Country Life - Roxy Music or Candy-O - The Cars. What can I say, I was about 12 when I first saw them. Not recommended if this a a work computer.
When I saw this I thought, “The brown paper bag?” Cause that’s what I think of as the cover.
I also like “The Beatles’ White Album” and “Spinal Tap’s Smell The Glove” covers.
I’ve always had a particular fondness for the Smashing Pumpkins’ Siamese Dream. Everything about it is just perfect for me, and so it has been my lifelong favorite album cover.
Also like Explosions in The Sky’s The Earth is Not a Cold Dead Place.
All good suggestions.
Might I propose some covers to avoid?
There’s the Mom’s Apple Pie cover which features a vagina in the cut out wedge.
Carnivorous Erection. ‘Nuff said. (You’ll have to google that one. I don’t want to get in trouble.)
I’d also avoid the Two Virgins cover featuring John and Yoko in their birthday suits. No need for a link. We’ve all seen it.
What?
A few came to mind before I opened the thread:
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Elton John. The full three-panel tryptich. Something about the technique–yes, it’s all pastel colors and could perhaps be a little more in focus in spots, but the detail in the work made great use of the large size that LP jackets (especially double ones) afforded.
Crisis? What Crisis?, Supertramp. The juxtaposition of the sooty, grimy city with the blissfully-ignorant man in the beach chair is still a bit of a shock.
Foxtrot, Genesis. Again, a multi-panel cover, front and back. A story of a frustrated foxhunt in a picture. Look carefully, and see elements in the background that relate to the song “Supper’s Ready” on the LP, and to the album Selling England by the Pound.
I thought the original Appetite for Destruction album cover, though morally questionable was also extremely powerful.
The ELP Giger album cover is great, but that uses existant art (I think the Giger Image wasn’t made for the Album originally) so I don’t think it can really count.
Pet Shop Boys have some great Album covers as well.
Us old timers also remember the original Pink Floyd “Wish You Were Here” cover. The album was originally released in blue plastic shrink wrap; you couldn’t see the cover unless you bought it.
I could go on and on but here are some of my favorites:
Feast of Wire by Calexico. I just love the naughty punk skater girl, and I love that the image is completely incongruous with the kind of music they play. If that girl were real, she would definitely not listen to Calexico.
The Fruit that Ate Itself by Modest Mouse. Such a mysterious, cryptic album title, and a creepy desolate landscape to go with it.
The Biz by The Sea and Cake. They always have great artwork on their albums.
Musipal by Wagon Christ. A little robot guy glances curiously at a heap of weird, obscure machinery, all drawn in a hip R. Crump type LSD-comix style.
Blind Faith will definitely get you talked about around the office. :eek:
Linda Ronstadt’s Hasten Down The Wind also makes a nice desktop.
I forgot to mention that I also love the cover art to Depeche Mode’s A Broken Frame. I believe the photo won some awards in its day.
Thanks for all the suggestions. This is not a work computer, so that may help. I have changed my wallpaper, but will not say what I chose until all the suggestions have run out.
Also, remember I was looking for album covers. The shrinkwrap doesn’t count.
SGT Schwartz
Yay, I get to be the first to mention REM’s first album!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:REM_Murmur_cover.jpg- It’s an absolute classic. It’s just as compelling and mysterious as the music on it.
The cover art for Chronic Town is great too.
Some others:
Massive Attack- Mezzanine
Faith No More Angel Dust
Echo and the Bunnymen- Crocodiles
Holy Moly! :eek:
Miles Davis’ “Porgy and Bess”. Cool, Cool, Cool.
“Miles In The Sky” is also fantastic.
mm
Nazareth Hair of the Dog , Expect no Mercy or No Mean City
Or Jethro Tull Broadsword and the Beast
All have been my wallpaper at one time or another.