Either Crown of Creation or Bless It’s Pointed Little Head by Jefferson Airplane
The minimalist cover for Patti Smith’s Horses is a literal work of art by photographer (and Smith’s soulmate) Robert Mapplethorpe.
and here’s the obligatory link to the infamous Mom’s Apple Pie cover that must be included in every roundup of ‘best album covers’ ever. (Fair warning: It is definitely NSFW, though the picture is subtle enough that the offensiveness may be missed by a casual glance.)
Donovan-“Cosmic Wheels”, especially if the inside of the jacket hasn’t already been colored in by somebody else.
Kiss - Destroyer & Rock-N-Roll Over
Good one.
This also inspired the following Pat Cooper album cover:
http://franklarosa.com/vinyl/BigImg/cooper.jpg
Actually, I have a great fondness for the album covers Westminster Gold came up with. Their art team must’ve been high, or at least thoroughly unconcerned abiout public opinion, because their covers in the 1970s were wild.
Here’s Julian Bream Plays Bach, taken literally.
And Gustav Holt’s The Planets:
http://www.velvetglass.com/Etcetera/artofthealbum/art%20of%20the%20album%20Albums/space/DSC_5857.jpg
Opera Without Words (It’s over – The Fat Lady Can’t Sing):
Mozart’s Eine Leine Nachitmusik. Well represented by a cast-off bra:
Julian Bream’s Greatest Hits:
and Virgil Fox’s Greatest Hits:
Flute and Harpsichord Sonatas. If you don’t get it, stare at it for a while and let the title sink in:
Airs (“Ayres”) for Four Voices:
Handel Arias. This one might take a minute, too:
And, of couse, Die Walkurie:
Here are several more:
I realize that they’re not the kind of album that the OP had in mind, but I really like the hyperdramatic comic-book-style renderings of the covers of the albums put out by High Camp Records:
While perhaps not my all time favorite, this does the best combination of pure art and telling you what’s inside the tin. Having seen the cover for years, having heard it, it was exactly what I expected from the cover: slightly psychedelic, slightly folky metal.
David Stone Martin did some of the greatest jazz album design ever in the 1950s, mainly for the Verve label. Just scroll down this image list…
I’ve always loved this one, too. Supposedly the album got the title when Gracie saw the photo of Casady passed out on the banquet table and said “awwww…bless its pointed little head.”
Great performance, too. The Jefferson Airplane Live at Fillmore West proves just how awful the Airplane could be on an off night.
In fact, Casady desrved to have that cover to himself, as his performance on The Other Side Of This Life has been my favorite by any bass guitarist for 47 years now, with It’s No Secret and Plastic Fantastic Lover tied for second favorites. The man was amazing. I was surprised to learn recently that he’s a little guy, always imagined him being seven feet tall.
God yes. Hard to believe it’s the same band.
BTW, I like your name. Just the other night we were playing cards with my wife’s (much) younger cousin. She’s 24, has wonderfully catholic taste in music, and also happens to be an aficiando of Disney movies old and new.
With that in mind, I put on a cd of Ukulele Ike singing and playing solo. After a while she asked who he was, and I told her and added that she’s heard his voice before. She agreed that his voice was familiar but couldn’t quite place him. When I finally clued her in, she got a kick out of it, and was impressed by my store of old fart trivia.
(For you eavesdroppers… Ukulele Ike was the voice of Jiminy Cricket.)
I have a context-based fondness for this portrait of Yvonne Minton, on the cover of an album of Mahler songs.
It was this picture, of a lovely singer, that persuaded my mother (who had been traumatized by Ernestine Schumann-Heink at a tender age) that vocal works might be worth listening to. (Yeah, judging by appearances, that’s me mum!)
Jack Casady is a huge talent. I would put him up there with Steve Swallow.
Jethro Tull - Songs From The Wood. Its a photorealistic painting. Apparently, there was much debate as to whether it was a photo or painting when it was released. The detail is incredible. This image isn’t so good. BTW, a great album.
Help me out here, what makes this NSFW?
Those aren’t apples … and that ain’t apple juice.
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