QotD: Art over Music
What are your three favorite album covers of all-time? Any honorable mentions?
Question submitted by Tamara.
New Order's Substance. Such a simple cover, but the sort of cover that made me want to be a designer. How do you make an album cover look good with four words and one line? Yeah, there's the White Album -- but this is art. And, everytime I see the flyer for The End Up's Substance party, I appreciate the nod.
The Beatles (White Album) didn't make it on my list, but Abbey Road did. Abbey Road is like a tree. You just have to look at a tree to know it's a tree. You're so familiar with what a tree is, that you never look at the thing as anything more than "tree." Same thing with Abbey Road -- or maybe even more Sgt. Pepper's. We've seen the cover so many times, that's it boring. But really, this is a great cover with a bunch of details to be noticed -- especially if you're a Paul is Dead sort of believer.
I can't do any list without Melody Nelson. This is the example of the perfect package -- amazing album and the exact right cover. Jane Birkin's on the cover, dressed as Melody and it's so wrong and so right.
Some honorable mentions:
Albums that stand out for what they do great -- representing eras (Judy in Love), musical genres (Jazz and Blue Noteish art with Time Out) and the art of special packaging (Very).
Comments
Very - you gotta respect any album that doubles as traction at subway stops.
Substance - YES. All the little cards on the sidewalk around the office for someone's dance night of the same name are kinda making me nuts though.
I love the Abbey Road album art! Good choice!
new order's substance is one of my faves as well. nice.
Substance is one of my favorite albums of all time!
Next time you're in London, we must re-create the Abbey Road cover with you, Barak, Loic, et al. (I live less than a mile from Abbey Road, go over that crosswalk all the time, and am always stunned at how many tourists - mostly Japanese - are there 24/7.)
Abbey Road... classic, maybe the best cover ever.
I love Substance! Great pick, and the album cover so simple.
I actually never look at a tree as "it's a tree." I guess that's what happens when you grow up in a town where the original streets are named for trees in one direction and numers in the other. I even drove across the entire country just to see the Giant Sequioa National Park. They want to be appreciated, too!
Saw this and have to add you as a neighbor. Beatles and New Order.