ERIC MERCURY "FUNKY SOUNDS NURTURED IN THE FERTILE FIELDS OF MEMPHIS THAT SMELL OF ROCK"

Artist: Eric Mercury
Album: Funky Sounds Nurtured In the Fertile Soil of Memphis That Small of Rock
Label: Enterprise

Catalog: ENS 1020

Year: 1972

Genre: soul
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Art: Ed Hocum

Art Direction: The Graffiteria/David Kreiger
Grade: * star

Interesting - the second Stax cover in a row.  Starts to make me realize there are way more "bad" covers than good ones.

So here's what I had to say about the art work in my comments on the album:

Well, without ever hearing a note, I can tell you this album deserves notoriety for at least two things:

• The Ed Hocum cover painting guaranteed minimal sales
• If the cover didn't put you off the album, then the cumbersome title was likely to finish off any desire to buy the LP.  It was certainly an interesting title for a guy born and nurtured in Toronto, Canada

LOUIS PAUL "REFLECTIONS ON THE WAY IT REALLY IS"

Artist: Louis Paul
Album: Reflections On the Way It Really Is

Label: Enterprise
Catalog: ENS 1014

Year: 1973

Genre: blue eyed soul
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Photo: --

Art Direction: --
Grade: * star

Seriously ?   Who thought it was be a good idea to dress up the late Louis Paul as a clown? This had to be a bad idea even back in 1973 !!! 

GAS MASK - "THEIR FIRST ALBUM"

Artist: Gas Mask
Album: Their First Album

Label: Tonsil
Catalog: T 4001

Year: 1970

Genre: horn-rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Cover Photo: Carl Fischer

Art Direction: George Lois
Grade: * star

Funny, I didn't even realize this was the second gas mask themed album I'd added to the list.  Wonder what the underlying meaning is ...  As a teenager I remember meeting an older uncle who had been a Doughboy during World War I.  He'd been gassed during the fighting at Belleau Woods and as an old man was still suffering the impact ...   Regardless, this was one butt ugly cover.