# E327 - Bill Kopp (Author, What's The Big Idea?) - Top 5 Concept Albums...That Work Outside of the Concept!

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/only-three-lads-classic-alternative-music-podcast-357570/e327-bill-kopp-author-what-s-the-big-idea-top-5-concept-albums-that-work-outside-of-the-concept
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/only-three-lads-classic-alternative-music-podcast-357570/e327-bill-kopp-author-what-s-the-big-idea-top-5-concept-albums-that-work-outside-of-the-concept.md
Podcast: [Only Three Lads - Classic Alternative Music Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/only-three-lads-classic-alternative-music-podcast-357570)
Published: 2026-04-28T07:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PAN2474600055.mp3?updated=1777356649
Audio file: https://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/pdst.fm/e/pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffic.megaphone.fm/PAN2474600055.mp3?updated=1777356649
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Duration seconds: 5585

## Resource

Are you all sitting comfybold two square on your body? Then I'll begin. We return to the topic of the concept album...with a spin. Some concept albums simply don't work without context. Others function as a cohesive collection of songs, even divorced from a weighty backstory or overarching theme. Those are the records that Brett Vargo discusses with this week's Third Lad, Bill Kopp. You may remember renowned music scribe Bill Kopp from his O3L appearance a few years back discussing his book on classic San Francisco indie label 415 Records, Disturbing The Peace. Now Bill's back, celebrating the release of his latest book, What's The Big Idea - 30 Great Concept Albums, out now on Hozac Books. In What's The Big Idea, Bill explores 30 remarkable concept albums, drawing from new, firsthand interviews with the artists behind their creation, including Pete Townshend, Steve Kilbey, Captain Sensible, Utopia, and William Shatner. While there are some well-known classic concept albums covered such as The Pretty Things' S.F. Sorrow and Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick, much of the book is dedicated to lesser known gems that dispel the myth that the concept album died in the mid-1970s. Order the book at: https://hozacrecords.com/product/pre-order-whats-the-big-idea-30-great-concept-albums-book-by-bill-kopp/ We also feature music by the great veteran Australian singer-songwriter Greg Williams ('Everyday Is Your Birthday') and Pillars of Creation, a band comprised mostly of early Creation Records musicians - led by Jasmine Minks' Jim Shepherd and featuring members of Primal Scream, The Loft, and June Brides ('Be Careful What You Wish For'). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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