I must ask you – all of you, even those of you who have yet to partake in the daily dialog at Rock Town Hall – to check in and help me compile a list that will serve a very important purpose. Some of you may be aware of my aversion to lists for lists’ sake, but although this is what it will seem I’m requesting, I can assure you, your timely contributions will be for the greater good. So here goes maybe the least though-provoking question I’ll ever ask on Rock Town Hall:
In no particular order, please list the first 5 great album covers that come to mind when you think “great album covers.”
Please feel free to include a link to a favorite album cover, in case it’s one that may not immediately come to everyone’s mind the way, say, Sticky Fingers might.
Not too hard to do, is it? Don’t fret over your answer. Give it to my from the gut. If you’ve never registered and posted on Rock Town Hall before, here’s your chance. There are instructions down the right column of this page. Those of you who do not contribute to this list will likely regret not pitching in on the eventually historic effort that we will be conducting. I thank you in advance from the bottom of my heart.
Unknown Pleasure
Velvet Underground & Nico
Barrett
Houses of the Holy
Goo
runners up
Go2
Here Come The Warm Jets
London Calling
the jam: this is the modern world
the beatles: yesterday and today (butcher shot)
hendrix: electric lady land (banned version)
john and yoko: two virgins
black flag: family man
London Calling – The Clash
Rubber Soul – The Fabs
Nevermind The Bollocks – The Sex Pistols
Wish You Were Here -Pink Floyd
Whipped Cream and Other Delights – Herb Alpert
Roy Wood: Mustard
Wings: Venus and Mars
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Tarkus
James Brown: For Goodness Sake, Look At Them Cakes
James Brown: There It Is
… just kidding. Here are a few for real:
Funkadelic: Standing On the Verge Of Getting It On (or any other Pedro Bell cover)
Prince: Lovesexy
Stones: Some Girls
AC/DC: Let There Be Rock
Clash: Give ‘Em Enough Rope
Capt. Beefheart — Trout Mask Replica
Rolling Stones — Sticky Fingers
Gang of Four — Entertainment
XTC — Drums and Wires
Sonic Youth — Daydream Nation
Supretramp-Breakfast in America
Led Zeppelin-Prescence
David Bowie-Alladin Sane
Ozzy Osbourne-Diary of a Madman
The Beatles-Abbey Road
Good stuff, peeps – keep it coming!
Here are 5 that come straight from my gut:
Roxy Music, Country Life
Eno, Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)
The Beatles, Rubber Soul
The Residents, Third Reich and Roll
Glenn Branca, The Ascencion
http://www.barbarakrakowgallery.com/stuff/contentmgr/files/2e1b43ad650d0bb4534e46154b5fe283/img_two/lp_longo_ascension.jpg
Big,
i almost said daydream nation, too! i love those richter paintings.
i know i’m breaking with the plan of this thread, but i must say that i regret not putting any more recent covers on my list. i think today’s cover art is QUITE good, and that we’re in a heyday of sorts for cd art (i won’t go so far as to call it a golden age). and it makes a visit to a.k.a. very pleasing: lots of good graphic designers out there, making lots of nice imagery, makes rifling through the selection lots of fun.
this is, of course, to say nothing of the bands whose new cds are so pretty.
that’s another discussion for another day.
in the spirit of mr. mod’s request, i URGE you not to take up my suggestions…
seriously.
continue to name albums, please.
mod, i’m hoping you’ll forgive me in advance if i’ve ruined the pristine quality of this thread up ’til now.
i couldn’t help myself.
Mr. Moderator, I feel compelled to add that I think “Let There Be Rock” is a truly Great album cover. I don’t know if now is the time for my eloquent case supporting its nomination, but I am prepared to go to the mat for this cover if need be.
http://www.galeon.com/allmusic/caratulas/a/ACDC-Let_There_Be_Rock-Frontal.jpg
One more request: I’d like to switch out Santana’s “Abraxas” for Prince’s “Lovesexy.” Thanks.
Saturnismine, never apologize for ruining the pristine nature of any thread. In fact, I encourage you to pile on 5 more-recent covers that you feel need to be listed here today. Thank you.
Hrrundi, likewise, your additional mentions are appreciated. The only thing I ask is that the few of you who know of the momentous event to follow not let leak what will surely go down as one of the most important weeks in the history of RTH!
Also in the hard rock category: “Live and Dangerous” by Thin Lizzy.
http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/11343.jpg
Neil Young, On the Beach
Can, Ege Bamyasi
Joni Mitchell, Blue
The Who, Who’s Next
David Bowie, Low
So, none of the contrarians are going to pick Sgt. Pepper?
My no-thought list is:
Beatles – Sgt. Pepper
Dylan – Blonde On Blonde
Led Zep – Presence (the only album I ever bought solely because of the cover although 30 years on I have to wonder why)
Beefheart – Trout Mask Replica
Elvis Costello – My Aim Is True
Must have Sgt. Pepper’s! It’s the album cover that made dorks like us choose favorite album covers.
Bringing It All Back Home, a great album cover that celebrates album covers.
Pink Floyd’s Umma Gumma.
Led Zep III – with the wheel!
Velvet Underground’s first, with the actual banana peel.
Don’t leave me hanging, Townspeople. Surely there are more GREAT album covers ready to spring from the guts of those of you who have yet to chime in! I mean, what about the back cover alone of Enjoy by The Descendents?
There’s an album that came out early this year by a band called Menomena, the album is Friend and Foe, the packaging is incredible as far as cd album covers go. I can’t really describe it other than it’s cartoonish with cutouts sporadically placed. through the cut out holes, you can see the cd inside. as you turn the cd, in one hole you see a track number, in another hole you see the track name, it changes as you rotate the disc.
it’s hard to describe, sorry if it doesn’t make sense.
kpdexter mentions “Menomena” – I’ve seen that and it is cool. Take a look here:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=369642595&size=l
The Stooges, Funhouse
Public Image Ltd., Second Edition (hell, the Metal Box can too, for that matter)
Gang of Four, Entertainment
The Beatles, Revolver
James Brown : Think (Baby Cover)
Elvis Presley : Elvis Presley (1st LP)
Lou Reed : Take No Prisoners (inside cover is just as gloriously awful as the front cover)
Muddy Waters : The Best of Muddy Waters (late 50s Chess comp. Cover consists of Muddy’s head drenched in sweat)
Lover Boy : Get Lucky
Yours,
E. Pluribus
Keep bringin’ those picks from the gut. You won’t regret it. Thanks.
* The Beatles – Abbey Road
* Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
* The Clash – London Calling
* Creedence – Cosmo’s Factory
* Pink Slip Daddy – LSD
Montrose – Jump On It
LKJ – IN DUB
The Ventures – Walk Don’t Run
The Beatles – For Sale
Joy Division – Unknown Pleasures
Before this thread shuffles off and your suggestions are prepared for their next destination, are there any key album covers we’re missing? Never Mind the Bollocks anyone? Have any Roger Dean album covers been suggested yet? I know we haven’t heard from all of our registrants yet. Trust me, this is leading up to one of the reasons we gather here. Help us set the path!
More iconic covers:
In the Court Of the Crimson King — King Crimson
Hard Day’s Night (UK) — Beatles
Paranoid — Black Sabbath
My Aim Is True — EC
Leave Home — Ramones
Real Folk Blues — Howlin’ Wolf
Blind Faith
Disraeli Gears — Cream
British Steel — Judas Priest
Ace Of Spades — Motorhead
That Slits cover with the chicks in mud
“Philosophy Of the World” — the Shaggs
I’m remembering some from my heaviosity years:
the first Vanilla Fudge album — so heavy it melted the cover pic
the first led Zeppelin album — putting a photo of a legendary disaster on your album is a good omen
Keef Hartley Band — The Time Is Near — the one with the Indian on the horse … everyone used to own this one, I guess because they played Woodstock
Blue Cheer — Vincebus Eruptum — crappy music, illiterate title, but boss embossed purple cover with classic psychedelic lettering
Jimi Hendrix — Are You Experienced? — the fisheye photo and acidic calligraphy blew my tiny 14 year old mind … it made me wider
Excellent follow-up entries, lads! Thanks. Who’s holding?
Exile on Main St. – The Stones
The Royal Scam – Steely Dan
Rubber Factory – The Black Keys (Maybe cuz I know where most of the places are)
The Rolling Stones No. 2
Roxy Music – Siren (from before Jerry Hall had the horse style facelift)
In addition to some of the many fine choices (Sticky Fingers, London Calling, etc) already mentioned, I would like to submit:
Disraeli Gears
Grave Dancer’s Union by Soul Asylum (When good album covers happen to bad bands)