Besides the two Jethro Tull albums already mentioned, Living in the Past had a faux-leather cover with a picture book bound inside, and A Passion Play had a mock theater program bound inside the gatefold.
Soft Machine’s self-titled first LP had a picture wheel cover, an idea later copied for Led Zeppelin III. Talking Heads’ Speaking in Tongues had a variation on the picture wheel idea, with a series of transparent plastic wheels covering a clear vinyl disc, designed by Robert Rauschenberg. Which reminds me of the first Faust album, on clear vinyl in a clear plastic cover, and even a clear plastic lyric sheet.
I’ve only seen it in blue plastic with only a sticker to indicate the album and group.
The Beatles (i.e., The White Album) was first published with the title embossed on the record; some early copies also had serial numbers. Later, the words were printed.
School’s Out by Alice Cooper opened like a grade school desk, and the record was covered by a pair of paper panties.
Public Image Limited was originally marketed in a round metal can.
Ogden’s Nut Gone Flake by the Small Faces was in a circular sleeve.
Rolling Stones Greatest Hits II was hexagonal.
The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys and Shootout at the Fantasy Factory by Traffic had two opposite corners cut off, making them six sided.
Tadpoles by the Bonzo Dog Band had a die cut cover. When you pulled the record from the sleeve, the pictures moved across the musicians’ faces.
Clear Spot by Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band was in clear vinyl.
In My Brother’s Blood Machine by The Prize Fighter Inferno (a one-man-band consisting of Claudio Sanchez of Coheed and Cambria,) the lyrics are printed on the backs of Tarot-esque cards printed on cardstock and included inside the sleeve.
Oh, I also hear that some packagings of Syd Barrett collections included relevant trinkets such as a sequined fan (which I am feeling left out of as my copy of Crazy Diamond had none of that. [hijack]But as it was available only on CD, I bought it before I even owned a CD player and bought one just to listen to it without hearing Syd outside of Floyd before[/hijack]
Naw, I’m pretty sure they were in the original release. The Beatles talk about the extras in the Anthology and how they had to scale back what they really wanted.
You may already be aware, but the batteries (I believe two AAs, but my copy is at work and I’m not so I can’t verify) are replaceable – just take the book containing the CDs and liner notes out, and there’s another cardboard sleeve that contains the batteries and light that can be taken out. I’ve replaced the batteries about three times since that album was released – it certainly sets it apart from the other CDs next to it.
“In Through The Out Door” had a few gimmicks. Besides the brown paper wrapper, there were four (maybe five?) different covers. You didn’t know which cover you got until after you bought the album, removed the shrink wrap, and took the album cover out of the brown paper wrapper. Each of the different covers was from the perspective of the various people in the bar.
Also, the inside sleeve had drawings that were coated with chemicals that would turn colors if you wiped it with a damp cloth.
Dan Hicks and his Hot Licks. “Striking it Rich” and “Where’s the Money” both had interesting album covers. “Striking” looked like a giant matchbook, the musicians’ heads replaced the match heads in the die cut on the inside. Both had cool, funny stuff also printed on the inner paper sleeves.
Dave Mason’s “Alone Together” had three panels when unfolded, the top one was die-cut around his top hat. The LP itself was pressed out of multi-colored vinyl.
John Lennon’s “Walls and Bridges” had a front made out of three horizontal sections that you could flip to mix and match. The artwork was stuff he drew as a kid.
A locally produced LP called “D.I.Y” (do it yourself) of various Southern artists came in a clear plastic sleeve. The LP was also clear plastic. If it weren’t for the label in the middle the darn thing would be hard to see.
I was not aware of that. I don’t have the album (they just weren’t the same Floyd after Waters left, IMO), so I assumed it was one of those embedded micro-batteries, like in the singing greeting cards. Ignorance fought.
I’m sure there was an album once that had a front composed of a sealed transparent plastic pouch of fake semi-liquid vomit. I can’t remember any of the other details, but I’m sure I saw it.