Album covers

[ludwig]

Brachipod's question below got me thinking about vinyl LP covers and how great they were compared to the poxy little booklet you get with a cd. 2 that spring to mind are Sgt Pepper with the gatefold sleeve and the cut out moustaches etc, and Led Zeppelin 3 with the turning round circly thing.
Works of art some of them. Anyone have any other favourites?

[Goldspot]

Electric Ladyland by Hendrix stood out , only coz i wasn't expecting it when i opened it up ! Plus (as a nod to Hendrix ), Kirsty MacColl released Electric Landlady , complete with stereotypical Landlady attire.. which still makes me chuckle.

[stoo_pid]

Won't be long til people are reminiscing about CD covers - everyone I know at work thinks album covers look like little yellow folders...

[raysparx]

Blood,Sweat & Tears, Did an album called 'Child is father to the man' that had a weird cover with little clones sitting on the band members laps,like little puppets The Moody Blues had some good covers as did Queen

[gary baldy]

There is an interesting parrallel between drugs and music.
Vinyl albums were perfect for skinning up on and suited pot smoking hippies. i dont think it is any coincedence therefore that cd's became popular in the 80's when horrible yuppies could snort cocaine off of their dire straits cd cover's.

My favourite has to be Whats Going On by Marvin Gaye which came in a lovely matt, canvas type cover originally. This gave lovely purchase for the paraphernalia associated with the activity mentioned above and served that purpose with finesse in my bed sit for many many years.

Most of the Factory Records cover were works of art in themselves. Joy division - Closer and Blue Monday by New order are just two that spring to mind out of many.

[littleoldme]

Pink Floyd had some interestingly arty album covers. Some would say that the cover of a Pink Floyd album was often the best thing about it. I, of course, couldn't possibly comment. ;-)

[delboy3]

UB40 had an album with a holograph on the cover, and my brother had a few that came with full-sized posters inside. I also had ones that had a paper hat inside, a comic, and a freebie 7" single. What do you get with CDs? Tiny print to strain your eyes and inserts that get caught & torn on the plastic tabs when you want to take them out (to strain your eyes to read them).

[delboy3]

...plus how many CD cases fall apart in your hands with bits of plastic flying everywhere? Can't fault the sound quality of CDs but the packaging breaks my heart.

[sithlord]

'Sticky Fingers' by the Stones and 'Rio' Duran Duran (classic 80's artwork)

[sithlord]

Almost forgot. All the early Roxy Music albums (Stranded, Country Life etc).The glossy magazine style images with the likes of Jerry Hall looked amazing.