Best Album Art

avenir

[avenir]

I miss the old LP. CD sound is excellent, but the album cover art magic is lost. One of my Top Ten albums—Propaganda's "A Secret Wish"—is also one of my top album art and liner note picks. Lots of quips and quotes and cool British design.

What are your favorites?

[jocon307]

Elton John always had great album covers, especially before he hit the big time. They were like big books, really, with pages with all the lyrics, etc. Of course I still have them, somewhere(!), but mine are not in good shape. Not sure what my fave cover was, but Madman Across the Water was, by far, my fave album.

One of my favorite songs tho' was "A Cat Named Hercules". I can't even find that on the (illegal - shush, don't say a word) downloads. Guess I'll have to spring for the CD if I can focus and find it.

It is a shame to lose the covers, they were really a great commercial art form. They can't do nothing with the little, stingy, jewel cases, and the box sets just don't make it as visual art.

But it's all better than tape was,that's for sure!

[Support Free Republic]

Hi Mom!

[11th Earl of Mar]

I don't know about album art, but I too miss the old LP albums.

You will never see LP like Genesis' The Lamb Lays Down On Broadway, which has one entire story written on the interior that walks you through each song on the album.

[fourdeuce82d]

Led Zepp Physical Graffiti, Yes Osibisa, any double album that was useful for cleaning pot. Really pretty funny to go over to a friend's house while his kids are playing on the floor, pull out an old album from 20 years ago...and say "Hey tony, you really ought to clean these, they're all dusty in the creases...." LOL

[AppyPappy]

Yes's artwork was always top-notch.

[sirchtruth]

Rush's album art was really cool with all it's little hidden Gems.

Check out "Permanent Waves."

[alfa6]

I have one of those "coffee table" books that I had picked off of the clearance rack at a bookstore some years ago. It is called Classic Album Covers of the 60s IIRC. Can't seem to find it at the moment.

It tended to trace the development of album covers from the basic photo of the artist inthe late 50's early 60s to the wild and intense psychedelic covers in the 70s. It had over a hundred different album covers in it including some of the rare ones that were not released in the United States, example Blind Faith's original cover.

Any how my favorites were anything from Quicksilver Messenger Service done by Globe Propaganda. One other was a boxed set from Capitol Records that had Quicksilver, The Band and The Steve Miller Band in it. Each artist's record had its own cover that denoted, in the words of Marketing, the type opf music that the band played. An example was Quicksilvers sound was described as seeable sound IIRC.

Any ways my .02 worth

Regards

alfa6 ;>}

[uvular]

Favorite one is Jimi Hendrix, the one with the Indian idol on the front. Still got it, and many others from the era, stashed in the back of a closet. Always thought I'd take my favorites and get 'em framed, but still haven't gotten around to it.

[Moonmad27]

Interesting topic! The image I like - an album I never owned - was the "McCartney" album from 1970 showing a bowl and cherries on a white bench. (It can be seen on McCartney's website, mplcommunications.com/mccartney). Really obscure favorite (on the wall right by this PC) is Man from UNCLE actor David McCallum's "McCallum" album showing him sitting at the wheel of a Rolls Royce. (What is it with these Macs and their self-titled albums?). Not-so-obscure favorite is the CD booklet of Weird Al Yankovic's Bad Hair Day, particularly the photo of Al and the band with outrageous hairstyles.

[Argh]

I know it's not what you're looking for but the British classical music label Hyperion had gorgeous reproductions of old, not-well-known museum pieces, often landscapes. On LP they looked fabulous.

[Argh]

Here's a sample of Hyperion's covers:

[avenir]

Very nice.

[herewego]

anything Zeppelin, just look-

[P.O.E.]

Two weeks ago went to NEARFEST (progressive rock) for the fourth year in a row, where Roger Dean shows up to sign stuff. Always one of my all-time faves.

[AppyPappy]

I HATE you

[Lawgvr1955]

Yes's artwork was always top-notch.

Agreed. I always liked the Yes' cover art. I also loved to go through the Beatle covers with a fine tooth comb to find out the clues on Paul's death. I particularly rember doing that with Sgt.Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour.

[warchild9]

I had a signed poster from the cover of Uriah Heep's The Magician's Birthday. As part of a package of other goodies, it made me lots of money last year. Oh, and that was Roger Dean, too, by the way.