Classic Album, FUCKING TERRIBLE Cover Art

It confounds me that Radiohead and R.E.M. both got to where they were off the back of having, with few exceptions, absolutely terrible cover art.

Oh yeah I was looking at Countdown to Ecstasy the other day and thinking it looked awful. Don't have a problem with The Royal Scam

Back in 2011, I wrote a piece about how regardless of the merits of the music, pretty much every Britney Spears album cover is terrible:

https://www.theawl.com/2011/02/the-album-covers-of-britney-spears-a-history/

https://img.discogs.com/Oevqitnuwa_c0t8P4xSQ7hCQ-xw=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-868-1231086401.jpeg.jpg

I like that cover. Or at least I remember liking it at the time. I never got the pun in the album title. 'snivel'?

I think Can’t Buy a Thrill is SD’s worst cover and Aja their best

Yeah, it's a portmanteau of "snivel" and "civilisation" ...

(x-post)

I like the sleeves to Aja, Katy Lied and Pretzel Logic ... I'm less keen on the others.

I think every SD album rules but only Aja and Gaucho have decent covers

I like that cover. Or at least I remember liking it at the time. I never got the pun in the album title. 'snivel'?

Variant spelling of sniffle, which is why the 'man' is blowing his nose.

Terrible title whatever the story behind it.

oh he is blowing his nose. I never noticed the hankie, just thought he was giving a thumbs-up. Oh god, it's the techno equivalent of 'I've Got My Own Album To Do'

Back in 2011, I wrote a piece about how regardless of the merits of the music, pretty much every Britney Spears album cover is terrible:

eheh, this is otm ! has there ever been such a big international star with such consistently awful album covers ??

Not really a proper classic but I really enjoyed Out Hud's music but whomever they had as a graphic designer was amongst the worst ever to practice the skill.

https://resources.tidal.com/images/e8dffaa9/a1ed/4be6/8564/8a01b48d4dcf/1280x1280.jpg

that's pretty deliberately bad though eh?

I took me forever to listen to Cat Stevens' early 70's albums because I just assumed they were private press recordings of children's folk tales:
https://i.discogs.com/6zMI2a3dnugiV_sYw25N_dEnY8rpEg9pXq4GGSjjUbw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:496/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTExNzI3/NzMtMTM1MzEwNjA4/My04ODkyLmpwZWc.jpeghttps://i.discogs.com/PycZ2uK8cax6Pcu3KduZFZfudXplB8GJ0t0u0v5JxL8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ3Mzg3/My0xMTYyODE0NTA1/LmpwZWc.jpeghttps://i.discogs.com/AR_zfSl-ySfS1rNU_W6MYgsbmYsHc4GPo3Gc7sWAHls/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:500/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU1MDQz/MzYtMTQzMDk5MDMx/MC05NzExLmpwZWc.jpeg

Dammit, I like the Countdown to Ecstasy cover.

But I can't abide this one...

https://i.imgur.com/k3KAH8D.jpg

I think Mona Bone Jakon and Invisible Touch are brilliant album covers (I like Countdown to Ecstasy too) - but I'm used to liking sleeves others don't.

My favourite sort of sleeves are reasonably minimal but usually have vivacious colour schemes and some nice symbols or images on them or something.

Snivilisation is great but I think it would look better if it wasn't purely b&w

It never occurred to me before, but that invisible touch cover is pretty yawnsomely literal.

I've always thought the cover art for Led Zeppelin III is pretty terrible

Not sure if these two have been mentioned yet.
https://i.discogs.com/lyKy1z6fxwBjy-LMfZWFyFUZrAvd4JdTeIViAJprzXo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:599/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNzU1/NTc1LTE1OTM4MTQy/ODAtMTQyOS5qcGVn.jpeg
https://i.discogs.com/-OMGBkLDpJnhQE_1bfKWqon1UVOyD8LsOVw-k2dPo0Q/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE0ODk1/NTItMTUyMzEzMzMw/NC04Mzg3LmpwZWc.jpeg

I actually really like that aesthetic, though I think the illustration on Funky Kingston is stronger than the one on Livin' For You. Also the Livin' For You kind of recalls Grateful Dead American Beauty (wood grain, rose, vaguely psychedelic).

Split Enz Mental Notes is the weirdo prog-pop version of that style, and I like it too:

https://i.discogs.com/RTloqsrkDao2rDTc2lErjjmZ2yPTzoG3qeb5o9c0zn8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkxODYw/Mi0xNDY1MTM3MTM4/LTg0MTAuanBlZw.jpeg

funky kingston cover is so iconic that it's hard for me to evaluate it objectively

Got no problem with Funky Kingston! It's decently executed mid-70s graphic art, a bit Children's Television Workshop, but nothing awkward like the Al Green or ersatz-Hipgnosis like the Split Enz paintings.

That Al Green cover is bizarre - I guess he's half tree, half man? Great album though, one of his best and part of that phenomenal run in the '70s.

I didn't know Peter Falk was in Split Enz. I guess he turned everyone on to dressing like Columbo.

Split Enz cover giving me BNL "Gordon" flashbacks.

lmao yes

Take a good look at this piece of shit:

(Appetite for Destruction cover)

"Destruction" just barely fits on the banner. Plenty of room for "*Appetite," though. All around ugly and poorly executed.

Because we must strive for fairness when assessing the works of great artistes like GNR, I will point out that this wasn't the original cover (aesthetically questionable as that one may have been); it wasn't even the compromise cover (which does not squeeze the title into a little banner beneath the cross); it was a modified version used for the cassette (and, I guess, the CD?)

is there a thread for great covers, shit records---?

Best Yes Studio Album

yeah i dig the funky kingston aesthetic

This one always cracks me up:

https://i.discogs.com/6s70-PY3OI42e48527oFXFo3WsGFgXR84EqIJSe77u0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTkyODkw/MjMtMTQ3ODAxODA3/OS0yNTg0LmpwZWc.jpeg

My pick for this thread is Sonhos e Memórias 1941 - 1972 by Erasmo Carlos. It's one of the best Brazilian pop albums ever, and the cover art is a stylized collage of photos of contemporary and historical pop culture icons (mostly American). I don't have an issue with the massive 70s font block letters or even the clashing color scheme; I just find it utterly bizarre and distracting to put photos of Jimi Hendrix, Elvis, John Lennon, JFK, Richard Nixon, and Bob Dylan (from the cover of New Morning lol) et al. on one's own album cover. It just occurred to me that he might have been going for a low-rent Sgt. Pepper's kind of thing. Whatever the intent, it just makes me cringe:

Front:

https://i.discogs.com/BADH0pVX3rZzXm3VpalpN06nR5o5Q65yc_uBOcN3SFQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:606/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM5NDE2/MTItMTQ0NDc3NDUy/OS0yMDIxLmpwZWc.jpeg

Back:

https://i.discogs.com/rSOtFHf2woj1npaYXbDIEae9S9pZsX3STNYJCUgxq1I/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:594/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM5NDE2/MTItMTQ0NDc3NDUz/MS0zNTQyLmpwZWc.jpeg

jimb otm. i always thought it was pretty terrific that you can do this by cropping that cover:

https://i.imgur.com/ZvjBK7i.png

don't know what's more intimidating there: the eyes or "the mustache."

what the hell is wrong with Funky Kingston?

it kinda reminds me of Milton Glaser

Also, extremely hurt to see BGM appear here, etc wtf wtf wtf… that image is perfect

https://i.discogs.com/VkhSi5VkhhNKDcq2c7HM3sBmxZSYQY7sQXScNt2OpPc/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:598/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE3NDI0/MzM3LTE2NTE3NDA1/NDItMTQ1NC5qcGVn.jpeg

Irma Thomas - In Between Tears

Also one for the yawnsomely literal thread, I suppose.

The toilet Beggars Banquet - much prefer the fancy replacement

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Beggar_Banquet.jpg

OTM

KING - We Are King

Amazing album but that album cover is a mess

As a kid the Let It Bleed cover grossed me out, especially the olive pizza in the middle of the stack. But it, like Beggars Banquet, was trying to be obnoxious so I'd consider both jackets a success.

I guess those kinds of moves were why the Stones appeared in Circus and other metalish publications into the 80s, even if they didn't musically fit. Those in the magazine editors' generation saw the Stones as part of that same transgressivelness as the Guns 'n' Roses Robt Williams cover, etc.

Also, extremely hurt to see BGM appear here, etc wtf wtf wtf… that image is perfect

― brimstead, Tuesday, July 19, 2022 4:52 PM (yesterday) bookmarkflaglink

yeah ok I take it back, I like the cover now. there's definitely a keen sense of irony to everything on this album which I didn't quite pick up on before

KING - We Are King

Amazing album but that album cover is a mess

its very 90s maximalist which I think actually works for this album. but yeah it does feel cheap

The classic Stones-era had the best "bad" (or rather greatest ugly) cover art.

Not fucking terrible, but yawnsomely literal, thoroughly mediocre execution, and it's an awful pic of Harley. (You can argue whether it's a classic album too I guess, but I love it.)

https://i.discogs.com/BD1fcsOS32XQdqztw5orTfyC9f8YXmYJpITAF8kO2AM/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:596/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTgxMzU0/NC0xMzc5NjE4NjE4/LTkxMTcuanBlZw.jpeg

“Great album” may be strong here, but it’s a very good album, with a total “what were they thinking??” cover:

https://i.discogs.com/qUrCUXOz2FYr8yffYqVuH-1tjZe0-IRYT4hLIrkuLO4/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:588/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTc3ODEx/NTktMTU0OTM1NzQ5/NC0yODk5LmpwZWc.jpeg

(Apparently, the guy also ended up suing them, saying his image was used without his consent)

“Worth it!”

The "It wasn't you, it was just someone like you" defense did not hold water

I'd say this one doesn't look very promising: a clunky juxtaposition of glum photo and cheesy "Age of Aquarius" illustration:

https://i.discogs.com/2-SxdFAqR7DNnyxknTiqH83cy9s6zTj11cHuWIVJs34/rs:fit/g:sm/q:40/h:300/w:300/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIyOTY4/NTQtMTU5NTAzMzcw/NC00Mzg4LmpwZWc.jpeg

Re: Matchbox 20. The '90s were a golden age of terrible repurposing of rando portfolio photos for album art, advertising etc.