My Favorite Album Covers / Artwork

[Paul R]

Well, I find myself attracted, for good or bad, by the artwork on album covers. If it is interesting enough, it will get me to listen to the music.

Please feel free to post your favorite covers here, as many as you wish. If you want to add some commentary about what you like about 'em, that would be great! 

-Paul 

 

Here are three of my favorites.   

 

 

The Captain's cover was, and still is, a deep dive into true weirdness. Especially if you try to figure it out while listening to the title song. 

 

 

 

Okay, Gerry Rafferty was just the epitome of cool when this album came out. Everyone wanted to wear cool shades, a light beard, scarf, and jeans. Come to think of it, that is what I wear almost every day myself, except for the scarf. Must mean I have some trace of "cool" in me too. 

 

 

Everyone knows the Cinderella story, but this music will always be the definitive telling of the story for me. (Well, if you include the Ballet. There is a version of the ballet with this music where the evil step sisters are far more comical than evil. Pole dancing even...  It just doesn't get any better than this!

 

 

 

[Musicophile]

Being a big Steve McCurry fan (even more after having seen his pics in real life at an exhibition) I’d have to nominate the Gardiner cantata cycle, e.g.

 

 

or 

 

[Jud]

Abdul Mati Klarwein:

 

 

[Musicophile]

And another of my favorite photographers, Irving Penn.

 

[AudioDoctor]

by far...

 

 

[rando]

I'll stick with a safe option.

 

[sphinxsix]

I think I will post here more than once.

 

A bold minimalist idea

 

 

An opposite idea

 

 

An idea (unfortunately seems there's no high quality photo/scan of this cover on the internet)

 

 

 

[AudioDoctor]

1 hour ago, rando said:

I'll stick with a safe option.

 

 

That's something I never would have thought to put on an album cover.

[ShawnC]

As all Iron Maiden fans know, they hide all sorts stuff on their front and back covers.  They have the famous skeleton named Eddie, the guy you see everywhere, and a variety of repeating symbols and figures.  The most sought out cover is the Somewhere in TIme album cover, here's a link to some hidden meanings.

https://www.iheart.com/content/2017-09-28-32-hidden-references-on-iron-maidens-somewhere-in-time-cover/

 

 

[Paul R]

I am unclear who the artist/designer was on this, but they did a great job.

 

[WAM]

I like the Blue Note art work, but, for me, this one stands out:

 

 

 

[AnotherSpin]

Another one from Abdul Mati Klarwein, and several others:

 

[accwai]

[sphinxsix]

This is obviously a historical one. One of the very first LPs I ever held in my hands in my early teens. Seemed weird and fascinating at the same time back then.

 

 

OTOH one of the last LPs I held in my hands.

 

 

In general for me somehow LP covers are more memorable than covers of CDs (or PDFs). Is this only the question of size.? I'm not sure.

[cambridgehank]

My all time favorite album cover.  I had the poster in my dorm room and my house for 30 years. You have to really study the artwork.

[Ralf11]

the one with Susan Rotolo on it was cool

[sphinxsix]

 

[Paul R]

2 hours ago, cambridgehank said:

My all time favorite album cover.  I had the poster in my dorm room and my house for 30 years. You have to really study the artwork.

oh my gosh - that is just cool. I have seen it before, but never noticed more than the Lion. Was it always B&W or was there a color version? 

 

 

[sphinxsix]

A stylish cover. I'm not mentioning Valerie's hair which IMO is just super stylish.

 

 

A different style (and hair style too )

 

 

Beside that every cover on which Iggy Pop is half naked for me is a winner (I'm straight if someone wants to ask).

 

 

[Paul R]

Found this tonight as I was gathering up yet more albums to needle drop.  I remember laughing at this album when it came out, the year we landed on the moon no less, and it is hardly PC enough for 2019. This album also has the song that aggravated my Aunt Pearl the most ever on it - the infamous Harper Valley PTA.  What guy can not see Barbara Eden wearing that mini skirt when they hear this song?  

 

Still, it sure made me grin to find it, though the album is gonna have to be spin cleaned a couple times before it can be played. 

 

 

 

[diecaster]

This the best ever:

 

[diecaster]

This is one is great and very much a big risk considering the date of release:

 

[firedog]

2 hours ago, diecaster said:

This is one is great and very much a big risk considering the date of release: 

 

Not really. It was considered acceptably cool and risque. Was displayed in supermarkets and drugstores and no one got upset.

[diecaster]

1 hour ago, firedog said:

 

Not really. It was considered acceptably cool and risque. Was displayed in supermarkets and drugstores and no one got upset.

 

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/features/7370623/herb-alpert-whipped-cream-other-delights-story-behind-album-cover-50-years-later

 

Herb Alpert does not agree.

 

An excerpt:

 

“My first reaction was, 'Holy shit, man. Too racy,'” Alpert says. “Obviously now it would hardly register, but at the time I thought, 'Wow, that’s a little much.'

[firedog]

2 hours ago, diecaster said:

 

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/features/7370623/herb-alpert-whipped-cream-other-delights-story-behind-album-cover-50-years-later

 

Herb Alpert does not agree.

 

An excerpt:

 

“My first reaction was, 'Holy shit, man. Too racy,'” Alpert says. “Obviously now it would hardly register, but at the time I thought, 'Wow, that’s a little much.'

 

Irrelevant appeal to a non authority. Like I wrote, it was sold and on display everywhere and it wasn't a big deal. In supermarkets and drugstores back then, if they thought something was over the line it was either "under the counter" or hidden by a paper wrapping (for instance, Playboy mag, that didn't even have  nudes on the cover back then). That's the reality.

Herb Alpert was already an "old fogy" in 1966, and his  clouded memories aren't a standard for judging much.