Album covers fascinate me. They give a somewhat a visual perspective of the music hidden within their gate folds. The ones I really enjoy are the illustrated artwork, especially the ones done by Roger Dean. His cosmic architectural landscape design adorns albums from Yes, Asia and Uriah Heep. The photo above is one my favorites from Roger Dean- Yes Tales from Topographic Oceans.Not just only Roger Dean I like, there is the Stanley Mouse/Alton Kelly combo whom does the Journey album covers and the "story" they tell.
Then there is Frank Franzetta's work on the Molly Hatchet and Nazareth album covers. Very medieval-screams rock and roll....
The portraits of "life, death and afterlife" of Iron Maiden's mascot Eddie are done by Derek Riggs. Some of them shockingly gruesome... What the hell, it's only rock and roll!
Another one I like is the Grateful Dead's Blues for Allah album cover done by Philip Garris..
There many more I'd like to post, some other time maybe... So what is your favorite album cover?
7 comments:
Drew: I love all Roger Dean's stuff for Yes & others, & Hipgnosis' work for Pink Floyd, Zep & lotsa others. Their books, VIEWS and WALK AWAY RENE are both worth tracking down.... & WALK AWAY is also REALLY funny, & you can find used copies fairly cheap....
Yes, Tales is my fav Roger Dean cover too. In fact it is my fav Yes album as well (not too many people agree it seems!)
I'm gonna have to check out those books, TAD. Sounds interesting!
Music Obsessive, one of my other favorite Roger Dean works is the inner centerfold of the Close to the Edge album... As far Topographic Oceans, it's an album that has been panned by critics for being either ambitious or overindulgent. I'm with you about it being a great album.
Led Zep III is interesting, the first Sabath LP cover is cool, but The Beatles "Butcher" shot for Yesterday and Today remains a personal favorite, too. The Who Sell Out is brilliant, as well. Nothing quite like vinyl, right down to the cover art. Nice post.
Roger Dean is easily my favorite... for his work with Asia moreso than Yes actually. But his work is brilliant all around.
I'm not sure who came up with the concept but I also really liked the inside gatefold pictures of Chicago on the inside of the LP jackets for Chicago X and Chicago XI. All of the band members were dressed as prohibition era gangsters with cops chasing after them. The 2 gatefolds were variations on that same theme.
I also thoroughly enjoyed Hipgnosis' work on the Pink Floyd albums, I believe Hipgnosis might also have been responsible for the cover art on Alan Parosns first solo album, Try Anything Once as it has a very Pink Floydian look to it. Speaking of Alan Parsons Project the cover art for Eve was absolutely brilliant. It's a photo of a couple of Parisian prostitutes wearing veils that conceal their herpes sores it really captures the whole concept of the album so I appreciate the cleverness of how the cover art really put an exclamation mark on the whole concept of that album.
I still really love a lot of the old classic rock album covers. How about Its a Beautiful Day, or Blind Faith, or Roxy Music...so many album covers bring back so many memories
Sean, that pinwheel album cover from Zeppelin III is just wild!
Perplexo, I never really looked at the cover APP's Eve that way. Gonna have to take a second look!
Dan, although Blind Faith's album stirred a bit of controversy, I think it rocks!
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