Album Covers - Does it matter?

So this is the question... As for me, it matters sometime. For example I was avoiding Gentle Giant for some time because every time I saw the cover (this smiling giant, I s'pose) I have a feeling of such sixtishness-seventishness which put me off this band. My wife refused to listen to In the Court of Crimson King because of the cover and was very surprised to know one day that "this nice music" came from "that awful CD" (I confess I omitted the first song that time ). However, after listening to CD I do not care much about its cover.

I believe a cover should be representative of the music within. Genesis' "A Trick of the Tail" cover is an amalgam of the characters with the lyrics. Wonderfully done. It shows the artists also cares about the visual aspects of music.

I would also add the importance of lyrics and information being included in the package. There is nothing worse than having a CD without lyrics and you can't make out what the singer's saying. Of course the Internet has made the process easier, but the artist should include that from the start.  

Cesar Inca wrote:   No, a cover doesn't necessaril matter... but in some cases, the conceptual strength of the album's repertoire may influence on the cover design and art direction - Marillion, Genesis, IQ, Yes... Other covers are nice, but simply effective, such as 'Brain Salad Surgery', 'Thick as a Brick', 'Mirage'... I don't think it matters, really.

Ponder this, then, there were album covers, now CD jewel cases, but

I often bought cassettes, cheaper, convenience reasons ... now, cassettes, are sort of out of vogue, I visited a used music storer, got some of my "gym" tapes to listen to, in this manner,

but cassette art, is about equal to that of a box of cigarettes, in some odd way (ho, yes, and some have put cigarette packs on covers, few cases) in that what is there to look at? even with expanded leaflets.

so I sort of agree, it is nice to have nice art, but the underlining factor, does not seem to matter "much"

The drawing of the POKR cover makes a clear allusion to the sailor's contents of the title track's lyrics. Another drawing portrays a lightning-like female figure bearing a sword - an allusion to the song 'Lightning's Hand'. Besides, the image of the falling ship may also point out the fact that some of the songs are about loss and confusion ('Dust in the Wind', 'Closet Chronicles', 'Nobody's Home', 'Paradox'). This is a case of an album cover that does actually matter, since it's linked to some of the lyrics.

Really bad covers certainly turn me off from an album.  For example, before hearing a thing about Love Beach, I knew I didn't want to hear it just from the cover.  They don't usually play a role though.

Before the internet times and the availability of downloading sample tracks of songs,I sometimes (not usually) bought records just on the impression of the cover. That's how I discovered celtic rock group Gwendal, for example, or David Bedford's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It was like a musical russian roulette.

I also agree that the cover can be very important in the overall enjoyment experience of a record. I'm a very visual person. That's why I usually think that's something is missing when I download an album from internet. As someone said, Thick of the Tail can't certenlly be the same without its cover. And the same goes for Wind and Wuthering (can't believe someone said it was a dreaful painting: it's maybe my all time favourite painting! Talk about tastes...),. That's not to say I have albums with terrible covers. My friends, in fact, know my record collection for these attrocities I usually wave in front of them in an act of auto-punisment. If you want to know what I mean, just check the cover of Ithaca 'A game for all who know', one of my favourite folk albums...

12" covers were so much better and I, for one, lament their passing.

I've long been of the opinion that certain albums "sound" like they belong in a "dark" cover and some in a "light" one. This does not mean that dark music should necessarily be housed in dark covers however. Take the wall for example. On the other hand "Animals" has about as perfectly suited a cover as any album ever, dark as the music. The original covers for the Gong Radio Gnome trillogy are predominantly dark green, white and black, respectively. Perfectly matched to the vibes of the albums.

Which brings me to my last point, which is, when I come across a rerelease or foreign release of an old and familliar favourite dressed up in a totally different cover it freaks me out a bit. Like bumping into an old friend who's just had major plastic surgery. It's the same person in there but it'll take some getting used to.

All this considered I think, yes, it DOES matter.