Favourite Album cover

Two of my favourite classical LP covers.  One had to be with Maria Callas, but there are so many from which to choose.  Callas at La Scala was a strong possibility, or maybe the cover of Medea.  However, Callas' album of French Arias (Columbia SAX 2410) got my final vote.  It's so striking, and those eyes...

The second classical album cover could only be the stereo issue of Espana by Ataulfo Argenta conducting the LSO on Decca (SXL 2020).  It's just so iconic and evocative of the music within. 

There are just too many great Jazz album covers to choose just one. I'd probably go for the Don Rendell and Ian Carr Quartet's  Shades of Blue, a very poignant cover showing the face of Ian's wife Margaret, who tragically died two years later giving birth to their daughter.  I don't have a copy of this very rare (and rather expensive) LP.  I'm really hoping that someday someone will do a proper job reissuing it on vinyl.  Judging by the CD it could well be something fabulous...

For rock I'd have to have something from Neon Park.  Maybe Zappa's Weasels Ripped My Flesh, or something from Little Feat.  Yup, it's Feats Don't Fail Me Now...

And I can't forget Surf's Up from the Beach Boys - one of my top 5 pop albums and certainly one of the very best album covers;

However, if I have to boil it all down to just one.  There is only this...  David Bowie's Hunky Dory - the US issue that nicely frames the picture and doesn't ruin it with any print or logo;

I think that's it.  Oh wait, hang on, what about Genesis and Nursery Cryme....?

An iconic cover for an iconic album. The painting is by Burt Goldblatt. Again, the design uses very little type, placed above the portrait, increasiong the impact. TYou instantly know what kind of music this record will contain, even if you've never heard Robert Johnson.

Richard Dane posted:

Two of my favourite classical LP covers.  One had to be with Maria Callas, but there are so many from which to choose.  Callas at La Scala was a strong possibility, or maybe the cover of Medea.  However, Callas' album of French Arias (Columbia SAX 2410) got my final vote.  It's so striking, and those eyes...

The second classical album cover could only be the stereo issue of Espana by Ataulfo Argenta conducting the LSO on Decca (SXL 2020).  It's just so iconic and evocative of the music within. 

Richard, the photography on those two covers is sensational, love the bold simple design too. And the inner bag on the Callas is almost as good as the sleeve iself!

I really adore the cover of this famous recording of Carmen. For some reason the main image reminds me of a still from a Paradjanov movie:

Kevin-W posted:

Another Fifties (1957) design that might not pass political muster in 2018, but look at this on the 12 in square canvas of an LP and there's no denying its impact.

It's a beautiful photo, the colour palette is spot on and the oversized type is judiciously used. Simplicity, as ever, is the key, which is why this cover still works when shrunk down to CD size.

Hi Kevin,

that‘s a nice one from Robert Guidi/Tri-Arts. Many from that era on Contemporary are, at least for me, a near perfect combination of music, cover art and sound. I even prefer them to the iconic Blue Note style and sound. Thanks to Lester Koenig, Robert Guidi and Roy DuNann!

Another Guidi/Tri-Arts cover for Contemporary records:

It always makes me smile whenever I hold the LP in my hands. Simply nice and relaxed, very much like the West Coast Jazz inside.

This one is perhaps the iconic LP cover from the German New Wave of the eighties:

Is was on display at nearly all record shops in my hometown for almost a whole year back then.

How about an album that didn't need a cover?

I was pretty blown away when I first encountered this when it was released. It was the first 'picture disc' I'd ever seen and up until that point I didn't know such things were possible, assuming that all vinyl was black.  Pretty good album too.  

Something left to the imagination by The Black Crowes ????

When I saw "Let them eat pussy" album art by Nashville Pussy on the shelves in one of them supermarkets, I thought it was quite brave. My favourite album cover though is that by Yes - Close to the Edge.

TOBYJUG posted:

One my favourites.

Heck, I immediately thought of Cyndi Lauper's True Colours

I have a soft spot for Damien Rice album covers, love the art work and the simplicity of the design.  

It's the oldest trick in the pop playbook - put someone attractive on the front cover of an album. Generally, we all know that pretty girls (and to a lesser extent, pretty boys) shift product, be it recorded music, fags, cars or baked beans.

But Francoise Hardy is a bit different. The French chanteuse is certainly beautiful, and very sexy, but what makes her different from say, Debbie Harry or Dua Lipa is that there's a cool and elegant chic about the way she is portrayed on her record sleeves. She is style personified. She is neither sexualised or infantilised, but seems almost intellectual without appearing cold or unattainable. She seems to be in control of her destiny. She's the girl the really smart boys would love to date (well, thar's my story and I'm sticking with it ). 

The sleeves are also generally extremely evocative of a particular time and place (I think much of the lettering plays a part in this). I especially love Le Temps de Souvenirs (the one pictured below where she's wearing a mac and standing in a doorway). It couldn't have come from anywhere but France in the late 1960s.

Therefore very many of  my favourite covers have Ms Hardy on them.  You don't see covers like this any more. A pity.

This is another great FH cover. As ever she looks great (check out those cheekbones) but what's interesting about this sleeve is that she's not looking out, but to the side - lost in thought, perhaps; the gaze is not directed at the viewer, but to somewhere, something or someone else.

The photo is quite enigmatic, too. Where was it taken? What is all the other stuff? And is she making an impassioned speech, or singing?

Apoologies, I'm starting to repeat myself. But I think the picture is stunning. With the costume, she looks almost Arabic. Nice composition too, leaving plenty of space for the artist's name and song titles.

Kevin-W posted:

This is another great FH cover. As ever she looks great (check out those cheekbones) but what's interesting about this sleeve is that she's not looking out, but to the side - lost in thought, perhaps; the gaze is not directed at the viewer, but to somewhere, something or someone else.

The photo is quite enigmatic, too. Where was it taken? What is all the other stuff? And is she making an impassioned speech, or singing?

I've always gravitated towards great music from le femmes than any other genres. Thank you.

This is another minimalist beauty. A colour scheme of white, grey, black and green, superb composition and a great photo. There's a kind of unrestrained joy, perhaps at mischief soon to be made, here. This is obviously an album designed to give pleasure.

I don't have this record, but I've always wanted it, just for the cover if nothing else (though I do like Cal Tjader).

TOBYJUG posted:

There have been numerous threads for worst album cover in the past,   but what about your favourites ?

Might be that it simply best visually represents the music within.  Conjures memories of posters on the wall as a youth.  An image that caught your attention before hearing it.  Something that defined the way it was listened too.  An iconic image that has stood the test of time ?

I suspect I am not alone in thinking how physically ineffectual CD cover art is compared to the equivalent art on an LP, or even a 7".

Listening to this one seems incomplete without the image of this cover echoing between the ears.

And this one  

Ok, a few more.

1) This one needs no introduction, a seminal album, and one that still gets the occasional play by me over 50years on:

(Sgt Pepper, for anyone unable to see the image)

2) From just a year later, this album featured Hieronymus Bosch’s painting The Garden of Earthly Delights, in black and white. Interesting artwork, that you can view for hours and keep seeing different things...

It is Deep Purple’s third, self titled, album, justbefore their first lineup change and move to heavier rock. This one includes the delightful track April.

On the subject of visual art, not a strong subject of mine, artist that has featured on a number of records I like, with a characteristic style is Roger Dean  (and the paintings are quite something in the flesh). Yes albums of course, but I’ll post something less common from my collection:

Gentle Giant - Octopus. Not actually my favourite of their albums: that honour goes to Three Friends.

How could anyone not love this? Again, who cares what the music's like? You just want that cover (on LP of course):

Not favourite album covers, rather they are just memorable ones...

I had my first hifi system at the age of 15, and then regularly browsed the record shops in my local town. There were a couple of albums that as a fifteen year old boy in the days before internet and liberal TV I found a certain fascination when I came across them in record shops - but never dared buy, as my life would not have been worth it if my parents were to see them: i seem to recall whenever I was browsing my eyes would linger... 

1) Blind Faith (self titled):

2) Hendrix - Electric Ladyland:

I trust posting these doesn’t offend against modern decency rules. If they do I apologise, and moderator please remove.

Although this album cover is fairly new to me, it qualifies as a favorite......

.......it does bring a smile to my face!

How about this one? The Beatles’ White Album