FLEETWOOD MAC'S "BARE TREES"

Artist: Fleetwood Mac

Album: Bare Trees
Label: Reprise

Catalog: MS 2080
Year: 1972

Art Designer/Photo:  John McVie 

Grade: **** stars

 

Was this a high tech concept ?   No.  Was it particularly clever ?  No.   That said, there was just something immensely appealing with respect to this John McVie cover photo.   I can remember spending hours listening to the album (particularly Danny Kriran's 'Child of Mine' and Bob Welch's 'The Ghost' and I'll readily admit the cover art was a big part of the album's appeal - for anyone unfamiliar with the band's pre-Lindsey Buckingham/Stevie Nicks catalog, "Bare Trees" is a great place to start checking the band out.

THE BYRDS - BYRDMANIAX

Artist: The Byrds

Album: Byrdmaxniax
Label: Columbia

Catalog: KC 30640
Year: 1970

Art Designer: Mary Leonard (masks), Virginia Team and John Berg
Photography: Don Jim

Grade: **** stars

 

This is simply one of the most stunning covers in my record collection (though musically it's a middling Byrds offering).  I can still remember buying the album at a local Penguin Feather record/head shop (I was strictly interested in the records).    The inner sleeves show the process for making the face casts.  Doesn't look like McGuinn and company were having much fun.  Regardless, the glossy, space age result are just too cool !

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST - BABY IN A POT

Artist: Barclay James Harvest

Album: Baby James Harvest
Label: Harvest

Catalog: SHSP 4023
Year: 1972

Art Designer: not listed
Photography: Julian Cottrell

Grade: **** stars

 

Their last studio album for Harvest Records, this one sat buried in the inventory stacks for years and only came back to my attention when someone bought it off the BadCatRecords website.   The baby-in-a-flower-pot cover was certainly eye catching in an obnoxious can't-we-be-cute fashion, but what makes me laugh about this one is the fact Hallmark and other greeting card companies have embraced the concept, creating hundreds of similarly styled cards and making untold millions in profits.

CHICK COREA AND THE SMURFS

Artist: Chick Corea
Album: Friends
Label: Polydor

Catalog: PD-1-6061
Year: 1978
Art Designer: Chick Corea
Photography: Stanley Gainsforth
Grade: **** stars

 

C'mon, how can you not love a cover that features the Smurfs.  Corea himself came up with the cover concept.   I'm guessing that having spent a great deal of time touring Europe, he became aware of the Smurfs franchise several years before they became popular in the US.   Interestingly Corea doesn't seem to have bothered getting legal rights to use the Pierre Culliford's characters for the cover.   That my explain why Polydor subsequently created an alternate cover for European releases of the album.   Perhaps comfortable they wouldn't get sued in the States, Polydor didn't bother re-packaging the US release.







For anyone curious, here's what the alternative cover looked like. 

STEALERS WHEEL - SELF TITLED 1973 LP

Artist: Stealers Wheel
Album: Stealers Wheel
Label: A&M

Catalog: SP 4377
Year: 1973
Art Designer: Patrick Byrne
Photography: not applicable
Grade: **** stars

 

I've always found the late Scottish painter John Patrick Bryne's primitive paintings fascinating.  I'm apparently not the only person to feel that way.   He's created work for The Beatles (who contemplated putting one of his works on the cover of what became "The White Album"), Donovan, The Humblebums, a slew of Gerry Rafferty LPs, and a couple of Stealers Wheels collections.  Anyhow, rather than reinvent the wheel, courtesy of the Vinyl Revolution Blog, here's a link to a short, sweet, and informative overview of Byrne's career:

http://blog.vinylrevolutions.co.uk/2012/04/18/john-patrick-byrne/

 

DAVY AND THE BADMEN - WANTED!

Artist: Davy and the Badmen
Album: Wanted!
Label: Gothic

Catalog: WA 063-64
Year: 1963
Art Designer: unknown
Photography: unknown
Grade: ** stars

 

My ten year old saw this one and said he could design a better cover.  I believe him. 

RICHARD ALEXANDER - JESUS IS MY BATTLESHIP

Artist: Richard Alexander
Album: Jesus Is My Battleship
Label: Alex

Catalog: RA 101 A/B
Year: 19??
Art Designer: unknown
Photography: unknown
Grade: ***** stars

 

There's just something fascinating about a Gospel/soul album featuring a cover that reflects one of the most efficient killing machines known to mankind.  I'm sure Alexander was trying to underscore the strength of his belief.   I certainly can't criticize that.  On the other thand I'm not sure how Jesus would feel having his name slapped on the side of an American battleship, though I suspect he wouldn't see it as an honor.