page 25

While, the idea of basing a concept album on a single story or event seems more logical, the idea of taking songs with similar themes and grouping them together is much older and more popular. This layout is not, however, to be confused with compilation albums like the ever so popular Christmas album. The concept album is produced exclusively by one artist and not several. The central theme can be strong or weak, but usually ties in very well and makes an important statement about an event or idea. It can offer several alternative sides and sometimes provide more relevant information than simply a single narrative. Jazz musicians of the 1930’s were some of the first artists to group songs together like this. Since then, this technology has changed little. It can be used to cleverly unite the themes into something more meaningful like Poe’s “Haunted” or create a central narrative with supplementing songs like Symphony X’s “The Odyssey.”
If you would like to hear about Poe’s “Haunted,” go to page 20
Otherwise, go to page 31