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Opera or Concept?



> >What do you all think?

Christy:

I think Stern is a genius, and McGoo is not a genius.

> Well, I need more firsts and since there is a hell of a lot of knowledge in this digest, I figured I'd ask everyone to talk about Who firsts.  So, please, be my guest...

Chuck:

They were the first RnR band to break out of the Chuck Berry/Blues form
of song, thereby creating Rock music. They were the first to do a Punk
song (AAA, and even though the Kinks had the sound their lyrics were
still standard love song stuff). And the first to do Heavy Metal.

> I seem to remember reading or hearing someone argue that the Kinks'
> "Arthur" should be considered the first rock opera, barely beating Tommy.
> I dunno though, I'm not even sure when Arthur was released.  Maybe someone
> else knows?

Bill:

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure TOMMY was released first. And to
the other notes, even as a huge Kinks fan I still must point that ARTHUR
is NOT a Rock Opera. It is a soundtrack of a TV film which was never
aired, or maybe even made since it's still never turned up. It is a
series of songs about a group of people, specifically Arthur and his
family...but it's not a complete and unified story, like T. If one
insists that it IS, then I'd have to cite the earlier VILLAGE GREEN
album as the same thing, about a village.
SF SORROW may or may not be a Rock Opera...it's been called one, but I
don't get that sense from listening to the songs. I think rather these
are concept albums...and SGT. PEPPER'S is also a concept album, even if
the concept is the sound itself instead of the subject. Then there's
DAYS OF FUTURE PASSED, which certainly MUST be a Rock Opera if the other
contenders are. And so on.

-- 

                      Cheers                ML