So I moved recently. I had to pack up all my CDs. When I finally got settled I started sorting my collection. Now I have known some people who have done the chronological order thing for their collection. Most people do the alphabetical system. Basically I just put them on a shelf at random since I almost never listen to CDs anymore. While I was sorting the collection, I noticed two things. One was that I don’t think I have bought a CD since 2006 and the other is that I have a lot of concept albums. 

Tommy, Mastodon’s Blood Mountain, The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks, there is a bunch more but that’s not the point. I came across three albums in specific. Deltron 3030, Dr. Octagon and Danger Doom’s The Mouse and the Mask. I sat down that night and listened to them the whole way through. I used to listen to those CDs maybe once a day when they were first released. I like the idea of concept albums as long as they don’t become too self-indulgent (e.g. the love below).  I also remembered that there was a concept album/compilation made about Dexter’s Lab (one of the greatest cartoons ever).

This isn’t a new idea. Rap has been doing this for a while. Handsome Boy Modeling School, Bobby Digital In Stereo and Raekwon’s Only Built for Cuban Linx are great. A big part of good music is good story telling. You just need some original characters and maybe a journey (see Joseph Campbell’s The Hero With A Thousand Faces). It writes itself after that. So since we have established that concept albums are legit, here are three ideas for people out there to consider as possible concepts.

The Seven Samurai:

I am surprised that the Wu have never done a full version of this but it would be epic.

Hurricane Katrina/BP Spill:

Yeah, I have seen the first season of Treme but why hasn’t anyone really done a full length album tackling the colossal cluster fucks that have hit the gulf coast? Granted one is a bit recent.

That episode of Seinfeld where they play Risk.

Does this need an explanation? Awesomeness!

It has been a while since I wrote on here so some quick notes:

-The C4 mix tape hosted by Christopher Walken is pretty good. Check it out.

-Chess is Gnarly. Its endorsed by both this site and RZA.

-Montreal is awesome in the summer. 

From the desk of:

Andrew Morris

Head of Marketing & Acquisitions

Wilford Brimley Will Mess You Up!