Happy Wednesday, vinyl lovers! I hope you’re having a great week.
Last week we talked about your favourite album of all time. Today I’d like to know about your favourite album cover. That is, from an artwork perspective only.
Try to think of the artwork independently of the music. You may or may not enjoy this album sonically speaking—all we care about today is the cover itself: why you love it and what it means to you.
To make things easier, compilations, EPs,and live albums are allowed in this one.
Good ones, Penny! The Clash one had to go around the conference table, I'm guessing, with at least somebody wondering if it'd be artistic suicide to go so obviously King-like on that! But, bold call that paid off, mainly 'cause they backed it up! Ramones debut....mad props to photog, Roberta Bayley, without whom........
You made my brain hurt this morning, Andy! With your wonderfully clear parameters, my first thought was Captain Beyond's 1972 debut album (original cover, with lenticular image), with design by Pacific Eye & Ear. It caused quite a stir because of how different it was, using a glue-on, thick cardboard, expensive 3-D effect.
From someone at PE&E at the time: "The band wanted to package the record with a 3-D cover and so, to create the 3-D effect, the illustration, along with my lettering and double interlocking triangle icon, we're then printed on a lenticular plastic and that was then tipped on to the actual cover. The final illustration was presented to (Capricorn Records prez) Phil Walden by the band when their album's sales surpassed 100,000 units." (https://pacificeyeandear.com/products/capatian-beyond-album-cover-art)
As you can guess, it can only be seen as it's supposed to, live in person.....Being lenticular, it's gonna show movement as your eyes or perspective moves (or you move it). I'd show it to you if I still had my collection....but, then I'd be even more frustrated, 'cause we'd still be an ocean apart!!!
Here again, I gotta go with The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me. IMHO, it represents what rock and roll was all about then (I kinda think less so today) in that you have the ragged musician shaking hands with the suit. Of particular note, which indicates to me a certain amount of sleaze, is the horseshoe diamond ring placed perfectly (or so it seems) in the center of the album cover. I love images that can capture more than the moment, and in this case, I think PTMM does that really well... and very simply, which is a bonus for me. Great conversation!
Eric Dolphy’s “Out to Lunch.” The “will be back” clock not being a standard clock but with arrows pointed everywhere adds a level of mystery that matches the off-kilter free jazz of the music itself, while the “will be back” clock itself tying in to the album name. The blue tinges over the picture perfectly work with the label, being Blue Note.
And it’s one of the few Blue Note covers that doesn’t feature an image of the artist at all yet is still a photograph. Even the non-traditional covers like Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structures and Freddie Hubbard’s Hubtones has a photograph of the artist incorporated. Excellent choice.
Oh man! I have a feeling I'm going to spend all morning either editing this answer or adding to it, but off the top of my head, I think I'll go with Yo La Tengo's "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out."
It's not my favorite record by them, but it's one of those covers that feels like it has a whole backstory built into it.
Close seconds:
Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures
Wire- It's Beginning to and Back Again
Cocteau Twins- Heaven Or Las Vegas
Sinatra-Come Fly With Me
Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Part Two or Paul's Boutique
Thanks, Kevin! I love that there's an air of mystery in the first (And Then...) and last (Paul's Boutique), whereas the others are thought-provoking designs. Very cool!
I took one look at that YLT cover and knew it had to be Greg Crewdson’s work - I went to college with him so VERY familiar! Good use of his imagery, too. The rest of these are excellent choices, too, and I’m glad someone mentioned Paul’s Boutique as I hate voting for myself, LOL.
I've decided to go with Peter Gabriel 2 (otherwise known as Scratch). Gabriel decided he wanted his albums to appear like the latest edition of a magazine, so the first four just had his name as a logo and no other title. PG2 showed Gabriel photographed with his hands apparently scratching the cover - as if his hands had emerged from the image and were trying to obliterate it. It doesn't look like anything else, and on top of everything it's in monochrome. I do like a good black-and-white image.
Okay, well obviously someone needs to drop in Abbey Road and Sergeant Pepper, the obvious, but when it comes to Beatles covers, I'm going to go for the white album for its absolutely deserved arrogance and it's stark comment on the state of things internally and externally.
Outside of the Beatles, joy division. I've never seen covers more elegant than Joy division covers. Those covers romance to me in the record store long before I heard the music just because I wanted them on my wall.
All of Stevie Nicks's covers are beautiful too. Of course.
Hands down, “1000 Days” by Wand (2015), cover painting of a snake charmer by Antone Konst. I loved the cover the moment I saw it in a record store, before I knew what it sounded like. I still feel like there are few covers that so perfectly mirror the mystery of what you hear on the record.
I’ve always loved Wilco’s A Ghost is Born. The stark simplicity of it. A beautiful image. But I’m probably going to spend the rest of today hunting for other great covers.
Gonna go with "Twice Removed From Yesterday", from Robin Trower. His first 4 albums were cover-designed by a guy named "Funky" Paul Olsen, and they have a distinctively cool, sculptural feel about them.
I have to go with Miles Davis Bitches Brew. The album art covers the front and back of the gatefold, with mirror image black & white faces at the seam. His music was headed in a very different direction and the art is a declaration of that new direction.
Going to go obscure and pick Yusef Lateef's Detroit. How often do you get a map imposed over someone's face and have it elicit so many feelings? It's so simple and yet stunningly effective.
I’m gonna say Carole King’s Tapestry. Not my favorite album — I liked it but don’t think I even owned it — or a great work of art, necessarily. Just something about it. It really was a mood, and somehow a perfect match for the music inside. Iconic.
One favorite of mine is Richard Cocciante’s Mu, released by RCA Italia in 1972. I found a copy in Bologna in 2019 for 15 Euros! It’s a triple layer die-cut extravaganza, perfectly mirroring the kaleidoscopic prog-folk of the album. One thing I love about it is how it shows the belief RCA had in Cocciante’s work, which should definitely be less obscure than it is today. You can get a look at it here: http://www.italianprog.com/a_cocciante.htm
The cover of "We're Only In It For The Money" by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, which is a wickedly accurate parody of the cover of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The music accurately skewered psychedelic music and hippie culture.
Cliche but Sticky Fingers still holds a special place in my heart as far as albums go, despite the zipper ruining my first copy of Exile until I put a junk album sleeve in between. I was a kid when I got the record and it was so... forbidden that I had to keep it hidden. I messed with the zipper and tried to peel back the cover to see what was behind it, thereby 'ruining' the cover.
The gimmick aside, the design/art so represented everything about the Stones - shocking, sexy, forbidden, etc. Springsteen's Born In The USA deserves mention as the counter to Sticky and equally packs a lot of message in.
I love the story that Jagger asked Warhol just to do something simple so they could get the record out and he turned in this production nightmare of a design. But they knew it was great so they went with it!
London Calling cos of the Elvis tribute. Ramones because it is so Ramones-y (and we hadn't seen anything like them before).
Iconic! Thanks, Penny!
Good ones, Penny! The Clash one had to go around the conference table, I'm guessing, with at least somebody wondering if it'd be artistic suicide to go so obviously King-like on that! But, bold call that paid off, mainly 'cause they backed it up! Ramones debut....mad props to photog, Roberta Bayley, without whom........
You made my brain hurt this morning, Andy! With your wonderfully clear parameters, my first thought was Captain Beyond's 1972 debut album (original cover, with lenticular image), with design by Pacific Eye & Ear. It caused quite a stir because of how different it was, using a glue-on, thick cardboard, expensive 3-D effect.
From someone at PE&E at the time: "The band wanted to package the record with a 3-D cover and so, to create the 3-D effect, the illustration, along with my lettering and double interlocking triangle icon, we're then printed on a lenticular plastic and that was then tipped on to the actual cover. The final illustration was presented to (Capricorn Records prez) Phil Walden by the band when their album's sales surpassed 100,000 units." (https://pacificeyeandear.com/products/capatian-beyond-album-cover-art)
If I think of any others, I'll holler!
Oh wow, just looked it up. Looks spectacular. Thanks a lot, Brad!
As you can guess, it can only be seen as it's supposed to, live in person.....Being lenticular, it's gonna show movement as your eyes or perspective moves (or you move it). I'd show it to you if I still had my collection....but, then I'd be even more frustrated, 'cause we'd still be an ocean apart!!!
I know! But thanks to your descriptive skills I can picture it very well. Thanks!! 😊
Gotta say that it's a ridiculously good album to listen to, as well.
Here again, I gotta go with The Replacements Pleased To Meet Me. IMHO, it represents what rock and roll was all about then (I kinda think less so today) in that you have the ragged musician shaking hands with the suit. Of particular note, which indicates to me a certain amount of sleaze, is the horseshoe diamond ring placed perfectly (or so it seems) in the center of the album cover. I love images that can capture more than the moment, and in this case, I think PTMM does that really well... and very simply, which is a bonus for me. Great conversation!
Brilliant response (and choice). Thanks a lot!
Eric Dolphy’s “Out to Lunch.” The “will be back” clock not being a standard clock but with arrows pointed everywhere adds a level of mystery that matches the off-kilter free jazz of the music itself, while the “will be back” clock itself tying in to the album name. The blue tinges over the picture perfectly work with the label, being Blue Note.
And it’s one of the few Blue Note covers that doesn’t feature an image of the artist at all yet is still a photograph. Even the non-traditional covers like Cecil Taylor’s Unit Structures and Freddie Hubbard’s Hubtones has a photograph of the artist incorporated. Excellent choice.
Very interesting analysis. Thanks!
Oh man! I have a feeling I'm going to spend all morning either editing this answer or adding to it, but off the top of my head, I think I'll go with Yo La Tengo's "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out."
It's not my favorite record by them, but it's one of those covers that feels like it has a whole backstory built into it.
Close seconds:
Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures
Wire- It's Beginning to and Back Again
Cocteau Twins- Heaven Or Las Vegas
Sinatra-Come Fly With Me
Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Committee Part Two or Paul's Boutique
Thanks, Kevin! I love that there's an air of mystery in the first (And Then...) and last (Paul's Boutique), whereas the others are thought-provoking designs. Very cool!
I took one look at that YLT cover and knew it had to be Greg Crewdson’s work - I went to college with him so VERY familiar! Good use of his imagery, too. The rest of these are excellent choices, too, and I’m glad someone mentioned Paul’s Boutique as I hate voting for myself, LOL.
Aladdin Sane
Thanks, Terrry! Iconic.
I've decided to go with Peter Gabriel 2 (otherwise known as Scratch). Gabriel decided he wanted his albums to appear like the latest edition of a magazine, so the first four just had his name as a logo and no other title. PG2 showed Gabriel photographed with his hands apparently scratching the cover - as if his hands had emerged from the image and were trying to obliterate it. It doesn't look like anything else, and on top of everything it's in monochrome. I do like a good black-and-white image.
Thank you, Ian! Love a cover that combines simplicity with originality. Good choice!
Okay, well obviously someone needs to drop in Abbey Road and Sergeant Pepper, the obvious, but when it comes to Beatles covers, I'm going to go for the white album for its absolutely deserved arrogance and it's stark comment on the state of things internally and externally.
Outside of the Beatles, joy division. I've never seen covers more elegant than Joy division covers. Those covers romance to me in the record store long before I heard the music just because I wanted them on my wall.
All of Stevie Nicks's covers are beautiful too. Of course.
Monumental! The Beatles certainly knew how to do killer covers. Abbey Road is iconic and is one my faves as well. Thanks!!
also New Order's Power Corruption & Lies for the audacity of it and the contrast between what's without and what's within.
And Kris Delmhorst's Long Day in the Milky Way, which btw is an astounding album.
Peter Saville is a design genius, completely elevated the game with those Joy Division covers and other work for Factory.
Hands down, “1000 Days” by Wand (2015), cover painting of a snake charmer by Antone Konst. I loved the cover the moment I saw it in a record store, before I knew what it sounded like. I still feel like there are few covers that so perfectly mirror the mystery of what you hear on the record.
(Galaxie 500’s “Today” also does a good job with cover mirroring content)
Thanks, Liina! I love that you thought of the mirroring the music but still chose covers as independent pieces of art.
Diamond Head, borrow time. What a great album cover, with Elric from the Michael Moorock series.
The clash, London calling. Such an iconic album cover blending pure rock and roll and punk at its finest.
Thanks, Bob! Absolutely. Some covers are as iconic as the albums themselves!
Great question! My top three are:
1. Kate Bush, Never for Ever
2. King Crimson, In the Court of the Crimson King
3. Steven Wilson, The Raven That Refused To Sing (And Other Stories)
Superb! Thanks, Jo!
I’ve always loved Wilco’s A Ghost is Born. The stark simplicity of it. A beautiful image. But I’m probably going to spend the rest of today hunting for other great covers.
Thanks, Malachy! Reminded me of Chet Faker's "Built on Glass".
Yes I can see why.
Gonna go with "Twice Removed From Yesterday", from Robin Trower. His first 4 albums were cover-designed by a guy named "Funky" Paul Olsen, and they have a distinctively cool, sculptural feel about them.
Slick. Love the colour as well. Thanks!
I have to go with Miles Davis Bitches Brew. The album art covers the front and back of the gatefold, with mirror image black & white faces at the seam. His music was headed in a very different direction and the art is a declaration of that new direction.
Thanks, Marcus! Beautiful choice. Very powerful cover. Thanks!!
Going to go obscure and pick Yusef Lateef's Detroit. How often do you get a map imposed over someone's face and have it elicit so many feelings? It's so simple and yet stunningly effective.
Just checked it out and it’s incredible. Thanks a lot, Greg!
I’m gonna say Carole King’s Tapestry. Not my favorite album — I liked it but don’t think I even owned it — or a great work of art, necessarily. Just something about it. It really was a mood, and somehow a perfect match for the music inside. Iconic.
Thanks, Bob! I see where you are coming from. I agree with you: I prefer the cover to the album itself in this case.
One favorite of mine is Richard Cocciante’s Mu, released by RCA Italia in 1972. I found a copy in Bologna in 2019 for 15 Euros! It’s a triple layer die-cut extravaganza, perfectly mirroring the kaleidoscopic prog-folk of the album. One thing I love about it is how it shows the belief RCA had in Cocciante’s work, which should definitely be less obscure than it is today. You can get a look at it here: http://www.italianprog.com/a_cocciante.htm
Oh wow! Majestic. Thanks!
Zappa had the advantage of being his own boss for most of his career, so he could put what he damned well pleased on his covers. And it shows....
Absolutely!
The cover of "We're Only In It For The Money" by Frank Zappa & The Mothers Of Invention, which is a wickedly accurate parody of the cover of "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band". The music accurately skewered psychedelic music and hippie culture.
Awesome! Zappa had some brilliant covers. "Hot Rats" comes to mind.
Cliche but Sticky Fingers still holds a special place in my heart as far as albums go, despite the zipper ruining my first copy of Exile until I put a junk album sleeve in between. I was a kid when I got the record and it was so... forbidden that I had to keep it hidden. I messed with the zipper and tried to peel back the cover to see what was behind it, thereby 'ruining' the cover.
The gimmick aside, the design/art so represented everything about the Stones - shocking, sexy, forbidden, etc. Springsteen's Born In The USA deserves mention as the counter to Sticky and equally packs a lot of message in.
Brilliant choices. Love a bold, provocative cover. Prince and Janet Jackson come to mind too. Thanks!!
I love the story that Jagger asked Warhol just to do something simple so they could get the record out and he turned in this production nightmare of a design. But they knew it was great so they went with it!
Thank you, Mark! I love that you chose one many people wouldn’t necessarily know or be familiar with.
I didn’t know that, thanks for that! Very moving