# Share great album covers for non-classical music



## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Classical music albums aren't the only thing that have great album covers. In fact, I would like have this thread to share some awesome album covers that non-classical albums have.

Any favs?

Here is one:


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Actually, most classical covers are pretty boring and not very creative, IMHO.

The best covers come from other genres. I could list 100's.

Here's one from 2008. Progressive/technical metal band, Cynic, had this beautiful cover for the album, "Traced in Air".


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Klaus Schulze - Black dance (made by Urs Amann, this one is probably my favorite album cover)

and a strange one, the cover for Pigs for Leper: while this is repulsive and disturbing (well, talking of band called Smegma...) I find it also fascinating and perfect for the music of the album.
http://www.progarchives.com/progressive_rock_discography_covers/5114/cover_381519212010.jpg


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Obligatory blog topic link.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Art Rock said:


> Obligatory blog topic link.


Great blog! I dig it.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

Unhalfbricking

(Mr & Mrs Denny)


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## SimonNZ (Jul 12, 2012)

^ Unhalfbricking is a great choice. I've always been fascinated by that cover. I suspect it may have been a "happy accident" that all the elements ended up working so well together.


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## Wood (Feb 21, 2013)

SimonNZ said:


> ^ Unhalfbricking is a great choice. I've always been fascinated by that cover. I suspect it may have been a "happy accident" that all the elements ended up working so well together.


Yes, I think it was. I recall reading that the photographer was taking pictures of the band in the garden, but nothing was working. Then Mrs D came out with drinks and they decided to try something different. IIRC the band are in the shot by accident.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Wood said:


> Yes, I think it was. I recall reading that the photographer was taking pictures of the band in the garden, but nothing was working. Then Mrs D came out with drinks and they decided to try something different. IIRC the band are in the shot by accident.


I've sometimes wondered if anyone unfamiliar with the band thought Sandy Denny's parents WERE Fairport Convention when seeing the front of the sleeve for the first time. 

I like this - Charlie Haden in particular looks like he should be in Reservoir Dogs...


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


> I've sometimes wondered if anyone unfamiliar with the band thought Sandy Denny's parents WERE Fairport Convention when seeing the front of the sleeve for the first time.
> 
> I like this - Charlie Haden in particular looks like he should be in Reservoir Dogs...


Wow for a jazz cover just perfect for the masked avengers.


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

When it comes to jazz, I've always been a little partial to the ECM covers.

I love the impressionistic feel to many of the photos used.

For example,

This one for Ralph Towner's, "Old Friends, New Friends"









This one for the Art Ensemble of Chicago's, "Full Force"









Barre Philips, "Mountainscapes"


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

elgars ghost said:


>


The band Mostly Other People Do the Killing lampooned/honored that Ornette LP when they released this one:










MOPDTK has done this with several classic jazz album covers.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

there's also this one


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## Weston (Jul 11, 2008)

I'm pretty old school. I love all the Roger Dean covers from the 70s to the present which seem to have been pirated or at least heavily mined for the movie Avatar.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I love the innovative album covers for three of Arcade Fire's albums... Neon Bible, The Suburbs, and Reflektor.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Another perfectly shot album cover is the expanded version for Lana Del Rey's first album:


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## Simon Moon (Oct 10, 2013)

Weston said:


> I'm pretty old school. I love all the Roger Dean covers from the 70s to the present which seem to have been pirated or at least heavily mined for the movie Avatar.


I was going to post a couple Roger Dean's, but I knew other people probably would.

Dean attempted to sue Cameron, but was not successful.

Patrick Woodroffe also did some very nice covers.

This one is actually for a mediocre album by keyboardist David Greenslade, but the artwork (which is an oversized hard cover is great).


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

For a recent release, I really dig this album cover quite a bit. Very political and ironic.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

Benoit Pioulard - Precis








Jackie Mclean - Jacknife (I like the lettering on this one)

and a well known classic







Thelonious Monk - Underground


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)




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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

Saul Bass designed a number of album covers, including these:


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

GreenMamba said:


> Saul Bass designed a number of album covers, including these:
> 
> View attachment 63799
> 
> ...


Love Bass's work - a graphic design legend.


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## Morimur (Jan 23, 2014)

*Some great album covers/package design by Stefan Sagmeister, Graphic Designer*


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

For jazz, I hope that people don't think this too sexist but I love this cover:


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Here are a couple from LPs I have in my "Punk Rock" collection. The covers may be of greater interest than the music in some cases.

First, the Shaved Pigs and their album "Breakfast is Served".









And this one is quite irreverent. The Feederz, "Teachers in Space".









And then this, part of my collection of "punk" rock albums with teethy covers: The Swans first album, from about 1983: "Filth".









A great punk rock cover makes a statement and an impact and becomes unforgettable, even if the music does. Here is Code of Honor's cover for their mid '80s EP "Beware the Savage Jaw".


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Too, I love psychedelic age LP covers, such as those from 13th Floor Elevators:









Van der Graaf Generator:









and Chocolate Watchband:










These are, again, albums I have in my collection.


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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

andy summers, robert fripp - bewitched (the picture is a work of Antoni Tapies)


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## ptr (Jan 22, 2013)

*david sylvian "manafon"* (2009)









*mark hollis "sna"* (1998)









*frank zappa "Sheik Yerbouti"* (1979)









*Jon Lord & Hoochie Coochie Men "Danger White Men Dancing"* (2007)









*sparks "propaganda"* (1974)

/ptr


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

Simon Moon said:


> I was going to post a couple Roger Dean's, but I knew other people probably would.
> 
> Dean attempted to sue Cameron, but was not successful.
> 
> ...


I bought the Pentateuch and although I'd have been happy had the music not been included I suppose it did serve its purpose in complimenting the story even if it didn't exactly embellish it.


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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)




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## quack (Oct 13, 2011)

albertfallickwang said:


> For jazz, I hope that people don't think this too sexist but I love this cover:
> 
> View attachment 63805


It's not sexist if there is balance:









Love that herring, and one for the classical fans:


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

For me, *the* iconic rap album cover:









If you've been around long enough, just a close up of your face works (Miles Davis' Tutu):


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)




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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

For hip hop I definitely give props to the following covers:









and









and


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## Guest (Feb 15, 2015)

No mention yet of Hipgnosis?

View attachment 63935

View attachment 63936

View attachment 63937


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)




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## elgar's ghost (Aug 8, 2010)

The Stranglers' Black & White - a masterstroke by the photographer to give pride of place to a less-than-chuffed Jet Black (allegedly nursing a hangover at the time):










An understated but classic King Crimson sleeve:










And I like this, too:


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## aajj (Dec 28, 2014)

^^^ Classic King Crimson album.

This one is definitely _not _under-stated but it goes handily with the first song on the album, "21st Century Schizoid Man." The ear was on the back cover.

View attachment 63963


Monk looking happy & relaxed on this solo collection.

View attachment 63964


Vintage Stevie.


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## Vronsky (Jan 5, 2015)

Pere Ubu -- _The Art of Walking _(1980)


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

I'm surprised no one's brought up










ANyway, some that I like:




























This one's funny:


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## Cosmos (Jun 28, 2013)

This one's for a musical: minimalistic and sensual


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Neil Young


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

It's scary, as I look over the covers posted here, to realize just how many of these are in my personal collection. What have I been doing all these years. Where did I go wrong?

Great album covers, of course, prove iconic and remain open to imitation. We've seen a couple of them listed here already. Here's another. The Beatles _Sgt Pepper _album.









And the following, which are part of my collection. First, from the punk rockers who did it this way on the _Burning Ambitions _compilation:










_Sergeant Pepper Knew My Father _was a benefit album for Childline that included a load of late eighties British alterna-rockers covering The Beatles' _Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band _in its entirety.









See here for quite a listing of images which parody that original album cover above: http://www.amiright.com/album-covers/sgt-peppers-parodies/

And that wasn't the only great Beatles cover to inspire others. The original _Meet the Beatles _featuring the headshots of the fab four has been done up brilliantly in a parody by The Residents, nonetheless:










And how about _Abbey Road_, just to name another. And the Red Hot Somethings or Other.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

I've always loved the cover of Stan Getz's _Communication '72_.










The painting is by Raymond Moretti.


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Frank Zappa & The Mothers did the classic Beatles parody 47 years ago.


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly








One of the best, IMO.


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## MJongo (Aug 6, 2011)

In the Aeroplane over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel


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## tortkis (Jul 13, 2013)

JACE said:


> The band Mostly Other People Do the Killing lampooned/honored that Ornette LP when they released this one:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I have Coimbra Concert.









Of course, the original is Keith Jarrett's The Köln Concert. This is a great cover.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

From the annals of Wu:


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

One of the most provocative but awesome pop CD's


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Easily one of my favorite trip hop album covers... a throwback to black and white 50's torch pop.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

One of the most hilarious rap covers ever:









Why a bearskin rug beats me to the punch.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

I love the photography on this cover:


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Nice sexual pun involved here:


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

BTW, due to the nudity of some of my favorite rock albums, I can't post photos here.

But I really do like the cover for Blind Faith's album Blind Faith.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

GreenMamba said:


> For me, *the* iconic rap album cover:
> 
> View attachment 63907
> 
> ...


One of my favorite rap producers Pete Rock did an allusion to Miles' cover in his Soul Survivor II.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

tortkis said:


> I have Coimbra Concert.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Curious if Keith Jarrett got his idea from Bill Evans?


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## GreenMamba (Oct 14, 2012)

albertfallickwang said:


> BTW, due to the nudity of some of my favorite rock albums, I can't post photos here.
> 
> But I really do like the cover for Blind Faith's album Blind Faith.


It's hard to imagine that cover ever getting made these days. One of the most infamous covers ever, along with Two Virgins and the butcher cover for Yesterday and Today. Not to mention the original Smell the Glove.


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## JACE (Jul 18, 2014)

albertfallickwang said:


> I love the photography on this cover:
> 
> View attachment 64033


Albert, you've heard about the controversy with this album's cover photograph, right?

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/16/vampire-weekend-contra-cover-star

A strange story.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

JACE said:


> Albert, you've heard about the controversy with this album's cover photograph, right?
> 
> http://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/aug/16/vampire-weekend-contra-cover-star
> 
> A strange story.


I vaguely heard about the flap. Regardless of the origin, I really like the album cover without knowing the back story. Reminds me of a Richard Prince artwork.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

Of course, one of the greatest and most iconic rock cover images of all time: The Clash, _London Calling_


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)




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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

The cover for Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is an earthy, sexy one.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Self Portrait, Bob Dylan:


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)




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## norman bates (Aug 18, 2010)

hpowders said:


> View attachment 64089
> 
> 
> The cover for Miles Davis' Bitches Brew is an earthy, sexy one.


It's strange, I don't consider Mati Klerwein a great painter but I really like some of his paintings as album or book covers, especially this one. And it must be said that the discography of Miles Davis is full of works with great album covers.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

schigolch said:


>


In that case, I guess that the Blind Faith album cover can be posted.









Assuming that people will have mature discussions about covers. This cover was controversial for its time due to the Lolita-like implications.


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## Albert7 (Nov 16, 2014)

Simple, sexy, effective and lovely jazz music to add to Diana Krall's wonderful coy pose.


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