THE EMBERS "BURN YOU A NEW ONE"

Artist: The Embers

Album: Burn You a New One
Label: EEE

Catalog: No. 1069
Year: 1967
Genre: garage
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Art Designer: Joe Balint
Cover Illustration:  Joe Balint

Grade: **** stars

The title has always made me snicker and the low-tech cover is equally hysterical.  It's actually a pretty decent garage rock set.

SMOKEY ROBINSON AND THE MIRACLES "POCKET FULL OF MIRACLES"

Artist: Smokey Robinson and the Miracles

Album: A Pocket Full of Miracles
Label: Tamla

Catalog: TS 306
Year: 1970
Genre: soul
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Art Designer: Curtis McNair
Cover Illustration:  Carl Owens

Grade: **** stars

Ah c'mon and admit the concept was cute.  Far better than the standard Motown album cover that showed a group dressed up, standing around and looking uncomfortable with Motown's attempts to market them to middle class, white America.

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL "GOLD"

Artist: Creedence Clearwater Revival

Album: Gold
Label: Fantasy

Catalog: F 9418
Year: 1972
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 2

Art Designer: Tony Lane
Photography:  not applicable

Grade: **** stars

I looked around for a good photo that would show how cool the Tony Lane designed gimmick cover was, but couldn't find one that really showed it off.  Best I could find was the  photo to the left which sort of displays the cover's unique four profile flap design.  If you can't make it out, the cover features cutout silhouettes of the four band members under colored profile flaps. I've never bothered to figure out which profile belong to which member - I think the red one is John Fogerty's.  Someone out there will know which is which.  Anyhow, the clever (and costly) cover certainly wasn't something you would have ever expected from a label like Fantasy.  

THE DILLARDS "TRIBUTE TO THE AMERICAN DUCK"

Artist: The Dillards

Album: Tribute To The American Duck
Label: Poppy

Catalog: PPLA-175F
Year: 1973
Genre: country-rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Quantity: 1

Art Designer: Mike Salisbury
Photography:  Fred Valentine

Grade: **** stars

Can't say the LP does much for me - too country for my tastes, but the title and the cover were funny and kind of cute.