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Excellent album covers

Started by BlodwynPig, February 13, 2011, 11:36:23 AM

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BlodwynPig

These mainly for their uniqueness

Annexus Quam - Osmose


Two from Hawkwind

Front

Back


Glastonbury Fayre w/inserts (Pyramid, booklets)



holyzombiejesus

Maybe not everyone's idea of a great cover but I'd actively seek this one out when I was little and just stare at it.


NoSleep

That Glastonbury Fayre album must be quite a collector's item. I remember a friend had it at the time, and I've trawled the internet to collect all the tracks that appear on the set, some of which have emerged on other compilations.

My first contribution is a a fairly obscure album, but one which manages to feature all four members of 10cc (before they were 10cc) as Ramases' backing band:



which folds out into:


NoSleep

#3
Quote from: BlodwynPig on February 13, 2011, 11:36:23 AM


Worthy of mention, also, is the comic book sized pulp booklet that accompanied this album, which was the captain's log of a journey through time, space and other dimensions.

Quotehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_Search_of_Space

There is no overall concept or theme to the songs on the album; the ideas that would culminate in the Space Ritual show are merely contained within the album package, principally the The Hawkwind Log. The The Hawkwind Log opens with:

   "The spacecraft Hawkwind was found by Captain RN Calvert of the Société Astronomæ (an international guild of creative artists dedicated in eternity to the discovery and demonstration of extra-terrestrial intelligence) on 8 July 1971 in the vicinity of Mare Librium near the South Pole. The discovery of the Hawkwind has led to more wild speculation than any of the mysteries of space that we have so far encountered. The facts surrounding the discovery of this drifting two-dimensional spaceship have been so distorted by guesswork and rumour that any further attempts at assessment would only increase the density of the fog."

Within, the journal entries are from various times and places, including a return to a burnt out Earth in November 1987. Themes explored include astrology and astronomy, ecology, science, occultism and mysticism, religion and philosophy. Some pieces would later be reused, such as the entries "0207 hrs 15 April 1572, Praesepe cluster" and "Countdown to Lift Off" which appeared on Space Ritual as "The Awakening" and "Ten Seconds of Forever" respectively, and Black Elk's "Offering of the Pipe" Hetchetu Aloh chant was later used on "Black Elk Speaks" from Space Bandits. One of the last entries, 1027 hrs. 5 May 1971, Ladbroke Grove, explains:

    "Space/time supply indicators near to zero. Our thoughts are losing depth, soon they will fold into each other, into flatness, into nothing but surface. Our ship will fold like a cardboard file and the noises of our minds compress into a disc of shining black, spinning in eternity..."

Just found a PDF of it here: http://www.starfarer.net/HWLog.pdf

Famous Mortimer

Covers that made me want to hear the album inside:





And anything by Molly Hatchet.

BlodwynPig

Quote from: NoSleep on February 13, 2011, 01:15:36 PM
That Glastonbury Fayre album must be quite a collector's item. I remember a friend had it at the time, and I've trawled the internet to collect all the tracks that appear on the set, some of which have emerged on other compilations.


I bought the original album for 60 quid in a record fair at Newcastle University during Freshers week in 1994. 60 quid was a lot of money back then, but I had not seen the album anywhere before and thought it would be worth it. I think it can fetch upwards of 200 quid now, but I won't be flogging mine.

I couldn't quite decide which album covers thread these Soulwax covers belong in, so I'll go with this thread for now just because I like optical illusions.

Any Minute Now:


Nite Versions:

Cerys



This is the cover art that got me into metal.  I bought the album solely because of the cover, never having heard much (or indeed any) Maiden.  No regrets.

Johnny Townmouse

There are just SO many. Your appreciation of the following from the Manics is probably rather dependent on whether you like Jenny Saville or not:





I adore the simplicity of the cover of the first Tindersticks album, not least because it cuts through and in some parodies sleeves such as the above, appropriating a mass produced front room painting (Hilda Ogden had one of those, for instance). It also shows at least one of the band's musical influences:


Gradual Decline


Subtle Mocking

I have to nominate my own avatar for this:


There's such an odd texture and colour to it, really quite unnerving and bleak. Looks like it could be inspired by King Crimson too:

CaledonianGonzo

These aren't all album covers, but I like graphic designer John Coulthart's work for Alan Moore:


Depressed Beyond Tables


Cerys

Quote from: CaledonianGonzo on February 13, 2011, 04:50:44 PM
These aren't all album covers, but I like graphic designer John Coulthart's work for Alan Moore:



Oh wow!

Johnny Yesno

I'm nothing if not predictable...






Absorb the anus burn


Famous Mortimer

I remember loving this when I finally tracked it down on a car boot sale about 15 years ago:



And this one, "Saturnalia" by the Gutter Twins, appeals to me:


Absorb the anus burn



Obscure RIO weird thing from 70s. So so album, but the cover is good enough to hang in my hallway.









^

I don't actually have a hallway.

holyzombiejesus

I wish I could find decent images of the full gatefolds for these two. Even though the front images are great, showing only that half doesn't really do them justice.





Talking of Lee...



EDIT: Found this but it's a bit rubbish...


Absorb the anus burn

^^^^

looks like John Alderton on a porn set.

Absorb the anus burn

I can't ms paint or photoshop, but I'm brain brewing a version of Electric Ladyland where every head is replaced by pictures of Mrs. Pauline Alderton.

holyzombiejesus

These rocked!





I love how certain bands, generally your garage-y types, really play about with costumes and characters. The Mummies' label, Estrus, used to release some fine looking vinyl too, sometimes in themed 7" box sets with little treats inside.

This 7" by The Mants was on Estrus...


NoSleep

This cover definitely prompted me to purchase this particular album (as an import) when I was stuck on a choice between it and some others on offer at the same shop (Bonaparte's, Croydon) in '79.



Turned out to be one of my top ten albums of all time.

NoSleep

The Residents' album & promotional artwork is always top class (all being produced by the band as part of their ongoing project), but this is my favourite:


Johnny Yesno

Quote from: NoSleep on February 13, 2011, 06:55:17 PM
This cover definitely prompted me to purchase this particular album (as an import) when I was stuck on a choice between it and some others on offer at the same shop (Bonaparte's, Croydon) in '79.

Turned out to be one of my top ten albums of all time.

Good call. I was going to post it myself if you didn't.







and pretty much all of John Wozencroft's cover photographs for Touch records, e.g.:



and

Also these, which are enhanced by being embossed:




Serge

For sheer simplicity:



And I wish someone would reissue 'The Faust Tapes' with its original front cover:



(And Bridget Riley's 'Crest' on the back!)

And as I seem to be being pretty predictable as well...



Johnny Yesno

Quote from: Serge on February 13, 2011, 07:17:53 PM
For sheer simplicity:


Although I feel they got carried away by adding too many elements on this one:


Johnny Townmouse

Great call on The Residents - always loved that one.

I'm a big fan of the Swans covers, always great. Filth is stark in its brilliance, but I am adore this style too:





23 Daves



I've always loved this album cover, although it's probably starting to look a bit dated now.  The picture in the middle caused me endless fascination - the main cover is matt but the picture is printed in gloss, and appears to have been taken  near a runway (the lights can just about be seen on the left side).  There's something very ordinary but very surreal and slightly menacing about it as well. 



Another ace one - absolutely the right tone setter for the album as well.  And...



The original CD case for the Pet Shop Boys "Very" is an absurd delight.  That more people don't play with the idea of what can be done with the basic materials of a CD case is something I find surprising.  It doesn't have to be a little hinged, transparent window into the booklet, so why make it one?

Johnny Yesno