Banned/Controvertial Album Covers

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http://www.snopes.com/rumors/images/coup.jpg http://images.google.com/images?q=tbn:WOpzMwEzv0wJ:www.subpop.com/history/tad/8way-banned.jpg http://www.davidbowie.se/img/album/90/cd/dd/1.gif

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

What's the small one?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.blackcommentator.com/55/55_images/55_sonic_jihad.gif

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:33 (twenty-two years ago)

8 Way Santa by Tad. The woman on the left later became an evangelical Christian, spotted the record in a shop, freaked out and sued the shit outta the band, who later replaced the image.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:34 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't know how to put pictures up there, but don't forget Appetite for Destruction, Street Survivors, Smell the Glove, and that Beatles' Butcher Baby thing....

― chuck, Friday, 30 January 2004 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

the original cover of Big Black's "headache"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

whitehouse's "erector"

dubstar's "disgraceful" with the nice velvety purse sleeve

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000E9SH.01._PE_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Some decried this as a rape scene.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:39 (twenty-two years ago)

http://home.wish.net/~zamerc/Rolling%20Stones%20-%20Beggars%20banquet%20-%20Front.jpg

― rw, Friday, 30 January 2004 00:40 (twenty-two years ago)

http://hem.bredband.net/alepou/kmd/LP_blackBastard/LP_blackBastard_front_cover_mini.jpg

― oops (Oops), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:42 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drf100/f161/f16161xhodf.jpg

the one that should have been 'smell the glove', anyway..

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:43 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002LIX.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― rw, Friday, 30 January 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

PLEASE nobody post that cover of Headache.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't Illmatic's cover supposed to depict Nas with Jesus in a headlock?

― angel duster, Friday, 30 January 2004 00:47 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.poisononline.com/images/openup.gif

Why did I have to be the one to post this?

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Haha...I forgot about that one.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:57 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/drc900/c993/c993227508b.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't a cover but it did land Jello in trouble.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:00 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www005.upp.so-net.ne.jp/blackmore/Images/slipperywhenwet.jpg

Continuing on my theme...

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:01 (twenty-two years ago)

For Chuck...

http://www.vinylunderground.net/guns_roses_appetite.jpg

I'm trying to find the original cover of Alice Cooper's Love it to Death (the infamous thumb-as-penis pic), but am having no luck.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:02 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre500/e568/e568145isp9.jpg

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:04 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.hollywoodhangover.com/mobygrap.JPG

At this point, I'm wondering, haven't we come up with this subject already?

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Along the same lines of the Big Black "Headache" cover -- and I will spare the sensitive here the cover -- but a lot of this Unsane artwork truly traumatized me as a youngster. Scared the shit out of me, really.

http://www.relapse.com/high/relapse/unsa/disc_unsane.html

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

The Bon Jovi one is by far the most offensive one, because it's not ironic or being offensive just for the sake of being offensive, it's just generally sexist.

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, there are plenty worse than that Bon Jovi one (not that I'm defending it). There was one about ten or fifteen years ago that featured what looked like a "rape machine" on the cover, though I cannot remember the band (typical). They were metal, though.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

Weird... I would think most people would take more offense at the raped-by-alien woman on the G'n'R cover or the terrorism-themed Coup and Paris covers. The Bon Jovi one seems pretty run of the mill '80s metal to me.
Don't go over to the busty indie rock women thread, David! You'll be appalled!

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:48 (twenty-two years ago)

http://seekers.100megs6.com/Photos/dreamtheaterCD.gif

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:50 (twenty-two years ago)

To be fair, like the Coup cover, that Dream Theater cover was merely disquietingly prescient rather than deliberately tasteless after the fact.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 01:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Well like I said, the G'n'R and the Coup and Paris seem kind of jokey, or trying to get me offended, whereas Bon Jovi are just morons.

― David Allen (David Allen), Friday, 30 January 2004 02:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Paris and the Coup are jokey??

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 02:15 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre900/e956/e956211ncym.jpg
Post 9/11, retitled "Jimmy Eat World".

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd600/d659/d659409rm33.jpg

Also thinking of "Black and Blue", but it was the billboard that was controversial on that one.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d548/d54896kt692.jpg

And this was my first thought - remember Tipper Gore brandishing this cover? Shock, horror, outrage!

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Seeing her holding this album cover made it easier for me, the impressionable teenage metalhead, to find and buy. Thanks, Tipper!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Now it reminds me of "Tetsuo: The Iron Man". *shudder*

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:19 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc400/c472/c47225u078w.jpg

This one still bugs me. "Save our impressionable youth from an ass shot!"

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Considering Waters' was 1984, and this followed in 1989 -
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc600/c651/c651113htd2.jpg

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/G/covers/B/00/000/1FD/B000001FDI.l.gif

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Also the back of the first VU album had a picture of someone who refused to sign the release so thay had to change it. The ones that got through are very valuable.

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:25 (twenty-two years ago)

And this one wasn't banned but they couldn't find the people in the shirts so they had to chop off their faces.

http://www.grunger.de/Bilder/BilderSonicYouth/WashingMachine.jpeg

― nickn (nickn), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Hard to see here, but this cover by (yes) The Battered Wives featured a fist with lipstick marks on it.

http://www.pacemaker.com/images/011.jpg

― may pang (maypang), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

I duplicated "impressionable" from Alex's post. Ironic.

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:36 (twenty-two years ago)

You see this album everywhere in Toronto record shops. It's great.

― may pang (maypang), Friday, 30 January 2004 03:37 (twenty-two years ago)

OK, I've never heard of this Big Black cover. If it's really that bad, don't post it, but at least give me a description.

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:02 (twenty-two years ago)

dude missing top half of head thanks to gun wound

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:03 (twenty-two years ago)

it's pretty grody

― cinniblount (James Blount), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:19 (twenty-two years ago)

oh gross

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, that reminds me: all Naked City and Painkiller artwork.

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, let's be really specific about "Headache." The brutal one comes in a textured-vinyl bodybag that you had to literally cut open with scissors. Inside are two shots of the same stiff's head: one where the splayed halves from the shotgun blast are left open and dangling and the even more disturbing one where they've been rearranged back into a punched-in approximation of a face. Looked at it about three times since the day I got it as a brand-new release.

― Dock Miles (Dock Miles), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.thekeep.org/~kunoichi/nicks_www/images/album_snog.jpg

Banned because McD's are fuckers, naturally. Only bannned/recalled in Aus tho. It sold in the US. I cant work that one out.

― Trayce (trayce), Friday, 30 January 2004 05:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 6 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Yep, and I think a lot of UK record buyers aren't even aware that there's another version of the cover sold elsewhere. (Where is the second version sold, anyway?)

― Old Fart!!! (oldfart_sd), Friday, 30 January 2004 14:59 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.the-scorpions.com/english/discography/records/Virgin_Killer.jpg

― Eben Haëzer, Friday, 30 January 2004 15:33 (twenty-two years ago)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre300/e395/e39521clcz2.jpg

This was covered up in many big chains.

People are weird.

― Stupid (Stupid), Friday, 30 January 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Regarding the Tool one......why? I don't even know what it is! It looks a possessed throw-rug.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 16:08 (twenty-two years ago)

like a possessed...blah blah

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.popmatters.com/music/videos/a/images/andrew-wk-party.jpg

― ddb, Friday, 30 January 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.impaled.info/images/mondomedicalecover.jpg

There was an alternate cover where the guy's face was covered in bloody bandages.

― Phil Freeman (Phil Freeman), Friday, 30 January 2004 17:25 (twenty-two years ago)

jesus!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 17:30 (twenty-two years ago)

the tool album cover has a naked fat chick on the other side that you can see if you hold it to the light.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Friday, 30 January 2004 18:30 (twenty-two years ago)

http://burzumattack.free.fr/images/aske.jpeg

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.rigidrecordsdistribution.com/carcasssym.JPG

The British gov. confiscated these -- they obviously saw a less blurry jpeg.

Above is Varg Vikernes' site-specific installation at a Norwegian stave church. Album title: "Ashes"

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i actually prefer the american strokes cover.

what about the fugazi margin walker EP that has the guy with cum all over his face? no one ever complains about that one.

― j fail (cenotaph), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.na.rim.or.jp/~takasaki/rox/cdjkt/stryper...to%20hell%20with%20the%20devil.jpg

This one was recall following protests by religious groups, who objected to Satan wearing a pentagram necklace (while being beaten with guitars and dumped in hell by the muscle-bound angels of Stryper).

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.hail.it/imgs/nonmetal_giu03_1.gif

Early Marmaduk. Well, they tried.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:34 (twenty-two years ago)

http://importantrecords.com/images/content/distributed/deadkennedysfranken.jpg

http://www.giger-art.com/Gimg/dead%20kennedys.jpg

Obscenely expensive legal defense.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

They tried

They certainly did.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:41 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.lp-cd.de/11/A7967_01.jpg

Not in America.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:43 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.lp-cd.de/11/H2206_01.jpg[tubgirl autoreplaced pic removed -- admin][p.s. -- eeeew]

Airbrushed in America.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, ya gotta love the Scorpions. Such masters of taste!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:47 (twenty-two years ago)

http://homelf.kimo.com.tw/rock_phantom2001/lp/double.gif

minus

http://recollectionbooks.com/bleed/images/military/poster08.jpg

equals

http://real1.phononet.de/cover/small/329/238/p5dr779z.j31

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

what about the fugazi margin walker EP that has the guy with cum all over his face? no one ever complains about that one.

hmm... that guy is ian mackaye and i don't think that's what you think it is.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 30 January 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I just though it was cake ala the Damned's first record.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Doesn't that Tool album cover pictured above (Undertow? it's been awhile since my tool listening days) have a secret picture hidden under the tray the CD sits in that is of a pig with a bunch of forks stuck into it? or am i remembering two completely different things?...

― George Foreman Grill, Friday, 30 January 2004 20:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, there's the Sonic Youth tray insert for Dirty, in the orange case versions -- a photo of Mike Kelley shitting on stuffed animals.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, there's the Sonic Youth tray insert for Dirty, in the orange case versions -- a photo of Mike Kelley shitting on stuffed animals.

Mike Kelley's art and portrait are in the packaging, but the photo you're referencing features "supermasochist" Bob Flanagan and Sherry Rose.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:15 (twenty-two years ago)

see here for more info. there was a movie too.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:16 (twenty-two years ago)

I can't find the original:
http://www.detritus.net/illegalart/catalog/otherlabels/images/these_guys_are_from.jpg

What am I missing in that Moby Grape cover? Why was it banned or controversial?

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:18 (twenty-two years ago)

i was joking about the fugazi.

― j fail (cenotaph), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, nevermind I see the bird.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Wasn't the Coup record shipped and ready for release on September 11th, 2001? I remember getting a publicity release like the next day from Girlie Action, making sure everyone knew about the album cover they would never see.

Slayer's God Hates Us All was slated for that Tuesday, too, and they held off release and possibly changed the cover. The inner artwork is a bunch of bible pages ripped and thrown in the mud, but it looked eeriely like the grey wads of wet drywall and office memos that were all over lower Manhattan.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 30 January 2004 20:22 (twenty-two years ago)

secret picture hidden under the tray the CD sits in that is of a pig with a bunch of forks stuck into it?

The pigfork is on Undertow, but it's not secret, it's just on the back.

― Leee Majors (Leee), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Also the original cover to Electric Ladyland. I'm at work, someone else find it?

― Leee Majors (Leee), Friday, 30 January 2004 23:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Alright, digging through all my old CDs I found Undertow and the secret picture under the tray insert is of a cow licking it's own ass, not the pig-fork like lee majors pointed out.

― George Foreman Grill, Saturday, 31 January 2004 00:36 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.taang.com/hendrixladylandnude.jpg

― Chris Hill (Chris Hill), Saturday, 31 January 2004 02:19 (twenty-two years ago)

No one posted the Bow Wow Wow cover!

― Mike Ouderkirk (Mike Ouderkirk), Saturday, 31 January 2004 09:05 (twenty-two years ago)

that Sonic Youth "Flower" record that had a naked woman on it (I think)

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 31 January 2004 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always wondered, who the hell are those old men on that Dead Kennedys Frankenchrist cover? Why are they wearing shirts, ties, and... fezzes??? And, most importantly, why are they driving around in little cars???

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 31 January 2004 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Supposedly, you can see Adam Clayton's shnozzle on the cover of Achtung Baby, but I sure as hell don't see it. You? Apparently somebody can, 'cause it got banned from several stores (Wal-Mart and the like).

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Shriners!

― nate detritus (natedetritus), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:03 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm not sure which one, but I seem to recall hearing one o fthsee Pungent Stench covers were banned:
(sorry, couldn't find any bigger scans)
http://pungent.maddish.de/discography/been_caught_buttering.jpg

Oh, nevermind, on searching i found this website, and it even has pictures of the different versions!
Original:
http://pungent.maddish.de/discography/dirty_rhymes_and_psychotronic_beats.jpg
Censored:
http://pungent.maddish.de/discography/dirtyrhymes_censored.jpg
American and Australian:
http://pungent.maddish.de/discography/dirtyrhymes_usa.jpg

― Øystein H-O (Øystein H-O), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Shiners? Hmmmm. Then of course the obvious question is, why did the DKs put them on the album cover?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 31 January 2004 21:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Shiners? Hmmmm. Then of course the obvious question is, why did the DKs put them on the album cover?

To lampoon the white male power structure. Because Thatcher was unavailable and Reagan was already used.

And another biiig problem here in America are "Winnebago Warriors," always guzzling gas and eating at Stuckey's.

Yeah, sometimes it seems like the Dead Kennedys existed during the Eisenhower administraton.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 31 January 2004 22:34 (twenty-two years ago)

http://friends.s5.net/mazzini/plosce/images/pie.jpg
This one is legendary.

― Myonga Von Bontee, Monday, 2 February 2004 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

If it wasn't...it shoulda been...

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000001FW9.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 2 February 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

http://patrice.bruhat.free.fr/u2/albums/boy/boy.jpg

― Adam Thompson (adamth), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 06:05 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.rzweb.org/images/albums/3rnr.jpg
info and censored/redesigned versions here: http://www.rzweb.org/albums/classic/reich.html

― no opinion, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 06:47 (twenty-two years ago)

six months pass...

I'm trying to find the original cover of Alice Cooper's Love it to Death (the infamous thumb-as-penis pic), but am having no luck.

Lookee what I found:

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/gallery/2004/05/20/alice.jpg

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 5 August 2004 17:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I have to say nothing strikes me as being very 'thumb as penis' about that.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 August 2004 17:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I didn't get it either, but then again, I've never been able to make those magic eye things work for me.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Thursday, 5 August 2004 17:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Has anyone metioned Cannibal Corpse yet?

― Wooden (Wooden), Thursday, 5 August 2004 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

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