Bands that had a "masterpiece", w/ common theme

The Clash, The Stones, Radiohead come to mind.

IMHO: Only two albums were able to sound coherent over a wide range of genre styles but maintained a common theme: The Clash, London Calling,and the Stone's Exile on Main Street. Each song informed the next as a seemless whole.

With a comtemporary band, I also give huge kudos to Radiohead: OK Computer, Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief are not as coherent of playing different styles but work the common theme aspect.

A'feil- Haven't read the McCartney interviews you reference so will glady defer to you in that regard. The OP asked about a "common theme" not necessarily concept albums. Based on tracks 1, 2, 7, and 12 I'd argue there is a "common theme" to SPLHCB. (though many of the tracks are "off theme"). At the least that's my view. FWIW - I'd consider Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma" another entry for this thread. By the way, if you're willling, I'm interested in understanding more about what you mean regarding, "The Beatles playing themselves is the gimmick." Ciao.

'Elizium' by Fields of the Nephilim.

Ghosthouse,
From the Playboy December 1984 interview (McCartney):

"Sgt Pepper was an idea I had, I think, when I was flying from LA to somewhereville. I thought it would be nice to lose our identities, to submerge ourselves in the persona of a fake group, us. We would make up all the culture around it and collect all our heroes in one place. So I thought, a typical stupid sounding name for a Dr. Hook's Medicine Show and Traveling Circus kind of thing would be Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Just a word game really."

There is plenty written on the album. The best, IMO, are "The Beatles: 10 Years That Shook The World" and "The Beatles Anthology". They are my personal favs and I have a fairly extensive collection of Beatles resource material.

07-25-10: Timrhu
How could I forget Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel The Illinoise

And...Greetings From Michigan The Great Lakes State