Album Art Gallery Part 8: 1976
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 8 and, as always, recs are welcomed |
1 | | Sun Ra Cosmos |
2 | | La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros La Máquina de Hacer Pájaros
The concept of this one is excellent. A comic in which the characters discuss about the fact that they will be on the cover of an album for the latin american legend Charly Garcia |
3 | | Blue Oyster Cult Agents of Fortune |
4 | | McCoy Tyner Focal Point
Feels like an exacerbated modern take on pointillism which I adore |
5 | | McCoy Tyner Fly with the Wind |
6 | | Rainbow Theatre Fantasy of Horses |
7 | | Led Zeppelin The Song Remains the Same |
8 | | Led Zeppelin Presence
Probably a weird pick for your favorite Led Zeppelin artwork but here I am. This one is better appreciated when also looking at the rest of the pictures in the package. All of them pictures of different daily life situations but with one factor in common: A small black abstract sculpture. Sometimes ignored and sometimes in the center of attention of the characters in picture but never with a given meaning. Couldn't think of a better way to represent the album's title. A subtle but ominous presence |
9 | | Tangerine Dream Stratosfear |
10 | | Electric Light Orchestra A New World Record |
11 | | Henry Cow Concerts
I really dig the amount of detail on this and how the font gets "blown away" |
12 | | Marvin Gaye I Want You |
13 | | Al Stewart Year of the Cat
Love detailed artworks and the cat theme in all of the elements on this one |
14 | | Corte Dei Miracoli Corte Dei Miracoli |
15 | | Wishbone Ash New England |
16 | | Parliament The Clones Of Dr. Funkenstein
Afrofuturism is a thing for those of you who didn't know. While the cool UFO artwork of the classic Mothership Connection fell a little bit short with the addition of its afrofuturistic character that felt out of place for me, in here they and their quirky fashion fit perfectly well imo |
17 | | UFO No Heavy Petting
Really dig the twisted sci-fi imagery of this one |
18 | | Montrose Jump on It |
19 | | Gualberto Vericuetos
The brush on canvas effect is great |
20 | | AC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
Probably the only AC/DC artwork I really like but damn it is a good one |
21 | | Magma Üdü Ẁüdü |
22 | | Secret Oyster Straight To The Krankenhaus |
23 | | Wings Wings Over America |
24 | | Rainbow Rising
One of my favorites ever. This one is instantly iconic and honestly I can't think of a better artwork to represent Rainbow's sound. This one might have set the precedent for all power/neo-classical metal album covers to come but while 90% of them are overly cheesy or made with terrible 00's CGI, this one on the other hand might be one of the coolest metal covers to have on a shirt |
25 | | Journey Look Into the Future |
26 | | Goblin Roller |
27 | | Brand X Unorthodox Behaviour
Master class in composition. I love how effective it is despite its simplicity |
28 | | Steely Dan The Royal Scam |
29 | | Neil Ardley Kaleidoscope of Rainbows |
30 | | Ryo Kawasaki Juice
The typical japanese label present on the image sputnik has of this one sadly cuts away a good portion of an artwork that really is top tier for me. A simple fruit that holds a technological entanglement inside of it is a perfect example of the surreal element that I enjoy so much in album covers |
31 | | Ragnarok (SWE) Ragnarok |
32 | | Judas Priest Sad Wings of Destiny
The detail and pose give it an almost renaissance drama like vibe |
33 | | Vangelis Albedo 0.39 |
34 | | Go Go Live From Paris
I did not know about this band before making this list but holy hell, Steve Winwood, Al Di Meola, Klaus Schulze and Michael Shrieve is one of the best lineups I've seen on a supergroup ever. Artwork's really cool btw |
35 | | Robin Trower Long Misty Days |
36 | | Golden Earring To the Hit
The disinterested expression upon various life endangering situations is great |
37 | | The Upsetters Super Ape |
38 | | Picchio dal Pozzo Picchio dal Pozzo |
39 | | Jean-Michel Jarre Oxygene
One of the most iconic artworks in electronic music, this one is simply great and memorable |
40 | | Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson It's Your World |
41 | | Black Sabbath Technical Ecstasy
There's a sci-fi mystery atmosphere to this one and its great composition. The fact that it is just supposed to represent two robots having sex is funny since there really wasn't a need for such an abstract effort to it, but the result is truly classic |
42 | | Area Maledetti |
43 | | Steve Reid Rhythmatism
Simple but eye catching |
44 | | Van der Graaf Generator Still Life
Lichtenberg figures are really cool |
45 | | Point Blank (US) Point Blank |
46 | | Return to Forever Romantic Warrior
Great painting but I also simply like the design of that armor. I love that style of helmet |
47 | | Fela Kuti Ikoyi Blindness |
48 | | 10cc How Dare You!
Purposely cheesy with its soap-opera like setting, I love how it manages to tell a story when you also add its back cover. The inner sleeve, with dozens of phones in it is another great example of Hipgnosis making the whole package interesting |
49 | | Eberhard Weber Yellow Fields |
50 | | Leon Ware Musical Massage |
51 | | Boston Boston
Slightly tacky but timeless and creative nevertheless |
52 | | Ry Cooder Chicken Skin Music |
53 | | Experience Unlimited Free Yourself |
54 | | Manfred Mann's Earth Band The Roaring Silence
While I really like the artwork on its own, probably what I most like about it is the font, with its impressed effect |
55 | | The Hollies Russian Roulette |
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