HENDRIX - WAR HERO

Artist: Jimi Hendrix

Album: War Hero

Label: Reprise

Catalog: MS 2103

Year: 1972

Designer: Paul Jansen

Photographer: not applicable

Grade: **** stars

 

This is one of those covers where the appeal is hard for me to articulate.  It's certainly not the most clever, or innovative concept I've ever seen - jjust a close up drawing of Jimi Hendrix's face.  That said, there's something remarkable in Paul Jansen's cover art work.  I never met Hendrix and I'm not even a giant fan, but the close-up just seems to nail the essence of the man.  Plus I think I could grow a moustach that's at least as good as what Hendrix was sporting.)

SCAFFOLD - FRESH LIVER

Artist: Scaffold

Album: Fresh Liver

Label: Island

Catalog: ILPS 9234

Year: 1973

Designer: Tetsunari Yoshimura

Photographer: Fin Costello

Grade: * star

 

Wow, not a lot to say here, other than Scaffold managed to come up with one of the ugliest cover concepts imaginable. 

BLOODROCK - U.S.A.

Artist: Bloodrock

Album: U.S.A.

Label: Capitol

Catalog: SMAS 465

Year: 1973
Genre: rock

Designer: John Hoernie

Photographer: not applicable

Grade: * star

Not a big Bloodrock here so take these comments with a grain of salt - the cover is probably the album highlight.  That said, I can't say I'm a big fan of John Hornie's cover.  It's colorful and kind of Peter Max-styled pop-art cool, but a tad too graphic for my tastes.   Hum, guess I could say the same thing about Bloodrock's musical catalog.

MUD AS A MARKETING CONCEPT - LA REVOLUTION FRANCAISE

Artist: La Revolution Francaise

Album: C Cool

Label: CANUSA
Catalog: CLJ 33-112

Year: 1968

Designer: Robert Barbeau

Photographer: Serge Leblanc

Grade: ** star




I'm not exactly movie star material myself, but I have to wonder about a marketing concept that would take four pale, slightly geeky looking French-Canadians; strip them down and then cover them in mud ...   Not exactly the marketing campaign of the year. 

SKIN ALLEY - TWO QUID DEAL

Artist: Skin Alley

Album: Two Quid Deal

Label: Stax
Catalog: STS 3012

Year: 1973

Designer: Ron Gordon and the Grafe

Photographer: not applicable

Design J. Edward Barker

Grade: ** star



Overlooking how this British blues-rock outfit ever got signed to Stax (as if a soul label would have a clue in terms of how to market the band), the J. Edward Barker cover illustration probably didn't help non-existent sales.  Mickey Mouse's deviant brother offering the buyer a tab of LSD soaked cheese ?   I've always found the grinning mouse kind of disconcerting.

BOOT - "BOOT" ON GUINNESS

 
Artist: Boot

Album: Turn the Other Cheek

Label: Guinness
Catalog: GNS 36002

Year: 1977

Designer: not listed

Photographer: not listed

Design not listed

Grade: **** star




SInce this one was released on a known taxscam label (Guinnesss), it shouldn't come as a major surprise that there were no credits for the album artwork.  That said, the cartoonish cover looked an awful lot like something R. Crumb might have done.  Maybe that's the cover's appeal to my eye.  

LES MCCANN - Live at the Bohemian Caverns

Artist: Les McCann

Album: Live at the Bohemian Caverns Washington D.C.

Label: Limelight
Catalog: LM 82046 (mono) LS 82046 (stereo)

Year: 1963

Designer: not listed

Photographer: not listed

Design not listed

Grade: **** star



C'mon, even if you're not a beebop fan, you've got to admit the cover art is clever.  Great color scheme and a wonderful concept.