Concept Album

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

Somehow, this makes me want to sing the "Lolly Lolly Lolly get your adverbs here....quickly quickly quickly get your adverbs here...."
;)

[The DARK]

Whatever happened to the honest discussions here? The Wall is a concept album. Period. End of discussion. I don't give a damn if you hate it (post it in the Other Music section).

Also, albums do NOT have to be rock operas to be concept albums. Sgt Peppers is only a concept album because of two bookend tracks.

Evil Urges was specifically designed for a full listen. So why not?

[ycartrob]

The Wall is great, but Dark Side of the Moon is the best PF concept album. Animals is not.

Haven't heard EU, so I dunno.

[The DARK]

Animals is not.

Hold up now! What is this???

[sweatboard]

EU is not a concept album and you are all gay.

I'm not trying to get into a name calling type argument or anything.  I'm no expert on the "concept" album or anything.  Jim says there is a "theme" that runs throughout the album...


"There's a theme of moral confusion that runs through the whole record,"

This is a real question; I'm not trying to be sarcastic.  What is the difference between a theme running through a whole record and being a concept record?  It seems like Jim also uses (like I mentioned earlier) two sides that are linked throughout.  Well...he plays two sides against each other throughout and pokes at the divisions being created, that might be a better way to put it.

Evil Urges - Good Intentions (What is considered Evil, What's not hurting anybody, Being Human vs. Being Perfect)

Touch Me I'm Going to Scream – Row a boat across the ocean, dig a hole under the fence.  Again, two sides being bridged.

The two different ways "highly suspicious" is being sang (both suspicious of each other) ;)

The two ways he's "Amazed" (Also, Amazed at your divided Nation)

Red light - Green light, Eyes that hypnotize - Demon Eyes, left leg - right leg

There are several more examples; I think that "Librarian" and "Look At You" really hit hard on this theme.  "Look At You" is subtle but I really think it's the pinnacle of what is going on throughout the record (Not above, in some tower, but here, right down here with us, in this world).  I really think Jim is very introspective and trying to come to terms with some powerful things on this album.  LOVE IT, LOVE IT, LOVE IT!!!!  

[tenn]

Where's Rats when we need him?

This thread never really got going.  
:-/

aww Rats :(

operation mindcrime anyone?
http://www.rockband.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28082&page=2

[vespachick]

See, RandallFlagg, EU IS a concept album and we ARE all Straight.  Mostly.  Usually.  Okay, sometimes.  ;D ;D

[sweatboard]

I don't have the lyrics so I'm not sure, and I might just be projecting but if he really says "Our souls, Our Faith.....Always we were one!!"  on REMNANTS then that is Highly Awesome!!!!

[vespachick]

A hem, WHAT?

[vespachick]

Animals is not.

Hold up now! What is this???

Pretty good observation, don'tcha think?

[sweatboard]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85yrIgA4Nk&feature=related

:)

[travisr]

Under "Band" section on the homepage:

"There's a theme of moral confusion that runs through the whole record," says Jim James, frontman of My Morning Jacket, explaining the title of the band's new album, Evil Urges. "The world today is such a confused place. Things that people think are good values are obviously twisted, but there are other things considered evil that obviously aren't. There is real evil out there, but Evil Urges is about how all of these things that you've been told are evil really aren't, unless they're actually hurting something or somebody."

This to me sounds like a concept album, but not in the sense of like a rock opera like the forementioned "the Wall"

[Goat Boy]

For eviljohnconaway....

You said.  

The Wall was a pretty far out record in its day, in comparison to the dredges that make up the competition.  

You then said the following after I listed some records released in 1979.  So you're effectively saying only compare records that belong to the same exacting genre....

In comparison to the concept albums and rock music in general of that year...

i.e the competition for The Wall is concept albums and ROCK music.   Which also contradicts something you said prior to that but I'll get round to that.

And...

the albums you list aren't even comparable in that they aren't of the same subgenre that The Wall exists in.  

So, you are saying that they aren't comparable because they aren't apparently concept albums or ROCK music

The records I listed which were, lest we forget -

Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Clash - London Calling
Elvis Costello - Armed Forces
Pere Ubu - New Picnic Time
Gang of Four - Entertainment
Neil Young - Rust Never Sleeps
Jam - Setting Sons

Aren't comparable because they don't belong to rock?  What sub genre does The Wall belong to?  It's a rock concept album.  That is all.  You seem to think that because it has a concept it can't be compared to Fear Of Music or London Calling.  I call bullshit.  Is that so hard to understand?  I listed some of the competition.  Check out end of year polls etc for 1979 and you'll see that the NME or Rolling Stone or whatever had no problems comparing The Wall to those albums I listed.   You're the anomaly here.  Nobody else has a problem comparing the records I listed to The Wall.  

You also said....

I'm thinking more on the lines of things like The Bee Gees, The Knack, disco, etc. being the dredges of 1979...not anything like Wire, The Buzzcocks, Raincoats, etc.

So your comparing The Wall to the bubblegum new wave pop of The Knack and disco etc as the COMPETITION even though they clearly don't belong to the same sub genre as The Wall (whatever that is) and disco isn't even rock music is it?  You're contradicting yourself as you're comparing non rock music unfavourably to The Wall when you said earlier

the albums you list aren't even comparable in that they aren't of the same subgenre that The Wall exists in.  

So why compare The Bee Gees or disco unfavourable as the 'dredges' of the competition when neither are 'concept albums' or 'rock music' which, according to you, is the only right comparison?  

You also said...

Punk music is different genre altogether, now isn't it?  Yes, it has its roots in rock musc (hence the term "punk rock") but you can't actually put Gang of Four next to Pink Floyd and say "stylistically speaking, this is the same shite".  Apples and oranges.

Why have you brought up punk?  NONE of the records I listed are punk records.  NONE.  London Calling punk?  Nope.  Fear Of Music punk?  Nope.  Rust Never Sleeps punk?  And so on.  If you're gonna go on about sub genres then Entertainment would be classed as post punk.  

Where did I say Rust Never Sleeps isn't a rock album?

Once again...

in comparison to the concept albums and rock music in general of that year.

I listed some records, one of which was Rust Never Sleeps.  This statement clearly implies the albums I listed aren't rock music.  Yeah?  

[DropDeadFred]

hello everyone,

I'm new here but a i've been lookin around for a while.  I'm weak and gave in.  I've been listening to the album for a short time now and love it. (Don't worry i'm buying it)  

Does anyone think the concept of evil urges means not only moral confusion in society but also the "evil urges" of having influence in their songs.  These days bands are trying hard to be so hip and original.  I'm thinking MMJ is trying to say that it's okay to sound like another band. you can point each song to a different influence yet it still sounds like the same MMJ you've come to love.  This is like the "two sides of the coin" saying that was mentioned before.  You want the original side to a band (the better half) but you're always going to get their influences.

Anyways thats just what i think.  I could be wrong.

Oh yeah.  RandellFlagg, you're an ass.

[The DARK]

hello everyone,

I'm new here but a i've been lookin around for a while.  I'm weak and gave in.  I've been listening to the album for a short time now and love it. (Don't worry i'm buying it)  

Does anyone think the concept of evil urges means not only moral confusion in society but also the "evil urges" of having influence in their songs.  These days bands are trying hard to be so hip and original.  I'm thinking MMJ is trying to say that it's okay to sound like another band. you can point each song to a different influence yet it still sounds like the same MMJ you've come to love.  This is like the "two sides of the coin" saying that was mentioned before.  You want the original side to a band (the better half) but you're always going to get their influences.

Anyways thats just what i think.  I could be wrong.

Oh yeah.  RandellFlagg, you're an ass.

Well said! Welcome to the Forum.  :)

[Jon T.]

Oh yeah.  RandellFlagg, you're an ass.

I don't think he'll be back.  I think him telling Tracy he was "gonna stick it in his ass" was his last hoorah.  You would think he would come up with something better on his way out.  Or at least hit on someone younger.   ;)