Rock opera albums
Ostensibly the journey of Chicken Little and Hangerhead as they visit Uncle Scam's Federally Funded Welfare & Freakshow and meet a varied cast of characters including Manny Noreiga, Leonard Peltier, Daryl Gates, Stacey Koons, "Rovie Wade The Sword Swallower" and more. Billed as a hip-hopera by some pundits, the Philadelphia bred and based rap trio of Oatie, Madd, and Swayzack delivered this magnum opus back in 1992 and to this day it still remains a pointedly funny examination of the post-Reagan era and George H.W. The Goats - Tricks of the Shade (Ruffhouse, 1992) Hands down The Goats debut is the first rap concept album. The album holds the distinction of having been nominated for the prestigious science fiction literary award the Hugo.ĩ. The story is pure '60s inspired political sci-fi in that it's about a group of left wingers who steal a government spacecraft and head to the stars to create a new utopia. As for Blows, given that it was released when Airplane was in their transition to Jefferson Starship (it's actually credited to Paul Kantner & Jefferson Starship, the first use of said moniker), it comes off much more like a folk/rock Airplane album than anything else. While the latter is essentially the sequel to the former, it's a much more realized effort that expertly blends elements of sci-fi with more progressive styled rock. Paul Kantner - Blows Against The Empire (RCA, 1970) Best known as one of founders, chief lyricists, singer/songwriter, and rhythm guitarist for seminal Summer of Love San Francisco stalwarts The Jefferson Airplane, Kantner delivered a one-two conceptual punch with Blows Against The Empire and it's much better sequel, 1983's Planet Earth Rock 'N Roll Orchestra (sadly the latter is totally out of print so if you want a copy you're gonna have to start digging through some dusty old record-as in vinyl-shoppes). But one thing remains: the allure of the Rock Opera is still vibrant and if you manage to write a great one, people will embrace it with open arms.ġ2. Some have succeeded others have succumbed to utter pretension. Over the years indie rock stalwarts, punk outfits, death metal bands, and dozens of prog rock minded acts have tried their hand at penning a Rock Opera. While the Rock Opera/concept Album enjoyed its greatest success during the glory days of classic rock (the late '60s and early-to-mid '70s) it, like the Western in cinematic history, refuses to fade away quietly. Obviously inspired by the sweeping orchestral suites of such composers as Tchaikovsky ( The Nutcracker Suite), Mussorgsky ( Pictures At An Exhibition), and Berlioz ( Symphonie Fantastique), the Rock Opera endeavored to tell a linear story in song form, utilizing a particular band's signature musical stylings and poetic wordplay to create a purely aural theatrical experience. The Rock Opera or conceptual album first came to light in popular music during the late 1960s.