Album covers 33 ⅓ - Because it sounds better than 33 ½

That "best ever" thread with only MJ on it is just ridiculous. It always happens that way.

Ed

 

What thread is that? With this XenForo software, it is easy to miss threads unless you read every single forum entry.

 

It appears the thread is now gone. No wonder...LOL!

Ed

 

You can PM me to tell me what it was all about.

 

Newly added:

Barry Manilow - "Swing Street" (front, back, sleeves, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/barry-manilow-swing-street/

Ed

P.S.: I didn't realize how much Barry I had until I went through my stash. My mom had quite a bit of it. This is a cool album so I'm glad I kept it. Check out the list of guests on it.

 

Newly added:

Roy Ayers - "Everybody Loves the Sunshine" (front, back, sleeves, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/roy-ayers-everybody-loves-the-sunshine/

Ed

 

Newly added (at @Grant 's request):

Wild Cherry - Electrified Funk (front, gatefold, back, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/wild-cherry-electrified-funk/

Ed

 

YES! You, sir, have just created the first good replica of this cover in the world! Thank you! This is fantastic! Do you mind if I add it to AAX?

Also, i'm no expert with Photoshop (assuming that's what you use). Can you give me some pointers on how to use it to remove blemishes?

 

Ha! Just caught this! Glad you likes. Also cool to find it as your avatar!

Sure, you can add it to AAX. Just give VAC some love when you do.

I use an old version of Photoshop Elements (6.0 - no reason to change) and I mostly use the "clone" tool to remove scratches and other things. The covers I do live and die by that tool alone in many cases. I use color replacement only when absolutely necessary.

Anyway, all you need to make "cloning" work is a steady hand and the cover in front of you so you don't mar the original intent. I also don't over-clean. If a cover is old, I let it be old. I don't try to achieve perfection. I certainly didn't with the Wild Cherry cover. I wanted clean but not antiseptic and unrealistic. I think I got it.

I couldn't win with the gatefold because of the crease but I gave it my best shot. I would have abandoned ship on it had you not asked for it as it's just not doable. I may toy with it some more to see if I can do better. The gatefold is the only thing on the whole site I'm not happy with.

Hopefully all that made sense and that it was helpful.

Ed

 

Do you have Dropbox? I could work on stuff you don't want to/have time for. You could upload the images. Dropbox is the fastest way to send large files that I know of.

 

I can throw a thing or two at you. The thing is I generally do everything at once. Once moved to do an album, I go from start to finish. I have the Niecy album you asked for. I'll scan the pieces and send 'em to you. PM me your Dropbox info and consider it done.

Ed

 

It's easier than that. All you have to do is PM me the link to the files.

 

Newly added:

Banks & Hampton - "Passport to Ecstasy" (front, back, sleeves, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/banks-hampton-passport-to-ecstasy/

Ed

 

Newly added:

Switch - "Switch" (front, back, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/switch-switch/

Ed

 

That's a nice pressing of the Switch album. I've seen a lot of Motown albums where the pressings have been atrocious, you could tell from the typesetting. I think I have that album.

 

It really is. The LP even sounds good. That's a rare bird for sure at that point. Great record.

Ed

 

One that I grabbed from AAX is nice, and the other one is saturated to hell! The quality of things over there is really questionable these days. As far as i'm concerned, AAX can no longer brag about being obsessive about quality, but that's fine with me. There are some covers that are sorely missing, and the bad ones will do until someone supplies better ones.

On AAX, I added a better version of "Switch II". Again, that other one is a bleeder.

I have several vinyl pressings of that first Switch album, and they are all bad. I finally got the CD version, an Edsel import that will do.

 

I wasn't as obsessive about the quality of the "Switch" album as I should have been. Grant pointed that out to me via IM and I'm grateful for that. I was too tired last night and I shouldn't have been so quick to post it. I saw the errors just a few minutes ago and they were glaring. Thanks muchly, Grant. I just posted his corrected front cover with the album itself. I'll do better next time.

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/switch-switch/

Ed

 

I finally figured out why they called themselves "Switch". They switch instruments. Close?

Anyway, such an amazing band that was destroyed by drug abuse. They had the potential to last a long time, and they pissed it all away.

 

Everyone named DeBarge ruined their careers with drugs. Bobby already had a problem before Switch got started. He just managed to get the better of it for a little while when they started.

LOL! Yeah, Switch is name because they could switch instruments....

Ed

 

Newly added:

Switch - "This is my Dream" (front, back, labels)

http://vinylalbumcovers.com/switch-this-is-my-dream/

Ed

 

Grant, I didn't know what you meant but AAX (I'm behind the times, have 8 tracks....) so I had to do some research, ha.

I think my copy is ok, well better than some of those other Motown records from the '70s--that's not saying a whole lot though... I almost wish there was a site to post pics of horrible Motown pressings--because they made a bunch.

 

Very, very nice! The lines are crisp and clear, and the colors are perfect.

That brings me to a thought: You know how a lot of the covers on AAX are saturated with added color? I'm wondering if either there is a form of color blindness that causes people to not see much of it, or if their monitors are just set with low contrast. I had a sister who said nothing looked normal unless the color was saturated to hell on her Plasma TV. It was so bad I couldn't even watch TV at her house.

 

Well, I was using "AAE" for The Album Art Exchange, but even the site owner uses the acronym "AAX" (X=Ex).

It wasn't a well recorded album at all. The second album sounded better, and is my favorite of the band's output.

 

Ok, now I understand. I think I have the second album too. I liked Switch.