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).
