every celebrated savant like Brian Wilson or even cult hero like Daniel Johnston, there are plenty of struggling talents who never find that foothold in society.

~Rae

[Rae]

Sleep Paralysis, a phenomenon characterized by the "temporary paralysis of the body shortly after waking up or, less often, shortly before falling asleep"

By the way, I swear I've experienced "sleep paralysis" before... scared the shit out of me. Woke up on my back and couldn't move a muscle, but after a few minutes of freaking out, it just went away...

~Rae

[Demetrio]

Demetrio, you're on fire. How many threads have you started this week?

Hey, Rae, just trying to help make things happen again over here, like in the old times!! ;-))

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[Rich-n-Texas]

Hi Demetrio,

Would concept albums include classics such as Quadrophenia and Tommy by The Who? I remember in 1975, in my senior year in high school going to see Tommy with my Cinema and Theater classmates at a theater in Philly. I vaguely remember scenes in the movie where Roger's playing pinball on this huge machine with really high-heels, a scene with "Uncle Ernie", the "Acid Queen" who IIRC was Tina Turner. Quadrophenia was about an aging British "punk" who's time was coming to an end, despite his rebellious opposition. I think "Close to the Edge" by Yes was an asteral concept, IMO when I first heard it after a few deep tokes of some really good hash...

Can't think of any others off the top of my head right now (watching the SA Spurs vs. Utah in glorious high-def)!

[3-LockBox]

Hey 'D' see you like Dredg a lot...

Have you heard their live CD?

[Demetrio]

Would concept albums include classics such as Quadrophenia and Tommy by The Who?

For sure, Rich. Some other classic examples would be The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon and Animals, by Pink Floyd, and The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, by Genesis.

Hey 'D' see you like Dredg a lot...

Have you heard their live CD?

Yes, I do like DREDG a lot. I have all their studio albums, but not that live one yet. Is it worth having? And DVD, is there any of them available already?

Cheers,
Demetrio.