Theme Albums

AsSiMiLaTeD
AsSiMiLaTeD Posts: 11,728
edited November 2011 in Music & Movies
Lately I've started getting more into theme albums, wondering if I'm the only one.

I'll define a theme album as one that either tells a story or one that has a similar theme among all the songs (be it mood, attitude, topic, etc).

So we're talking about anything from Tommy or Operation Mindcrime that actually tells a story to something like Dark Side of the Moon or Number of the Beast that doesn't really tell a singular story, but still exhibits a common thread throughout the album.

It's probably no surprise that my favorite is Dream Theater's 'Scenes From A Memory'.

So which ones do you guys like?
Post edited by AsSiMiLaTeD on

Comments

  • marker
    marker Posts: 1,084
    edited July 2005
    Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime is my favorite!

    Another good one, Iron Maiden's 7th Son of a 7th Son.
  • ND13
    ND13 Posts: 7,601
    edited July 2005
    Jethro Tull- " A Passion Play"
    Floyd- "The Wall"
    Floyd- "Animals"
    "SOME PEOPLE CALL ME MAURICE,
    CAUSE I SPEAK OF THE POMPITIOUS OF LOVE"
  • thehaens@cox.net
    thehaens@cox.net Posts: 1,012
    edited July 2005
    Wasp - Neon God 1 and 2
    Wasp - Crimson Idol
    King Diamond - Them
    Pink Floyd - The Final Cut (has been in rotation in my CD player for more than 8 years)
  • simm
    simm Posts: 570
    edited July 2005
    One I like that is probably not very well known is "Pink World" by Planet P Project. Released in late 1984 or early 1985.
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,773
    edited July 2005
    Dream Theater - Scenes From A Memory.
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • woodyjacobs
    woodyjacobs Posts: 706
    edited July 2005
    Sting - The Soul Cages
    The Wall
    Miles Davis - **** Brew (Musical Themes count IMO), Kind Of Blue, Sketches of Spain
    Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera
    system 1:
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    system 2:
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    2 channel
    NAD 1600 pre, NAD 2400 THX amp, Phillips CDC 926, Linn extra speaks, crappy TT
  • chumlie
    chumlie Posts: 8,658
    edited November 2011
    Roger Waters; Amused to death. Old thread but a good one if you never seen it.
  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited November 2011
    YES - Tales From Topographic Oceans. This is absolutely a phenominal album, with the shortest of the 4 tracks being approximately 19min. 30 sec.
    Jon Anderson - Toltec
    Jon Anderson - Olias Of Sunhillow
    Marillion - Misplaced Childhood
    Marillion - Brave
    Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

    These are for starters....

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,329
    edited November 2011
    Sisters of Mercy!!
    Polk Audio SDA 2.3tl Fully Hot Rodded. 😎

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    Cary SLP-05/Ultimate Upgrade.
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    Jolida JD9 Fully Modified

    VPI MW-1 Cyclone RCM

    MIT Shotgun 3 cables throughout / Except TT, and PC’s
  • gimpod
    gimpod Posts: 1,793
    edited November 2011
    The Monkeys (does crap count as a theme) :twisted::twisted::evil:


    Sorry couldn't help myself. :rolleyes:
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” ~ Mark Twain
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,132
    edited November 2011
    How about
    Roger Waters The Pro's and Cons of Hitchhiking
    Bowie's Ziggy Stardust
    Beattles Sgt Peppers
    Zappa's Freak Out
    Zappa's Joe's Garage Acts I, II, III,
    Styx Paradise Theater
    Alan Parsons Project Tales of Mystery and Imagination
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    edited November 2011
    Jethro Tull "Thick As A Brick"
    The Who "Quadrophenia"
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
  • indyhawg
    indyhawg Posts: 1,646
    edited November 2011
    simm wrote: »
    One I like that is probably not very well known is "Pink World" by Planet P Project. Released in late 1984 or early 1985.

    That is a really good one.

    Also:

    Rush 2112
    Pink Floyd - The Wall
  • inspiredsports
    inspiredsports Posts: 5,501
    edited November 2011
    It's nice to see this thread resurrected.

    I've had vinyl since their original release dates, but just bought Yes; Tales From Topographic Oceans and The Who; Quarophenia on CD last week. I've listened to both several times they are so good!
    VTL ST50 w/mods / RCA6L6GC / TlfnknECC801S
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 w/mods
    TT Conrad Johnson Sonographe SG3 Oak / Sumiko LMT / Grado Woodbody Platinum / Sumiko PIB2 / The Clamp
    Musical Fidelity A1 CDPro/ Bada DD-22 Tube CDP / Conrad Johnson SD-22 CDP
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    NAD SS rigs w/mods
    GIK panels
  • george daniel
    george daniel Posts: 12,096
    edited November 2011
    Tommy
    JC approves....he told me so. (F-1 nut)
  • brgman
    brgman Posts: 2,859
    edited November 2011
    Springsteen The Rising
    Main Rig-Realistic AM/FM Record player 8 track boasting 4 WPC

    Backup Rig-2 CH-Rogue Audio Zeus w/Factory Special Dark Mods,Joule-Electra 300ME Platinum Preamp,OPPO-105 w/Modwright Tube Mod, Auralic Aries G2.1,Polk 2.3TL,3.1TL's,Dreadnought,RTA-15TL's,1C's All Fully Modded,2xRTA-12c's ,Benchmark DAC3 HGC,Synology NAS,VPI Scout w/Dynavector DV-20XH and Rogue Audio Ares Phono Preamp,Sony PCM-R500 DAT,HHB-850 Pro CDR,Tascam CC-222SLMKII Cassette/CDR,MIT S3.3 Shotgun Cables,Shunyata Hyra-8,Shunyata and Triode Labs Power Cords

    I’M OFFENDED!!!!
  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,430
    edited November 2011
    King Diamond-Abigail
    King Diamond-Fatal Portrait (either side 1 or side 2 only, haven't listened to either of these in years...Where's my cassette player?!)
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
  • BottomFeeder
    BottomFeeder Posts: 1,684
    edited November 2011
    Electric Light Orchestra - Eldorado.

    Love this album.
    "Wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then." Bob Seger
  • nwohlford
    nwohlford Posts: 700
    edited November 2011
    The Antlers - Hospice
  • rebuy
    rebuy Posts: 695
    edited November 2011
    Oh, themed recordings. You fellows are missing the boat.
    I see your 20 or 30 albums here but all you guys are missing out on the real deal.

    Broadway Show tunes !

    Common theme all the way through and they're fun to sing in the car.
    I personally don't own any show tunes but I encourage the other Polkies to buy some.
  • venomclan
    venomclan Posts: 2,467
    edited November 2011
    Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
    Mastadon - Cracke The Sky
    Tool - Most of their albums
  • chumlie
    chumlie Posts: 8,658
    edited November 2011
    One of my favorites. The Kinks; Soap Opera.
  • gfong
    gfong Posts: 1,079
    edited November 2011
    Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
    The Beatles- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
    David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
  • deronb1
    deronb1 Posts: 5,021
    edited November 2011
    "The Point" by Nielson is a fun listen. My kids really liked listening to it.
  • SCompRacer
    SCompRacer Posts: 8,511
    edited November 2011
    These are some of my fav theme or concept albums, in no particular order....

    Moody Blues - Days of Future Passed

    The Who -Quadrophenia

    Emerson Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery & Tarkus

    The Kinks - Face to Face

    Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

    The Alan Parsons Project - I Robot

    Frank Zappa - Joe's Garage

    The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

    Joni Mitchell -Song to a Seagull

    Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick

    Roger Waters - Radio K.A.O.S.

    Spirit - Twelve Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus

    Oh, forgot an oldie.....


    The Dave Brubeck Quartet -Time Out
    Salk SoundScape 8's * Audio Research Reference 3 * Bottlehead Eros Phono * Park's Audio Budgie SUT * Krell KSA-250 * Harmonic Technology Pro 9+ * Signature Series Sonore Music Server w/Deux PS * Roon * Gustard R26 DAC / Singxer SU-6 DDC * Heavy Plinth Lenco L75 Idler Drive * AA MG-1 Linear Air Bearing Arm * AT33PTG/II & Denon 103R * Richard Gray 600S * NHT B-12d subs * GIK Acoustic Treatments * Sennheiser HD650 *
  • Tbone289
    Tbone289 Posts: 661
    edited November 2011
    Some great albums here. I think most of my favorites are listed, except:

    Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
    Roger Waters - Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking

    +1 on ELO - Eldorado -- awesome album.

    EDIT: well, gudnoyez beat me to these. They're worth a re-mention. ;)
    2.1: PC>Schiit Gungnir MB>Schiit Freya Noval>NAD C-270>Ascend Acoustics Sierra-1, HSU STF-2 5.1: HDMI Bitstream>Denon AVR-1910>polkaudio RTE55, CS350-LS, RT3, HSU STF-2, Visio M55-F0
  • kefranklin
    kefranklin Posts: 141
    edited November 2011
    How about the P Funk theme albums from Parliament. Mothership Connection, The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein, Funtentelechy v. Placebo Syndrome, Motor Booty Affair, and Gloryhallastoopid(or Pin the Tail on the Funky).
  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,430
    edited November 2011
    I'll add 12 Angry Months by Local H

    Beck's Sea Change probably qualifies too (and has excellent sonics!)
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0