Here's a Concept for Ye ...

A lot has been written lately with regards to the re-emergence of The Concept Album. And in true music fashion it’s a case of what goes around comes around coming around again (if you catch my drift?)

When people instantly think of concept albums they think of men with obscure shaped beards who wear tank tops called Clive and Roger who have a liking for real ale and stroking their beards in a ponderous fashion.

The obvious albums from the obvious bands are of course Pink Floyd. Dark Side of the Moon 1973, Wish You Were Here 1975 and The Wall 1979 were fine albums there is no doubt about that. Other examples you could say were The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars by David Bowie and Quadrophenia by The Who But in my opinion all these albums come across as a bit dated and a bit wooded! Harsh words I’m sure you’ll agree, but concept albums about social commentary (as I’ve just mentioned with the Arctic Monkeys) is a lot harder to write about that social issues such as stress, money and love wouldn’t you agree?

One concept album that gave birth (no pun by the way) to the new breed of annoying female singers singing about their ‘broken hearts’ and ‘lost loves’ (Cheryl Cole, Alexander Burke, etc, etc) was Alanis Morrisette’s debut Jagged Little Pill. The floodgates (no pun, again) certainly did open after that and songs and albums by female singers became pretty much the norm after that. Pretty boring and extremely dull bullshit as well if you ask me! ‘Love’ Concept albums from then on have took somewhat of a nose-dive. It’s a pity Alanis Morrisette’s ex squeeze didn’t fuck off with someone else really isn’t it?

Until 2005 that is

Anyway, let me take you back to 1956. And before you ask, no I wasn’t a teenager then! Ye cheeky bastards! Haha

“Whatever people say I am that’s what I’m not” – that was a line from the famous 1960 film Saturday Night and Sunday Morning. The film was based around a young scaly wag played by Albert Finney called Arthur who loved nothing better than getting blitzed during the weekend and being a general nuisance to his neighbours and family. In the film he also got ‘involved’ with a married woman, got her up the duff, made her have an abortion and eventually got his head kicked in her husband’s army buddies.

Now, turn the clock forward a few decades and take a bunch of (similar) Northern Scaly wags writing songs about a night out in a northern town about fights, birds, boozing and other general stuff most teenagers get up to of a weekend and there you have it = a perfect modern day concept album. If you have any doubt at what I’m on about here, you only have to watch the film to see the connections between it and Arctic Monkeys debut album. It really is quite splendid

Another example of a superb modern day concept album from 2005 is Funeral by Arcade Fire. This, in my opinion, is a quite stunning album about the death of a number of family members during a terrible winter. If you don’t own a copy i’d suggest you do.

But In my opinion the Arctic Monkeys have got the concept (I suppose you could say) of concept albums absolutely spot on as I feel young people and indie music lovers in general have adopted it into their realms with open arms instead of it manifesting in the doldrums of Prog Rock like it has always been! !

Can see them cultivating their beards though

Mol