Iconic. Androgynous. The use of color. Alien. Unmatched cool. Futuristic, yet telling of its time. The look Grace gives. Evocative of the music on the album. Perfect.
[Edited 11/20/09 2:13am]

Tortilla said:

I was about to post it and I couldn't have said it better.

Too many faves, but the ones that are at the top of my mind...






And finally.....



The liner notes say that the pic was taken when Ms.Holiday was listening to her own recording of 'I'm A Fool To Love You'(from the same album),,,,,I think her facial expressions speak for themselves.

purplepolitician said:

That's definitely a favorite.

I LOVE smart lettering, but I've always thought there was something so clever and cheeky about album covers, books and now even company signage and logos from which letters are absent. It's like the designer says, "Let those idiots figure things out on their own!"

Lammastide said:

In Prince' case though, I've always admired his obsession with subtle/hidden messages.

Imagine me, a grown woman sitting down with a magnifying glass and the cover album for 1999 trying to figure out the small objects,,,,and whateva lil' clues he must've thrown in there,,,,,I know, I got too much time on my hands

Harlepolis said:

Don't worry. I'm sure you aren't alone. When "Around the World in a Day" came out, I must've spent a good two hours trying to decypher the art before I even dropped the needle on the vinyl.

...

Don't know if I have one favorite , but this one is certainly near the top....

I wish I had a bigger example, but the entire wraparound gatefold of Earth Wind and Fire's All N' All , by the Japanese artist Shusei Nagaoka...I love the intricacy in his work....






...













...
[Edited 11/20/09 7:38am]

Cry Of Love-Jimi Hendrix-Jimi had been sayin that he felt like he was at the end,so the fact that he died b4 he could finish this album makes the cover so poingnant in wonderin if he knew/saw somethin we didn't....


I love any cover that shows the band/musician in action.....


Another curiostiy style album cover.....


This is one of those covers that makes one curious.....


This was one of the 1st albums I saw as a child that I couldn't stop starin at the photos wonderin what it was all about...

[Edited 11/20/09 8:22am]
[Edited 11/20/09 8:28am]
[Edited 11/20/09 8:29am]

I like these two because they're crude & ugly, just like the music inside.




I can't think of anything to say about this one other than I think it's bizarre & a little enigmatic - which again is a good representation of the album's contents.

I don't have a single favorite either.








Some of the ones at the top of the list would include Pete Turner's body of photographic work with CTI & A&M records.



Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

funkpill said:

My mom had that album in the basement, and when you unfold it, it has a naked woman with honey being poured on her. I used to sneak my friends in the basement so we could look at it...

Huggiebear said:

i do..
now let's see..



and the inside of the tri fold..



artwork..
and layout
[Edited 11/20/09 14:41pm]

ScarletScandal said:

..along with the rumor back then that the scream in Love Rollercoaster was her getting burned with hot honey

you all picked some good ones! some of my favorites:

LittleBLUECorvette said:

YES. IT. IS

not many contemporary titles here! Do they simply not make album covers like they used to?
OR are you guys associating the image with a GREAT album and thereby in your mind the image is also great? I know I do that

ZombieKitten said:

Nope

But there still are osme great contemporary ones. Lesse.....


The Roots






[Edited 11/20/09 15:19pm]

xlr8r said:

ZombieKitten said:

Imo, the answer would be a resounding NO.



Again, speaking for myself, the albums I selected were done by Pete Turner who was a great photographer first and used that talent to augment the great albums his skills were used on.



Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

ZombieKitten said:

The Roots

theAudience said:

back in the olden days, before photoshop, the photographers were king and it was all about the concept and execution of a striking image

did you like the storm thorgerson/hipgnosis covers?

it's so damn interesting, and so michael. i love the mystery of it. i always find something new when i look at it.
[Edited 11/20/09 15:35pm]

Just a dark, pensive, photo the matched the lyrical piano playing of Mr. Evans.

peb319 said:

YESS!!!! Thank you

It also had a model cut out of the ship on a pyramid shaped base. I have it.

There is a spec ed. of the album that came out on blue vinyl, and 2 of the 4 sings were on blue vinyl (two were purple). Found a pic:


It's one of the great concept albums to ever be produced. And you know more songs on that album than you might think. "Mr. Blue Sky" is used in endless commercials and movies.

Side 3 has 4 interconnected songs, subtitled "Concerto for a Rainy Day" that is just awesome in itself, and houses the "Mr. Blue Sky" song as well.

LittleBLUECorvette said:

LOVED that cover! I remember here being other takes on the cover art, that were never published on the album, but they showed up in a magazine around that time.

ZombieKitten said:

Those are quite good.
Not saying this is good or bad, but I don't detect a signature style as in Pete Turner's work.


Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

ZombieKitten said:

Roger Dean (who did covers for Yes, Asia, Uriah Heep, Osibisa, etc)...



...is another artist with a signature style.


Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 11/20/09 17:25pm]

TD3 said:

Here's another one where...



...the "face" says it all (Joe Zawinul)


Simple and to the point but expresses the intense nature of the music.



Music for adventurous listeners

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431
[Edited 11/20/09 18:54pm]

Huggiebear said:

I love that album cover.