BY MIKEY MIGO
On the ninth day, God created vinyl. Trust me, I saw it on the Bible on DVD as an Easter Egg. Before the days of compact discs, mp3s, cassette tapes, and eight tracks, it all started with the vinyl. Originally, the album cover was used to package audio recordings in cardboard or even paper sleeves to protect the record from scratches and time. That would all change in 1939 when Alex Steinweiss, a designer at Columbia Records thought up the idea of replacing the standard labels on album covers with original art. Over time there have been many unrecognized and under appreciated artists that have made a career out of designing album covers. However, there were many other "mainstream" and known artists that took the ball of album design and ran with it. Works of Andy Warhol, MC Escher, and Salvador Dali all made it to that glorious 12" by 12" cardboard canvas.
The art that is music was then fused with visual art. The protection of the sleeve was one thing, but now the musicians could convey their optical aspirations and use the cover as a marketing tool. As a marketing tool and an expression of artistic intent, gatefold covers (a folded double cover), and inserts, often with lyric sheets, made the album cover a desirable artifact in its own right. The importance of cover design was such that some artists specialized or gained fame through their work. From 1959 to 1961 and 1969 to 1973 there was even a Grammy Award for Best Album Cover. Since 1974, there's a Grammy for Best Recording Package. Who would have known?
Album covers were prone to wear and tear. In part this was due to the construction. Album covers were almost universally made of cardboard. A variety of treatments could be applied to improve both their appearance and durability; typically they were covered in a clear plastic foil. A small industry arose providing storage for albums and album cover covers. Like comic book collectors, it was typically clear plastic.
The record surface was readily damaged, so aside from the cover, there was usually a further protective cover to protect against dust and handling. The inner sleeve was either thin white paper, often unprinted, or a paper sleeve supporting a thin plastic bag. These quite often had a circular cut out so that the record label could be seen without directly handling the record, though when the sleeve was used to print lyrics, which became quite common, then there was usually no hole. This system was begun in the 1960s to reduce packaging costs.
Then came eight tracks and cassettes. These were substantially smaller than the album, so new music from those periods were greatly affected. The elaborate and extravagant artwork had to be reshaped and resized to a ratio less than a FIFTH of what it would have been on vinyl. Granted, I personally grew up on cassettes, a small piece of the music listening experience was taken from me.
Then from what I recall, in the very late 80's and early 90's, we were introduced to Compact Discs or CDs to you youngins'. We all loved our CDs. We all have huge collections and a variety of them in our cars and offices. While it's not an album, the shape of the CD is that of a small album. The album cover was replaced with the booklet sized to smaller proportion of the former. So in essence, there was a bit of nostalgia that came with that breed of current technology.
Now in the "modern times," we have I-Pods, I-Tunes, Mp3s, and all the other current hoopla. While it's been argued that these new methods are cheaper to the consumer, more easily accessible, and the wave of the future, I dispute that whole heartedly. People are collectors, scavengers, and want to hold a physical property in their hands. Sure, I've downloaded my share of music like most of the world, but it's not the same. It has an artificial feeling, while actually having the new CD in your hand leaves a feeling of anticipation, curiosity, and a possessive power. It's sorta like asking yourself, Would I rather watch a porn movie alone in my room or have the real thing?
So before the MP3 takes over and puts the CD to extinction, lets take a look at a few classic album covers...
CLASSIC ALBUM COVERS
Lets take a look at some classic album covers. By all means, I'm not going to rank them because there's so many great ones for many different reasons. This is just a handful of covers that's been influential to others.
The Beatles
"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
Easily one of the most creative album covers ever made. This depicts the band in their Sgt. Pepper gear with many other celebrities and figures from history cut out behind them.
The Rolling Stones
"Black and Blue"
Mick looks upset. I think Keith is whispering in his ear, "Don't worry mate, this is a good idea. It'll be great." Well, if that's the case, he's right. Spin magazine put out a cover a few years back with Nirvana on the cover that had a very similar look to this. I wonder if there's any relation.
The Doors
"Morrison Hotel"
Great photography of the band in a unique setting. Possibly the first album to have a picture of a band through a window. And the fact that they're being seen through a window and not a door is ironic enough to put this up there with the rest of the greats.
U2
"The Joshua Tree"
Again, great photography for a great album. The fact that it's older U2 and Bono isn't sporting the mullet is a huge plus as well.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
"Axis"
This great artwork depicts Jimi as a god-like figure. I think it's safe to say that that's a fair argument.
Black Sabbath
"Paranoid"
The man with the shield and sword are layered together so much that it almost seems like an abstract blur. It makes for an interesting piece that you continue to stare at to try to take it all in.
Alice Cooper
"Raise Your Fist and Yell"
This one is not only good artwork, but weird as hell.
Guns N' Roses
" Appetite for Destruction"
It seems like a simple design, but it's creative not the less. I recall many times of my pre-teen youth trying to draw this out myself.
Pink Floyd
"Dark Side of the Moon"
Simple? On the surface, yes, but it's one of the most timeless album cover images in rock history.
Davis Bowie
"Aladdin Sane"
Great photography and great artwork all in one. It's an odd photo as Bowie's eyes are closed, but that only adds to the mystery of this great album.
Marilyn Manson
"Smells Like Children"
The Willy Wonka font, the bizarre and creepy picture of Manson, and the overall presentation make this one of my personal favorite album covers. His later albums would be more elaborate and gruesome, but this one wins over because of the simplicity and settle creepiness.
Velvet Underground
"Velvet Underground and Nico"
This album cover may actually be more known than the actual music on the record. Andy Warhol's pop art is still in full force today and this Velvet Underground album cover is only a small example of it. This shit is Bananas.. B-A-N-A-... Fuck it.
Marvin Gaye
"Marvin Gaye Live"
It's an image of Marvin Gaye doing what he did best.
Jackson Five
"I Want You Back"
Gary, Indiana. Represent. The look and layout of this album is a lot like other Motown albums from the time. A dash of Tiger Beat and a smidget of Class.
Nirvana
"Nevermind"
The photography and message are loud and clear in this image. If there's one album cover from the 90's that'll be remembered forever, I'm sure this is the one for many.
Prince
"Purple Rain"
The movie is entertaining and this is an image taken from the movie's poster. The lighting, photography, and Prince are all that and a bag of chips.
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