What LABEL had the most consistently great album covers?

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I say Blue Note.

http://us2.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-Tyxopi186!p5dQ-UlXbA4QFrsgHxh6!G2RVN5nxPrreCPnNKeF-Ibrjw3MNddBeBuzhaDe4GQiEz2T2z9Xd6dDfDCaG0X8Tu1HCzS0_/0077778411529.jpg http://us3.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxophAzGX25Yh2Japv8jLFvL15P8jX0Sd1dPSoAWX3cOCMWB7BxlqkdHAOk9P8wqY!qIrKIYLTWht1olcxgL3g8PhDwbuHU-EaQyE_/0077778417224.jpg http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopiJrOJ9ey86exaC7hBEwnOrNNHDScfgyk7OI!UXLrIyROzL3eorpp0CUFN4xKNF7ip13pxDkw4ulfbes5rxo2hlV-W7382zhUQ_/0077778979524.jpg

http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxophzgD0LZRRi5zBCKWvqZspqohNbTvo4cFmbrASwc1fbwwSOZt9UryM1aOfNotw0yvkLVqlyoA-xiHuFFYyfo3mASc6RPvGBYuU_/0724349533226.jpg http://us2.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxophsUCZI5I13ZXadNiXiou5h0dq485bOmt19lkdOLdLVxrPl2Uc1J85mMOYumJMEqyWwKIsaR5oJcaco3AhA3Xb2thS1un2p8cA_/0077774609425.jpg http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopiX-Zbhj6qH8RvTupAL7MUNHAkakU3DadwGU7oGClIsIoRaYT6nXbuBuWch93tvhsWNYRbKcfQYBer56u1WnjAfFT7Mp82KD0s_/0077774654722.jpg

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

me too.

― I got the job because I was so mean, while somehow appearing so kind. (AaronHz), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:53 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.enkiri.com/joy/records/a_factory_sample1.jpg

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:58 (twenty-one years ago)

http://xlrecordings.static3.state51.co.uk/25/81/8420054_H23Y/175x165.jpeg

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Thursday, 17 March 2005 20:59 (twenty-one years ago)

4AD seconded.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

So, Blue Note, 4AD and Factory all namechecked within 3 posts we all go home now.

― Alba (Alba), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Not quite:
http://www.universalmusic.it/dbcommon/file/albums/default/109066.jpg
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc000/c042/c04274cuj9b.jpg

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:08 (twenty-one years ago)

GROB

http://churchofgrob.com/Churchofgrob/CATALOG/Grob657/marx_657.jpg
http://churchofgrob.com/Churchofgrob/CATALOG/Grob435/grob435.jpg
http://churchofgrob.com/Churchofgrob/CATALOG/Grob544/brospa.jpg
http://churchofgrob.com/Churchofgrob/CATALOG/Grob319/grob319.gif

― Jena (JenaP), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:10 (twenty-one years ago)

http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopjPgUIZQXdTw7sHONq1yexrtVLkfv67c-!NYWqh-RrCLMgQ6DEalvBplwNVql3xS1o-UOD7OXXSdbYo6Z2mK6G9BLUjwcHOkhs_/0077778412427.jpg http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopgwKE5pVQ6wahgAgdAEgPoDS7!SqMXvpbfvYo8tJo-kiI4cZoi9P6LcZJFFxaeF-SDWrN!mb2S54yoWtHYPGs7k2Vg!1wOLk9g_/0077778423720.jpg http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopiN5v--9qiE!7WELVlWndED5lTckb-nbhAExnQDWo3dPBkdqYgIO5RGwuXXjFiAmqzx1Fx5aPRpvouvjApD53yqc6Ksvppd1jM_/0724382902720.jpg http://us3.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopiSrFQegCMnOCj8oN!hq-XNSMLqQ5dmcQt9SWACOne73vaBJImzIHVbABwn8LsYhmUhgb3C9fZtYArlMFtl!oio3Kgzr3Ebx3Q_/0724382990826.jpg http://us1.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopjwlqjP25-XmTpQd2ZVmnjEIEuyfKnmH8w2AFfW2swQeQWF1AP!YoOwflakMV9OUxJjhMZK5ZQhY56VmVMjKtvIVTwhr5KAAHc_/0724385774522.jpg http://us2.pixagogo.com/S5uRuA-TyxopiKLgVOh79zH55XWDy8ELeNlwoSdM6N2KjAqC2J9TTGM-kmSqiN0z3ew6e4-z8RG8jzXRV5iULZH8LaimEEfB!2OexyJdwNk40_/0724385937828.jpg

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:13 (twenty-one years ago)

sub pop

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Touch covers are great. Do they release vinyl? Don't think I've seen any. But they are v. well designed for CDs.

― Mark (MarkR), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Sub Pop always picks the best designers and artists to work with. They don't get the props they deserve, IMHO.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

You guys have already listed the good/obv ones

so I'll throw in Decca:

http://www.triad.rr.com/dance/content/images/pizza.jpg
http://www.outrightrecords.co.uk/images/feature_album03pt2.jpg
http://www.majicat.com/alun/Alunrym.jpg
http://www.317x.com/albums/s/christopherscott/reduced.gif
http://www.offshoreradio.co.uk/tl61.jpg
http://www.317x.com/albums/i/IBM/reduced.gif

― rentboy (rentboy), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:16 (twenty-one years ago)

That Switched on Bacharach cover is sweet.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:18 (twenty-one years ago)

CTI (not sure how to post images)

― one time gaffled 'em up, Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:19 (twenty-one years ago)

and all those Enoch Light/Provocotive Percussion LPs

― one time gaffled 'em up, Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:20 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.indielondon.co.uk/img/warp_logo.gif

― Brian Miller (Brian Miller), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:37 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.45tours.org/pic/trattoria.gif

― Deerninja B4rim4, Plus-Tech Whizz Kid (Barima), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

More examples, please.

― darin (darin), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Blue Note, followed by Factory.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm biased, of course, but MALICIOUS DAMAGE!

ihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/headcount.jpg ihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/audio1.jpg ihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/theorb.jpg http://studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/audio2.jpg
http://studio-c.co.uk/maliciousdamage/graphics/audio5.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

iihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/audio1.jpg

ihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/theorb.jpg

ihttps://www.scl.co.uk/studio-c/headcount.jpg

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:55 (twenty-one years ago)

fuck, well, take my word for it...they're nice.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 17 March 2005 21:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Ze.

― Quit glaring at Ian Riese-Moraine! He's mentally fraught! (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 17 March 2005 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, they're not the best, but they're up there. The really stellar ones have already been named.

― Quit glaring at Ian Riese-Moraine! He's mentally fraught! (Eastern Mantra), Thursday, 17 March 2005 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

tzadik, although I don't feel like posting all the covers here

― kyle (akmonday), Thursday, 17 March 2005 23:54 (twenty-one years ago)

Stones Throw/Now-Again are pretty consistent:

http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/covers/lovesareal-200.jpg http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/covers/quas-further-400.jpg http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/covers/JAYLIB-champsound-400.jpg http://www.stonesthrow.com/records/covers/monkhughes-weldon-400.jpg (pity the album sucked, but it's still a great image) http://www.stonesthrow.com/nowagain/images/records/lac_lp_200.jpg http://www.stonesthrow.com/nowagain/images/records/erb_lp_200.jpg

Ze seconded.

― Telephonething, Thursday, 17 March 2005 23:55 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh, and Ghostly International/Spectral Sound, too- a bit trendy (though they've put out some great stuff), but the packaging and design are dead sexy:

http://store.ghostlyinternational.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/gi5_250.jpg

http://store.ghostlyinternational.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/spc24_250.jpg

― Telephonething, Friday, 18 March 2005 00:00 (twenty-one years ago)

ooh, i thought of one. Independent Project Records. now there's some nice sleeves.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 18 March 2005 00:01 (twenty-one years ago)

Dammit. Left out:

http://www.ghostly.com/1.0/img/covers/gi25_250.jpg

http://www.ghostly.com/1.0/img/covers/gi35_250.gif

― Telephonething, Friday, 18 March 2005 00:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Verve, also

http://www.ctijazz.com/getz-focus/cdcover.jpg
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0000046NN.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/g/gilber_astr_beachsamb_101b.jpg
http://www.worldsoul.com/datas/pics/2980.jpg
http://www.ne.jp/asahi/wes.fan/club/right/albam_verve/bumpin.jpg

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 18 March 2005 00:14 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.streamwaves.com/images/artwork/1548.jpg
http://www.meantime-jp.com/JacketPics/NoLimit/AmIMyBrothersKeeper.jpg
http://www.meantime-jp.com/JacketPics/NoLimit/TheShocker.jpg
http://www.meantime-jp.com/JacketPics/NoLimit/PreMeditatedDrama.jpg
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000008UKN.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg
http://media.rapnewsdirect.com/CDCovers/Master_P/MP_Da_Last_Don/t.300.default.jpg

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Friday, 18 March 2005 00:45 (twenty-one years ago)

Rune Grammofon
Soul Jazz
CTI seconded

Sorry, I don't know how to post images.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Dave Segal, did you used to write for Alternative Press in the 90s?

― Steve Gertz (sgertz), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:20 (twenty-one years ago)

In between a pair of angle brackets (less-than and greater-than signs), type img src="". Put the image's address in between the quotes (this will look like a standard web address and end in .gif, .jpg, .png or another image extension). Most web browsers will allow you to get the address for an image: in Internet Explorer, right-click, go to Properties, and copy the address. In Firefox, just right-click and select Copy Image URL.

You can also just paste in the address with "i" in front of it, but using html tags seems to work more consistently here.

― Telephonething, Friday, 18 March 2005 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)

ECM

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone who says anything besides 4AD in answer to this one needs to have their head examined.

― Bimble... (Bimble...), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:28 (twenty-one years ago)

there are a lot of 4AD sleeves i really don't like

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:35 (twenty-one years ago)

― jed_ (jed), Friday, 18 March 2005 02:40 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah; for every incredible 4AD cover, there are several total duds(eg. Lush, 'Split'). I vote for ECM.

― derrick (derrick), Friday, 18 March 2005 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Nowhere near consistent, but I have to say: Mego's done some of my favorites in their whole maybe kinda overused aesthetic.

http://mego.at/images/mego031.jpeg
http://mego.at/images/mego035.jpg
http://mego.at/images/mego047.jpg
http://mego.at/images/mego050.jpg
http://mego.at/images/mego062.jpg
ihttp://mego.at/images/mego063.jpeg

― nabiscothingy (nory), Friday, 18 March 2005 05:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Ha, broke the link on the most striking of the bunch:

http://mego.at/images/mego063.jpg

― nabiscothingy (nory), Friday, 18 March 2005 05:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Morr and Teenbeat both have some lovely, lovely sleeves but also (esp Teenbeat) a lot of shite.

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Friday, 18 March 2005 05:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah, Massimo. How could I forget this...well...thing. Link probably NSFW unless you work at some kind of pornaterium or something.

― Telephonething, Friday, 18 March 2005 05:38 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, ECM, definitely. The whole aesthetic is peace.

Thanks for the image-posting, tip, Telephonething.

― Dave Segal (Da ve Segal), Friday, 18 March 2005 06:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Most '50s-'60s jazz labels were very good with their covers and just knew how to market their stars' images and the music. I don't know why contemporary jazz labels don't follow a similar aesthetic path.

― Gear! (can Jung shill it, Mu?) (Gear!), Friday, 18 March 2005 10:22 (twenty-one years ago)

ECM

― andyjack (andyjack), Friday, 18 March 2005 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I gotta say, my gut reaction was 4AD, but I'm loving the ECM covers, the more that I consider it. I wish I liked the music more, because those covers make me want to buy all of them.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Friday, 18 March 2005 13:54 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, i can commiserate sean. i used to buy 4AD records for the cover and "learn" to love them, ie i found out about a lot of great music that way that i previously hadn't heard/of. i tried that for ECM and wound up with a bunch of cds i never listen to

― rentboy (rentboy), Friday, 18 March 2005 14:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Jed's look nicest to me, though none look particluarly inviting. Are these all depressing albums? Or jazz?

― Eleventy-Twelve (Eleventy-Twelve), Friday, 18 March 2005 14:17 (twenty-one years ago)

maybe not consistent, but i like folkways' LP covers best

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Friday, 18 March 2005 14:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Weird: I kinda really hate that ECM look!

― nabiscothingy (nory), Friday, 18 March 2005 15:35 (twenty-one years ago)

I used to like a lot of Axiom's covers, but they were pretty bad in a way, too.

― Eleventy-Twelve (Eleventy-Twelve), Friday, 18 March 2005 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

http://stat.discogs.com/L/715-002.gif

― Jena (JenaP), Friday, 18 March 2005 16:32 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.secondlayer.co.uk/images/covers/jandek-yourturntofall.jpg http://www2.odn.ne.jp/oneplusone/04.7.12photo/jandek_foreign.jpg http://www.audiblerecords.co.uk/rev/j744.png
http://www.audiblerecords.co.uk/rev/j740.png http://www.audiblerecords.co.uk/rev/j765.png
http://www.audiblerecords.co.uk/rev/j746.png http://www.audiblerecords.co.uk/rev/j766.png

― Bent Over at the Arclight (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 18 March 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

(That would be Corwood Industries)

― Bent Over at the Arclight (Bent Over at the Arclight), Friday, 18 March 2005 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I say Blue Note too. Atlantic had many great ones, but also their share of embarrassments like this:

http://images-jp.amazon.com/images/P/B000002JO2.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Friday, 18 March 2005 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Surprised, no one's mentioned Positiva!

*ducks*

― Tantrum (Tantrum The Cat), Friday, 18 March 2005 22:38 (twenty-one years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000042O1H.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg http://www.kompaktkiste.de/cd/_123/_9/925841.jpg http://www.btinternet.com/~comme6/saville/Bluemonday_a.jpg
http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000042O1O.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg http://www.warnermusic.com.au/images/artists/00023840.jpg http://www.btinternet.com/~comme6/saville/New_Order_Brotherhood_a.jpg
http://www.btinternet.com/~comme6/saville/New_Order_Technique_a.jpg http://www.musicmatic.de/H/HappyMo2a.jpg http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005IS7.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 18 March 2005 23:09 (twenty-one years ago)

I realise one of those wasn't an album cover, but then, it was possibly the best single cover ever, plus it was album size.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 18 March 2005 23:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I like that Otis Redding cover, Myonga, but yeah you're right, Atlantic was hit or miss.

(I'm kind of regretting my feeble effort on behalf of Chess right now.)

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 18 March 2005 23:31 (twenty-one years ago)

In fact, looking at those covers I found for the thread, I think I favour Factory over Blue Note. Peter Saville is a fantastic cover designer, up there with Roger Dean and Storm Thorgerson among my favourites.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 18 March 2005 23:34 (twenty-one years ago)

no votes for siesta? i always wonder how they can afford their lavish packaging.

― keith m (keithmcl), Saturday, 19 March 2005 00:23 (twenty-one years ago)

perhaps elway gives them mates' rates

― shine headlights on me (electricsound), Saturday, 19 March 2005 04:49 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.alpha-prod.com/fb/public/alpha/attach_public/11-026.jpg http://www.alpha-prod.com/fb/public/alpha/attach_public/108-026.jpg http://www.alpha-prod.com/fb/public/alpha/attach_public/137-026.jpg

― Captain Sleep (Captain Sleep), Saturday, 19 March 2005 05:10 (twenty-one years ago)

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