What is a concept album?

[anmiller07]

Can someone explain to me what a concept album is in terms of theater? I always thought it was like a demo, so I can't understand why the new Jekyll & Hyde recording would be a "concept album" instead of an Original Touring Cast Recording, or even a Broadway Revival Cast Recording?

[Mister Matt]

A concept recording may have a different cast, songlist, lyrics and/or orchestrations and is recorded before the show is produced. I think this particular recording is more an example of a "studio" recording than a "concept" as "concept" usually infers the genesis of a show that has never seen a production. Demos are usually for promotion only and not marketed for sale.

[CATSNYrevival]

The new Jekyll and Hyde recording is closer to a concept recording than an actual cast recording because it was recorded prior to the show hitting the stage, it doesn't use the actual show orchestrations, the song list is not the same as it is in the show, and not everyone appearing on the album is in the actual tour.

For those reasons, and possibly others, they're calling it a concept album instead of misleading buyers into thinking it is an actual cast recording. It is definitely not any kind of record of what's currently being performed on stage like a traditional cast recording usually is.

[Mildred Plotka]

Code for Frank Wildhorn trying to fix crap.

[JoeKv99]

JC Superstar was first released as a "Concept album" (as was Tommy) - a cast recording without a show, as it were.

[tazber]

A concept album is an album with a collection of songs that endeavor present a narrative in some form.
More than a "song cycle" (a collection of songs thematically related), but less than an actual cast recording.

Tommy is probably one of the most famous.

Evita, JCS, Chess, were all concept albums before they were physically produced as stage shows.

Originally Jekyll & Hyde was a concept album of sorts in that it was recorded before ever being physically staged. Then they recorded it again and labeled it as "the complete work".


But honestly, calling the new recording a concept album is a misnomer. A recording of a show that has been staged, and is coming back to Broadway this year doesn't qualify as a concept album imo.

[LYLS3637]

There's definitely a divide in the term "concept album".

There are concept albums like Sgt. Pepper, Kilroy was Here, and Tommy that were never envisioned to become stage productions, but rather tell a story through an already established musical act (The Beatles, The Who, Styx).

Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Chess were envisioned, from conception, to be musical theater productions.

I see the former examples of concept albums as stand alone projects, while the latter used the idea of a "concept album" to fund and "test" musical theater ideas.

[Jim Colyer]

CHESS is the concept album with the best music, composed by Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus and Tim Rice.