I'm trying to compile a list of concept albums about cities. These can include any kind of album with a loose, yet continuous narrative structure centering around a given city (The Mountain Goats' "Tallahassee") to albums with a much more definite storyline (The Streets' "A Grand Don't Come for Free"). Other albums I've been able to compile include Lou Reed's "Berlin," Pink Floyd's "Animals" and "The Wall," Ry Cooder's "Chavez Ravine," The Kinks' "Face to Face" and "The Village Green Preservation Society," Cursive's "Happy Hollow," The Who's "Quadrophenia," even Rick James' "Street Songs." Any other ideas?
Thanks.
andrewpmarz✧✧✧@gm✧✧✧.c✧✧
― marzoni, Friday, 26 October 2007 16:46 (eighteen years ago)
David Bowie "Heroes" (Berlin)
― sexyDancer, Friday, 26 October 2007 16:47 (eighteen years ago)
Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City (London)
/end cringe.
― stephen, Friday, 26 October 2007 16:49 (eighteen years ago)
The Radiators (the Dublin punk band, not the N.O. roots outfit) - Ghosttown Lou's New York
― sonofstan, Friday, 26 October 2007 16:56 (eighteen years ago)
(a stretch) sun ra - atlantis fsol - dead cities
― CaptainLorax, Friday, 26 October 2007 16:59 (eighteen years ago)
Pete Townshend - White City
― dad a, Friday, 26 October 2007 17:01 (eighteen years ago)
Sun Ra - Magic City!
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 26 October 2007 17:02 (eighteen years ago)
http://www.franksidebottom.co.uk/cube/images/uploads/side5.gif
― everything, Friday, 26 October 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/ca/ParliamentChocolateCityalbumcover.jpg
― circles, Friday, 26 October 2007 17:09 (eighteen years ago)
Straight Outta Compton?
― mike a, Friday, 26 October 2007 17:57 (eighteen years ago)
Lamb Lies Down on Broadway
― ellaguru, Friday, 26 October 2007 19:15 (eighteen years ago)
Yusef Lateef-Detroit
― Display Name, Friday, 26 October 2007 20:35 (eighteen years ago)
Mel Tormé - Songs of New York
― sonofstan, Friday, 26 October 2007 20:40 (eighteen years ago)
What city is Animals about?
― Pleasant Plains, Friday, 26 October 2007 23:41 (eighteen years ago)
Doves: Some Cities
― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 27 October 2007 00:08 (eighteen years ago)
Less well-known, but more on-topic than most, is Norwegian Julian Berntzen's excellent "Waffy Town" from 2003.
― Geir Hongro, Saturday, 27 October 2007 00:14 (eighteen years ago)
http://www.hefnet.com/images/citycd.gif
― Jill, Saturday, 27 October 2007 00:20 (eighteen years ago)
X - Los Angeles
― oscar, Saturday, 27 October 2007 00:27 (eighteen years ago)
one could almost argue that the go betweens '16 lovers lane' is a concept album about brisbane
― electricsound, Saturday, 27 October 2007 00:41 (eighteen years ago)
Other albums I've been able to compile include ... The Kinks' "Face to Face" and "The Village Green Preservation Society,"
Scratch those two - in what ways are they about a particular city, any more than "Something Else" or "Arthur" are? However you can replace with "Muswell Hillbillies", which sort of is about London and aspects thereof.
I suspect Sudden Sway's "76 Kids Forever" is about Peterborough, unlikely as that may seem...
― Tom D., Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:28 (eighteen years ago)
Rodney Crowell - The Houston Kid
― dad a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:33 (eighteen years ago)
Buck Owens - I wouldn't live in New York City
The album as a whole isn't about a particular city, but every song is: apart from the title track, there's Reno Lament, Down in New Orleans, The Wind Blows everyday in Chicago, The Kansas City song and so on...
― sonofstan, Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:38 (eighteen years ago)
Same goes for Ray Charles - The Genius Hits The Road
― dad a, Thursday, 1 November 2007 16:42 (eighteen years ago)
Kashmere Gardens Mud, by Johnny Bush, is also a Houston concept record. So is The Pecan Tree, by Joe Sample.
― novamax, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:13 (eighteen years ago)
Pick of the bunch:
http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/38981.jpg
― Tom D., Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:21 (eighteen years ago)
Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" is set in "Hunger City", maybe a blasted version of LA?
― snoball, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:46 (eighteen years ago)
Shadowgraphic City - s/t
― Mr. Hal Jam, Thursday, 1 November 2007 17:54 (eighteen years ago)
Si Begg: Commuter World (London)
― Tuomas, Thursday, 1 November 2007 20:34 (eighteen years ago)