Artist: Eddie and the Hot Rods
Album Title: Teenage Depression
Label: Island
Catalog: ILPS 9457
Year: 1977
Genre: punk
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Michael Beal
Concept: Ron Michael Beal
Cover painting: Michael Beal
Grade: * star
I recognize that part of the punk experience was an effort to shock the staid establishment out of their dreary, middle of the road, 9-to-5 existences. Still, there are certain social norms that shouldn't be violated and I've always felt this Micheal Beal cover crossed one of those lines in the sand. Not to sound like a blow hard, but teenage suicide is a plague on mankind and as a parent I simply cannot begin to fathom the pain it inflicts on families that have suffered from a child lost to their own hand. Island marketing executives having allowed a band to try to score some quick sales with such a tasteless cover just seems mean spirited and unnecessary.
Artist: Bob Dylan
Album Title: Self Portrait
Label: Columbia
Catalog: C2X 30050
Year: 1970
Genre: rock
Grading: VG cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Ron Coro
Concept: Ron Coro
Cover painting: Bob Dylan
Grade: * star
I'm clearly not the biggest Bob Dylan fan you'll stumble across. I certainly admire the man's talent, but I find most of his music catalog to be challenging and his voice is what folks refer to as an acquired taste - one that I've never managed to acquire. And then you come to this 1970, double album set. I can certainly appreciate a slice of Picasso-styled modern art and you can clearly figure out what Dylan was drawing. Still, the cover of "Self Portrait" was simply funny. Yeah, Let's buy this one for the amazing cover art ...
Artist: Dreams
Album Title: Dreams
Label: Columbia
Catalog: C 39225
Year: 1970
Genre: horn-rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: David Wilcox
Concept: David Wilcox
Cover photo: not applicable
Grade: **** stars
So, I'll readily admit that I've read an autobiography on the Belgian Artist Rene Magritte. And that probably explains why this David Wilcox cover appeals to me. Like the best of Magritte's work, it captures surrealism at its most entertaining.
I was surprised to discover how many album covers Wilcox is responsible for - Discogs shows over 30 (though this is the best of the lot).
Artist: Rolling Stones
Album Title: Metamorphosis
Label: Abkco
Catalog: ANA 1
Year: 1975
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Al Steckler and Richard Roth
Concept: Glenn Ross
Cover photo: not applicable
Grade: * star
Admittedly the band had nothing to do with the release of 1975's "Metamorphosis" (other than trying to stop former manager Abkco label owner Allen Klein from being released). Nevertheless, the combination of what appeared to be band mugshots (prime mid-'70s Stones may have been one of rock's most talented bands, but they certainly were not one of the most photogenic) with an array of insects, didn't make for the most attractive album cover I've ever seen.
Add to that, the track line-up of outtakes and alternative versions of previously released songs wasn't particularly inspiring.
Artist: Righteous Brothers
Album Title: Re-Birth
Label: Verve
Catalog: V6 5076
Year: 1969
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Michel Mendel
Concept: not applicable
Cover photo: not applicable
Grade: * star
Um, not sure what to say about the artwork gracing their "comeback" LP. It was certainly eye-catching, but not in a good way which may have been part of the reason the set did little commercially.
Artist: Dire Straits
Album Title: Making Movies
Label: Warner Brothers
Catalog: BSK 3180
Year: 1980
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Sleeve design: Neil Terk
Concept: Neil Terk
Cover photo: not applicable
Grade: * star
About all I can say about this one is zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Come to think of it, with the exception of ... well I can't think of an exception, that describes most of the songs on the album.
Artist: The Modern Jazz Quartet
Album Title:: Plastic Dreams
Genre: jazz
Company: Atlantic
Catalog; SD 1589
Year: 1971
Country/State: US
Grade: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Comment: gatefold sleeve
Rating: ** stars
My wife happened to see this album sitting on my desk and had a massive fit - what it that? I have to agree. Rather tasteless. The fact it came out in 1971 makes it no less tasteless ... Guess I'm kind of surprised that early 1970s retailers would have carried this one.
