What's your favorite Rock Opera?

[General Zod]

I've got The Who's "Quadrophenia" on right now.

I like "Tommy" a lot, but find the narrative hard to follow.

[no one in particular]

1. LLDOB

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway.

Genesis, 1974

[maveric]

2. Quadrophenia blows them all away!

I played that album aover and over when it first came out.

[Boswells_Johnson]

3. Mirror Man-David Thomas

I forgot.

[Dr Fate]

4. "Southern Rock Opera" by The Drive-By Truckers

Y'all should check it out.

[rawtribe]

5. Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

OK, I'm a little strange.

[prairierose]

6. I guess Tommy is still my favorite, although

The Wall is right up there.
I never had any trouble following Tommy, what did you have trouble with? BTW, my brother just told me that if you listen to it as many times as we did, the narrative just sinks in. Of course, I can't remember how many times that was. I remember it was every day for quite some time. Our mother wore earplugs I think! But we did the same thing with every rock opera that came out then, as well as several other albums. I think the reason we got our own stereo then was so that Mom wouldn't have to listen to them every day.

[General Zod]

11. I think it may be the fact that I was underwhelmed.........

....by the production of that album. I really never got some of the musical motifs until I heard the " Live at the Isle of Wright Festival" CD.

[Rick Myers]

7. Joe's Garage!!!

[bbernardini]

8. Don't forget about "The Shaming Of The True" and "Snow"!

By Kevin Gilbert and Spock's Beard, respectively. Two classic rock operas.

[LynzM]

9. J.C. Superstar

Flame away, I know it's considered non-music by some here :) Still, I love it.

I'll have to check some of these other ones out, though, having not heard most of them!

[xmas74]

14. I love Tommy

But JC Superstar is a good one!

[rawtribe]

15. No flame here

I'm an atheist and I love the message and music of J.C. Superstar. Godspell was also very good.

[hickman1937]

24. Gethsemane.

The first time I heard that song in JC Superstar was the first time I realised that Jesus was a real person. Tired, scared, depressed, and not too sure that he'd done anything that would stick. And facing his death.

edited for bad spelling

[No Mandate Here.]

10. Had the pleasure of seeing the Who do Tommy

two or three times, in concert.

The best was in the chapel at Union College, in Schenectady, NY. It couldn't have seated more than 400-500 people, and the doors and windows were all wide open because it was a hot night.

I was in high school, and we were crashing frat parties, and heard the concer. We walked over, and stayed the rest of the night.

Later that summer, I saw the Who and It's a Beautiful Day, at Tanglewood, Mass. That was almost as good.

[Ellen Forradalom]

12. Istvan a Király

In English, Stephen the King, the Hungarian rock opera about the man anointed King of Hungary in 1000.

http://www.zikkurat.hu/istvan/index.shtml (Pictures of the production, Hungarian text)

[Feathered Fish]

13. The Wall

[TahitiNut]

16. "Hair" of course.

"J.C.Superstar" is 3rd and "Tommy" is 2nd.

[enigmatic]

17. "A Quick One"- The Who

The "Rolling Stones Rock N Roll Circus" version...

[mark414]

18. A Prince Among Thieves

a hip hop-era actually...masterminded by prince paul (the brains behind de la soul's "3 feet high and rising," among many other classic projects)

"Leave it to Prince Paul, long one of hip-hop's most imaginative producers, to assemble the first successful rap opera in A Prince Among Thieves. Not only does it maintain a coherent storyline via skits that actually aren't filler, it manages to stay musically compelling and focused throughout. And that's no mean feat, considering the array of guest stars and the huge range of styles Prince Paul employs for their characters' supporting tracks. Perhaps the most daring aspect of the record is that it frames the story as fiction, with no pretense of the realism (or illusion thereof) that hardcore prides itself on."

"The main reason that it works, is that Prince Paul sounds like he can do anything, and do it well. A Prince Among Thieves touches on every sound he's ever tried on record, and it's conceptually airtight; in both senses, it's his magnum opus, and the crown jewel of a brilliant career."

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8ll67ub0o0jj~T1

[enigmatic]

19. Whoa, that sounds cool as hell....

I want to play that on my overnight show; I'm going to go look for that tomorrow..

[mark414]

21. it's incredible

and it's got so many people on there...

de la soul
everlast
chubb rock
biz markie
big daddy kane
kool keith
chris rock
sadat x

and the two relative unknowns in the lead roles are stellar

one of my favorite things in the world when i have a spare hour at night is to lay in my bed in the dark, get high, and listen to it

[enigmatic]

22. I can't believe I haven't heard of this...

What year did it come out?

[mark414]

23. umm...

i want to say...'99? let me find the cd

YES, 1999

haha, from the disclaimer:

"If this somehow accurately represents you or your life please refer to Psychoanalysis...What It Is and seek help immediately...thank you"

[pres2032]

20. just one?

JC superstar, Godspell, Streets, Tommy, beethoven's Last night, American Idiot