Album Art Gallery Part 9: 1977
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 9 and, as always, recs are welcomed |
| 1 |  | The Alan Parsons Project
I Robot
The old school looking robot with the seemingly non-sensical modernist escalators of the Charles de Gaulle Airport create an excellent retro-futurist style. A style that's always welcomed in my books |
| 2 |  | Grateful Dead
Terrapin Station |
| 3 |  | Queen
News of the World
I love this robot painted by legendary sci-fi artist Kelly Freas. Its beautiful retro design and metallic appearance that looks almost as if it was made of damascus steel are great, and its sad, innocent and curious expression while holding the band's dead bodies truly is thought provoking |
| 4 |  | Ram Jam
Ram Jam |
| 5 |  | Ashra
New Age of Earth |
| 6 |  | David Bowie
"Heroes"
Both Heroes and Low prove that Bowie's covers were excellent at showcasing how a simple artist picture could be extremly effective. Quintessential poses and takes |
| 7 |  | David Bowie
Low |
| 8 |  | Sammy Hagar
Sammy Hagar
Red |
| 9 |  | Sammy Hagar
Musical Chairs
Great 3D effect that adds dynamism to the picture |
| 10 |  | Al Stewart
The Early Years |
| 11 |  | Heavy Metal Kids
Kitsch
I really dig the colors on this one |
| 12 |  | Pekka Pohjola
Keesojen Lehto |
| 13 |  | Brand X
Livestock
Hipgnosis proving that they were the masters of surrealism in photography. One of my favorites by them |
| 14 |  | Brand X
Moroccan Roll
The composition in this one is so good that it will even show it to you! |
| 15 |  | Electric Light Orchestra
Out of the Blue |
| 16 |  | 10cc
Deceptive Bends
Laying on the line right between epic and melodramatic, Deceptive Bends' artwork has many cool elements to it, from the great sea engravings on the pink background to the old school scuba suit. Iconic artwork |
| 17 |  | Iceberg
Sentiments |
| 18 |  | Don Cherry
Brown Rice
This one is the cover for the '77 reissue with its title changed simply to "Don Cherry" but since Sputnik isn't know for its prolixity, here it is titled as Brown Rice from 1975. Anyway, I love the Watts Towers. A masterpiece of modernist art |
| 19 |  | Television
Marquee Moon |
| 20 |  | Fleetwood Mac
Rumours
I suppose some may see this one as a tasteless cover because of its obviously sexual undertone but I really love the pose |
| 21 |  | Klaatu
Hope |
| 22 |  | Hawkwind
Quark, Strangeness and Charm |
| 23 |  | Scorpions
Taken by Force
If there is one Scorpions artwork that didn't deserve the controversy it created it is this one. Taken by Force's message is pretty obvious and will never not be relevant, yet it is handled in a delicate, almost innocent manner |
| 24 |  | Camel
Rain Dances
I wasn't a big fan of this one for some time. It felt as if the boy's face in the center was kinda out of place but it has grown on me a lot with the years |
| 25 |  | Brian Eno
Before and After Science |
| 26 |  | Lard Free
III
Great painting that creates an incredible depiction of something that's pretty difficult to portray on a realistic style: Molded and twisted glass |
| 27 |  | Shoes
Black Vinyl Shoes |
| 28 |  | Yes
Going for the One |
| 29 |  | Pink Floyd
Animals
Undeniable classic right here. Battersea Power Station is incredibly important for architecture as one of the great examples of the beauty of industrial art-deco and it is also a landmark of London's modernist industrial history. It is also a pop-culture symbol being featured in many media, with Animals being probably the most iconic of its appearances. The floating pig is pretty small for the whole composition of the album cover but that only adds to the contradictory subtlety of its "in your face" concept |
| 30 |  | Urbie Green
Senor Blues |
| 31 |  | Heldon
Interface |
| 32 |  | Masayoshi Takanaka
An Insatiable High
Simple and instantly recognizable, the fantastic composition of An Insatiable High's artwork make of it one of the most classic covers in the japanese funky fusion/city pop scene |
| 33 |  | SBB
ZE SłOWEM BIEGNę DO CIEBIE |
| 34 |  | Steely Dan
Aja |
| 35 |  | Vangelis
Spiral
I'm not sure if this one's a painting or a photograph (obviously edited of course) but that just shows how well made it is. Regardless of that it is an instantly timeless eye-catching album cover |
| 36 |  | Cecil Taylor
Dark to Themselves |
| 37 |  | Cecil Taylor
Air Above Mountains
Not the artwork featured here in Sputnik but we all know how cumbersome can be to change an album cover in here so... |
| 38 |  | Yoshiko Sai
Taiji no Yume |
| 39 |  | Wishbone Ash
Classic Ash
It reminds me of Hockney's great Portrait of an Artist |
| 40 |  | Wishbone Ash
Front Page News
Purposely cheesy, Front Page News' cover is a great attempt at achieving a 70's B movie poster vibe |
| 41 |  | Supertramp
Even In the Quietest Moments |
| 42 |  | Wire
Pink Flag
Pretty literal on its depiction of the album title and that might be part of its charm. The simplicity of its composition only adds to it |
| 43 |  | Chrome
Alien Soundtracks |
| 44 |  | Space (FRA)
Deliverance
Another favorite of mine by Hipgnosis. This one, just like Livestock, perfectly captures the surrealist atmosphere of their work |
| 45 |  | Luciano Cilio
Dialoghi del presente |
| 46 |  | Ramones
Leave Home
Perspective and composition can add so much to something as simple as a basic cover consisting of the band members |
| 47 |  | The Residents
Fingerprince |
| 48 |  | Circus
Movin' On
Masterclass in simplicity, Movin' On's is easy to spot and difficult to forget with its dynamic lines and style belonging to the first half of the XXth century |
| 49 |  | Tropea
Short Trip To Space |
| 50 |  | Island (CHE)
Pictures
Another artwork by the legendary H.R. Giger confirming his authority on bio-mechanical imagery |
| 51 |  | Judas Priest
Sin After Sin |
| 52 |  | Earth, Wind and Fire
All 'n All
Love the details on this one |
| 53 |  | John Martyn
One World
Great painting and that thin line splitting the cover in two is great |
| 54 |  | Tatsuro Yamashita
Spacy |
| 55 |  | Happy The Man
Happy The Man |
| 56 |  | Peter Gabriel
Car
The saturation of the car's blue color and the water droplets emphasize the sculptural aspects of the lines in the gorgeous '74 Lancia Aurelia. Car design can certainly be beautiful as well |
| 57 |  | Joao Gilberto
Amoroso |
| 58 |  | La Maquina de Hacer Pajaros
Peliculas
The colors, the picture within a picture effect and even the different fonts make of this a great one |
| 59 |  | Astor Piazzolla
Persecuta |
| 60 |  | Starz
Violation
While Starz logo couldn't be more generic, I like how they placed it as if it was something giant that fell down from space |
| 61 |  | Congreso
Congreso
Feels like a take on your typical psychedelic artwork of the time, but the pre-columbian artstyle adds a lot of personality to it |
| 62 |  | Ian Dury and the Blockheads
New Boots and Panties!! |
| 63 |  | UFO
Lights Out |
| 64 |  | Ryo Fukui
Mellow Dream
I'm starting to think that jazz artists might have a thing for birds flying over the sea |
| 65 |  | Young And Moody
Young And Moody |
| 66 |  | Shakti
Natural Elements |
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