The Rolling Stones' "Goat's Head Soup" album cover

I'm sure most of you are all familiar with the GHS album cover:



All these years I never could figure what's going on in that picture. What is it that is "blurring" Jagger's face?

 

its like some kind of sheet.

 

A veil. The cover is veiled and muddy looking. It pictures how the album sounds. A perfect cover. Too bad this was the last album produced by Jimmy Miller - after two "flops" it was time for him to go.

 

- Lester Bangs, Creem, December 1973

 

It's an uneven album, but "Winter" and "Can You Hear The Music" are two of my favorite Rolling Stones songs.

 

The Stones must have read that review, 'cause their next album kicked ***. It's Only Rock 'N Roll, but they like it!

 

Amazing that Bangs wrote that in what was essentially the best era ever for rock music. It's like swimming in Lake Erie in 1650 and complaining that its polluted.

 

People complain about the "sound quality" of this one, but I think the grainy sound suits the music. Just my opinion.

 

comin' down again should describe it all.

later, chris

 

I agree. There was a whole lot of amazing music goin' on in 1973.

Bangs and I must have been listening to very different music. And "Winter" is certainly in the top 10 songs by the Stones.

I never really understood what the cover 'meant', if it was supposed to have meaning. Not my favorite Stones album, but I could let it slide with all the other great music that was out that year.

 

Regarding the Bangs quote: "...Stones have abdicated their responsibilities..."
Yeah, I can imagine Richards worrying about that while shooting up.

 

I don't know if it's true or not, but this site claims this was the original cover art for the Goat's Head Soup album.

 

That would have been a better cover. Makes more sense than the picture with only Mick on it.

 

That was the free poster inside early issues.
The cover photo is by David Bailey if i rememeber right--they all look like women (which the stones liked to do sometimes?) except Keef on the back who looks like a match going up in flame (which sums it up at the time)--
Great album-great songs---"can you hear the music" is sublime!
The sounds not great but that's the way it is.

 

i always think of a different cover with a real Goats Head on it, just ready to be cooked - taken in Morroco or somewhere on a white background - wasn't that the first cover (or was that by another group) caled Goats Head Soup ?
I am def. sure a US girl i met in 1976 told me something about Goats Head Soups, they would cook in Morocco when i was in Torremolinos / southern spain on my way to Tanger and she asked me if i knew that cover of The Rolling Stones album "Goats Head Soup"..
I said yes (but didn't have a copy of it, then) and till this day i have that picture of that goat looking at me in my head - but i never seen another cover than this girls panties over their heads one on the web...

 

Yes, he did the photography and album design. The poster (actually a flat) was done by John Pasche.

 

For some reason I expected a little "Beef" with that Gorts Head Soup.

 

Boiled Gort.....oh oh the itchy trigger padlocks will be coming soon.....

 

I never bought the album, but isn't that the inside artwork?

 

I thought I remember reading at the time that the goat head pic was supposed to be the cover and the image was rejected by the big wigs, so it was included inside as an insert instead. Unless I'm thinking of the toilet cover.

I always thought the cover made Mick look like a woman. :thumbsdn:

 

Yes. Suitable for framing.

 

'Winter' is lyrically brilliant. I've always loved the song musically as well.

'Bell, book and candle'. Google it.

 

The cover is odd, but I like it...

 

A perfect encapsulation of everything that was wrong those smug, snobbish early days of rock criticism.