I extremely love Rhythm Nation 1814 by Janet Jackson. Eschewing a friendly, fun image more conducive to '80s pop chart success, Janet Jackson adopted a militaristic tone for her instantly iconic black-and-white Rhythm Nation 1814 cover art.....That's why I like not only her song but also her soul in music. What about you? What is your favorite album cover?
Gentle Giant Octopus & Low Spark...unusual shapes Tull Thick As A Brick...funny! Hendrix Axis: Bold As Love, Abraxis & Miles’ Live/Evil, Dead Blues For Allah...psychedelic Stones Some Girls...and Talking Heads’ Remain In Light (b/c of what’s inside!)
Houses of the Holy - Led Zeppelin Yellow Submarine - The Beatles Duke - Genesis Year of the Cat - Al Stewart Draw the Line - Aerosmith Boston - Boston Who’s Next - The Who
Art is very subjective. Jazz music, in my opinion, had the best album covers. Many will say the Blue Note covers (Francis Wolff photography) but even before that there were the amazing David Stone Martin works for Clef, Verve, and Pablo. Also Andy Warholl's work on three Kenny Burrell's covers are classics. Some of the CTI covers have nice photography as well. For more modern works: War-The World Is A Ghetto Jimi Hendrix-Electric Ladyland (the version with the girls on the cover) Santana-Santana Cheap Thrills-Big Brother and the Holding Company (Janis Joplin)
Deutsche Grammophon as a record label prefers fine art as subject matter for many of its pressings. Covers to numerous to include here. Casper David Friedrich and additional “Symbolist” artists are personally my favorites.....
Blonde on Blonde, one of the first rock gatefolds. It really used the space with a fold out half-length photo of the artist in a suede jacket, the image slightly out of focus, seemingly alluding to the complex instrumentation of the music inside. This iconic 1966 image rock-star image gave way a couple of years later to the backwoodsman image, still in the same jacket. Happy 80th Bob.
Jethro Tull - Stand Up is a good one, also Roxy Music - For Your Pleasure as well as the first eponymous release. I also like the cover of Blue Skies by Stan Getz.
I know it's schmaltzy but 'Woodstock=Music From the Original Soundtrack and More'. I was a kid but loved the neighborhood hippies and that album photo identifies that period of my life. Too bad that era's culture changed so radically during the 1970's.
T. Rex - Electric Warrior (rock personified) Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (also see Santana Abraxas & Miles Live) Any Roger Dean cover (Yes, Osibisa, Uriah Heap, Asia, etc.) It's a Beautiful Day Zappa - Hot Rats Bowie - Ziggy Stardust Jane's Addiction - Nothing's Shocking Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction (Robert Williams original) The Dead - Axomoxoa (Rick Griffin is the BEST & his lettering is on many albums) .....so many more......
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