# Favorite album covers **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 13, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573 "2006-04-13T20:57:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/1 "2006-04-13T20:57:10Z")
I’m currently going through iTunes and attaching album covers to all of the full albums that are on my computer. That is, if I have all fifteen tracks of Gang of Four’s **Entertainment!** , then I add the album cover. Conversely, since I only have _Rock & Roll_ off of the Velvet Underground’s **Loaded** , I don’t add the cover. It saves a lot of time. This painstaking exercise is reminding me of some of my favorite album covers of all time. Sitting comfortably atop the heap has to be The Clash’s [London Calling](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004BZ0N/sr=8-1/qid=1144960558/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7826896-6446557?%5Fencoding=UTF8) , simply for the everlasting image of Paul Simonon smashing his bass onstage. The homage to [Elvis Presley](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:n1j4eaw54xg7) doesn’t hurt, either. The Minutemen’s [Double Nickels on the Dime](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:0cm1z81ajyv3) is definitely near the top, with Mike Watt’s smirking eyes in the rearview mirror, probably laughing at the small jab at Sammy Hagar’s _I Can’t Drive 55_. It’s like they’re saying, "You’re so rebellious that you can’t drive the speed limit? Well, we must be really lame because we drive 55 (double nickels) on the dime. :rolleyes: " It should be noted that the speedometer in the album’s picture is on 55 mph. You can’t really make that out at the link I provided. There are plenty more, like [Sgt. Pepper’s](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:21r67uy0h0jf) and [Dark Side of the Moon](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:6xkzu3q5an7k), but I’d rather hear from the rest of you. So how 'bout it? note: I had to link to Amazon for London Calling because the URL at allmusic had a consecutive : and o in it, which, when put together, make :o. Is there any way to get those two characters to display right next to each other without apparently embarrassing myself? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/2 "2006-04-13T21:44:00Z")
The Raybeats, [Guitar Beat](http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/R/raybeats_guitar.html) Flipper, [Public Flipper Ltd.](http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/flipper/public_flipper_limited/) (but it has to be the original version that folds out into the board for the Flipper on Tour game) Nick Lowe, [Pure Pop for Now People](http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/L/nick_lowe.html) (or, if you prefer, the British release, [Jesus of Cool](http://tralfaz-archives.com/coverart/L/lowe_cool.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/3 "2006-04-13T21:53:54Z")
> [@Team of Scientists](#): > > This painstaking exercise is reminding me of some of my favorite album covers of all time. Sitting comfortably atop the heap has to be The Clash’s [London Calling](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004BZ0N/sr=8-1/qid=1144960558/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7826896-6446557?%5Fencoding=UTF8)…The homage to [Elvis Presley](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:n1j4eaw54xg7) doesn’t hurt, either. Wow! I had no idea about that. Ya learn somethin’ new every day on the SDMB. Anyway, some particular favorite covers of mine: [Thirty Seconds Over Winterland](http://jeffersonairplane.com/winterland.html) - Jefferson Airplane (this image ‘inspired’ the famous screensaver that appeared about 20 years later). [the B-52’s](http://www.mulch.demon.co.uk/b52s/albums/theb52s/theb52s.jpg) - I have no idea why I get such a kick out of this cover. Perhaps it’s Kate Pierson posing with her hand, as if she’s shooting laser beams like some superhero character. I also find it very amusing that they bothered to give credit to their hairstylist on the back cover ('Hairdos by - LaVerne.") [Peter Gabriel (3)](http://rec.horus.at/music/gabriel/Lyrics/pg3.gif) - just so very cool. [Nothing’s Shocking](http://www.links.net/vita/muzik/janes/pix/ns.gif) - Jane’s Addiction. I bought this Lp for the cover alone - I had no idea who Jane’s Addiction were before I saw it. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/4 "2006-04-13T22:03:27Z")
Emerson Lake and Palmer’s [Brain Salad Surgery](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000033TE/ref=dp_image_0/102-5329784-2628137?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music) , even though they airbrushed out the penis. It was drawn by H.R. Giger, of “Alien” fame. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/5 "2006-04-13T22:13:42Z")
[Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000AOF9UW.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) and of course [Whipped Cream and other Delights](http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0007MRXUQ.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg) I saw that album when I was a young lad and it made me rethink the whole “girls are yuckky” theory. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/6 "2006-04-13T23:01:29Z")
I remember the Whipped Cream album as a kid…definitely a yowza! My contribution: [Sticky Fingers](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00001R3GC/sr=8-2/qid=1144969151/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-0309290-4797422?%5Fencoding=UTF8), but only the LP version with the real working zipper. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Scrivener](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@The\_Scrivener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Scrivener)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/7 "2006-04-13T23:13:15Z")
One Stones cover deserves another: **Some Girls** , with the sliding-faces-inner-sleeve packaging (recreated for a limited-edition CD, BTW). For sheer visual flair, Supertramp’s **Breakfast in America**. Lower Manhattan never looked so good! ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/8 "2006-04-13T23:25:10Z")
Just a few at random… John Abercrombie: [Gateway](http://progmusique.ledico.free.fr/images/Imagecom-abercrombie.jpg) Fripp and Eno: [No Pussyfooting](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000003S26.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) (To get the full effect, you need the original 12" gatefold sleeve with the variations of the image on each of the four panels. To this day, I trim my beard like Robert Fripp in this picture.) Jimi Hendrix: [Electric Ladyland](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000002P5U.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) (The American version–much as I love pictures of nude ladies, this cover is far more striking than the naughty European one.) Albert King: [Born Under a Bad Sign](http://www.bluebeat.com/albums/3012) King Crimson: [Larks’ Tongues in Aspic](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Larks_tongues_in_aspic_album_cover.jpg) (A girlfriend who was tattooed once suggested I should get one too. Now, I have no particular desire to decorate my skin, but if I were to do so, I think would ask for this image.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/9 "2006-04-13T23:31:28Z")
Most of the Hypgnosis covers for Pink Floyd are great, but I’ll give the edge to [Ummagumma](http://www.travis-usa.com/images/Music/Ummagumma_200a.jpg) (link goes to the US version). It subtle, but amazing. The cover for [Flash in the Pan](http://www.crabsodyinblue.com/flashandthepanflashandthepan.jpg) was also quite good (I think that may be by Hypgnosis, too). But it was topped by their second album **Lights in the Night**. No picture can do it justice (and I can’t seem to find one): I looks like it’s completely black except for some scratches here and there. But if you looked at it closely, you’d see the cover from their first album beneath the black, as though they painted over it. [Who’s Next](http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Tips/WhoNext.jpg) is pretty funny when you realize what it’s portraying. (Hint: check out the stains on the monolith.) For pure sex, there’s the original cover to Supertramp’s **Indelibly Stamped**. I won’t link to it, but the odd thing is that all the images on the Internet are black and white: the original was in glorious color. For even grosser sex, there’s the infamous **Mom’s Apple Pie** cover. Not a favorite of mine, but a legend. The cover to [Thick as a Brick](http://remus.rutgers.edu/JethroTull/Photos/thick_as_a_brick.jpg) was great – not much to look out, but originally it folded up into newspaper size, with a newspaper inside. I liked the cover to [Delaney and Bonnie and Friends On Stage with Eric Clapton](http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~garp/hari/others/18p22854.jpg), because of the big-name musician whose feet are on the cover. Bob Dylan. He had no connection with the group, but they liked the photo. The cover to the Jefferson Airplane’s [Bless Its Pointed Little Head](http://bluestormmusic.com/store/images/jeffersonairplane_blessits.jpg) always intrigued me. What was going on there? ---
**Author:** ![Caprese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9a28c/32.png) [@Caprese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caprese)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/10 "2006-04-13T23:33:46Z")
Jethro Tull’s Stand Up Beautiful, intricately worked woodcut, then you open up the album and yes–a cut-out of the band Stands (pops) UP at you. Also enjoyed Jethro Tull’s Aqualung album cover. Those were the days. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Goob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c77e96/32.png) [@Mr.Goob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Goob)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/11 "2006-04-13T23:36:51Z")
For sheer simplicity my fav is [sip arriving too late to save a drowning witch](http://www.science.uva.nl/~robbert/zappa/albums/Ship_Arriving_Too_Late_To_Save_A_Drowning_Witch/) by Frank Zappa. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/12 "2006-04-13T23:43:12Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > [Who’s Next](http://www.muzieklijstjes.nl/Tips/WhoNext.jpg) is pretty funny when you realize what it’s portraying. (Hint: check out the stains on the monolith.) “When you realize”? How can you not get it at first glance? Three of them are still in the process of zipping up! It’s the fact that the concrete plinth is supposed to be a reference to the monolith from _2001_ that I didn’t catch. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Tan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charlie_tan/32/12582_2.png) [@Charlie\_Tan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Tan)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/13 "2006-04-13T23:46:36Z")
[Ohio Players - Honey](http://averytooley.com/teacher/media/1/20051025-in_honey.jpg). No, it’s not SFW. The front cover was a bit more tame: [Pic.](http://images.windowsmedia.com/img/prov_u/300_80/00042284834728_800x800.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2006, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/14 "2006-04-13T23:53:30Z")
[Relayer by Yes.](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/customer-images/B00007LTIB/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_0/102-8892069-8342561?%5Fencoding=UTF8&s=music&index=0#gallery) I love [Roger Dean’s Artwork](http://www.rogerdean.com/). Jim ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/15 "2006-04-14T00:00:40Z")
_Buckingham Nicks_ _Hasten Down The Wind_ - Linda Ronstadt _Country Life_ - Roxy Music I think I see a theme here… ---
**Author:** ![JohnBckWLD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d6d6ee/32.png) [@JohnBckWLD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnBckWLD)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/16 "2006-04-14T00:08:16Z")
> [@Team of Scientists](#): > > [London Calling](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004BZ0N/sr=8-1/qid=1144960558/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7826896-6446557?%5Fencoding=UTF8) , simply for the everlasting image of Paul Simonon smashing his bass onstage. The homage to [Elvis Presley](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:n1j4eaw54xg7) doesn’t hurt, either… To quote Greg Kihn, “Where were you, [when I needed you](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=363312)?” The one’s that come to mind (for artistic value) in no order. 1. [Wish You Were Here](http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=974) - Pink Floyd 2. Maybe I’m a closet pyro, but I also like [Nothing’s Shocking](http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=1927) by Jane’s Addiction 3. Speaking of shock, The Dwarves [Blood Guts & Pussy](http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=14723) 4. Singles 1990-1988 - Massive Attack’s 10 CD Single Collection 5. John Zorn & Naked City’s [Naked City](http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/john_zorn/naked_city/) album 6 [Puzzle](http://rateyourmusic.com/misc/link_image?album_id=21791) - By Dada 6. Pretty much anything by Acid Mothers Temple I recently noticed how much I like the artwork on Gomez’s [In Our Gun](http://www.totalfree.at/covers/Audio%201/GrafikAudio/gomez_2002_-_in_our_gun_a.jpg) album. So much so, I’m seriously considering purchasing artwork by the painter [Jonathan Purday](http://images.google.com/images?q=%22Jonathan+Purday%22&svnum=10&hl=en&lr=&safe=off&rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-30,GGLG:en&start=20&sa=N&filter=0) **Team of Scientists** , you may not notice the art link sources, but I strongly recommend [Rate Your Music](http://rateyourmusic.com/) as the only source CD cover artwork (unless you scan them yourself). Their image quality far exceeds anything you’ll find on Google images and their content, ratings and user lists are all quite good. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/17 "2006-04-14T01:45:33Z")
My favorites include … **Recoil** [Liquid](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004RJ1G/sr=8-2/qid=1144978983/ref=pd_bbs_2/002-9376170-9425669?%5Fencoding=UTF8) **mesh** [The Point at which it falls apart](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004Z3UC/qid=1144979036/sr=2-2/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_2/002-9376170-9425669?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) **The Echoing Green** [The Winter of our discontent](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00008YFVV/qid=1144979086/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/002-9376170-9425669?s=music&v=glance&n=5174) ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/18 "2006-04-14T02:03:14Z")
_The Durutti Column_’s [Sandpaper sleeve](http://cerysmaticfactory.info/fact14.html) designed to destroy the sleeves of your other albums. _PiL_’s **Metal Box** released as 3 12" 45s in a silver film canister with logo was pretty cool too. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/19 "2006-04-14T02:17:41Z")
My all-time favorite is R. Crumb’s cover for [_Cheap Thrills_](http://www.zubeworld.com/crumbmuseum/album1.html) by Big Brother and the Holding Company. ---
**Author:** ![some\_white\_dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b487fb/32.png) [@some\_white\_dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/some_white_dude)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2006, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573/20 "2006-04-14T02:58:19Z")
> [@JohnBckWLD](#): > > **Team of Scientists** , you may not notice the art link sources, but I strongly recommend [Rate Your Music](http://rateyourmusic.com/) as the only source CD cover artwork (unless you scan them yourself). Their image quality far exceeds anything you’ll find on Google images and their content, ratings and user lists are all quite good. Thanks for the tip. Sorry I missed your thread. I definitely would have mentioned Devendra Banhart’s [Cripple Crow](http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/devendra_banhart/cripple_crow/) as paying homage to obvious influences. It’s always a shame when such an interesting OP slips through the front pages. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/favorite-album-covers/352573.md?page=2)