He Preferred Beethoven
Blue Train by John Coltrane - A thoughtful, unposed photograph, designed by a man who'd rather have been listening to Beethoven.
Category
Sleeve Notes
Short reads on album covers worth knowing about. Lesser known, overlooked and underrated artwork that deserves a moment in the spotlight.
Stories
A Bag Of Golf Balls
Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! by Devo - Everyone assumes that face was designed from scratch. It wasn't. It came from a bundle of golf balls.
In Orbit
Food & Liquor by Lupe Fiasco - A young man floating in space, surrounded by objects from his world. A boombox. A Nintendo DS. A Banksy postcard. The story behind one of hip hop's most visually remarkable debut album covers.
Everyone Said No
Brat by Charli XCX - A disgusting shade of green. Blurry Arial font. Four letters. Nothing else. Her manager said no. Her creative director said no. Her friends said no.
It Came From A Rice Cooker
Aladdin Sane by David Bowie - The lightning bolt that appeared on millions of faces the night he died. It came from a rice cooker.
That's Not His Suit
Thriller by Michael Jackson - The white suit on the cover of the best selling album in history wasn't Michael's. It belonged to the photographer. And the tiger kept wandering off.
The Stuff Of Diners And Motels
Neon Bible by Arcade Fire - The cover doesn't immediately grab you. A neon sign in the dark. Pink and orange against black. Something you'd walk past without stopping. Look again. There's considerably more going on here than first appears.
Hold It Up To A Mirror
Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys - I thought it was their private jet. Three lads flying somewhere loud and probably illegal.
Stolen From A Pub Toilet
Rumours by Fleetwood Mac - The cover is boring. Two people, a light background, and a pair of wooden balls hanging like testicles.
Cool. Suave. And, Whose Feet Are Those?
Kick by INXS - Michael Hutchence owned that cover. But whose feet are on the skateboard at the top?