Category — concept album

While Neon Bible was pretty good, it’s impossible to top their deservedly over-hyped debut Funeral. My vote for the best of the 2000’s (so far).
Arcade Fire

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Montreal’s Arcade Fire brings a theatricality, an intensity, an insanity, and a penchant for amazing hooks to their debut full-length. You’ve never heard such energy, beauty, and emotion from such a young band. Fans of Neutral Milk Hotel, Broken Social Scene, and Roxy Music’s first two albums will have a new favorite band.

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Prince

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45tunes.com says: My favorite Prince record. Crazy great pop and rock variety from “Starfish and Coffee” to “Housequake” to “The Cross” to “Forever in My Life” to “I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man” to “It” to U Got the Look”; Sign O’ The Times has got it all. Prince is firing on all cylinders.

amazon.com editorial review:
It begins with the insistent drip-drop of a sequencer and ends with some old school R&B. In between, the artist who was still calling himself Prince unfurls an encyclopedia of moods, genres, and grooves. Widely heralded as a groundbreaker in 1987, when it was released, some of the music in oh-so-’80s synths sounds a bit dated. Yet this two-CD set is clearly the sound of a performer at the height of his power. On songs like the title track, “If I Was Your Girlfriend,” and the thunderous “The Cross,” Prince proves why the hype was justified. –Amy Linden

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The Who

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45tunes.com says: “Quadrophenia” is Townshend’s other great rock opera and it is our favourite of the two. Also check out Phish’s impressive Quadrophenia “musical costume”.

An excellent and frequently astonishing album, Quadrophenia is both more ambitious and less accessible than Tommy, the first and most well known rock opera. At its simplest level, Quadrophenia is a coming-of-age story with an awesome soundtrack. The album features some of the Who’s finest material, in songs like the enraged “Real Me,” the cynical “Punk Meets the Godfather,” the wistful “5:15″ and “Sea and Sand,” and the powerful “Love, Reign O’er Me.” The songwriting (courtesy of Pete Townshend) is top-notch, as is the production (the Who actually managed to use synthesizers in an original manner, something few rock bands can aspire to). The mix of powerful songwriting and skillful composition makes this one of the Who’s finest moments. –Genevieve Williams

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Phish

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45tunes.com was there and it was great!

View More about Live Phish Vol. 14: 10/31/95 Rosemont Horizon Including the Who’s Quadrophenia as the “Musical Costume”!

Aphrodite’s Child

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45tunes.com Comments:
This record rocks! Don’t be scared by the 666 title, there’s no devil worshiping going on here … it’s just a concept album about some folks putting on a play based on Revelations while at the same time the apocalypse is unfolding in the real world … but the audience thinks that it is just part of the show. Put on your headphones and listen to it LOUD LOUD LOUD!

Check out the Wikipedia entry:
666 at Wikipedia

Product Description:
Deleted in the U.S., the landmark 1971 album by the Greek act led by Vangelis. A concept album about the Bible’s Book Of Revelations, it contains all 24 tracks from the original release on Vertigo, including the near hit ‘Break’. A Polygram International release. Double jewel case. The full title is ‘666 (The Apocalypse Of John 13/18)’.

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