Album Art Gallery Part 3: 1971
I've always loved album artworks. I see them as its own art form, separate (though sometimes related) to the music contained within them. So even if many album cover lists exist already in Sputnik, I wanted to start my own series showcasing the ones that caught my attention, wether it is because I think they are beautiful as works of art, interesting in concept or simply because I think they look "cool" regardless of a deeper value. This is part 3 and, as always, recs are welcomed |
| 1 |  | J.J. Cale
Naturally |
| 2 |  | Gato Barbieri
Fénix
The contrast between the plain blue background and the detailed psychedelic imaginery is great. I particulary like the looks of the human figure holding to the phoenix's claws |
| 3 |  | Gene Clark
White Light |
| 4 |  | Grand Funk Railroad
E Pluribus Funk
Clever circular coin-like package with silver lining |
| 5 |  | Uriah Heep
Salisbury
The angle of the picture, the tank, the orange smoke. I really like the composition on this one |
| 6 |  | Pink Floyd
Relics |
| 7 |  | Spring
Spring |
| 8 |  | Toad (CHE)
Toad |
| 9 |  | Genesis
Nursery Cryme
Looks like a depiction of some weird croquet-like sport from the future made on a XIX century "what will the world look like in 2000" collection of drawings. Pretty nice |
| 10 |  | The Beach Boys
Surf's Up
This painted version of the End of the Trail statue only adds emotional weight to the original discouraged pose with its blue hues. Beautiful one |
| 11 |  | Can
Tago Mago |
| 12 |  | A.R. and Machines
Die Grune Reise
I like how the lips create a rose. Pretty creative |
| 13 |  | Amon Duul II
Tanz Der Lemminge |
| 14 |  | Little Feat
Little Feat
Great composition that manages to show both a desert landscape and a freezing one in a creative way |
| 15 |  | Miles Davis
Live Evil
As I said on a previous part, Mati Klarwein was a legend and Live-Evil's cover is just another of his master pieces |
| 16 |  | Miles Davis
Jack Johnson |
| 17 |  | Lighthouse (CAN)
One Fine Morning |
| 18 |  | Joni Mitchell
Blue
Just like I said on a previous part when talking about Bookends, Blue and Pearl are great examples of covers showing the artists that managed to trascend so much that they became the first image to come into people's minds when thinking of these legendary musicians |
| 19 |  | Janis Joplin
Pearl |
| 20 |  | Tonton Macoute (UK)
Tonton Macoute |
| 21 |  | Trees
On the Shore |
| 22 |  | Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin IV
I love how it is revealed once you look to the full picture that the wall the painting is hanging from is nothing but ruins |
| 23 |  | Jan Dukes de Grey
Mice and Rats in the Loft |
| 24 |  | Michael Hurley
Armchair Boogie
Indie lo-fi folk album cover 30 years before it was a thing |
| 25 |  | Flower Travellin Band
Satori |
| 26 |  | Indian Summer (UK)
Indian Summer |
| 27 |  | Jethro Tull
Aqualung
Great depiction of Jethro Tull's character. The filthy yet slightly tragic Aqualung |
| 28 |  | Cressida
Asylum |
| 29 |  | Audience
The House On The Hill
The full picture with its great composition is a great example of Hipgnosis' humouristic side with its sopa opera atmosphere |
| 30 |  | Jimi Hendrix
The Cry of Love |
| 31 |  | John Williams (AUS)
Changes
Love those colors |
| 32 |  | Buddy Bohn
A Drop in the Ocean |
| 33 |  | The Chambers Brothers
New Generation
As I said on a couple of entries on the previous parts of this series, I love detailed artworks. There's a lot of things to look out for and admire on this one |
| 34 |  | Woody Shaw
Backstone Legacy
Love this shot, the black and white creates almost an eerie vibe to it that I really dig |
| 35 |  | Edgar Broughton Band
Edgar Broughton Band |
| 36 |  | Stackridge
Stackridge
This one looks gorgeous |
| 37 |  | Electric Light Orchestra
The Electric Light Orchestra
Reminds me a little bit of Madcap Laughs. Great arrangement |
| 38 |  | Matthew Ellis
Matthew Ellis
Thanks Sputnik |
| 39 |  | Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Tarkus
I mean it's an armadillo tank, what else is there to be said. That aside, the composition, the details on the armadillo's armor and the simple landscape made out of differently colored simple lines makes for a cover that's instantly engraved in your head once you've seen it |
| 40 |  | Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Pictures at an Exhibition |
| 41 |  | Barclay James Harvest
Once Again |
| 42 |  | Cluster
Cluster |
| 43 |  | Budgie
Budgie
Presenting something as weird as a budgie headed warrior with an outcome that doesn't look hilarious is pretty cool in the first place, but the result in here also ends up looking like something out of a fantasy world that's not generic like most of the ones you'd see on album covers, instead having quite a charisma to it |
| 44 |  | Fuzzy Duck
Fuzzy Duck
You wish you had as much drip as this duck |
| 45 |  | Krokodil
An Invisible World Revealed |
| 46 |  | Black Sabbath
Master of Reality
A cover that's basically the band's name plus the album title is certainly something you don't tend to see in these kind of lists. However, my interpretation is that there has always been meaning to the way this cover is presented. Starting with a twisty font in a color as lively as purple on the band's name that then turns into black that slowly morphes into a regular more formal font as we approach "reality" |
| 47 |  | Fabrizio De Andre
Non al denaro non all'amore né al cielo
A box floating in the sky with its contents revealed once you open the gatefold: Three males and three females walking on an eden like landscape |
| 48 |  | Hawkwind
In Search of Space |
| 49 |  | Inti-Illimani
Autores Chilenos
Very simple two toned artwork depicting a beautiful Araucaria tree with its unique shape |
| 50 |  | Raw Material
Time Is... |
| 51 |  | The Keith Tippett Group
Dedicated To You, But You Weren't Listening |
| 52 |  | The Rolling Stones
Sticky Fingers
Love the creative concept of an actual working zipper |
| 53 |  | Moondog
Moondog 2
Moondog 2 managed to create another iconic artwork while still being pretty similar in concept to the previous one |
| 54 |  | Santana
Santana III |
| 55 |  | Gentle Giant
Acquiring the Taste
I love how it plays with our dirty fucking minds only to discover that the "thing" being licked is nothing but a peach. You degenerates |
| 56 |  | Fraction
Moon Blood |
| 57 |  | Marvin, Welch & Farrar
Second Opinion |
| 58 |  | The Nice
Elegy
One of Hipgnosis' best, it perfectly showcases their classic, slightly mysteryous, magical realism vibe |
| 59 |  | Principal Edwards Magic Theatre
The Asmoto Running Band
Great shot, looks almost extraterrestrial |
| 60 |  | UFO
UFO 2: Flying |
| 61 |  | Faust
Faust
Faust's name comes from the german word for fist. Even if I'd prefer it to come from Goethe's character, the real meaning makes up for a pretty remarkable yet simple album cover |
| 62 |  | Todd Rundgren
The Ballad of Todd Rundgren |
| 63 |  | Osibisa
Osibisa |
| 64 |  | Yes
Fragile |
| 65 |  | Pink Floyd
Meddle
IMO the colors and zoom effect manage to turn an ear underwater into some kind of space landscape when seen from afar |
| 66 |  | The Velvet Underground
Andy Warhol's Velvet Underground featuring Nico
While this imitation wasn't made by Andy Warhol, it really does capture his style |
| 67 |  | Van der Graaf Generator
Pawn Hearts |
| 68 |  | Mountain
Nantucket Sleighride |
| 69 |  | Weather Report
Weather Report
I love this painting |
| 70 |  | Comus
First Utterance
Great unique and iconic art made just by ball point pen |
| 71 |  | John Fahey
America
The brush effect on this one's awesome |
| 72 |  | Julian Jay Savarin
Waiters on the dance |
| 73 |  | The Who
Who's Next |
| 74 |  | Egg
The Polite Force
I'm not sure what's supposed to be displayed in here but that distorted effect makes it look pretty cool |
|
