CLIMAX BLUES BAND - "STAMP ALBUM"

Artist: Climax Blues Band
Title: Stamp Album
Label: Sire
Catalog: SASD 7507
Year: 1975
Genre: blues-rock
Concept: J. Flournoy Holmes / Wonder Graphics
Cover art: J. Flournoy Holmes / Wonder Graphics

Grade: **** stars

Are you a philatelist?  Neither am I, though there are certainly worse fates in life.  

Fact of the matter is that you don't have to be a stamp collector to think this is a cool cover.  There's just something intriguing about this '30s styled image.  Add to that, original copies of the album were embossed with the "8s" emphasized.  Just an all around cool cover.

FAY RAY - "CONTACT YOU"

Artist: Fay Ray
Title: Contact You
Label: Elektra
Catalog: E1-60098
Year: 1982
Genre: new wave
Concept: A.D. Design
Cover art: A.D Design

Grade: * stars

Hey, the '80s are calling.  They want their album back.   
Seriously, you'd be hard pressed to come up with a design concept that screamed 80's more than this one.  Wonder if they borrowed the red telephone from the White House.

The band's debut LP "Contact You" wasn't half bad. Imagiine Siouxsie and the Banshees javign discovered top-40 radio and you'd get a feel for the overall sound. I was surprised to learn Sheila Macartney and her compatriots (drummer Owen Hughes, guitarist John Lovering, ax player John Taylor, and bassist Tony Travis) were from Wales.  I always thought the were a California based outfit.  Guess I should have figured it out since some of their lyrics ("Wargames") mention Wales.  

JOOLS HOLLAND - "MEETS ROCK'A'BOOGIE BILLY"

Artist: Jools Holland
Title: Jools Hollad Meets Rock'A'Boogie Bill
Label: A&M
Catalog: SP-70509
Year: 1984
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept: Carl Grasso
Cover art: Carl Grasso

Grade: * stars

Not much to say here other than the cover was simply hideous in every respect.  Maybe that was the intention?  I've struggled to come up with something; anything that I like about the cover ...  nothing.  Absolutely nothing. Don't like the concept (whatever it was).  Don't like the design.  Don't like the colors. 

Come to think of it, I didn't like the album that much either. 

STEVEN HINES BAND - "IT TAKES SO LONG, BUT IT'S WORTH WAITING FOR"

Artist: Steven Hines Band
Album: It Takes So Long, But It's Worth Waiting For
Label: Tiger Lily
Catalog: TL-14021
Year: 1977
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept: not listed
Cover art: not listed

Grade: ***** stars

You shouldn't be surprised to learn that a tax scam label that frequently obscured artists' identifies wouldn't bother giving credit to the individuals who provided the art that graced their album covers.  And that's the case with this release.on the late Morris Levy's infamous Tiger Lily label.

Like most Tiger Lily releases, this one isn't very good, but the Heinz ketchup inspired cover has always struck me as being cute and clever.  Maybe it's because I took a lot of marketing classes in college.  

STYX - "LADY"

Artist: Styx
Album Lady
Label: RCA Victor
Catalog: AQL1-3594
Year: 1980
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept:  Joseph Stelmach - Roland Young
Cover drawing: Tim Clark

Grade: ***** stars

Sure, it bares more than a little influence to famed illustrator Arte, but I'm a big art deco fan and there's just something uplifting about Tim Clark's colorful, 1920s styled cover art for this 1980 reissue of what was originally released as "Styx II". How could you not like an album cover which featured a blond flapper and a guy driving a big, classic car?

JIMI HENDRIX - "WAR HEROES"

Artist: Jimi Hendrix
Album Title:War Heroes
Label: Reprise
Catalog: MS 2103
Year: 1972
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept: Ken Dyball - Doug Campbell 
Cover drawing: Paul Jansen

Grade: **** star

I'm not a super Hendrix fan, but there's something mesmerizing about the late Paul Jansen's hyper-realistic portrait of Hendrix.  (The album cover's actually better than the album.)


I grabbed a brief bio on Jansen:

Paul Jansen graduated from the Fine Arts Department with honors and a grant from the School of Visual Arts in the 1960s, after returning from Vietnam. After receiving postgraduate awards and scholarships such as to the renowned Skowhegan School with teachers Robert Indiana in 1969 Paul developed his unique technique and mastery of the line.

With mentors from such as Frank Stella, and Franz Kline along with George Maciunas the “Father of Soho” and founder of the Fluxus Movement, Paul termed his venue as a “3D Abstract Expressionist” with cartoonist flair.

Shortly thereafter, Paul served as Residence Artist at Jimi Hendrix’ Electric Lady Recording Studios in New York City. Jansen’s work appeared in Rolling Stone Magazine, The Village Voice and Playboy, and includes album cover designs for Jimi Hendrix War Heroes, and Loose Ends, and Henry McCullough’s Mind Your Own Business! Which was nominated for Album Cover of the Year Award, in London, England

Only 63, suffering from lung cancer, Jensen passed away in 2008.  His wife retains an interesting website devoted to the artist:  

http://www.pauljansen.net/home.html

HEAD EAST - "HEAD EAST"

Artist: Head East
Album Title:Head East
Label: A&M
Catalog: SP 4680
Year: 1978
Genre: rock
Grading: VG+ cover / VG+ LP
Concept: Michael Fink / Rod Dyer 
Cover photo: --

Grade: **** star

Maybe I love this one just because it's such a simply concept and one of the few orange colored covers I've ever seen?