Rock Opera?
 

So, I'm watching The Who's Tommy and I got to thinking.

What band now could pull off making a rock opera?

Saddly, the only one that came to mind that would do it was Limp Bizkit. Although, even though I don't like them myself I would like to see Radiohead pull it off.




Tommy can you hear me?

Limp Bizkit? A rock opera?

I think The Flaming Lips could pull one off really well.

Good one. Didn't even think of them.

Perhaps Tenacious D? It wouldn't be serious, but they could do it.

They Might Be Giants might, but it wouldn't be especially rock-like.

Iron Maiden could do it, as could Manowar. But it would be especially cheesy.

I had a thought that involved GWAR, but it would be inappropriate for everyboby.

I'm thinking that's the sort of thing Marilyn Manson would love to do.

Iron Maiden DEFINITELY, half their songs are like mini-rock-operas within themselves.

Smashing Pumpkins could have done it in their heyday.

Opeth. THAT would kick insane ass.

Barenaked Ladies.

It was the first thing that popped into my head.

Andrew WK on a longshot.

I could see Portishead doing one, Flaming Lips was a good one too. Soul Coughing, maybe.

Dream Theater / queensryche

IF I understand the question right.

I think one of the obvious (yet forgotten) MAJOR components of a Rock Opera is a kick-fucking-ass lead guitar, and I don't hear too many "new" bands who sport anybody like that anymore. Lead guitar seems to be in a very recessive phase right now (with a FEW notable exceptions).

Sunny Day Real Estate - I believe the album Rising Tides is a rock opera or something like that.

Ever see a King Diamond concert? He acts his albums front to back with actors. He could do one hell of a freaky opera:hmm:

So you're saying that the Darkness could do it?:D

One of the guys from Jump (nee Jump, Little Children - if you haven't hard them, I highly recommend them) is taking some time off to write a rock opera.

Rush!!! 2112 still rocks!

That reminded me... Dashboard Confessional could do it.

Marilyn Manson (he does concept albums anyway, so it's not too much of a stretch).
Dimmu Borgir (different vocal styles, symphonic elements... probably lots of black metal bands could do it, but I'm not too familiar with most of them).
The Darkness (it'd be a hell of a lot of fun).

Keep in my mind though, part of the reason people stopped doing rock operas is that most of them wound up being pretentious trash.

See, but that's the point, that's what makes them so wonderfully pompous and cool. :D

I can't believe no one has mentioned Alice Cooper. His stage show is always over the top woth props anyway.

I think U2 could do it.

Me too - but it would be a comedic opera.

I second King Diamon

otherwise Alice Cooper (Welcome to my Nightmare)
Queensryche (Operation Mind Crime)
Therion

ICP - LoL

Iron Maiden's stage show is too. The last show of theirs I saw they totally acted out Paschendale and Dance of the Dead, that was cool.

Syndrome of a Down, Puddle of Mud, or maybe Disturbed.

if you like rock operas you should check out Movin' Out currently on tour and on Broadway - it's centered around Billy Joel's music. I think QUeen should have done one, thier music is already musically inclined, as for death metal (dimmu Borgir) it would never work of stage unfortunatly, i know this as a former struggling playwright/actor. Finally, if another Rock Opera goes into the works, they should get Adam Pascal involved, (he was Roger in the first cast of RENT, but you'd probibly know him as the lead singer of Jack Black's former band in SCHOOL OF ROCK.

tobias sammet's avantasia - the metal opera 1 and 2

The reason Alice Cooper didn't come up is because, much as I love the man and the band, he really isn't a band "now". Yeah, he's still around and can kick ass with the best of them, but he's not really current.

For the same reason, much as MAIDEN RULEZ! and could most certainly pull this off if they set their mind to it, it's not the same. They're not current.

If Phish weren't breaking up, I would kill to see them put Gamehenge together and do it up as a Rock Opera.

Dream Theatre has the right sort of over-the-top, melodramatic attitude and all the mad skillz to pull this off.

TMBG could do it, but I think they'd do a better Musical than Opera. It's a matter of attitude, not skill.

Dweezil and Ahmet Zappa could certainly put togther a band that would do the form justice.

OK! Here it is. This has got to be the right answer:

PRIMUS!

A couple of current rockin' (IMO) ones:

Ayreon - The Human Equation
Aina - Days of Rising Doom


And as far as Dream Theater goes, "Scenes From a Memory" was pretty much a rock opera.

for all you that don't know Queen Already has a rock opera I saw it last summer in London, England. it was wrote by Ben Elton and Bryan May. It was quite amazing.

I consider any band who's releasing an album of new material every year current...