Video ranking all Roger Dean album covers

Moonshake wrote: I think his best cover was Octopus by Gentle Giant.

I actually prefer the US version in a glass jar and the lid cut-out

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The nice thing about this special is the one that matters the most to me ... the number of bands that I bought so many records off the art work, just like Hipgnosis.

As such, the impact that his work had on my ability to pick up some albums, is immense, even if at times, the imagery did not quite match, so it seems, but it added a side story to the band in general. 

by contrast, Hipgnosis ended up doing for a long time a bit of a satirical cover that gave you a very good idea of what the music was about ... these were very subtle, and often weird, but mostly funny, although at times ,,, not funny! I specifically remember the album cover from UFO that has something flying that appears to be a flying saucer, but when you look more at the whole picture, you finally, half an hour later, realize that the car is missing one silver hubcap ... and guess what is flying above? It basically says that the music is ..... (whatever) ... but not serious ... just fun. Of course, this is a bit weirded out in the later cover in the bathroom ... fun?

But Roger Dean, stayed away from the "symbolism" in most cases although we can certainly assimilate a lot of ideas with many covers and "Relayer" is definitely one of them, and likely the best example.

Probably the clearest element about this list is the work itself, and how pretty so much of it is, and how much of it I went after, after plunking down so much money for "The Roger Dean Book" sometime in the  70's .

That list includes:
Lighthouse - One Fine Morning (had a radio hit)

Ramases (the folks here were to become 10CC and came from "Hotlegs" which had a radio hit.

Babe Ruth (really special band that made Iggy and the Stooges look like a high school band at the Whiskey!)

Budgie (Nice ... !!!)

Greenslade (really nice and remember that Dave lawson was a part of many other bands as a producer)

Gentle Giant (nothing need be said except Mr. Gomelsky the poppa of prog music chose it!)

Third Ear Band (really special stuff and various parts of the band are still going)

... and many others. I'm not sure that all of these, were as "good" as the ones from the early Hipgnosis, but in the end, they were all different, and showed something about the time and the place, that was very special to me, and still stands up.

Someone needs to do a serious art thing about the Fillmore and the listing of artists that did so many posters for them, and album covers as well. 

In the end, these will all show how artistic and creative the times were THEN ... and how today, it is all about the fame and SW talking about his great new work ... the artist in those days, DID NOT have to talk ... the music did it on its own! With a lot of help from the art.

Frets N Worries wrote: Tales is the best Roger Dean cover, end of of discussion

I didn't even see that one in my FFWDing...

He/she lost my respect for In Hearing o Atomic Rooster' artwork rated so low, but also not understanding the Nucleus artwork picture - Irish independance upheaval >> Two tracks of the album are about it. (BTW, I didn't see Elastik Rock in the countdown either).