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[An Apple Beatle]

When your a band the most important thing to be is inspired although by that point in their careers they were well aware of the impression they could make.

[apple sauce]

The "Beatles" had their take on "flower power" with Sgt. Pepper and Magical Mystery Tour and then moved on when the hippys were declared offically dead! The fact that they recorded the White Lp, Abby Road along with Let It Be afterwards showed there was a huge amount of creativity left to mine.

[andersonCouncill]

Your points are well taken.  I base mine on various disputes as to the definition of a "concept" album.  Aside from the technical components, there is the interpretative quality which I think applied to Sgt. Pepper.  That is - it seems like a concept to me; therefore, it is.  I never cared much for Floyd's Animals but I took it to be evidence of the influence for that particular genre.  

Sgt. Pepper was a catalyst for others to pursue the concept.  But in a money-making singles-based market, I don't think there was much incentive to continue the process.  The concept lp seems a luxury for the spirtually-filled integrity-blessed but materially-starving artist .  Kudos to him/her/them for trying.

Of course, every once in a while, an artist will come along with enough ambition for a full concept album, albeit one that is often a bit derivative. I think, as I said, that Sgt. Pepper's may have been a dead end for The Beatles themselves, but for rock music, the doors it opened could be expanded upon by younger artists. By 1967, The Beatles had every right to be exhausted. Can one blame them if other artists had to expand on that rather than The Boys themselves? I think you can sense a definite tiredness in all their post-Pepper's work. The White Album, itself, is such an aggressively expierimental outting is possible the strongest evidence tehy couldn't top themselves, because they almost seem to have been trying to recapture Pepper, in some way (not to give you the wrong idea, The Beatles is their best album in my opinion).

[Kevin]

 I think you can sense a definite tiredness in all their post-Pepper's work. The White Album, itself, is such an aggressively expierimental outting is possible the strongest evidence tehy couldn't top themselves, because they almost seem to have been trying to recapture Pepper, in some way (not to give you the wrong idea, The Beatles is their best album in my opinion).

Can't hear the tiredness myself. A double album of songs shows they were ready and rearing to go.
Was not The Beatles a deliberate antidote to Pepper - the unadorned cover, eponomous (sp) name and simpler production. Couldn't get further from Pepper if they tried.
And wasn't most of the British rock abandoning pyschedelia by then and going off in a more blues based direction? Twas the year of birth of Free and such-like

[Loco Mo]

It is also interesting to consider that the follow-ups to Sgt Pepper were essentially concept lps for the Beatles.  The White Album was a compendium of their primarily individual efforts; Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine reprised Sgt Pepper to a degree with mythical spell-casting alter egos and psychedelia; Let it Be revisited their earliest beginnings; and Abbey Road (the goodbye album) symbolized a transition in its crossing to extinction.

From June of 1967 (Sgt Pepper) to September of 1969 (Abbey Road), the path had been delineated; from the Beatles incognito to the Beatles in funeral procession.  The cover's symbolic death of Paul signaled the end for them.  It was as if the last coal finally burnt to ashes.  John in white was substance dephysicalized, George was evolution regressed to earthly chaos, and Ringo was the Process for Disposal.

There was to be no Resurrection but what a concept that would have been!!

[Kevin]

It is also interesting to consider that the follow-ups to Sgt Pepper were essentially concept lps for the Beatles.  The White Album was a compendium of their primarily individual efforts; Magical Mystery Tour/Yellow Submarine reprised Sgt Pepper to a degree with mythical spell-casting alter egos and psychedelia; Let it Be revisited their earliest beginnings; and Abbey Road (the goodbye album) symbolized a transition in its crossing to extinction.

Tell me again how The White album and Let It Be  can be regarded as concept albums?

[Loco Mo]

Let It Be's easier to explain.  This was the Beatles au natural.  That was a concept - simply a soundtrack of them working together.  This was not a scripted effort.  It was spontaneous.  Indeed, this lp was a concept in the sense, too, that it was the accompaniment to an unscripted film.  That was a concept & I think it was unique and groundbreaking for the time.

The White Album is a motley collection of Beatles songs.  John Lennon referred to it as an effort on which they all played, but not necessarily together.  The White Album itself was blank - that was a concept.  Nothing was deemed appropriate to describe the contents therein.  That was, arguably, a concept, a purely abstract one at that.  It's harder to explain and I guess I could aspire to defend my position more thoroughly.  I've also believed there was some thematic content to the songs.  Perhaps, I'll save that for a later paper as I do have further ideas upon this subject.  This would be worthy of a more devoted effort.

Hope this elucidates even if weakly so.

[Indica]

On that basis, a concept could be arguably anything.

[Loco Mo]

Indica, you're absolutely right!!  That was really my point.  Let It Be was initially advertised as the B's returning to their roots, which was a concept in and of itself.

Something about the White Album makes me think "concept," always has.  The lack of any cover art for one and the mysterious Revolution 9 both contain a mysterious aura.  What is the White Album's statement or hidden message?  It's as if some odd force were propelling it to an uncertain conclusion with Ringo softy singing "Good Night" to comfort us all.

[JimColyer]

Never heard Pepper called a dead end before but, in a way, it was.