Album covers (and inserts) with little illustrations based on all the song titles

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I used to own this and perhaps still do in a box at my parents house, but yeah, didn't seem so offensive when I was a kid, but if it were released now I think there would be a (justified) minor scandal.

http://eil.com/images/main/Various-Comedy+The+World+Of+Rock+n+Fun+526452.jpg

Camaraderie at Arms Length, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 11:32 (eight years ago) link

Phish - Rift

https://mrminer.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/pnt-4.jpg

how's life, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 11:36 (eight years ago) link

http://i39.servimg.com/u/f39/14/19/50/77/bbands10.jpg

Mark G, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 11:57 (eight years ago) link

https://resources.wimpmusic.com/images/0f370131/4bee/4e9c/b295/dbaa67abf512/1280x1280.jpg

Prince's Around the World in a Day cover has picture elements for each song title, I think.

1. "Around the World in a Day"
2. "Paisley Park"
3. "Condition of the Heart"
4. "Raspberry Beret"
5. "Tamborine"
6. "America"
7. "Pop Life"
8. "The Ladder"
9. "Temptation"

Tuomas, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 12:07 (eight years ago) link

...if you include the back cover, that is.

http://www.audiopreservationfund.org/graphics/acquisitions/COL_00005/Back%20Covers/Big/COL_00005_00041.jpg

Tuomas, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 12:09 (eight years ago) link

mick softley's any mother doesn't grumble

thought there was an incredible string band cover that did this, but can't remember what it was

no lime tangier, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 12:37 (eight years ago) link

Jethro Tull / Too Old to Rock n Roll:
http://jethrotull.com/wp-content/uploads/1976/04/too_old_cartoon2.jpg

mahb, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 13:52 (eight years ago) link

Camper Van Beethoven: Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart
http://991.com/NewGallery/Camper-Van-Beethoven-Our-Beloved-Revol-529965.jpg

hardcore dilettante, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:09 (eight years ago) link

Thriller sleeve (illustrations by Michael Jackson):

https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3726/11772888764_2241154255_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7420/11772721893_1f1f1ef7a2_b.jpg

Professor Bworlph (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:17 (eight years ago) link

I guess that's 'two' as opposed to 'all' but still.

Professor Bworlph (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:17 (eight years ago) link

http://eil.com/images/main/The+Bloodied+Sword+The+Bloodied+Sword+207903.jpg

The inner sleeve and booklet have more, but struggling to find pics. Coincidentally one of the worst records I was ever bought.

suffeeciant attreebution (aldo), Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:22 (eight years ago) link

Damn, I should have remembered the Dookie illustrations...used to read along to the lyrics in the cassette foldout

skip, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:24 (eight years ago) link

willie nelson - red headed stranger
http://superhypeblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Willie-Nelson-Red-Headed-Stranger-Back.jpg

mizzell, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:25 (eight years ago) link

willie nelson - tougher than leather
http://www.music-bazaar.com/album-images/vol15/735/735732/2584823-big/Replay-Music-2-picture.jpg

mizzell, Tuesday, 19 January 2016 14:26 (eight years ago) link

https://thriftyvinyl.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/sam_1365.jpg

There Goes Rhymin' Simon

the thirteenth floorior (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 19:00 (eight years ago) link

Oops, looks like the one I posted didn't work. Try again. Beach Boys, "Light Album":

http://img.cdandlp.com/2013/06/imgL/115995302.jpg http://img.cdandlp.com/2013/06/imgL/115995302-2.jpg

The Return of the Thin White Pope (Tom D.), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 20:48 (eight years ago) link

Tori Amos: Strange Little Girls

http://www.danner.dk/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Strange-Little-Girls-504x252.jpg

A different character for each song (album art differs slightly)

"Damn the Taquitos" (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 21:05 (eight years ago) link

Which reminds me a little of the Drifters album in the OP.

Retro novelty punk (Dan Peterson), Wednesday, 20 January 2016 21:33 (eight years ago) link

how about song titles based on all the little illustrations included on the inserts:

art bears' winter songs

no lime tangier, Wednesday, 20 January 2016 21:41 (eight years ago) link

Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

http://cdn.discogs.com/UOOznM5FRFx4HyoYHUSNLuwKXv0=/fit-in/586x586/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(96)/discogs-images/R-367739-1258476251.jpeg.jpg

etc.

J. Sam, Wednesday, 20 January 2016 21:44 (eight years ago) link

Dan, your friend's album cover is great!

the thirteenth floorior (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 21 January 2016 05:07 (eight years ago) link

six months pass...

The 2004 Smile gatefold is one of these; the only image I can find is hueg so just linking it here.

we're gonna live in spatula city (Doctor Casino), Tuesday, 2 August 2016 18:56 (seven years ago) link

Supposedly this album, "Paranoia Picknick" by Ernst Schultz, fits the bill, though as all the lyrics are in German I couldn't say for sure:

http://www.covershut.com/covers/Ernst-Schultz-Paranoia-Picknick-Front-Cover-33491.jpg

Aw naw, no' Annoni oan an' aw noo (Tom D.), Tuesday, 2 August 2016 20:38 (seven years ago) link

The inner sleeve/lyric sheet of Todd Rundgren's 'A Wizard/A True Star'.

The only site where I can find pics won't allow direct linking to images but you can check them out here:
http://www.45worlds.com/vinyl/album/br2133

Bloody Snail, Tuesday, 2 August 2016 23:52 (seven years ago) link

It's a huge photo and a bit NSFW, so I'll only link to it, but the booklet for Ghost's Infestissumam seems to fit the bill.

Ex Slacker, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 01:52 (seven years ago) link

http://www.asburyrecords.com/public/cover/24459.jpg

Related: The song titles appear as headlines on the cover of Heartattack and Vine, with the lyrics making up the stories.

Kenneth Without Anger (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 3 August 2016 03:09 (seven years ago) link

Fila Brazillia's Power Clown has a basic, wordless but good comic strip for each track in the inlay drawn by one of the duo - doesn't seem to be online tho.

nashwan, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 15:05 (seven years ago) link

The Raven and La Folie by The Stranglers both have illustrations for each song on the inner sleeve.

the hair - it's lost its energy (Turrican), Wednesday, 3 August 2016 16:09 (seven years ago) link

george clinton/pedro bell must have done this.... computer games? shouldn't nuf bit fish?

m0stlyClean, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 19:33 (seven years ago) link

http://www.fromthearchives.com/gc/GCFire2_b.jpg

Stevolende, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 19:45 (seven years ago) link

Gun Club Fire Of love back sleeve

Stevolende, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 19:46 (seven years ago) link

http://www.tenhomaisdiscosqueamigos.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/The-Rise-and-Fall.jpg

seem the remember that the band dressed as the main character from each song ..

mark e, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 22:43 (seven years ago) link

back row from left: Carl = Mr. Speaker (Gets the Word), Mike = That Face, Bedders = Calling Cards, Lee = ???

front row from left: Suggs = New Delhi, Woody = ???, Chris = the Dad from Our House, maybe?

soref, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 23:02 (seven years ago) link

I'm assuming that the photo is taken on Primrose Hill, so that's another song covered

soref, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 23:04 (seven years ago) link

Woody's newspaper says "Sunday" on the front, so I guess he's meant to be Sunday Morning (also the lyric about "glass of fizzy water helps to start the day")?

soref, Wednesday, 3 August 2016 23:10 (seven years ago) link

two weeks pass...

https://img.discogs.com/OKhbf2k75zrmodDXQsVob-FcyEE=/fit-in/599x596/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-5732410-1401154887-4051.jpeg.jpg

The Temptations - Greatest Hits II. Kind of a sad example of the form - feels like SOMEONE had faith in the big letters to convey the idea, but someone else insisted on the band/title being repeated at the top with a group photo so small it can't satisfy any fan, in the process shortchanging the main concept.

Silence, followed by unintelligible stammering. (Doctor Casino), Thursday, 18 August 2016 16:35 (seven years ago) link

two months pass...

http://www.musicchartheaven.com/beatles/maccabest.jpg

Paul McCartney - All The Best!

DOCTOR CAISNO, BYCREATIVELABBUS (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 22 October 2016 03:06 (seven years ago) link

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3287/2911915351_09d2e6cd42_o.jpg

Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Vol 2

Steve Reich In The Afternoon (Against The 80s), Saturday, 22 October 2016 13:46 (seven years ago) link

nine months pass...

http://www.onefinalserenade.com/uploads/2/9/1/2/2912571/6380273_orig.jpg

Billy Joel - Turnstiles (1976). According to Joel, each of the characters on the album cover was meant to represent a particular song (e.g., the girl in headphones for "All You Wanna Do is Dance," the wealthy couple for "I've Loved These Days").[2]

yellow is the color of some raisins (Doctor Casino), Saturday, 19 August 2017 19:42 (six years ago) link

one year passes...

https://imagesaws.juno.co.uk/full/CS623234-01B-BIG.jpg
The Cure Three Imaginary Boys - Fire in Cairo, So What, Accuracy, Object, Subway Song, Meathook, 10:15 (?), It's Not You (?), Grinding Halt, Foxy Lady, Another Day (?).
Also - how the hell have I never noticed that the landscape on the Around the World In a Day cover is a woman's body?
https://rcgoodmanblog.files.wordpress.com/2015/03/prince-atwiad-full.jpg

an incoherent crustacean (MatthewK), Saturday, 15 September 2018 02:34 (five years ago) link

great posts y'all. typing up some recent ones in case of later image loss:

Various Artists - The World of Rock n Fun
Super Furry Animals - Radiator
Memphis Jug Band - Memphis Jug Band
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works Volume II

Doctor Casino, Friday, 24 January 2020 15:43 (four years ago) link

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2340796478_10.jpg

Darren Hayman (ex-Hefner frontperson) had a really lovely album called '12 Astronauts' last year - I got the package that came with nice collector cards for each astronaut.

1. Spaceman No More (Neil Armstrong)
2. Low Orbit (Buzz Aldrin)
3. Timber Cove (Pete Conrad)
4. Alan Bean (Alan Bean)
5. Don't Clip My Wings (Alan Sheppard)
6. Hard Disk in the Sky (Edgar Mitchell)
7. Major Sunday (David Scott)
8. Genesis Rock (James Irwin)
9. 100% Oxygen (John Young)
10. Duke's Dream (Charles Duke)
11. It's Geology (Harrison Schmitt)
12. Things We Left Behind (Gene Cernan)

BlackIronPrison, Friday, 24 January 2020 16:14 (four years ago) link

three weeks pass...

"Hits of '77" (comp of Mrs Pottinger productions):

https://www.cherryred.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/HITS-OF-77-scaled.jpg

Tim, Monday, 17 February 2020 15:59 (four years ago) link

Nice one.

Load up your rubber wallets (Tom D.), Monday, 17 February 2020 18:08 (four years ago) link

three months pass...

Alison Statton & Spike: "Bimini Twist"
https://i.imgur.com/AMecr7b.jpg

ernestp, Thursday, 28 May 2020 03:26 (three years ago) link

Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells a Story (back cover)

https://img.discogs.com/y7r-tmjqYexQkxPA6hFvVldTgOY=/fit-in/600x600/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-603424-1437940137-6249.jpeg.jpg

(wonder why "Amazing Grace" didn't get an illustration)

Lee626, Thursday, 28 May 2020 08:51 (three years ago) link

great selections, all

Doctor Casino, Thursday, 28 May 2020 12:46 (three years ago) link

"Amazing Grace" is not listed on the label on most editions

Kim Kimberly, Thursday, 28 May 2020 13:12 (three years ago) link

ten months pass...

The booklet for Taylor Swift’s Fearless: Platinum Edition features some amusingly cheesy (and, as they say, “yawnsomely literal”) photo tableaus illustrating many of the songs.

beer drops on my keytar (morrisp), Sunday, 28 March 2021 07:14 (three years ago) link

On the flip side, all of the song titles on Mike Watt's "hyphenated-man" are based on illustrations, specifically the creatures in Heironymous Bosch paintings, like "Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man" and "Head-And-Feet-Only-Man."

Hideous Lump, Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:01 (three years ago) link

Saint Etienne - Tales From Turnpike House
Booklet has little illustrations for each song

http://www.saintetiennedisco.com/full/tfth/b2cd/b2cd.html

Kim, Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:08 (three years ago) link

Not sure any of it was included in the original album packaging, but Peter Gabriel’s Us album had a set of art pieces inspired by each song that were used on posters etc

https://petergabriel.bandcamp.com/merch/art-from-us-catalogue

Kim, Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:16 (three years ago) link

The gatefold of Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren has little photos illustrating each song, taken by Ron Mael of Sparks!

Halfway there but for you, Sunday, 28 March 2021 16:43 (three years ago) link

Rod Stewart's Foot Loose And Fancy Free came with a big booklet with illustrations for each track. Viewable here

"what are you DOING to fleetwood mac??" (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 28 March 2021 18:06 (three years ago) link

eleven months pass...

Lou Reed's Berlin also came with a booklet with photos for each song, viewable here

Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Wednesday, 16 March 2022 20:22 (two years ago) link

two weeks pass...

Elsa Lanchester - Songs for a Shuttered Parlor

https://i.imgur.com/A9GVOs3.jpg

Hans Holbein (Chinchilla Volapük), Saturday, 2 April 2022 05:47 (two years ago) link

https://i.discogs.com/LlP7GI3XeFKFXo0SM-dXLXfCb51DToadve6gztjeCTA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:473/w:473/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTUyODgz/OS0xMTI3OTU0NTA1/LmpwZWc.jpeg

Future Bible Heroes – Memories Of Love booklet has a puzzle for every song.

Hideous Lump, Saturday, 2 April 2022 08:04 (two years ago) link

Great additions. The Elsa Lanchester one is quietly very strange.

Doctor Casino, Saturday, 2 April 2022 11:41 (two years ago) link

Elsa Lanchester bravely paving the way for Tori & the Strange Little Girls booklet.

Precious, Grace, Hill & Beard LTD. (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 2 April 2022 13:12 (two years ago) link

Mrs Badger-Butts???

emil.y, Saturday, 2 April 2022 13:35 (two years ago) link

The Madness by The Madness #onethread

The album's sleeve was designed by Dave Gibbons and Rian Hughes.[10] On the back-sleeve each song listed was accompanied with a small drawing in similar style to the album's cover – resembling a face.[11]

https://i.discogs.com/YAYcvLz3TUYn9puRh65m2kU8M2PXXt-OGJJW9KJsoOg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIyMzA1/MTkzLTE2NDU4Mjkx/ODEtOTIyNS5qcGVn.jpeg

visiting, Saturday, 2 April 2022 19:25 (two years ago) link

huh, nobody said "rocket to russia" yet unless it was one of the numerous broken pic links

unknown or illegal user (doo rag), Saturday, 2 April 2022 19:45 (two years ago) link

I did the sleevenotes for the The Madness reissue!

politics is about vibes and the vibes are off (stevie), Saturday, 2 April 2022 19:51 (two years ago) link

Cool!

one year passes...

https://media.pitchfork.com/photos/63ff7c7bbf5a7e7985f23002/1:1/w_600/Young-Nudy-Gumbo.jpg

young nudy - gumbo

devvvine, Tuesday, 8 August 2023 13:12 (eight months ago) link

eight months pass...

excellent

not the one who's tryin' to dub your anime (Doctor Casino), Monday, 15 April 2024 18:37 (three weeks ago) link

niiice. that one's a legend in other threads for the title; had no idea the insides delivered as well. the "It's All Right" one has a hilarious desperation about it.

not the one who's tryin' to dub your anime (Doctor Casino), Wednesday, 24 April 2024 14:04 (one week ago) link

ELP's Tarkus has this in the gatefold, seven drawings which correspond to the different sections of the title track, although the lyrics don't really match the drawings. though they do match the titles of the section. it's kinda weird, I suspect there's no overarching concept just the band doing two things at once

frogbs, Wednesday, 24 April 2024 14:10 (one week ago) link


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