posted by js: 

By the power vested in me to declare things unilaterally: We’re havin’ a music listenin’ club.

Kinda like one of those book clubs, where everyone reads the same thing.

And we’re doin’ concept albums.

Here’s why: I was raised in an odd family, regarding music listening, so I never got around to most of the seminal concept albums that are considered part of the canon (yeah, yeah, but for this, pretend there is a canon), so I either haven’t heard or haven’t given much thought to plenty of concept albums; concept albums are mostly a holdover from the ’70s (well, late ’60s through present, maybe); I’m looking forward to writing about a similar thing for a while; concept albums are easy to find on vinyl for cheap, despite frequently being awesome. Maybe because they don’t necessarily lend themselves to singles.

Anyway, I’m gonna listen to one concept album for a week until I get, I dunno, twenty or thirty of ‘em done. And I’m going to start with The Plan by The Osmond Family (because I came across it cheap!).

I’ll have something written on it by next week, and I encourage you guys to find it too. After the cut is the list that I’m working with now. Feel free to add or nix anything.

Feel free to suggest concept albums for me to wade through (also you folks who want to join in); here’s a list of ones that I’m thinking about (albums that I’ve never consciously listened to are marked with a *) in the order that we brainstormed ‘em last night:

—Outside by David Bowie.*

Apparently a narrative of alienation and despair? My friend Isaac recommends it highly. Could be over-produced and over-ambitious.

—2112 by Rush.*

I know that this is some sort of futuristic Randian, Canadian bullshit, but I like “Tom Sawyer,” and I wasn’t allowed to listen to them at home.

—In The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson.

One of the first CDs I owned, I haven’t listened to it in years. I remember that the first track (”21st Century Schizoid Man”) rocked, and then it got all folky in a way that I felt would make everyone certain I was gay if I was caught listening to it by anyone I went to high school with.

—The Ballad of Reinhart Messner by Ben Folds Five.*

Any good? I know people who like it. I avoided it when it came out because Ben Folds was a little too Billy Joel for me, but my girlfriend owns it.

—The Plan by the Osmond Family.*

Well, I’ve half listened to this, The Osmond Family’s psychedelic(?) meditation on the coming Mormon apocalypse. Right now I’m listening to a song that sounds like it has Benny Hill’s “Yackety Sax” behind a showtune about Jesus. Oooh, and now Jew’s harp!

—A Manifestation of Things That go Beep by Cornish in a Turtleneck.

A concept psych album made by Ypsi high schoolers. Kinda hit and miss, as I remember it, but I like it more than Sgt. Peppers, which you won’t catch me calling for.

—Murder Ballads by Nick Cave*

Irish death songs, I hear. I’m curious.