Great albums with awful cover art

Almost every album by Rufus Wainwright - great music, ugly covers!

 

The Kinks are a Top 5 band for me, but their kovers (with the exception of "Face to Face," IMO) are all pretty krappy.

 

I agree that The Doors' Strange Days is one of the greatest albums, but I can't say that listening to the album ever conjured up images of a strongman, a juggler, a dwarf, an acrobat, or a trumpet player. Oh, I know what they were going for with the album cover shot, and I'm sure they achieved it. I just don't think the concept has anything to do with the music on the album; maybe the album TITLE but not the actual music.

 

You don't even like these 2?

 

Yes, I see your point but for me, these circus figures (and the alley/mews location) suggest a sense of strangeness, weirdness and, if I can quote Jim, "a feeling of being not quite at home". A good illustration of The Doors' music I think. "Is everybody in? The ceremony is about to begin..."
Then the back cover with the lady and the dwarf....spooky....maybe I'm just not used to circuses! Some dark circus this would be

On a separate note, I love that the Doors s/t picture and the album name are posters on the wall within the shot. Genius design.

And absolutely, what an album!

 

1.JoJo Gunne / Jumpin The Gun (1973) history proved that the decline of this once excellent high energy Rock band was partly due to the detestable cover art of this LP

2.Lynyrd Skynyrd / Gimme Back My Bullets (1976)...true the LP was a transitional lay over & the bad cover art did not do anything toward bettering sale

3.Robin Trower / Live (1976)...known by his followers for groovy neo-psychedelic cover art the shot of Trower playing guitar seems out of place amongst all the others

 

For me, I think CCR has the worst covers of any band.

 

Cosmo's Factory cover is embarrassing.

 

True. I remember seeing it cheap in the early seventies. Put me off buying it. What a great album though which I found out later.

 

Bob Seger - Night Moves
David Bowie - Station to Station
The Mamas and the Papas - The Papas and the Mamas
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Portishead - Dummy
The Rolling Stones - Their Satanic Majesties Request

 

What's wrong with that cover???

 

Yeah, the icy b&w cover is ghostly awesome. Not so fond of the color reissue. Luckily that was again superseded by the original and best.

 

Bob has lots of average covers of good to great albums:
Planet Waves
Time Out of Mind
Good As I Been to You
New Morning
Oh Mercy

Paul
Tug of War
Back to the Egg
Egypt Station

Todd
Something/Anything - I wish the cover was the GATEFOLD of our hero saluting
Faithful
Initiation
Liars

 

I get that the original cover might be viewed negatively because it was a compromise, but I agree it works. "Thin White Duke" seems like a character made for black and white!

Might've been better without the cropping of the photo, but it's still a good cover...

 

Another Pet Sounds thread I see

 

I think "Pet Sounds" is less great than others do.

I also think the cover is less awful than others do!

 

I agree with the first part. But I suppose the cover is about as good as the album.

 

Lets get The Beatles in a room with a trunk!

 

< LOVE these 1969 album covers.

 

I love those cover designs, especially the first 2. I love the way the lettering is subdued with the images. Hardly what I'd call a bad cover.

A bad cover to me is one like the Orleans cover that just makes you squirm (please don't post "do you mean this one", we've seen it enough!!! )

 

I wonder if that cover inspired the Monty Python bit of the battling Permanent Assurance Company in The meaning of Life Part1?

 

Not really a great album, though, is it.

 

I t wouldn't be quite as bad if they had been allowed to use the Title the cover was intended for, War Pigs.

 

Yes. Truly gawdawful. I don't like any of the post-Dio Rainbow album covers but this one is truly stupid.

This may be the worst album cover of all time for a band of their distinction. Revolting and hideous.