Coolest Album Covers

from JoeUser Forums
For me, there are two major ones.

First, Jefferson Starship's 1976 release Spitfire. Not necessarily because she's (I guess that's supposed to be Grace Slick), getting high, but also because of how the smoke curves around and becomes the dragon she's sitting on.



Second, Deep Purple's 1970 Deep Purple in Rock. Looks like a better use of Mount Rushmore to me.



So, what album covers make you say, "Wow, heavy, man!"?

Please don't post huge pics.
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Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top
I might be able to post some pics later today, but for me, Rush has some of the very best. Hugh Syme is just brilliant. Nothing beats the cover of 'Moving Pictures'. All the puns and plays on words:

There are movers who are literally 'moving pictures'
There are people looking at the pictures, emotionally moved by what they see, hence they are looking at 'moving pictures'
Open the cover and you can see that they are filming all this, making 'moving pictures' of people moving emotionally moving pictures.

Priceless.

I also love the inside work to 'Hold Your Fire', and 'Permanent Waves' is excellent as well.

The artwork on the cover of the Ayreon albums 'Into The Electric Castle', 'The Universal Migrator' and 'The Human Equation' by Bertels (I think that is his name) are awesome and very, very detailed as well.
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Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
Janis Joplin's Cheap Thrills album, the one with the Crumb cover art. Sorry about the size, it was this or a frickin' thumbnail.



I've got this one. I particularly love the hell's angels bit at the bottom right.
Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top
I will try to locate it, but the Moody Blues, especially Days of Future Passed, are awesome!  My vote is for Days of Future Passed!  Followed by the next 5 albums (Seventh Sojourn was kind of lame).
Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top
Nothing beats the cover of 'Moving Pictures'.


Yeah, that's a good one.

Spc Nobody Special: I like that one too. And it's not too big.

Dr. Guy: The Moodies do have some good ones, but I think In Search of the Lost Chord and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour are better than Days of Future Passed.
Reply #6 from JoeUser Forums Top
Yes has some really good ones. Roger Dean is great.
Reply #7 from JoeUser Forums Top

Dr. Guy: The Moodies do have some good ones, but I think In Search of the Lost Chord and Every Good Boy Deserves Favour are better than Days of Future Passed.

I love a conosieur!  But On the Threshold of a Dream, and A question of Balance!  They are better!  I did find the album art here:

http://www.jrj-socrates.com/RockAlbumPages/M%20Pages/Moody%20Blues%20pge1.htm

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top
oops
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
oops, again. I'll tell you my picks later when I can make it work. lol
Reply #10 from JoeUser Forums Top
Great Topic Iconoclast!!!!

That is one thing I think we are losing out on with MP3 technology. The next generations of recorded music won't come in a package. Musically there is nothing wrong with that, but I think what we will lose in album art is sad. Part of the fun of going to music stores was looking at the covers. I remember me and my friends talking about the album covers when we would talk about music and bands.



~Though not my favorite Van Halen album, the little angel stealing cigarettes on 1984 was a great cover concept!
~Cpt. Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy was one of my favorite "Fantasy Collage" style covers.
~The whole "Guitar Space Ship" theme of the Boston albums was both fun and a great theme for rock albums.



~What can I say more about the Kansas, Leftoverture cover. It was just Great!!
~The detail of the Molly Hatchet "Viking" covers were great. Truly put the Art back in Cover Art.
~Rush "Grace Under Pressure" is still on of my favorite Rush albums and Covers.



While I wish they would finally retire him (after 30 years), the Eddy is still one of the greatest Metal Mascots out there and was always up for having his picture on the cover! ;~D



Ok, nothing awesomely great about these covers.. but they were my first LP, Cassette Tape and CD... and you always remember your first... right? ;~D

{{{Whew, I guess 3rd time was the charm for this comment. Not sure what went wrong with my other attemps... enjoy the points!! ;~D }}}}}}}}}}}
Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top
Any Frank Zappa LP or CD cover
Reply #12 from JoeUser Forums Top
That is one thing I think we are losing out on with MP3 technology. The next generations of recorded music won't come in a package. Musically there is nothing wrong with that, but I think what we will lose in album art is sad.


True, ted. Some good picks. (Pics). I had thought about Grace Under Pressure. Leftoverture is real good.
The Molly Hatchet art is "Dark Kingdom" by Frank Frazetta. He was my first exposure to Sci-Fi/Fantasy art.

SSG Geezer: I don't know about you, but I can't see your pics.
Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top
The one thing we are losing now that vinyl is disappearing is Cover art!  CDs just dont cut it, unless it is the Beatles White album!
Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top
Roger Dean? Rush? The Moody Blues? What a bunch of old hippies! The cover of 'Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols' - now THAT is art! (And I'm not posting a thumbnail here; if you honestly don't know what it looks like, I suggest you go and buy it immediately!)
Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

(And I'm not posting a thumbnail here; if you honestly don't know what it looks like, I suggest you go and buy it immediately!)

Sorry, I only go for the highbrow stuff.  Sex Pistols are beneath me.

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top
Furry, I tried to come up with some newer covers myself, but alas, I have fallen to the modern era myself and get most my music from the internet. Not even sure what Evanescence, Three Doors Down, or even The Offspring's latest album covers look like.

Sex Pistols? Weren't they the ones who everyone thought sucked... until Sid Viscious died and made them international punk stars? ;~D
Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top
'Sex Pistols? Weren't they the ones who everyone thought sucked ... until Sid Viscious died and made them international punk stars?'

Everyone in the US perhaps, but not so in the UK. I saw them in 1977 and they were phenomenal. Indeed, many felt (and still feel, I should imagine) that it was when Vicious first JOINED the band (replacing Glen Matlock) that they became a parody of what they had once been. (I saw them a second time when they reformed in the mid-90s, with Matlock back in the fold, and they were tremendous.)

Anyway, isn't this thread supposed to be about album covers, not musical preference?