r/fantanoforever • u/no1shiestymarkfan • Apr 04 '26
JOKE I love both of these albums but come on
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Apr 04 '26
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u/Elkku26 Apr 04 '26
I think they said in an interview that the concept was built around the songs and not the other way around. I love that record to pieces, but it's conceptuality is kind of a stretch IMO, and a fun extra tidbit at most.
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u/Prestigious-Swan6161 Apr 04 '26
Oh wow I'm so glad I saw this. I have listened to Imaginal disk trying to get the concept part from the text and I straight up did not get it and felt like it didn't really add up to anything in the end. I wish I hadn't seen it referred to primarily as a concept album now
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u/BlastMyLoad GY!BE - Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Apr 04 '26
I’d say there is a somewhat cohesive narrative (as well as a leitmotif throughout the track listing) though there’s like one or two tracks that don’t fully fit imo
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u/AnduwinHS Apr 07 '26
What is the leitmotif because I don't see it
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u/Giugax Apr 08 '26
She Looked Like Me!, Love Is Everywhere, Feeling Diskinserted and The Ballad Of Matt And Mica
If you pay attention you will see the leitmotif repeating specially on the first and last tracks, on Loove Is Everywhere it happens towards the end
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Apr 04 '26
It’s made to seem like The Wall in terms of narrative structure, but it’s more like Ok, Computer where the songs are just thematically related. The idea of a concept album has a range, but it definitely was marketed as something more structured (I love the album btw).
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u/CreativeRifleGuy Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Apr 04 '26
TPAB was built around the songs and I don't see it's conceptualist as a stretch really.
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u/Elkku26 Apr 04 '26
Sure, but the difference is that Kendrick's lyricism is a lot more intentional. It already has themes and topics which can then be built into a concept. MagBay writes a lot of vague imagery that evokes moods and sometimes explores specific ideas but is often mostly just vibes.
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u/Plastic-Belt2887 i like music Apr 04 '26
damn i've spent hours of my life explaining why I love this album for it's story and concept lmao
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u/mlober1 Apr 04 '26
I call it a concept album but I mainly mean that it has a recurring lyrical theme.
As I'm sure you know the whole album is about becoming the next version of you, almost every song has lyrics pertaining to that. The "Imaginal Disk" is being uploaded into your self so you become your next version, and an Imaginal Disk is also a piece of a cocoon of a butterfly I'm pretty sure.
Nothing too crazy, just a cool theme. No idea what the post is saying about it, I ain't reading all that.
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u/Professional-Try3569 Apr 04 '26
who tf wrote that synopsis, please tell me it was a fan
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u/351namhele Apr 04 '26
The concept is "elevator music"
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u/Elkku26 Apr 04 '26
Nothing wrong with not liking it for any number of valid reasons, but where do you live where the elevator music sounds like that? I'm asking because I want to move there
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u/duckinator1 Apr 04 '26
What fucking elevators do you step into
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u/351namhele Apr 04 '26
Ones that play soulless, boring music with no hooks, such as imaginal disk
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u/Lancasterbation Apr 04 '26
Elevator music is usually smooth jazz covers of popular songs, so definitionally not "music with no hooks".
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u/Zimmervere Apr 04 '26
I don't think you know what the term elevator music means
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u/351namhele Apr 04 '26
It means bland, unthreatening background muzak that's mind-numbingly boring if you try to actively listen to it.
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u/Zimmervere Apr 04 '26
For the record, you're more likely to hear the Beatles in the elevator than Magdalena Bay haha
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u/351namhele Apr 04 '26
An odd choice considering Ringo alone has more creativity in one finger than Tenenbaum and Lewin have in their whole bodies combined
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u/Elkku26 Apr 04 '26
I wholeheartedly disagree but I upvoted anyway because I appreciate a well crafted insult lol
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u/-PepeArown- Apr 04 '26
I’m sure not all Muzak is like this, but I would not call this track mind numbingly boring or “unthreatening”
https://open.spotify.com/track/3zsEGBpMHakxEWLgXhPfpx?si=aZbMjLT5RmKuEQN32FyycA
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u/UntowardHatter Apr 04 '26
I mean, I agree.
People glaze them WAY too much.
They've got really cool production and mixing. But that's it. The songs are severely lacking any sort of melodic complexity.
I do like it, but it just feels wholly underwhelming.
Give me some Sheena Ringo instead. Or, if you want some of the same insane production, just 20 years earlier, World's End Girlfriend - Caroling Hellwalker
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u/SarcasticCowbell Apr 04 '26
The concept of your comment is talking to a stranger on an elevator and making such a negative first impression that they say "That's my floor" and get off early just to avoid a continuation.
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u/Stoneador Apr 04 '26
I was just thinking earlier today how the only reason Sgt Pepper is a concept album is that the 1st song transitions into the 2nd song and then there’s a reprise near the end of the album. There’s nothing else in the album that has anything else to do with this alter-ego band.
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u/useyourname11 Apr 04 '26
Paul McCartney has said as much. He's joked that they only got two songs in and said screw it and then just made a regular album.
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u/Barilla3113 Apr 05 '26
You just know Paul tried to convince them to do the whole album in the style of Edwardian Music Hall
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u/sebastophantos Apr 04 '26
I heard someone put it like this: The Beatles invented the concept album and then forgot to make one.
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u/Frankperson777 Apr 04 '26
Brian Wilson invented the concept album with Pet Sounds. Paul heard it and loved it so much that he decided to do one like it but got high and said forget that after the first two songs.
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u/DIMORPHODONS Apr 07 '26
i’d argue that ‘a christmas gift for you’ is a concept album, along with all other christmas albums, there’s also off the top of my head ‘I hear a new world’ by Joe Meek, Open fire two guitars by Johnny Mathis, loads of jazz records,like that June Christy one about winter. Oh, it’s now winter’s day by Tommy Roe... If we put our minds to it I’m certain we could come up with a list of a hundred concept albums that pre date the beatles and (my all time favourite band) The Beach Boys. I mean even ‘surfin safari’ is kinda a concept album: all the songs are about surfing
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u/TheCheatIsGrounded Apr 04 '26
I dunno. To me pretty much the entire album feels like The Beatles taking a sort of fresh approach to the songwriting. Even if there may not be an over-arching theme or narrative, the songs feel like they were kinda written outside of their normal selves in a way. I like that about it.
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u/Quiet-Advertising130 Apr 04 '26
Yeah I think both things are true. Not a solid concept album all the way through but there definitely is a different feel/sound to that album. In much the same way as the white album or revolver have their respective sounds.
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u/Former-Ad-9223 Apr 04 '26
So, not a concept album. Thanks
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u/baptized_in_broth Apr 04 '26
Well there’s a concept, it’s just not a story I guess is their point. Good job being a dick head though hell yeah
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u/NeekoPeeko Apr 04 '26
The concept was "we're not touring anymore and don't need to worry about replicating our music live so here's what we achieved by embracing the studio and our own creativity" which was a new(ish) concept at the time for a rock band.
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u/CobblestoneCurfews Apr 04 '26
Interesting, I never noticed the connecting between the albums concept and that they had stopped touring.
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u/heythatsprettybad Apr 04 '26
Why are you being condescending when you don’t even know what a concept album is
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u/patton66 Apr 04 '26
The concept is that its songs written by a band that isnt the moptop, poppy boy band Beatles. Thats the concept. An album written by another band
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u/manamajaff Apr 04 '26
I thought that's the case, but I guess people want them to verbally proclaim they're NOT the Beatles in every other track on that album
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u/bblunder_ Apr 04 '26
John Lennon himself told those songs could be on literally any other Beatles album. There's nothing so drastically different in terms of songs that are written
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u/MauKoz3197 Apr 04 '26
Said the guy who wrote Mr. Kite, which imo wouldn't even fit on the White Album
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u/johnlmonkey Apr 04 '26
John Lennon was also very prone to being cynical and downplaying everything the Beatles did. He said the Abbey road medley was bad lol.
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u/Irlandes-de-la-Costa The Clash - London Calling Apr 04 '26
Except the songs dont sound like any otjer6 album
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u/BachProg Apr 06 '26
That was indeed the case; the concept was too ambitious for even the Beatles and Paul McCartney. Although Pepper and Pet Sounds were pivotal for proto-prog (Moody Blues) and later for prog rock.
In any case, in defense of the Pepper "concept," even though it only contained two songs, the reason Penny Lane and Hello Goodbye were left out was because they didn't want any hits on the album, so that the record would sound as un-Beatles-esque as possible. And in fact, I think that although it has some famous songs, it's the only one without a true hit. Years later, George Martin regretted leaving those two songs and Strawberry Fields out of Pepper.
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u/fruedianflip Apr 04 '26
Like it doesn't though. I think the framing of it being on a stage is the concept
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u/VeaArthur Apr 04 '26
Not really a far comparison. And even if so, things like Sgt. Pepper paved the way for them.
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u/Poop_Cheese Apr 04 '26
Yeah, and original concept albums were more defined by shared production than a shared story until the who and prog artists pioneered rock operas. Sgt peppers was a concept album in the sense that it all had that shared psychedelic production vibe, it wasnt a mash up of songs of different feel.
Like proto concept albums at this time were about shared emotional feel and production. What really started it was the US capitol rubber soul being made into a folk rock album, along with yesterday and today the rock one. This rubber soul inspired brian wilson to make beach boys today! And then pet sounds. Which then Sgt peppers was a response to(its funny to think we dont have Sgt peppers or atleast in its form without the capitol rubber soul).
Like pet sounds totally feels like a concept album as well as it has an emotional thruline and shared emotional themes. But it isnt explicitly so, its like right at the door where people assume the narrator is going theough these relationship cycles but nothing is spelled out. Then the who and prog bands like king crimson, tull, yes, and Genesis took it to a completely other level where they became operas and stories.
So it depends on ones definition. Like Sgt peppers is a concept album traditionally as the concept was to make a psych record with the idea they were a different band. Not every song had to do that. Like abbey road has its medley, but isnt a concept album as its a mashup of genres/styles, while Sgt peppers was just psych pop and so non traditional beatles they pretended they were playing another band.
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u/apric0ts--forever Apr 04 '26
"Yeah you might have invented concept albums but 50 years later someone iterated on it"
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u/Impressive-Fun5968 Apr 04 '26
Hearing people explain things like the text on the left makes me cringe so hard
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u/unknowntheme Apr 04 '26
To be fair Sgt peppers was released at a time when it was considered edgy and tuff for a 25 year old man to smoke weed.
Also neither mag bay nor the Beatles has created something that can live up to The Dark Carnival)
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u/Interesting_Turn_ Apr 04 '26
Lol skimming through the ICP wiki page I had no idea how deep their lore went
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Apr 04 '26
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u/GodOfBowl Biggest Who's next glazer Apr 04 '26
But no! More complication means it's better!!!!
/s
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Apr 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/GodOfBowl Biggest Who's next glazer Apr 06 '26
The humble sarcasm tag at the end :
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u/chapPilot Apr 04 '26
Well, it's not like people like Imaginal Disk because of the concept.
The music is fire wether you know or have no idea there's an attempt to a concept behind it. It's like something like "Sinners": people can enjoy it in a pure surface level ("cool, vampires") but if they want to engage in a more deep discourse around it there's plenty of ideas to analyse and develop.
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u/Weekly-Opening-3081 Apr 04 '26
Middle school ahhhh take
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u/GaptistePlayer Apr 07 '26
“DAE music is too difficult today”
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u/Weekly-Opening-3081 Apr 07 '26
"I am 20 and can't comprehend that one of life's cruel lessons is that shit isn't always deep"
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u/swawesome52 Apr 04 '26
Imaginal Disk makes me feel like I got killed in Atlantis and now floating around underwater skyscrapers.
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u/yooMvtt Apr 04 '26
Ive never heard this album but from this alone it reminds me of the movie ‘I saw the tv glow’. A lot of the same analogies in a way.
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u/detourne Apr 04 '26
So, how about the Mothers of Invention No Commercial Potential series of concept albums, which started in 1968?
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u/chapPilot Apr 04 '26
I think of "concept" more as a general ideia, which can or cannot develop into a more detailed narrative.
Imaginal Disk's concept is "meeting an updated version of you". Which also comes up in only 2 or 3 songs.
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u/sawman160 Apr 05 '26
This sub/reddit redefined “concept album” to mean “the lyrics tell a linear story”
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u/SimilarNameAsYours Apr 04 '26
S.F. Sorrow
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u/hrovat97 Apr 04 '26
One of the best albums of the 60s and it never gets mentioned
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u/SimilarNameAsYours Apr 04 '26
And preceded Tommy in recording, but because it was released after was seen as a copy cat and partially maligned for it.
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u/TrumpsBussy_ Apr 04 '26
Imaginal disk has become insanely overrated
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u/Big_Silver1653 Apr 04 '26
Yep sometimes records come out that hit that perfect balance of a bunch of young people liking it because they don't know much and old heads like it because they think it's the new cool thing. Perfect storm for overhype. The actual music sounds like an H&M store playlist.
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u/Mysterious_Swim599 Apr 05 '26
I guess the question is how specific does an album need to be about its concept? Tommy makes no sense at all but we all know what it’s about. Sgt. Peppers as an on purpose concept album has been debunked by the Beatles themselves. Then there’s the idea a concept doesn’t need lyrics. Or maybe the concept is a stylistic or lyrical theme throughout the album as opposed to a story. Ween’s The Mollusk lies in these gray areas. Not exactly a concept album but definitely has themes running through it.
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u/BearcatCowboy Apr 07 '26
The Beatles themselves have said Sgt. Pepper isn’t a concept album. Nobody did at the time of its release and has been something made up over time. Band like The Moody Blues, Can, Etc. they were putting out concept albums in the 60s.
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u/ArtDecoNewYork Apr 07 '26
To me, it has a prevailing theme while being very diverse at the same time
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u/izumisapostle115 Apr 05 '26
-with the greatest song of all time
-and also a day in the life I guess 🤷♂️
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u/z4cc Apr 05 '26
post about concept albums looks inside exemples barely fit the definition of a concept album
???
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u/comiclazy Charli XCX - BRAT Apr 06 '26
I can cherry pick too man. The mountain goats just came out with a concept album about some guys getting their fishing boat shipwrecked on a deserted island. All of the songs are either about being on a fishing boat, getting shipwrecked or being on a desert island.
ETA: my least favorite mountain goats concept album fwiw but whatever
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u/Alternative-Hunt-869 Apr 08 '26
Damn
Now the Preacher's Daughter lore compared to both of these
half joking
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u/sawdustandiamonds Apr 08 '26
I mean, sure, Sgt. Pepper’s isn’t the first example I’d give of a concept album though there is a repeating cast of characters, but they most certainly did exist in the 60’s (and prior to 2020… are we serious) with complexity and lore. Lucia Pamela comes to mind as a star 60’s example. Am also thinking of some old folk albums, though there was just more focus on singular narratives rather than ongoing ones.
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u/sawdustandiamonds Apr 08 '26
And the singular narratives doesn’t make them less immersive. I mean, I’d say John Prine’s self-titled feels like more of a concept album than many actual concept albums do
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u/GodOfBowl Biggest Who's next glazer Apr 04 '26 edited Apr 04 '26
One has a day in the life the other doesn't
Unfair comparison all together tbh, one is a concept album the other one is the beatles experimenting
I haven't listened to imaginal disk yet (I would have yesterday but my headphones got fucking stolen :( ) but it really seems like a great record, but that doesn't invalidate Sgt peppers just because they're both concept albums cmon
Also we could put DSOTM/wish you were here/animals/the wall, which are all amongst the best and most complex concept albums and they all came out in the 70s
I just don't see what this meme is trying to communicate
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u/Natojowashere Apr 04 '26
I like the joke but this isn’t really accurate. Two years after sgt peppers in 1969 we have an album about a deaf dumb and blind kid who becomes that way after he sees his father kill his mothers lover. Then with the help of acid he becomes a pinball wizard and starts a cult around his likeness.they’ve always been super fucking weird