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October 24, 2006

Album Covers Are So In Right Now

Some of our friends are telling us how the iTunes Cover Flow feature has reignited their interest in album art (and been the root of countless hours spent in pursuit of obscure album images). And we still still love looking at 'em, even if frameworthy works-of-art are ultimately rendered as a quarter-inch icon on our Nanos.

As y'all know, with The Information, Beck shifted the onus of cover creation to the fans because, as he tells MTV, he wanted to "turn the controls over to the people who buy the music" (and also because it was a "relief" not to "slave over cover choices" as in the past). What a slacker! Anyway, we pulled together some of the covers he told MTV were his all-time faves.

Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966)


France Gall's Baby Pop (1966)

Os Mutantes' Os Mutantes (1968) and Mutantes


Captain Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica (1969)

The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers (1971)

Toncho Pilatos' Toncho Pilatos (1971)

Pool-Pah's The Flasher Soundtrack (1973)

David Bowie's Low (1977)

It's a great list, but after finding out that Sticky Fingers is padding with VU's banana, we'll never be able to look at it without a chortle. Any album covers from '06 making your all-time list? If you have a link to a jpeg, paste it in the comments so all of us can sit in judgment of your taste.

Posted at 1:31 PM
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47 Comments

it's an easy one, but the latest BSS cover is pretty killer even if it looks like a 3rd grader did it.

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000AP2ZTE.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

Posted by: fugaze.com at 10/24/06 1:50 PM  | Reply
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http://www.morisen.com/sammies80.jpg

Posted by: chip at 10/24/06 1:53 PM  | Reply
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I'm sorry, I couldn't come up with only one:

Hot Chip - The Warning http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/cb/72/2f2c729fd7a0f8e82eadc010.L.jpg

Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out Of This Country
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000FFJ8CG.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V65933314_.jpg

The Cardigans - Super Extra Gravity
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8171/1389/1600/TheCardigans.jpg

Posted by: Eduardo at 10/24/06 2:31 PM  | Reply
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And I will be alone again tonight with you:
http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000058983.01._SS500_SCLZZZZZZZ_V1116205146_.jpg
I think this qualifies as #1 in the "best album which really only has one good song on it and it's the first one but the album cover (esp the full size record cover) makes it worth the price" category.
Also, Little Creatures by Talking Heads is good.
Also, lots of people are posting their "The Information" creations on flickr. Look for the tag "the information" or "beck". Obviously.

Posted by: ll cool f at 10/24/06 2:32 PM  | Reply
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the cover art for the eraser is pretty sweet

Posted by: Michael at 10/24/06 2:56 PM  | Reply
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My vote for best of 2006 so far would have to be The Flaming Lips "At War With The Mystics". Great cover and a great visual representation of the record somehow.

Posted by: WJM at 10/24/06 3:01 PM  | Reply
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Grizzly Bear's Yellow House

Posted by: e roc at 10/24/06 3:05 PM  | Reply
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whoa ben, she's pretty.

Posted by: whoa at 10/24/06 3:07 PM  | Reply
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Thank god we still have hipsters like Beck who know a bit about rock history. Then again, he's getting up there in age...

Posted by: Stacia at 10/24/06 3:13 PM  | Reply
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Thank god we still have hipsters like Beck who know a bit about rock history. Then again, he's getting up there in age...

Posted by: Stacia at 10/24/06 3:19 PM  | Reply
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drum's not dead
http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/7316/front3mw.jpg

Posted by: fred at 10/24/06 3:21 PM  | Reply
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This is my favorite. It's actually for an EP though? Does that still count?
http://poopoodles.com/Images%20folder/Banana%20Attack_thumb.jpg

Posted by: P at 10/24/06 3:57 PM  | Reply
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there's always that Liars "it fit when we were young" lp cover.

Posted by: foster at 10/24/06 4:01 PM  | Reply
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The greatest album cover of all time (in my opinion) comes from Missus Beastly, a 70's German prog rock (krautrock if you like) band.

http://www.forcedexposure.com/product_images/g/GOD113CD.JPEG

That was the only pic of it I could find on the net. I'd highly recommend the album as well as the cover.

Posted by: Andrew at 10/24/06 4:26 PM  | Reply
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The greatest album cover of all time (in my opinion) comes from Missus Beastly, a 70's German prog rock (krautrock if you like) band.

http://www.forcedexposure.com/product_images/g/GOD113CD.JPEG

That was the only pic of it I could find on the net. I'd highly recommend the album as well as the cover.

Posted by: Andrew at 10/24/06 4:31 PM  | Reply
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The greatest album cover of all time (in my opinion) comes from Missus Beastly, a 70's German prog rock (krautrock if you like) band.

http://www.forcedexposure.com/product_images/g/GOD113CD.JPEG

That was the only pic of it I could find on the net. I'd highly recommend the album as well as the cover.

Posted by: Andrew at 10/24/06 4:31 PM  | Reply
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Yeah, but could you find any pics of it on the net, Andrew?

Posted by: Darwin at 10/24/06 5:18 PM  | Reply
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oooo, grizzly bear's yellow house......

O_o

Posted by: ben at 10/24/06 6:06 PM  | Reply
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Sorry for posting that three times, this comment thing appears so slow and I opened up a new browser to check if it'd gone through and the message didn't show up, so I clicked again (apparently twice) and left frustrated.

Posted by: Andrew at 10/24/06 7:01 PM  | Reply
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Marc Almond "Enchanted", done by Pierre et Gilles.

http://tbuy-web.rossoalice.alice.it/alice/musicstore/image/4/4615.jpg

Posted by: Patrik at 10/24/06 7:09 PM  | Reply
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I've got 4 words for all y'all. First Impressions of Earth.

I'd probably go with something like Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "I See A Darkness" or Elliott Smith's "Either/Or". I also like the original The Moon and Antarctica cover (with the handshake).

In The Aeroplane Over The Sea and Volta Do Mar's 03>98.

Posted by: kevin at 10/24/06 7:25 PM  | Reply
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'Art' being subjective and all, for 1970, the demonstratively graphic illustration for the cover of Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is pretty cool. And, the cover for 1973's "Overnight Sensation," predating the reluctant acknowledgment of 'low brow' art as a genre by some 20 years, give or take, with its uncensored images of 'corn-holing' and 'labial fruit' is just whack. Plus, songs like "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama," "Didja Get Any Onya," "Camarillo Brillo" and "Dirty Love" add such lovely aural textures!

; ^ )

Posted by: G at 10/24/06 7:41 PM  | Reply
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'Art' being subjective and all, for 1970, the demonstratively graphic illustration for the cover of Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is pretty cool. And, the cover for 1973's "Overnight Sensation," predating the reluctant acknowledgment of 'low brow' art as a genre by some 20 years, give or take, with its uncensored images of 'corn-holing' and 'labial fruit' is just whack. Plus, songs like "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama," "Didja Get Any Onya," "Camarillo Brillo" and "Dirty Love" add such lovely sonic textures!

; ^ )

Posted by: G at 10/24/06 7:41 PM  | Reply
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'Art' being subjective and all, for 1970, the demonstratively graphic illustration for the cover of Zappa's "Weasels Ripped My Flesh" is pretty cool. And, the cover for 1973's "Overnight Sensation," predating the reluctant acknowledgment of 'low brow' art as a genre by some 20 years, give or take, with its uncensored images of 'corn-holing' and 'labial fruit', is just whack. Plus, songs like "My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama," "Didja Get Any Onya," "Camarillo Brillo" and "Dirty Love" add such lovely sonic textures!

; ^ )

Posted by: G at 10/24/06 7:43 PM  | Reply
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G is right. Rzzzzz!

Posted by: James at 10/24/06 9:19 PM  | Reply
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album art will always be in, man.

animal collective is pretty boring, but their album art has always been really fun and vibrant. album covers by yoshimoto nara and marcel dzama are always cool, too.

i mean with, art being subjective and all.

Posted by: mercator at 10/24/06 9:28 PM  | Reply
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If not something by The Smiths, it'd have to be The Fairways, "This Is Farewell":
http://www.indiepages.com/matinee/catalog/cd031.html

Posted by: John at 10/24/06 10:18 PM  | Reply
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I'm an old fart, I suppose. I love just about every cover Storm Thorgerson has ever designed.

DwD

Posted by: Dw. Dunphy at 10/24/06 10:29 PM  | Reply
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Posted by: Sara at 10/25/06 12:44 AM  | Reply
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Posted by: Sara at 10/25/06 12:44 AM  | Reply
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Posted by: Sara at 10/25/06 12:46 AM  | Reply
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are there any programs out there that will automatically update your album covers for itunes and the like?

Posted by: lee at 10/25/06 9:50 AM  | Reply
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For 2006, I'd have to say Dropping Daylight - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000EQ47TA/

All time favorites (out of albums that I own):
Jack's Mannequin - Everything in Transit
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000A1INNA/

Mae - The Everglow
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0007RTBAG/

Something Corporate - Leaving Through the Window
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000066B4V/

Not hip, but that's how it goes. I wasn't around to purchase any LPs with cool art back in the '60s.

Posted by: Walter at 10/25/06 10:19 AM  | Reply
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The latest iTunes will update the cover art if you ask it to.

My favorite:
http://tinyurl.com/y4bq7f

Posted by: fearlessweaver at 10/25/06 1:07 PM  | Reply
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Frank Zappa - "Sheik Yerbouti"
http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0000009SV.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Posted by: lh at 10/25/06 2:04 PM  | Reply
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Frank Zappa - "Sheik Yerbouti"
http://ec3.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0000009SV.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Posted by: lh at 10/25/06 2:04 PM  | Reply
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Animal Collective is boring? I hope a panda bear chews your neck off.

Posted by: I'm Right at 10/25/06 2:06 PM  | Reply
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Jatropha Curcas Seed exporters in India. Supplying Jatropha Curcas Seeds for cultivation of fuel crop Jatropha. Also Jatropha Curcas Seed exporters in India. Supplying Jatropha Curcas Seeds for cultivation of fuel crop Jatropha.

Posted by: David at 12/01/06 10:52 PM  | Reply
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