Album Art Gallery Part 5: 1973
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 5 and, as always, recs are welcomed |
| 1 |  | Alphataurus
Alphataurus
On paper a peace dove dropping bombs may sounds a little bit on your face but the result looks actually pretty cool, even if a little bit comical |
| 2 |  | Captain Beyond
Sufficiently Breathless |
| 3 |  | Genesis
Selling England by the Pound |
| 4 |  | Henry Cow
Leg End
The first of what would become three classic socks! |
| 5 |  | Jethro Tull
A Passion Play |
| 6 |  | David Bowie
Aladdin Sane
A photograph iconic enough to become synonym with Bowie himself and with XXth century popular music in general |
| 7 |  | Paul Bley
Open, to Love |
| 8 |  | Nektar
Remember the Future |
| 9 |  | Pink Fairies
Kings of Oblivion
Love this one, it is silly but it has a lot of character. I suppose it is similar to what Fleetwood Mac's Mystery to Me produces |
| 10 |  | The Creation
Creation '66-'67
A great example of Hipgnosis being the masters of composition |
| 11 |  | The Who
Quadrophenia |
| 12 |  | Capability Brown
Voice |
| 13 |  | Gong
Flying Teapot
Cool cartoonish depiction of such an interesting concept as is Russell's flying teapot |
| 14 |  | Planxty
Planxty |
| 15 |  | Don Ellis
Soaring
Reminds me of Return to Forever but in an even more simple execution while retaining its great structure |
| 16 |  | Fruupp
Future Legends
Pointillism is an incredible impressionist technique that manages to create really striking images. It surprises me that is hasn't been used more often for album artwork |
| 17 |  | Vangelis
L'Apocalypse Des Animaux |
| 18 |  | Stevie Wonder
Innervisions |
| 19 |  | Museo Rosenbach
Zarathustra |
| 20 |  | Cecil Taylor
Indent
Thanks sputnik |
| 21 |  | Flash
Out of Our Hands
Great use of colors. The inventiveness behind the execution of the concept really amazes me |
| 22 |  | Faust
Faust IV |
| 23 |  | Black Sabbath
Sabbath Bloody Sabbath |
| 24 |  | Alice Cooper
Billion Dollar Babies
Clever idea to turn the album sleeve into a wallet |
| 25 |  | Blops
Locomotora
The mix of colored and black/white palettes only adds to the already surreal image of a locomotive in the middle of a prairie surrounded by kids |
| 26 |  | Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Brain Salad Surgery
H.R. Giger at his best |
| 27 |  | Grateful Dead
Wake of the Flood |
| 28 |  | Hawkwind
Space Ritual
The concept of psychedelic artwork has certainly been done tons of times by 1973 but the execution of the cover for one of the best live albums in rock is really among the greatest in that style |
| 29 |  | John Martyn
Solid Air |
| 30 |  | The Mothers of Invention
Over-Nite Sensation
Nice mix of references to the band and sex in general, expressed in a surrealist style reminiscent of Dalí |
| 31 |  | Steely Dan
Countdown to Ecstasy |
| 32 |  | Allan Clarke
Headroom |
| 33 |  | Al Stewart
Past, Present and Future
The fact that Hipgnosis could even achieve these kind of effects decades before photoshop and computer imagery is amazing on its own and evidence of the huge influence they would have on artistic photography in general |
| 34 |  | Elis Regina
Elis (1973) |
| 35 |  | Metamorfosi
Inferno
Really dig the cold surreal atmosphere that it creates |
| 36 |  | Far Out
Far Out |
| 37 |  | Area
Arbeit Macht Frei |
| 38 |  | Blue Oyster Cult
Tyranny and Mutation
Following a similar pattern to the band's debut with its heavy use of black and white, Tyranny and Mutation has a slightly hypnotizing effect for obvious reasons |
| 39 |  | Caravan
For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night |
| 40 |  | Electric Light Orchestra
ELO 2
The tiny ELO satellite captures the vastness of universe pretty well, specially when looking at the full picture |
| 41 |  | Nazareth
Loud 'n' Proud |
| 42 |  | Pescado Rabioso
Artaud
This one might take the spot for the weirdest shaped LP ever |
| 43 |  | Gene Clark
Roadmaster
The original one, the one in here is a reissue. Will try to change it but we all know how sputnik deals with editing artworks |
| 44 |  | Edu Lobo
Edu Lobo |
| 45 |  | Herbie Hancock
Sextant
Another great example of Mati Klarwein's iconic work |
| 46 |  | Herbie Hancock
Head Hunters
Cool african mask that almost looks alien |
| 47 |  | Pappo's Blues
Volumen III |
| 48 |  | Pink Floyd
The Dark Side of the Moon
Duh |
| 49 |  | Todd Rundgren
A Wizard, A True Star
The colors, the geometrical shapes, Rundgren's image and even the shape of the LP sleeve all fit his vibe pretty well |
| 50 |  | Budgie
Never Turn Your Back on a Friend
Roger Dean didn't need outworldy images to achieve one of his classic covers |
| 51 |  | Roxy Music
For Your Pleasure |
| 52 |  | Samla Mammas Manna
Maltid |
| 53 |  | Tom Ze
Todos os Olhos |
| 54 |  | Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Messin'
Eye catching one this is. I remember when I first checked this album getting the feeling of this being a classic album cover while in reality the album isn't even that popular among prog enthusiasts. I suppose that shows how instantly recognizable this one manages to get |
| 55 |  | Le Orme
Felona e Sorona |
| 56 |  | Klaus Schulze
Cyborg
The alternate version, not this one |
| 57 |  | John Coltrane
Concert in Japan |
| 58 |  | The Kinks
The Great Lost Kinks Album
Surreal, slightly creepy and captivating. Excellent one all around |
| 59 |  | O.V.Wright
Memphis Unlimited |
| 60 |  | Joe Farrell
Moon Germs
Cool use of geometry |
| 61 |  | Perigeo
Abbiamo tutti un blues da piangere |
| 62 |  | Led Zeppelin
Houses of the Holy
One of Hipgnosis most recognizable covers, its mix of colors and the children make of an already surreal looking place such as Giant's Causeway one that looks even more out of this world |
| 63 |  | The Doobie Brothers
The Captain and Me |
| 64 |  | Curved Air
Air Cut
The groove effect creates a simple yet trippy image |
| 65 |  | Message
From Books and Dreams |
| 66 |  | Camel
Camel
Certainly a little bit silly but I think it is a great mix of good composition, originality and iconic imagery that result in a timeless artwork |
| 67 |  | Jumbo
Vietato Ai Minori Di Diciotto Anni |
| 68 |  | Sun Ra
Discipline 27-II |
| 69 |  | Queen
Queen
The composition, the pose and the use of purple turn a simple shot into a timeless image |
| 70 |  | Hall and Oates
Abandoned Luncheonette |
| 71 |  | Fleetwood Mac
Mystery to Me
I've seen this one as an example of a bad artwork, can't see why. It clearly is kinda ridiculous but great nevertheless |
| 72 |  | Fela Kuti
Gentleman |
| 73 |  | Magma
Mekanïk Destruktïẁ Kommandöh
A simple cover of the band's logo in orange would turn into the quintessential zeuhl album artwork |
| 74 |  | Robin Trower
Twice Removed From Yesterday
Great 3D effect |
| 75 |  | Monty Python
The Monty Python Matching Tie and Handkerchief |
| 76 |  | Fripp and Eno
No Pussyfooting
The effect this one achieves represents pretty well the styles of both Fripp and Eno |
| 77 |  | Mike Oldfield
Tubular Bells |
| 78 |  | Joe Henderson
Joe Henderson in Japan |
| 79 |  | Steeleye Span
A Parcel of Rogues |
| 80 |  | Keith Jarrett
Fort Yawuh |
| 81 |  | King Crimson
Larks' Tongues in Aspic
Simple design that has become timeless |
| 82 |  | Miles Davis
Black Beauty
Cool distorted effect and use of colors |
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