Brilliant albums with horrible album covers

I'll try to keep it to albums that I really like a lot and play regularly that have horrible cover art imo:

Gentle Giant - Acquiring The Taste: Very experimental and out there album, but wtf is that cover about? Acquiring the taste of what, exactly?


Soft Machine - Third: Again, excellent album (despite the bad sound), but how dull and uninspired can you get with the artwork?


King Crimson - Starless And Bible Black: A great album, but this is absolutely bottom of the heap cover art for KC. What is it? Band and album name printed in vomit? Yuck!

 

I understand that.
To some degree, whether one likes the cover or not, it is kind of unique and memorable, so it stands out.

 

Neil Young "Zuma"

Awesome album.
But my stepson could have made a better drawing in 5 minutes

 

The awesomeness of Ozzy's kaftan and heels combo completely ruined by the sight of Bill's wife's tights, not being a high enough denier to hide his grudleys. The 'nazi' S in. the band and album title doesn't help matters.

 

Stevie approved this himself , he loved this cover especially the colours.

 

Humble Pie "Rock on" and "Smokin"

Boring

 

The Kinks "Something else"
Teenage fanclub "Bandwagonesque"

 

I don't like Zuma's artwork either, but would your stepson have been able to draw this if given the title? I think it's brilliant in its deceptive simplicity.

 

I like this cover.

 

I think you just explained why it's a good cover.

 

Eric Bogle - "Now I'm Easy"

Wonderful album, but just who considered this a good idea for an album cover?

 

I don't get why they did it and it is a crappy cover. Lol

 

He is blind right???Gotcha!

 

I like (or at least don't mind) nearly all the covers mentioned so far , especially Sunflower, Atom heart mother and Can't buy a thrill.
The only one I don't like is the Black Sabbath one , but I don't know if it is a brilliant album since I have never heard it

 

Most Teenage Fanclub lps.

 

Me too. Quirky, confident, individualistic and irreverent

 

Socrates-Phos

 

Underwhelming maybe but not terrible , Thirteen maybe the worst ? Grand Prix was very much of its time and i have always liked the photography of Songs from Northern Britain though that may be because I am Scottish and that waltzer/show ride has been seen by most Scottish people who have had a day out in Callendar. Also love the cover of Ain’t that Enough a really well composed photo , Scotland one of the most beautiful countries in the world , let’s use a nuclear power station in the lowlands for a pic.

 

Tighten up on that bass
Now let that guitar fall in

 

I don't recall why they did it and I think it's great - in large part because its so odd and counterintuitive.

Also: Physical Graffiti is great too.

 

great album, but never cared much for the cover.

On another note, I know Pablo Honey, probably doesn’t make the cut universally for brilliant album (esp by Radiohead standards), I do think if that album had a better cover and a more thoughtful title, it would be more well regarded, it’s a strange role aesthetics can play. I personally think it’s a pretty great, early alternative rock album and not even their worst one. But unfortunately I think random album covers and weird unassociated, throwaway titles were a mid 90s alterna-rock trademark

 

This is superb! It’s hilarious!

 

Starless, what a great cover, frameable wall art, I love it.