THE YARDBIRDS "LIVE FEATURING JIMMY PAGE"

Artist: The Yardbirds

Album: Live Featuring Jimmy Page
Label: Epic

Catalog: E 30615
Year: 1971
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Cover Designer: not listed
Cover art: James Grashow
Grade: **** stars

 

One of rock's most infamous albums.  Epic Records has released "Live Yardbirds Featuring Jimmy Page" at least twice (once in 1971 and once in 1976).  Both times Page threatened legal action over the crappy sound quality and both times the album was quickly withdrawn.  Anyhow, I'm more interested in the cover art (if you've ever heard the album the sound quality is simply abysmal making it easy to see why Page threatened a lawsuit). 

The striking cover was designed by American sculpture/woodcut artist James Grashow.  Grashow had enjoyed a bit of earlier success having designed Jethro Tull's "Stand Up" album cover.

Today he's widely known for his work in cardboard...  seriously.  One of the most interesting documentaries I've recent scene was  entitled Cardboard Bernini, describing the creation, exhibition, decay, and destruction of an enormous Trevi Fountain inspired cardboard project he built.

Here's a link to Grashow's website:  http://www.jamesgrashow.com/index.cfm

 

FAIRPORT CONVENTION "A MOVEABLE FEAST"

Artist: Fairport Convention

Album: A Moveable Feast
Label: Island

Catalog: ILPS 9285
Year: 1974
Genre: folk-rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 2

Cover Designer:  Fabio Nicoli
cover art: Graham Goodhall
Grade: **** stars

 

Goodhall's a complete unknown to me - good luck finding anything about the man online.  That said, how can you go wrong with a painting that features old cars and guitars ?  This one just makes me smile whenever I look at it.

ED SANDERS "BEER CANS ON THE MOON"

Artist: Ed Sanders

Album: Beer Cans On the Moon
Label: Reprise

Catalog: MS 2105
Year: 1972
Genre: satire
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Cover Designer:  Brendan Atkinson
cover art: Brendan Atkinson
Grade: **** stars

 

C'mon how could you not laugh at the album title and artwork ?    Geez, a pull tab Bud can ...  I can remember those.

HUNGRY TIGER "HUNGRY TIGER"

Artist: Hungry Tiger

Album: Hungry Tiger
Label: Magna Glide

Catalog: MGS 323112
Year: 1977
Genre: pop
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Cover Designer:  not listed
Photographer:  not listed
Grade: **** stars

 

The album's lukewarm commercial pop with a heavy emphasis on ballads.  The anonymous cover is actually better than the music.  Great subject, great colors ... almost has kind of an Andy Warhol feel to it.

RY COODER "RY COODER"

Artist: Ry Cooder

Album: Ry Cooder
Label: Reprise

Catalog: 6402
Year: 1970
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Cover Designer:  Ed Trasher
Photographer:  Frank Bez
Grade: **** stars

 

I had no idea Frank Bez had done so many magazine and album covers - Johnny Cash, Harry Chapin, etc.   Esquire did a nice interview with him at: http://www.esquire.com/entertainment/music/a20154/frank-bez-johnny-cash-15159370/ Regardless, this cover of Ry Cooder on the El Mirage dry lake is just so cool.  And posing him in front of a 1937 Airstream trailer ...  

OINGO BOINGO "ONLY A BOY"

Artist: Oingo Boingo

Album: Only a Lad
Label: IRS

Catalog: 14863-1
Year: 1981
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: SOLD

Cover Designer:  Paul Mussa 
Artist:  Chris Hopkins
Grade: **** stars

 

I have a younger son who is a Boy Scout, so this one's got kind of a personal connection.  That said, I never quite got the concept which shows the character seemingly morphing from some sort of "creature" into a Scout.  Imagine a Norman Rockwell scene on meds.

I found a link to Hopkins' website where he actually mentions the cover: "I don't believe that I have painted anything particularly famous but I still receive email and other correspondence about the Styx "Paradise Theater" album cover art and cover art for Oingo Boingo's album "Only A Lad." I find this both funny and disturbing since I painted both of those 27 years ago and I hope that I have improved since then. However, lovers of old theatres and Styx fans really aren't interested in anything else that I've painted. I also did the theme art for Super Bowls 20, 21, and 23, and the movie marquee art for "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and they're really well known."

For anyone interested, here's a link to his website:  http://chrishopkinsart.com/
  

TRAFFIC "ON THE ROAD"

Artist: Traffic

Album: On the Road
Label: Island

Catalog: ISLA 2
Year: 1973
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Cover Designer:  Ann Borthwick
Artist:  Ann Borthwick
Grade: **** stars

 

I knew who Traffic were when I bought this album, but have to admit it was one of the first albums I ever bought more for the packaging than the music.  Not that "On the Road" was bad - nah, just kind of long, plodding, and mid-'70s self-indulgent ...  On the other hand, Ann Borthwick's cover art was very cool in a detached, almost clinical fashion.  And Borthwick's a complete mystery to me - I've wasted a lot of time trying to locate some information on the artist.  Someone out there must has some insight into the woman ...