Album Covers - Does it matter?

In the good old days of vinyl, and when I was too young to know better, I used to stick album sleeves all over my bedroom wall. I would keep the records in their inner sleeves and put them in protective plastic covers.

I did this for my entire Rush collection - up to and including Grace Under Pressure. I loved the artwork on their albums (favourites were 'Caress of Steel' 'Farewell to Kings' and 'Hemispheres'

A good album cover completes the package, proves that the artist cares about all aspects of presentation, and adds to the enigma of rock history  

ivan_2068 wrote: If I go to a store and look at a Roger Dean cover I will surely take the album and at least take a good view of it. Of course if the music is crap it won't matter, but at least the cover gave the album a chance to be noticed by a progressive fan. Iván

True...good point. Roger Deans art was what made me purchase my first YES album (^_^)

No it dosen't matter it's just a form...sometimes it's a kind of 'camouflage' I won't cite any bands

Edited by philippe

King Crimson`s Earthbound cover is the best.

Vibrationbaby wrote: King Crimson`s Earthbound cover is the best.

Wasn't that similar to Spinal Tap's "Smell the glove"?

The best album cover was this... of course.  Especially if you were lucky enough to get one where the shaft wasn't so lit....

I like the Anthony Phillips covers : great covers, great music!

I like this cover too: 

I totally agree with Pallas - the Sentinel: beautiful cover, beautiful music.

The Pendragon covers are nice too!

Edited by greenback

The cover of Genesis' Seconds Out is what started me listening to that band, followed by the famous Paul Whitehead covers of Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot.

Mark Wilkinson's cover of Marillion's Script for a Jesters Tear turned me on to Marillion.  Generally though, my music is purchased as a result of surfing the net, or side projects of artists I already enjoy.

 

threefates wrote: The best album cover was this... of course.  Especially if you were lucky enough to get one where the shaft wasn't so lit....

 

 

Currently to be found int he dumper bin in one of my local record shops for 4 quid, with Tarkus and their first!

Covers are a really good complement, but it's not what it matters for one at the time to analize the music, however, bands like The Floyd, Zeppelin and Yes, just to mention some of them...were always aware with the production of the covers. So there are some cases where only music is the most important thing. Personally I love cover albums, but for instance the cover of Electric Ladyland is not one of my favorites though it's an outstanding record. Who cares for the cover if the music is fantastic.