Saturday, November 19, 2016

ERIC MERCURY "FUNKY SOUNDS NURTURED IN THE FERTILE FIELDS OF MEMPHIS THAT SMELL OF ROCK"


Artist: Eric Mercury
Album: Funky Sounds Nurtured In the Fertile Soil of Memphis That Small of Rock
Label: Enterprise
Catalog: ENS 1020
Year: 1972
Genre: soul
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Art: Ed Hocum
Art Direction: The Graffiteria/David Kreiger
Grade: * star



Interesting - the second Stax cover in a row.  Starts to make me realize there are way more "bad" covers than good ones.

So here's what I had to say about the art work in my comments on the album:

Well, without ever hearing a note, I can tell you this album deserves notoriety for at least two things:
  • The Ed Hocum cover painting guaranteed minimal sales
  • If the cover didn't put you off the album, then the cumbersome title was likely to finish off any desire to buy the LP.  It was certainly an interesting title for a guy born and nurtured in Toronto, Canada


Sunday, November 6, 2016

LOUIS PAUL "REFLECTIONS ON THE WAY IT REALLY IS"


Artist: Louis Paul
Album: Reflections On the Way It Really Is
Label: Enterprise
Catalog: ENS 1014
Year: 1973
Genre: blue eyed soul
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Photo: --
Art Direction: --
Grade: * star



Seriously ?   Who thought it was be a good idea to dress up the late Louis Paul as a clown? This had to be a bad idea even back in 1973 !!! 

GAS MASK - "THEIR FIRST ALBUM"


Artist: Gas Mask
Album: Their First Album
Label: Tonsil
Catalog: T 4001
Year: 1970
Genre: horn-rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Photo: Carl Fischer
Art Direction: George Lois
Grade: * star



Funny, I didn't even realize this was the second gas mask themed album I'd added to the list.  Wonder what the underlying meaning is ...  As a teenager I remember meeting an older uncle who had been a Doughboy during World War I.  He'd been gassed during the fighting at Belleau Woods and as an old man was still suffering the impact ...   Regardless, this was one butt ugly cover.