Great albums w/awful covers

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The music is great, but you squeeze your eyes shut and pretend it has cover art that doesn't make you retch. Testify.

I love this album, but this cover art was dated before it came out.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000026J6.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Dre looks like he belongs on my grandmother's nightstand, not Compton.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005AQEQ.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I don't care what anyone says, this is a bad cover. Lookit, a baby chasing a dollar. A metaphor, man.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000003TA4.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

I don't know much about this album. Their edgy music frightens and confused me. But I know this: piss poor graphic design.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000092ZYX.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

The choice of this as the replacement cover art tells me these bastards aren't too bright.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00005QIPH.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Monday, 22 September 2003 07:59 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d550/d550667n708.jpg

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 22 September 2003 08:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Radiohead's piss-poor music complements the cover.

And there's nothing wrong with drowning babies.

Worst is the 8 or so live Fall releases with the same bad pic of M.E.S. flicking the V - all rendered in various vom-inducing colours.

― Sasha Gabba Hey! (sgh), Monday, 22 September 2003 08:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh dear http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000256KG/qid=1064235328/sr=1-9/ref=sr_1_3_9/202-1616370-8410211 Oh dear http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000256KM.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg oh dear http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000256K7/qid=1064235486/sr=1-12/ref=sr_1_2_12/202-1616370-8410211

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 11:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Bugger!

In case you haddn't guessed, the first and third ones were supposed to be "Roxy Music""Country Life"

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:01 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00005KK3Y.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000007WEE.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:02 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00000G6PJ.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000633G1.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000026GKC.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000025MHS.02.MZZZZZZZ.gif
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000024E05.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000024E09.02.MZZZZZZZ.jpg http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00000JR11.02.MZZZZZZZ.gif
― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:12 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre100/e159/e159910vfdo.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf900/f990/f99041l1y2q.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf600/f632/f63203xinzr.jpg
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Absolutely disagree regarding those Wire covers. I find those three late-70s trilogy covers to be absolutely great. Particularly the "504" one.
― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Monday, 22 September 2003 12:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Hate to say this, but I agree with Geir. I think the Wire covers are great. Sorry, Stew.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:00 (twenty-two years ago)

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

all gorky's zygotic mynci records.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 22 September 2003 13:12 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c596/c596836e514.jpg

― Nick H, Monday, 22 September 2003 13:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Close Tag. Open Tag. Close Tag. Now Go Form a Band.

― Lord Custos Epsilon (Lord Custos Epsilon), Monday, 22 September 2003 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Everytime I see this one, I go "huh?"
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002L8C.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

And even to this day, the packaging of this one pisses me off. Cardboard sleeve, too long to fit inside a CD holder, and the discs always fall out.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000AG9X.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
Granted the question is more about the cover than the packaging, but still.

Pet Sounds gets my vote to take the thread.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 22 September 2003 17:19 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000ADXEC.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 22 September 2003 17:36 (twenty-two years ago)

What isn't perfect about Roxy Music's album covers?

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Monday, 22 September 2003 17:41 (twenty-two years ago)

I realize I'm going to get shit for this one.

This is truly one of my VERY FAVORITE albums of all time, and I understand the story behind it (it was originally supposed to be a portrait of noted golfer -- Chichi Rodriguez? -- who pulled permission out from under them at one point, his visage replaced by a computer-generated amalgam of all the band members' faces....but I've never liked the look of it. Moreover, I don't really get what they had against said golfer. I don't know. Considering their amazing other covers (speicifically the brilliant sleeve for Duty Now for the Future), I find this one rather lacking...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002KJ1.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 22 September 2003 21:27 (twenty-two years ago)

The Roxy Music covers are great AND compliment the music.

― Sean (Sean), Monday, 22 September 2003 21:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I think, for this one the awfulness of cover to greatness of music ratio must be really high:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc800/c846/c84628vb3y6.jpg

(I like the "I'm your Man cover")

― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 22 September 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

good call, A Narin. That Eno/Cale cover is buttnasty for such a fun album.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Monday, 22 September 2003 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc600/c632/c632667qr2p.jpg

― A Nairn (moretap), Monday, 22 September 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Those Wire covers are brilliant (and I think you mean '154') - Especially when they are all mashed together for the cover of the 'On Returning' compilation. A shit Wire cover would be 'A Bell Is A Cup...'

― Sasha Gabba Hey! (sgh), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 02:39 (twenty-two years ago)

there are at least twenty potential blog names hidden in that radiohead cover. for example, in the lower right hand corner, "prosecuted hamburger security." go on, make up your own.

― rob geary (rgeary), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 03:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Hey, Gorky's covers are great! Most of them compliment the music very well.

I had never heard that story about the cover of Q:Are We Not Men? but that explains a bit. That one always felt a bit out of place since the next four or so have the whole band. Still, I think it's far from awful.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 03:40 (twenty-two years ago)

here it is: pink flag + chairs missing + 154 =

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc800/c857/c8570441883.jpg

― A Nairn (moretap), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 04:13 (twenty-two years ago)

the colors on the cover of ghost's ironman are awful. all is forgive with the supreme clientele cover, which besides having a smashing title just looks cool as hell.

― rob geary (rgeary), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 04:29 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.beggarsgroup.ca/numan_iassassin.jpg

Gary Numan, on his wonderful album 'I Assassin', looks like a drab Inspector Gadget. No assassin would make himself so obvious.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 04:33 (twenty-two years ago)

or wear so much rouge.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 04:57 (twenty-two years ago)

i still vote for this one as the worst numan album cover ...

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf200/f244/f24409qhctt.jpg

... but the qualifier here is "great" album.

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:05 (twenty-two years ago)

this one definitely falls in the "great album, awful cover" category (please be quiet, mistah sinkah):

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000009SY.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Little Big Macher (llamasfur), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:08 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm suffering from actute threadmerge vertigo.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Look at the font and the typesetting on that second Numan lp! A lot of thought and effort went into that.

― Sean (Sean), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 05:53 (twenty-two years ago)

He does look furious too: not without reason is the album so titled.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 06:01 (twenty-two years ago)

bit of a cheating coz I haven't listened to this (though I know some songs), but here's a cover of a 70s album (the title in translation: "What Would You Give To Be In My Place") from film composer and balkan/world music merchant Goran Bregovic's old band Bijelo Dugme.

http://milosm.coolfreepage.com/albumi/stabidao.jpg

― Mind Taker, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:59 (twenty-two years ago)

Ghostface is a weird one for album covers. Ironman - shit, Supreme Clientele - ace, Bulletproof Wallets - Raekwon picking his nose on the back.

― Nick H, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 19:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooh, I second Joe's Garage by Zappa. Brilliant album, shite cover. ....see also

Frank Zappa's JOE'S GARAGE: Classic or Dud?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

which gorky's cover is great? the glow in the dark cowboys? the tub and tile monster on gorky ? the big can of orange soda?

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 01:37 (twenty-two years ago)

nickalicious: i think that Ween cover is hilarious...did you ever study French in school? The textbooks they used to give us looked exactly like those illustrations, and the guys were always named Henri or Marcel. It's surely better than the Pure Guava cover IMHO

― enoughrope, Thursday, 25 September 2003 04:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I think the covers of Barafundle, Introducing..., and Singles and EPs are great, and Blue Trees and Spanish Dance Troupe are good. Gorky 5 is admittedly terrible.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

The Dre cover is a play on the Rizla brand 'cigarette' papers artwork.

Maybe you knew that, maybe not, but it is kind of funny for an album called "The Chronic".

― earlnash, Thursday, 25 September 2003 15:38 (twenty-two years ago)

amalgam of Devo members faces = Chi Chi Rodriguez shocker!

http://www.tpc.com/images/tampa_bay/photos/tampabay_chi_blu_hs5_71.jpg

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Actually, here's the original illustration:

http://the-wall.net/~devo-obsesso/images/ultrageek/chichi-clubcover.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 25 September 2003 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

still it's weird that if you combine the bands faces it looks like Chi Chi

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 25 September 2003 17:09 (twenty-two years ago)

It may look like Chi Chi, but not exactly like Chi Chi anymore. The computer-face-amalgam thing might be inaccurate, though. They defintely tweaked it in some way, though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 25 September 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Amalgamizing the faces of the members of Ride would yield Ben Crenshaw I think.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Thursday, 25 September 2003 18:36 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c011/c0117537105.jpg

It'd be fine if it weren't for that goddamn clown face.

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 25 September 2003 18:37 (twenty-two years ago)

An old classic:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000254K6.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Thursday, 25 September 2003 19:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Shite!

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000032NO.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Chuck Tatum (Chuck Tatum), Thursday, 25 September 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

four months pass...

Don't know what the band sounds like, but the album "Hanging In The Balance" by METAL CHURCH has my vote for the worst cover in history; what the hell is that thing on the cover?! Gave me nightmares for years. Check it out on this page:

http://www.BNRMETAL.com (look under M)

― Emperor Nocturne Azregoth of the Forgotten Black Realms of Ragnarok, Tuesday, 24 February 2004 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

HUSKER DU OWNS THIS THREAD!

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd600/d603/d60355q2f2u.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf300/f341/f34114ma6lq.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd600/d603/d60374m7695.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd100/d129/d12998771mp.jpg http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd100/d129/d12932y85n3.jpg
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd800/d873/d87318pgc48.jpg
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c081/c0811181913.jpg

― Jon Williams in brrrrrrrrrrrRochester! (ex machina), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 19:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I think New Day Rising has a great cover. The other ones, though...

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 20:21 (twenty-two years ago)

everything falls apart is okay.

― dyson (dyson), Tuesday, 24 February 2004 20:48 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to rehabilitate "Never Mind." If it were simply a baby chasing a dollar, that would be trite. But 1) it invokes the fake dollar-on-a-leash urban trick while twisting it, 2) the identity of the fisherman/prankster is unclear (the band? the industry?) and 3) this is a realistic image of an underwater baby, and to a parent this is a tremendously disturbing image.

Probably there's some kind of crude "water baby" reference here as well...

― no opinion, Wednesday, 25 February 2004 07:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Are ye loons? The HD covers are great, mostly. How can you not love CAG? I mean, the record is subpar, but...

― John 2, Wednesday, 25 February 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Zen Arcade has the greatest cover ever, and I don't even like Husker Du.

― Sym (shmuel), Wednesday, 25 February 2004 15:13 (twenty-two years ago)

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