The art of the album cover

[Ayrshire Chris]

For those like me who pine for the days of the gatefold sleeve with intricate artwork by Roger Dean and others, a heads up that Sky Arts is showing this documentary on the evolution of album covers on Tuesday 5th. Covers such as in the court of the crimson king and Yes albums, love em! 

[fred quimby]

Will watch that, thanks for the heads up

[blutarsky]

Nothing beats Is This It 

[Supernintendo Chalmers]

Obviously there are hundreds of great images but a great cover that immediately springs to my mind is Revenge of the Goldfish by Inspiral Carpets, one of the first CD albums I ever bought

[buddiepaul]

My favourite cover artist is James Marsh who created all the Talk Talk covers, both singles and albums.

 

 

Link to an interesting interview with James Marsh

https://albumcoverhalloffame.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/james-marsh-talk-talk-interview/

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by buddiepaul

[gfa]

  

I like the scrappy kind of style of the new abnormal / sport's teams album.

exit planet dust i like too, very simple good aesthetic.

My favourite would be How to be a human being by glass animals though - each character links to a song which is pretty cool and I like the pixelly logo.

---

edit: Is This It is also great, so simple and iconic. The US cover is pretty cool too but not quite the booty glove

 

Edited April 4, 2022 by gfa

[Toilet Duck]

5 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

For those like me who pine for the days of the gatefold sleeve with intricate artwork by Roger Dean and others, a heads up that Sky Arts is showing this documentary on the evolution of album covers on Tuesday 5th. Covers such as in the court of the crimson king and Yes albums, love em! 

Thanks Chris, popped it into the planner to record! Vaughan Oliver would be my own personal favourite, probably have more of his work in my collection than any other artist! Cheers for the heads up!

[Neil]

10 hours ago, Supernintendo Chalmers said:

Obviously there are hundreds of great images but a great cover that immediately springs to my mind is Revenge of the Goldfish by Inspiral Carpets, one of the first CD albums I ever bought

the revenge of the goldfish should be the fish biting an arse in revenge of all the flshed fish.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Neil

[Losing my hair]

Probably the one that started the album cover as art thing. 

[Wanderlei]

Underground by Thelonious Monk is my favourite. And also Bridge Over Troubled Water, because if you put your finger on Simon's face it looks like Garfunkel has a huge handlebar moustache

[Avalon_Fields]

The Sky Arts music photography series was fantastic. 

[rubick]

13 hours ago, Ayrshire Chris said:

For those like me who pine for the days of the gatefold sleeve with intricate artwork by Roger Dean and others, a heads up that Sky Arts is showing this documentary on the evolution of album covers on Tuesday 5th. Covers such as in the court of the crimson king and Yes albums, love em! 

I bought this a few years ago, full of classics!

https://thevinylfactory.com/news/vinyl-album-cover-art-hipgnosis-book/

[deepkittycaz]

2 minutes ago, rubick said:

I bought this a few years ago, full of classics!

https://thevinylfactory.com/news/vinyl-album-cover-art-hipgnosis-book/

I've got that as well, great stories behind some absolute classics.

[maelzoid]

I am a big fan of Higpnosis, and have this book which predates the other one here:

Also love Vaughan Oliver's work for 4AD. He totally established a new style which will be forever bound to the label and its sound.

[Watergirl]

https://www.songlines.co.uk/features/ten-album-covers-that-changed-world-music?fbclid=IwAR2dyZG9ysI4M_shZKPIovrsFPv9U3F8f2dgSw_QDMbm-ti4_6NoMgTUTLM#.Ykgq4N61-C0.facebook

[Quark]

Nice.  There's one on straight after about the artwork for illustrated movie posters as well, a nice one-two.

[Obiginnaw]

cliche, but nothing beats it for me

[lessthanwill1]

Will have to check this out, thanks! I’m very into my album artwork and will often buy something in a store based on the artwork alone.  

My absolute favourite is probably And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out. Here are my favourites: 
 

 

 

[Ayrshire Chris]

First album I ever bought. King Crimson, in the court of the crimson king.( Bob Fripp before he met Toyah!). Great gatefold sleeve

Edited September 18 by Ayrshire Chris

[MEGATRONICMEATWAGON]

 

One of my favourites.

[Spindles]

Simple and effective.

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

 

 

 

 

[Ben7amin_]

Underrated album cover, underrated album all round.   The cover of the self titled album was also great.  

 

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

I gave away a mint condition vinyl album of this one (see below) - in fact I gave away my entire (it didn't add up to that many vinyl singles, or albums) record collection. I did it in 'one fell swoop'. Yes, in the blink of an eye I had, essentially, managed to achieve the impossible. It's a bit like when I asked a plasterer for a quote. He gave me the verbal quote, we got slaughtered drunk, and by the end of the night I had talked the price up to £200 more than he had asked for. Doh!

 

[Ayrshire Chris]

One big regret I have is when I sold my copy of the Glastonbury Fayre triple album back in the early seventies. Sold it through an advert in melody maker for a fiver. It was the first pressing and in mint condition. Really needs the cash!  Tracks from Bowie,Gong, Hawkwind, Pink Fairies etc. The sleeve contained a booklet, poster and a fold up pyramid. Collectors item now, wonder who bought it from me. I remember posting it to Derby!