Judging an Album by its Cover

[Day of Light]

Have you ever purchased or, conversely, not purchased an album because of its art?

 

I have this thing about aesthetics and so I'm very partial to putting on display only the cover art in my collection that looks good. I also have a tendency to overlook albums with cover art that just doesn't look good.

 

This is apparent in the way I'm gathering my Rush collection. I have all of the albums digitally but was also meaning to get them on cd, vinyl, etc, and what I noticed is that I wanted to buy the "pretty" albums first (Hold Your Fire imo), even though they're not personally my favorites to listen to.

 

I'm also avoiding buying Marillion because quite frankly their early album covers are kinda gross.

 

New artists it's even worse. I decide whether to buy or not solely based on whether I think it looks pretty.

 

Discuss judging an album by its cover.

[Rod in Toronto]

The primary reason I got into Maiden was their covers!

[Day of Light]

The primary reason I got into Maiden was their covers!

 

The images seem to tell a story and have a very particular art style; I think they're really cool!

[Maverick]

Yes had the best album covers.

 

/thread

[Rod in Toronto]

Yes had the best album covers.

 

/thread

 

I assume you meant "Yes, Maiden had the best album covers". Right?

[Maverick]

Yes had the best album covers.

 

/thread

 

I assume you meant "Yes, Maiden had the best album covers". Right?

 

Yes, Maiden, and Molly Hatchet.

 

In no particular order.

 

:)

[djflex]

Not exactly on topic but.....

 

When i was younger i sometimes bought bands just because of the name or perhaps cover. Remember their was Little or no internet then and alot of the music i love was never played on the radio. An exampke of this is the band Iced Earth. I once saw a tiny ad in one if the local weekly happenings mags for their upcoming show. The ad was cool looking and i thought the name was pure metal. Anyways eventually i was able to track down one of their cassette tapes to buy. Hooked ever since

Edited March 7, 2016 by djflex

[Maverick]

I was always just happy that my favorite bands also had pretty bad ass artwork.

[Maverick]

I think my all time greatest experience with an album and it's artwork was the summer I bought Yessongs. Triple live album, double gatefold sleeves, great paintings all the way around. Then there was the program/picture book included. I could spend hours curled up in a chair, headphones on, just looking at it all while listening to the album.

[djflex]

I think my all time greatest experience with an album and it's artwork was the summer I bought Yessongs. Triple live album, double gatefold sleeves, great paintings all the way around. Then there was the program/picture book included. I could spend hours curled up in a chair, headphones on, just looking at it all while listening to the album.

 

That post sums up many things i miss from buying albums and music in general back then

[blueschica]

I never really bought an album just for the art because I never had that much money :D, but I was always glad when the artists I liked had good album covers. As Sheldon mentioned above, the album art really made a wonderful listening experience and was a huge thing in the 60's and 70's. Something cool was really lost when covers got reduced to the size of CD jewel boxes.

 

Some of the classic ones that I recall-

David Bowie- Aladdin Sane King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King (the red cover dude looks sooo upset)

The Who- Tommy (cool optical illusion) Grateful Dead- American Beauty, Aoxomoxoa

Cream- Disraeli Gears (psychedelia) Traffic- The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Allman Brothers- Eat A Peach

 

Probably my favorite ever is Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company , which is Janis Joplin's first band. The whole cover is done in comic strip panels, one for each song, drawn by the underground cartoonist R. Crumb.

 

In high school, we used to laugh at the Stones' Sticky Fingers album, which has a working fly on the front, and Who's Next; and the guys all liked Carly Simon's No Secrets (no bra) album cover, but looking back that was all kind of immature :P :P

Edited March 7, 2016 by blueschica

[The Analog Cub]

Not at all. Some albums I love have stupid cover art (Counterparts).

 

Yes and Maiden definitely have some awesome covers.

[ytserush]

Have you ever purchased or, conversely, not purchased an album because of its art?

 

I have this thing about aesthetics and so I'm very partial to putting on display only the cover art in my collection that looks good. I also have a tendency to overlook albums with cover art that just doesn't look good.

 

This is apparent in the way I'm gathering my Rush collection. I have all of the albums digitally but was also meaning to get them on cd, vinyl, etc, and what I noticed is that I wanted to buy the "pretty" albums first (Hold Your Fire imo), even though they're not personally my favorites to listen to.

 

I'm also avoiding buying Marillion because quite frankly their early album covers are kinda gross.

 

New artists it's even worse. I decide whether to buy or not solely based on whether I think it looks pretty.

 

Discuss judging an album by its cover.

 

Not too much, but I have done it. I generally appreciate the cover more after I've heard the music.

 

 

They say art is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think Mark Wilkinson's Marillion covers are gross at all. Those are some of my favorite ones. I love his work.

 

 

We have this one framed in the bedroom.

 

http://www.the-masque.com/Images/MISPLACED.JPG

 

Same image, but we have the record company promo.poster.

 

 

 

if you are into Hugh Syme's art, you probably want to pick up a copy of The Art of Rush book. It may be pointless for you to get albums you won't use (Although I'd use them myself) when you can get all you want in that book.

[Maverick]

I never really bought an album just for the art because I never had that much money :D, but I was always glad when the artists I liked had good album covers. As Sheldon mentioned above, the album art really made a wonderful listening experience and was a huge thing in the 60's and 70's. Something cool was really lost when covers got reduced to the size of CD jewel boxes.

 

Some of the classic ones that I recall-

David Bowie- Aladdin Sane King Crimson- In the Court of the Crimson King (the red cover dude looks sooo upset)

The Who- Tommy (cool optical illusion) Grateful Dead- American Beauty, Aoxomoxoa

Cream- Disraeli Gears (psychedelia) Traffic- The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys Allman Brothers- Eat A Peach

 

Probably my favorite ever is Cheap Thrills by Big Brother and the Holding Company , which is Janis Joplin's first band. The whole cover is done in comic strip panels, one for each song, drawn by the underground cartoonist R. Crumb.

 

In high school, we used to laugh at the Stones' Sticky Fingers album, which has a working fly on the front, and Who's Next; and the guys all liked Carly Simon's No Secrets (no bra) album cover, but looking back that was all kind of immature :P :P

 

 

http://i0.wp.com/www.rockandrollgps.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Carly-Simon-No-Secrets-Album-Cover.jpg

[Bigbobby10]

It is sometimes a shame that i say this, but i almost dont want to buy a certain album if the art isnt good on it, regardless if i heard it yet or not.

[goose]

The primary reason I got into Maiden was their covers!

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81oYcySvWVL._SX355_.jpg

 

This one, specifically, for me. 1981. Mexico. A cover got me into April Wine the same year, too.

 

http://rymimg.com/lk/f/l/e1756143d549f2b8c61ac6abd2152cf5/3156511.jpg

 

 

Except I was in Mexico, and it was titled "Natural de la Bestia".

[Day of Light]

Have you ever purchased or, conversely, not purchased an album because of its art?

 

I have this thing about aesthetics and so I'm very partial to putting on display only the cover art in my collection that looks good. I also have a tendency to overlook albums with cover art that just doesn't look good.

 

This is apparent in the way I'm gathering my Rush collection. I have all of the albums digitally but was also meaning to get them on cd, vinyl, etc, and what I noticed is that I wanted to buy the "pretty" albums first (Hold Your Fire imo), even though they're not personally my favorites to listen to.

 

I'm also avoiding buying Marillion because quite frankly their early album covers are kinda gross.

 

New artists it's even worse. I decide whether to buy or not solely based on whether I think it looks pretty.

 

Discuss judging an album by its cover.

 

Not too much, but I have done it. I generally appreciate the cover more after I've heard the music.

 

 

They say art is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think Mark Wilkinson's Marillion covers are gross at all. Those are some of my favorite ones. I love his work.

 

 

We have this one framed in the bedroom.

 

http://www.the-masqu...s/MISPLACED.JPG

 

Same image, but we have the record company promo.poster.

 

 

 

if you are into Hugh Syme's art, you probably want to pick up a copy of The Art of Rush book. It may be pointless for you to get albums you won't use (Although I'd use them myself) when you can get all you want in that book.

 

I'll look into it, thank you!

 

And maybe my calling the art "gross" was too harsh. I can appreciate it for being very competent surreal art, it's just not aligned with my aesthetic preferences.

Edited March 7, 2016 by Day of Light

[Digital Dad]

The Wilkinson Marillion covers are beautiful imo. So is the music. Like most of the art of the day, they really have to be seen 12x12 and not 5x5.

[ytserush]

Have you ever purchased or, conversely, not purchased an album because of its art?

 

I have this thing about aesthetics and so I'm very partial to putting on display only the cover art in my collection that looks good. I also have a tendency to overlook albums with cover art that just doesn't look good.

 

This is apparent in the way I'm gathering my Rush collection. I have all of the albums digitally but was also meaning to get them on cd, vinyl, etc, and what I noticed is that I wanted to buy the "pretty" albums first (Hold Your Fire imo), even though they're not personally my favorites to listen to.

 

I'm also avoiding buying Marillion because quite frankly their early album covers are kinda gross.

 

New artists it's even worse. I decide whether to buy or not solely based on whether I think it looks pretty.

 

Discuss judging an album by its cover.

 

Not too much, but I have done it. I generally appreciate the cover more after I've heard the music.

 

 

They say art is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think Mark Wilkinson's Marillion covers are gross at all. Those are some of my favorite ones. I love his work.

 

 

We have this one framed in the bedroom.

 

http://www.the-masqu...s/MISPLACED.JPG

 

Same image, but we have the record company promo.poster.

 

 

 

if you are into Hugh Syme's art, you probably want to pick up a copy of The Art of Rush book. It may be pointless for you to get albums you won't use (Although I'd use them myself) when you can get all you want in that book.

 

I'll look into it, thank you!

 

And maybe my calling the art "gross" was too harsh. I can appreciate it for being very competent surreal art, it's just not aligned with my aesthetic preferences.

 

Oh, I get that.

 

Manga or anime do nothing for me aesthetically.

[Day of Light]

The Wilkinson Marillion covers are beautiful imo. So is the music. Like most of the art of the day, they really have to be seen 12x12 and not 5x5.

 

Yeah, I've taken a closer look at the art and I don't think it's as bad as I previously thought. It's just too busy and too vibrant for a small surface.

[ytserush]

The Wilkinson Marillion covers are beautiful imo. So is the music. Like most of the art of the day, they really have to be seen 12x12 and not 5x5.

 

His later work with Fish is pretty amazing too. I don't think even 12X12 does Wilkinson justice.

[Lucas]

The album cover - oh yes, a lost art .. No talk of album covers is complete without a mention of Hipgnosis - they designed some of the best ever

 

A previous thread:

 

http://www.therushforum.com/index.php?/topic/92698-hipgnosis/

 

 

[Day of Light]

The album cover - oh yes, a lost art .. No talk of album covers is complete without a mention of Hipgnosis - they designed some of the best ever

 

A previous thread:

 

http://www.therushfo...2698-hipgnosis/

 

Those covers are by the same art group??

 

I learned something new today!

[Lucas]

Ironically, in 1975 when I first heard Rock And Roll All Night on the radio, I had no idea what the band looked like - I just loved the song .... I first heard it while in the car, and my sis said "That's the band that wears makeup" - I had no idea

 

So a day or so later when my Mom takes me to the store that sells a little bit of everything, we go over to the record section and look for this mysterious band that wears the makeup .. Again, I had no idea - I was 8 years old and liked the song on the radio ..

 

We get to the record dept, bypass my usual KC And The Sunshine Band and Bay City Rollers, and . . . . my world was changed forever

 

http://cdn.riffraf.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/kiss-alivelive-20120929030156-500x500.jpg

[RUSHHEAD666]

Have you ever purchased or, conversely, not purchased an album because of its art?

 

I have this thing about aesthetics and so I'm very partial to putting on display only the cover art in my collection that looks good. I also have a tendency to overlook albums with cover art that just doesn't look good.

 

This is apparent in the way I'm gathering my Rush collection. I have all of the albums digitally but was also meaning to get them on cd, vinyl, etc, and what I noticed is that I wanted to buy the "pretty" albums first (Hold Your Fire imo), even though they're not personally my favorites to listen to.

 

I'm also avoiding buying Marillion because quite frankly their early album covers are kinda gross.

 

New artists it's even worse. I decide whether to buy or not solely based on whether I think it looks pretty.

 

Discuss judging an album by its cover.

 

DOL

 

I have been buying cassettes, vinyl and cds for over three decades. I have spent a lot of time and money taking risks on buying albums based on their artwork.

I would have to say (although I am a music addict) that 75% of the time I buy an album based on art I love the record. Then again it depends on the genre of music you like. I mean most of the time it's a given when you see progressive rock art or METAL art.

 

When I was just a kid I remember buying "Killers" on vinyl because of the cover art. After one listen I was hooked and in love with Maiden. I remember getting my first album in 1976. Underneath the flocked Xmas tree was DESTROYER by KISS. Again, just one look and I was intrigued. When I listened to it I fell in love and joined the KISS ARMY.

I could write about about this topic.

 

So on that note I will stop.