‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free’: Kevin Parker on the “only real concept album”
Concept albums are a difficult thing to master. The idea of having a specific theme and narrative throughout an entire album simply does not come naturally to some artists, whereas others have been able to build their entire musical careers upon perfecting the art of a concept album. When you hear the phrase ‘concept albums’, you likely think of classic records like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon or The Who’s Tommy, but when it comes to Kevin Parker – better known as Tame Impala – his favourite concept albums are much more unexpected.
Although Tame Impala has never thrown himself wholly into the making of concept records, many of his records feature a common theme running through them. On 2020’s The Slow Rush, for instance, the concept of time is used as a semantic field of time and the passing of time as a way to tie the tracks together. Of course, The Slow Rush is not exactly a concept album, as there is no continuous sense of narrative across the tracklisting, but Parker certainly knows more about the art of album construction than many of his modern contemporaries.
As physical formats waned in popularity during the mid to late noughties, many bands and artists began to favour single releases rather than complex, album-long driving narratives. Now that formats like vinyl have witnessed a resurgence, artists like Tame Impala, who always put thought into the construction of his records, are experiencing enduring legacies. During a 2020 interview with Apple Music, Parker reflected upon his love of concept albums, revealing his all-time favourite in the process.
“I like albums that have this kind of arc,” he shared, “Some of my favourite albums are concept albums, like A Grand Don’t Come For Free.” Originally released in 2004, A Grand Don’t Come For Free was the second studio album by The Streets, and saw Mike Skinner embark upon an impressive rap opera revolving around a central character as he tries to recuperate £1,000, which he loses in the opening track, ‘It Was Supposed to Be So Easy’.
Tame Impala might not seem the most obvious Streets fan. After all, the Australian has always favoured more psychedelic and indie rock stylings as opposed to the garage-influenced hip-hop of The Streets. However, A Grand Don’t Come For Free is an undeniably trailblazing album, providing inspiration for countless future artists to follow in its wake. According to Parker, “In a way, it’s the only real concept album. Every other concept album is less of a concept album.”
It is unclear how serious Parker was in that last remark; while The Streets’ album was revolutionary, it was far from being the first album to follow the exploits of a young man as he grapples with the world around him. In fact, two notable examples – Tommy and Quadrophenia, both by The Who – were released years before Mike Skinner was even born.
Nevertheless, Parker clearly appreciates Mike Skinner’s unique stylings. The pair even collaborated on the 2020 track ‘Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better’, a stand-out track from None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive.
