Top 10 Most Confusing Concept Albums

MsMojo

Get ready for a mind-bending musical journey as we explore albums with the wildest, most perplexing stories and concepts. From psychedelic rock operas to prog rock epics and experimental oddities, these records challenge even the most devoted fans to make sense of their narratives. Which concept album left you the most confused? Let us know in the comments!

Transcript

00:00Another red heart taken by the American dream

00:05Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for musical concept albums

00:11with the most perplexing storyline or execution.

00:14You see, there's always magic in the air of Broadway

00:20Number 10. Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots, The Flaming Lips

00:27Rumors of the concept album's demise were greatly exaggerated around the time the Flaming Lips

00:45dropped Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. The alternative post-grunge roots of old were now

00:51replaced by lush orchestrations, grand ideas, and a sci-fi concept about, well,

00:57a lot of things.

01:08It was to the point where frontman Wayne Coyne has actually pushed back against the idea

01:13of Yoshimi being a concept album in the traditional sense. This hasn't stopped many fans from embracing

01:19Yoshimi as such, however, gravitating towards the album's exquisite melodies and warm blending

01:25of analog nostalgia and forward-thinking electronica.

01:29She's gotta be strong to fight them

01:32She's gotta be strong to fight them

01:36So she's taking lots of violence

01:40Number 9. The Eye, King Diamond

01:43There are few metal musicians as closely linked to the narrative concept as King Diamond

01:48Okay, this next one is called Eye of the Witch

01:56This former frontman for Denmark's merciful fate helped cement his legend after parting ways with that band

02:02The King Diamond solo career has been one chock full of compelling concept efforts including the landmark double shot of Them and Conspiracy

02:11The Eye followed up those two efforts and differed for Diamond taking influence from real-life witch trials during the French Revolution

02:24The end results were perhaps predictably and unfairly compared to King Diamond's prior successes

02:31Although we'd argue that The Eye remains something of a slept-on release from the man's discography

02:36Number 8. Berlin

02:46Lou Reed

02:47It remains to be seen if Lou Reed's musical collaboration with Metallica Lulu will receive some sort of cult reappraisal

03:04It certainly wouldn't be the first time one of Reed's conceptual efforts was met with a divisive critical response

03:10Berlin from 1973 is an unapologetically dark album

03:14which follows a couple struggling with substance use disorder

03:17Reed never refrains from utilizing sound to get his narrative point across

03:22from unsettling sound collages to melodic balladry

03:25Berlin was created in collaboration with Bob Ezrin

03:38a producer and songwriter notable for his conceptual work with Alice Cooper

03:42Ezrin's influence is all over the record in a good way

03:46although Reed's own unique compositional style remains quite evident

03:50It doesn't take a genius to figure out that this 1970 effort by the kinks was gonna be a conceptual one

04:09Just look at that title

04:11She walked up to me and she asked me to dance

04:14I asked her name and in a thought-brown voice she said Lola

04:20Yet Lola vs. Power Man and The Money Go Round Part 1 fit in just fine with other high-minded efforts by the band

04:28We're talking about LPs like The Kinks or The Village Green Preservation Society

04:32Efforts where the message may be muddled

04:34But the tunes are great

04:48Lola proved to be a definitive smash for the kinks from this record

04:51Although the album sold poorly in the UK upon its initial release

04:55Nowadays, Lola vs. Power Man and The Money Go Round Part 1

04:59Still isn't remembered too much for its concept

05:02But it is regarded as one of the kinks best albums

05:06I don't feel safe in this world no more

05:09I don't wanna die in a nuclear war

05:12I wanna sail away to a distant shore

05:15And mate like an ape man

05:18Number 6. SF Sorrow

05:21The Pretty Things

05:23Really ran with the sound

05:25But number 3

05:27There came the cry

05:29SF Sorrow was born

05:32The post Sgt. Pepper's landscape of Beatles domination essentially meant free reign for just about every British band

05:39To try their hand at a concept album

05:41SF Sorrow by The Pretty Things is one of those cult records that was probably destined to find an audience

05:48Just not right away

05:49This is bluesy and psychedelic rock with occasional bursts of fuzzed out aggression

06:07A musical feast that far outshines the somewhat hazy rock opera format

06:12Delays in the release of SF Sorrow probably didn't help matters much for The Pretty Things

06:16But the legacy of this album today is that of a cult British psych classic

06:21Love, love, love, land of love

06:30Number 5. Angel's Egg

06:33The progressive rockers Gong weren't content to release just a single concept album

06:44With 1973's Flying Teapot

06:47Instead, Gong followed it up with Angel's Egg

06:50And continued the story with You in 1974

06:53The group's Radio Gnome Invisible Trilogy was so involved

06:57That first pressings of Angel's Egg contained information detailing glossary terms and backstories for its cast

07:04Meanwhile, the music of Gong embraced everything from jazz fusion and prog rock to psychedelia and folk

07:11Simmering a stew of musical madness for all to enjoy

07:14Sold out to the highest Buddha, Flute Salada

07:28If track titles like these don't make sense to you, don't worry

07:31Just listen to Gong and all will be well

07:46Number 4. Trans

07:48Geffen Records clearly know what they were doing when they programmed Little Thing Called Love

07:53As the first track on Neil Young's Trans

08:07It's one of the few songs not to feature Young going full synthesizer with this incredibly divisive album

08:13Trans is one of those records that makes more sense once you understand the backstory of its composition

08:19Young's influence from German krautrock artists like Kraftwerk

08:23Was tempered with his personal work assisting his son Ben with cerebral palsy related communication therapy

08:29He's got his feelings and he's got his sensitivities and he likes life

08:34Wants people to treat him with respect

08:36It's just a condition of life

08:38It's the way he is

08:40This unfortunately mattered little upon the release of Trans

08:43Since both Geffen and Young's fans were largely left scratching their heads at what the album was supposed to mean

08:50Today though, we think it's pretty awesome

08:52Number 3. 666. The Apocalypse of John 1318. Aphrodite's Child

09:08The 1970s was probably the most receptive time for concept albums amongst the record buying public

09:14This can be seen with an effort such as 666 by Aphrodite's Child released on the experimental label Vertigo Records

09:22This Greek band was notable for having future film composer Vangelis within its ranks with 666 feeling similarly sprawling and cinematic in scope

09:44The album, subtitled The Apocalypse of John 1318 incorporates a lot of musical styles within its loose biblical concept

09:52Folk, hard rock, jazz, pop and more all rear their heads

10:06Like the serpentine beast of revelations

10:09And it's the music, not the words, that does most of the talking

10:13Number 2. Joe's Garage. Frank Zappa

10:24The unfettered genius and quirkiness of Frank Zappa was frequently let loose in concept albums

10:30It was a 54 with a mashed up door and a cheesy little lamp

10:35With a sign on the front, set, and a check

10:38And a second hand guitar

10:40It was a slanted gaster with a whammy bomb

10:43Works like Freak Out and The Mothers of Inventions

10:46We're Only In It For The Money

10:48Were great early examples of this

10:50Meanwhile, the late 70s proved that Zappa still had some kooky ideas to get down on paper

10:56And thus, Joe's Garage was born

10:58The storyline arrived complete with a robot narrator

11:01The central scrutinizer

11:03Which is frequently profane

11:15Proof to this end can be heard in songs like Catholic Girls, Crew Slut, and Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?

11:21Still, there's a wicked sense of satirical humor to the whole thing

11:24Even if the actual plot is off the rails by album's end

11:40Before we continue, be sure to subscribe to our channel

11:42And ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos

11:45You'll have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them

11:49If you're on your phone, make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications

11:55Number 1

11:56The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

11:58Genesis

11:59Here's a question

12:09Does it actually matter if a concept album's overarching storyline becomes muddled?

12:14Fans of Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway

12:17Would likely argue against that line of thinking

12:20Scenes, they cannot be their dream

12:23There's something moving

12:25The sidewalk's steam

12:26Love

12:27Love

12:28Love

12:29Love

12:30Love

12:31Love

12:32The album is now largely considered to be a cornerstone of progressive rock's 1970s success

12:37Thanks to a stage show that incorporated everything from costume changes to epic length musical jams

12:43The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway helped cement Peter Gabriel as a maverick presence on stage

12:49While the chops of Phil Collins, Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford lay the groundwork for the album's dense but rewarding sound

12:56What do you think when an artist announces a concept album? Are they pretentious? Awesome? Both? Let us know in the comments

13:16I am not afraid to keep on living

13:20I am not afraid to rock this world alone

Category

Transcript

Recommended