Fifty Years of the Concept Album in Popular Music, from The Beatles to Beyonc

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Description

The concept album is one of popular musics most celebratedand misunderstoodachievements, the concept album. This book examines the untold history of the concept album, from The Beatles to Beyonc. The roots of the concept album are nearly as old as the long-playing record itself, as recording artists began using the format to transcend a mere collection of songs into a listening experience that takes the listener on a journey through its unifying mood, theme, narrative, or underlying idea. Along the way, artists as varied as the Moody Blues, Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd, Parliament, Iron Maiden, Radiohead, The Notorious B.I.G., Green Day, and Kendrick Lamar created albums that form an extended conversation of art and music. Limits are pushed as the format grew over the subsequent eras. This book is grouped into five distinctive stages of the concept albums evolutionary development: The Psychedelic Era (1967-1969), The Progressive Era (1970-1974), The Modern Era (1975-1989), The Postmodern Era (1990-1999), and The New Millennium (2000-2016). Seminal albums like Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band by the Beatles, Marvin Gayes Whats Going on, Seventh Son of a Seventh Son by Iron Maiden, Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville, and Lemonade by Beyonc are discussed alongside other pivotal cultural touchstones of each era. All of this makes for a book that ventures into a history that has yet to be tolduntil now.

Author Bio

Eric Wolfson is the author of the critically acclaimed 33 1/3 book From Elvis in Memphis. He runs the accompanying website, www.fromelvisinmemphis.com, as well as Elvis accounts on Twitter (@FromElvisIn333) and Instagram (@PresleyDayByDay). He lives in Washington, D.C., and works in the Performing Arts Division of the U.S. Copyright Office.