Best Album Cover…
M U S I C M O N D A Y
Since I haven’t had a music monday post for a while, I figured I’d ease back in with this very hot and relevant topic, album covers. I remember as a kid, being fixated with the 1969 Santana album cover, you know, the one with the lion, native woman, and all those heads… I was fascinated.
Album cover art is completely subjective. There’s no rhyme or reason for why you may be attracted or repelled by something. I have an eclectic group of covers that I like for different reasons. Here are some of my favorites.
Do you have a favorite album cover?
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here also Dark Side of the Moon
The Beatles – Abbey Road also The White Album
Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison
The Clash – London Calling
Cat Stevens – Teaser and the Firecat also Tea for the Tillerman and the back of Catch Bull at Four – (Why, hello Mr. Stevens. Why are you so good looking?)
Carly Simon – Anticipation (Maybe I just wanted to be Carly Simon at that point in time?) 
Love Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here”…all time favorite for me!
Obviously why I like you. You have incredibly good taste. ; )
Although Jim Morrison and the Doors– have my ulitmate vote..hot!
Yeah, you’re so right. He has the hot thing going on. I can’t deny it.
“London Calling” has my vote as one of the best album covers ever. it takes the Elvis thing and smashes it!
“London Calling” captures that whole time period with that one picture. It’s so raw. I love it, too.
The Cure- The Singles, a cover with the head of an old man. Somehow, it seems symbolic, and so simple and natural that I really like it.
Cocteau Twins- Treasure, because the colours are beautiful and because it took me a while to know what the picture was showing.
Errr… that’s about it! No, I really like more covers, but I can’t think of them right now. This will have to do for a while.
Sometimes the ones that are simple are best. I also wonder if the music we love doesn’t have something to do with why we’re drawn to the cover. Like, what were they thinking?
Love Pink Floyd and these albums. Loved the Fleetwood Mac album with Stevie and was it the lead guy holding that string with the balls at the end of it? Also, Rolling Stones and Tom Petty.
Pink Floyd had some great covers. I LOVE that Fleetwood Mac album so it would stand to reason that I’m drawn to that cover. Again, simple and very cool. I know you have a major love for Tom Petty – I too, love his music and think he’s got something going on. I love, Damn the Torpedos. What’s not to love?
I was going to mention the Rolling Stones – I have memories of Sticky Fingers, opening the zipper and discovering a man in his underwear. I felt, oh so naughty, but since it was my older sister’s album, it was okay. haha!
I love album covers. We even have some framed in our home. I study them, look at them, they are art in the truest from. At the tender age of 48, I need glasses to see the fine print and truly study a CD cover. The album cover is a lost art. Bring it back and bring it back now!
This is why I can’t throw out my albums — At least one of the reasons. I feel like the art work on the cover is so intrinsic to the music. Buying an album meant you were getting a piece of art, too. CD’s are nothing compared to a huge cardboard album cover. Our children will never know the thrill.
I am mystified by my continual typos. “truest from?” really? let’s try, “truest form.”
Just early onset Alzheimer’s – no worries.
Boston. first album. That cover always makes me stop and stare.
And Asia – whichever album had the dragon in the water. Thought that was pretty cool too.
Or Iron Maiden – Number Of The Beast.
Or- ok, I’ll stop now.
Surprised you didn’t throw in a few of the hideous covers from fpp…
The intricate album covers always felt like there was a hidden message waiting to be discovered. Like, what are they trying to say with this? Especially when things seemed unrelated. The Boston cover was cool and fit the time period and I’ll say the actual music of that album. A perfect reflection of what was on the inside.
Am I dumb? What’s fpp?
Sorry – fpp is Free Penny Press.
I saw that you left a comment on her worst album covers post.
http://freepennypress.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/worst-album-covers-or-the-death-of-vinyl
OMG!!! Those were the most disturbing album covers I think I’ve ever seen – bar none. haha! Talk about being transfixed…
You have some great blog topics, Grippy. Dark Side of the Moon is a classic, of course. I love the cover of London Calling, plus I’m a huge Clash fan. I also like U2’s War cover and The Smiths’ Meat Is Murder cover.
Thanks Weebs. I feel like I did this topic a while ago… then again I might just be losing my mind? Either way, I’m too lazy to check my archives. haha!
When U2 first came out they were like Gods. It was like, “Whoa! What’s this?” They were so political and relevant. Owning a piece of them made us all feel important. That was an amazing cover. Likewise, The Smith’s Meat is Murder has that same quality. Both impressive album covers.
I think I speak for everyone born after 1983 “What’s an album cover?”
I have a hard time disassociating the cover from the actual music. If I like the music I may go easier on the cover. Kind of like the same way I do with people. If I like their personality I can get over how ugly they are.
hahaha! Spoken like a true youngster. I hear you. I’m sad that your generation will never know the joy and delight of the album cover. You missed out on a good thing.
Speak for yourself Moosinator, there’s nothing like a good album cover.
Here are a few of my favourites.
I LOVE the Goo Goo Dolls and the Counting Crows album covers. The last one didn’t come through? The Chris Cornell one is cool because it looks really old school, like it could have come out of the 70’s.
The Scorpions had some odd ones, and i always loved the inside cover of ZZ Top’s Tres Hombres
I’m gonna have to look up the Scorpions. I feel like I’ll know them when I see them. The inside of ZZ top’s Tres Hombres – again, I’m not pulling anything up in my memory. I’ll get back to you.
Just posted a picture of ZZ Top on my new post. HHMMMMMMMM
Okay, got it. I can see the attraction. And by the way, that ZZ top video had amazing quality. I felt like I was at the concert. Even on my iPad it was like high definition.
Oh you have some really good choices. Love the Pink Floyd and of course anything The Cash-Man is on is fine with me. I also like U2″s covers..
Takes me down memory lane today 🙂
I know, right? I was just telling somebody that I feel bad for this generation because they’ll never have the joy of knowing what the whole album cover thing is about. It’s a lost art.
Grippy,
One of my favourite album covers of the past few years must be Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion: http://animalcollective.org/discography/view/merriweather (and I think it’s one of the best recorded albums of the past few years, too).
Le Clown
Oooh, something new. I’ll check it out. Thanks for the recommend.
Grippy,
The song “My Girls” is a great place to start of if you want to discover that album.
Le Clown
I’ve got it playing right now.
I’ve always loved the Cat Stevens album covers. And then, of course, I love the funny ones! But I loved all the ones you picked Lisa. I remember that Anticipation cover. She looked so cool! I’ve always loved her singing and even though she could be considered “horsey” she somehow pulls it off! 😀
haha! I know what you mean. What a mouth! It was just something in her whole style, OR maybe it was because she dated Cat Stevens and Warren Beatty and married James Taylor? haha!
I know! And wasn’t You’re So Vain about her affair with Mick Jagger? Oh what a poor little shrinking violet that girl!
Johnny Cash’s face makes me want to blow chunks. But besides that, good choices! I always liked that Patti Smith album with her armpit. I don’t know why. Lol
Hahaha! The term ” blow chunks” makes me want to hurl. The patti smith album was always strangely attracting and repelling at the same time.