I always thought the "song-by-song retort to 'Exile on Main Street' " was PR bushwah. Hell, I don't even like the album that much. Great title, though.
On the other hand, "Village Green Preservation Society" is my favorite Kinks album, and I LOVE the Kinks. God save them! Appreciate your positive take.
(Would love to find out what you guys think of "The Who Sell Out," which maintains its radio station conceit for about a side and a third on the LP and then Townshend gives up. Side 1 may be the best side the Who ever did, though.)
There were a few records like this (e.g., 2112) that are like half concept records, which we considered but ultimately tossed aside. I’m not a huge Who fan but I loved Tommy growing up
Is it a concept album? I don't know, the original album gestures towards the idea of being a concept album with the fake commercials. She just covers the original solo, 8-track a cappella, but it's so much fun it's worth mentioning.
Wikipedia quotes Pete Townshend's reaction, "I was a little embarrassed to realize I was enjoying my own music so much, for in a way it was like hearing it for the first time. What Petra does with her voice, which is not so easy to do, is challenge the entire rock framework ... When she does depart from the original music she does it purely to bring a little piece of herself -- and when she appears she is so very welcome. I felt like I'd received something better than a Grammy."
The other detail I love from that wikipedia entry is "The recording was suggested by Haden's friend Mike Watt [from The Minutemen], who ranks Sell Out as one of his favorite albums and gave Haden an 8-track recorder she used to create the album."
Great list. I can’t remember if you guys covered Willie’s Phases and Stages on another one of these, but it would’ve been a terrific listen with the others.
Also his Red Headed Stranger and Tougher Than Leather, but it all started with Yesterday's Wine in '71. Willie's the king of the country concept album.
That's a good suggestion. My favorite Willie album, and he does a good job maintaining the concept throughout, even though some of the songs weren't written specifically for that album.
“No Children” has taken on a life of its own in dozens of online fandoms - I’ve seen countless edits, fan art, etc. with the lyrics “you are going down with me / hand in unlovable hand” - but today is the first I’m learning it’s part of a concept album…super neat!
If you want to hear another great Sinatra concept album, listen to Watertown. The concept is so well executed it may as well be a short film. Wonderful music, too.
The Randy Newman section stood out to me. 'Rednecks' still trips people up today, it sounds like it's coming from an ugly place on first listen but it's actually skewering Northern hypocrisy, not endorsing the guy he's voicing. Funny how a song can stay misunderstood for fifty years.
I always thought the "song-by-song retort to 'Exile on Main Street' " was PR bushwah. Hell, I don't even like the album that much. Great title, though.
On the other hand, "Village Green Preservation Society" is my favorite Kinks album, and I LOVE the Kinks. God save them! Appreciate your positive take.
(Would love to find out what you guys think of "The Who Sell Out," which maintains its radio station conceit for about a side and a third on the LP and then Townshend gives up. Side 1 may be the best side the Who ever did, though.)
There were a few records like this (e.g., 2112) that are like half concept records, which we considered but ultimately tossed aside. I’m not a huge Who fan but I loved Tommy growing up
Frankly, was hoping for a Dr. Octagonecologyst review: is the concept behind this concept album too insane to be coherent?
Great read, though!
May I recommend Petra Hayden Sings the Who Sell Out: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Haden_Sings:_The_Who_Sell_Out
Is it a concept album? I don't know, the original album gestures towards the idea of being a concept album with the fake commercials. She just covers the original solo, 8-track a cappella, but it's so much fun it's worth mentioning.
Wikipedia quotes Pete Townshend's reaction, "I was a little embarrassed to realize I was enjoying my own music so much, for in a way it was like hearing it for the first time. What Petra does with her voice, which is not so easy to do, is challenge the entire rock framework ... When she does depart from the original music she does it purely to bring a little piece of herself -- and when she appears she is so very welcome. I felt like I'd received something better than a Grammy."
That’s high praise
It's so well done.
The other detail I love from that wikipedia entry is "The recording was suggested by Haden's friend Mike Watt [from The Minutemen], who ranks Sell Out as one of his favorite albums and gave Haden an 8-track recorder she used to create the album."
Great list. I can’t remember if you guys covered Willie’s Phases and Stages on another one of these, but it would’ve been a terrific listen with the others.
Also his Red Headed Stranger and Tougher Than Leather, but it all started with Yesterday's Wine in '71. Willie's the king of the country concept album.
That's a good suggestion. My favorite Willie album, and he does a good job maintaining the concept throughout, even though some of the songs weren't written specifically for that album.
“No Children” has taken on a life of its own in dozens of online fandoms - I’ve seen countless edits, fan art, etc. with the lyrics “you are going down with me / hand in unlovable hand” - but today is the first I’m learning it’s part of a concept album…super neat!
If you want to hear another great Sinatra concept album, listen to Watertown. The concept is so well executed it may as well be a short film. Wonderful music, too.
One of the most unexpected albums in the Sinatra catalog. “I Would Be in Love (Anyway)” is criminally underrated
The Randy Newman section stood out to me. 'Rednecks' still trips people up today, it sounds like it's coming from an ugly place on first listen but it's actually skewering Northern hypocrisy, not endorsing the guy he's voicing. Funny how a song can stay misunderstood for fifty years.