In no particular order, we’re taking a look at the select few albums that are not only referred to as “landmarks” but have actually created new landmarks. For the passionate fans that love these albums, the places depicted on these sleeves have become sites of pilgrimage.

Beastie Boys: Paul’s Boutique

Music journalist Dan LeRoy’s description of the making of Paul’s Boutique is an amazing read. In summary, the boys pocket a big payday from Capitol Records before decamping to various LA hotel rooms, which they proceed to trash and terrorise. Songwriting is aided by copious amounts of booze and an endless supply of grass. When concerned record executives arrive in LA, they are subjected to juvenile and hilarious pranks. By all appearances it would seem that they simply don’t give a fuck.

It sounds fantastic. By the time they’ve rented an antique-filled Hollywood mansion to record and party in, you’re convinced you know the story. The story where young geniuses get blinded by the fame, cash and drugs and ruin it all by releasing a self-indulgent piece of shit. And that is the exact narrative – except for the part where they release a self-indulgent masterpiece. Paul’s Boutique transformed the Beastie Boys from hip hop’s enfant terribles, dismissed by many as one-hit “frat hip hop” wonders, into respected artists.

The enduring success of Paul’s Boutique is evidenced by the impact of its record cover. The album title is taken from the very short Track 14, Ask for Janice:

…the best in men’s clothing. Call Paul’s Boutique and ask for Janice and the number is (718) 498-1043. That’s Paul’s Boutique and they’re in Brooklyn.

If there ever was a Paul’s Boutique in Brooklyn, there wasn’t by the time the record was recorded. The corner we see on the cover is in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, on the intersection of Rivington and Ludlow Streets. The shop is Lee’s Sportswear but the Beastie Boys attached the sign for Paul’s Boutique on the side for the shoot.

It’s not clear what drove them to celebrate this particular intersection but the cover folds out to reveal a very cool 360 degrees panorama of the area.

As the album became more popular, the corner started to attract tourists who took snaps of themselves in front of “Paul’s Boutique”. The online Beastie Museum has a fascinating page dedicated to the evolution of the neighbourhood.

A small eatery was eventually opened where Lee’s Sportswear used to be and, until early 2007, it was called Paul’s Boutique in honour of the album (it has since been renamed Three Monkeys).

The Beatles: Abbey Road

The most famous example of this genre must be Abbey Road by The Beatles.

The album was originally going to be called Everest and there were ambitious plans for a shoot in the Himalayas. In the end, they named the album Abbey Road after the studios where they recorded much of their music. Photographer Iain MacMillan was allowed all of 10 minutes to capture the Fab Four walking across the zebra crossing. Today the crossing is a major tourist destination and it’s fun to check out the 24 hour webcam, which at the right time of day captures keen fans trying to recreate the cover.

Madness: Absolutely

A ska band from the 80′s, Madness shares with UB40 the record for the most weeks spent in the UK singles charts during the 80′s (214). This album peaked at #2 on the charts and was awarded 1 star by The Rolling Stones. You might remember the album’s breakout hit “Baggy Trousers”. Or not. So why was this location included in a recent London map for rock fans as a historic location to visit? For the same reason that the band continues to tour today with pretty much it’s original lineup, despite not charting since the eighties. Some bands attract the kind of loyal, die-hard fans that more successful or critically acclaimed musicians can only dream of.

Oasis: What’s the Story (Morning Glory)

In transforming a London street into a rock landmark, Oasis once again mirrored the success of The Beatles. Berwick Street is a vibrant location that features an open air market and old record shop, along with some sex shops.

To date What’s the Story (Morning Glory) is Britain’s fourth biggests selling album of all time.

Pink Floyd: Animals

The dramatic industrial setting for Pink Floyd’s The Animals is the Battersea Power Station, a now unused coal-fired power station located on the River Thames.

It’s an amazing building that has achieved worldwide fame largely due to this memorable sleeve. This was before Photoshop, so the inflatable pig in the sky was actually created for the shoot and tied to one of the giant chimneys. Believe it or not, the pig broke free, surprising pilots on the way to Heathrow, who were greeted by the sight of a giant, pink pig flying through the air. Police helicopters had to track it until it eventually landed safely in Kent.

The cover has been extremely influential and the Battersea Power Station subsequently used as a location by other artists including Morrissey, Tori Amos and Hanson.

DJ Shadow: Endtroducing

Something about this sleeve always reminds me of Paul’s Boutique – I’m not sure why. Either which way, both records are important contributions to the art of sampling. We’ve discussed this cover before but it’s interesting as an example of an indoor landmark.

The cover shows Chief Xcel and Lyrics Born in Records, an aptly named record store at 710 K Street in Sacramento, California. In December 2006, it relocated to the former Tower Records location at the corner of Broadway and South Land Park Drive. It’s DJ Shadow’s favourite record store and is equally as famous for being one of the last shops where the mountain of records still dwarf the CD selection. One more piece of trivia – the logo for Records was designed by Robert Crumb.

U2: The Joshua Tree

Famed photographer Anton Corbijn was responsible for the 1986 shoot featuring U2 in California’s Death Valley.  He said of the shoot: “It was taken with a panoramic camera to take more of the landscapes in which was the main idea of the shoot: man and environment, the Irish in America.”

It’s  testament to both the achievement of the band and the dedication of the fans that this forbidding, desert landscape still attracts visitors inspired by the album.

The actual tree from the  cover died more than seven years ago. I could go on about this very interesting cover but instead I recommend you take a few minutes to read the description of “The Search For u2′s Joshua Tree” by Tom Goller.

Eagles: Hotel California

Welcome to the Hotel California
Such a lovely place
Such a lovely face
Plenty of room at the Hotel California
Any time of year, you can find it here

Here’s an interesting fact: Time Magazine still maintains that the Eagle’s Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) compilation has outsold Thriller and is actually the biggest selling album of all time. Whatever the case, there’s no doubt that the Eagles’ sold records like they were made from crack. Hotel California has moved 16 million copies in the US alone.

For the cover of this album Don Henley wanted to convey: “Faded loss of innocence and decadence. I was trying to use California as the microcosm for the rest of the nation.”  The building they used as the Hotel California is The Beverly Hills Hotel, which is located on Sunset Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California. A luxurious grand dame, since opening in 1912 it’s welcomed everyone from Fred Astaire to the Clintons to Courtney Love.

The evocative photography is by David Alexander and while the cover looks quite straightforward, it actually cost US $60,000 to produce – a fortune by 70′s standards. This was due to the difficulty of getting over the palm trees and shooting the hotel with the sun behind it, a feat that necessitated a cherry picker and some degree of derring-do.

You could say that this fine hotel was already a monument or icon before the Eagles snapped it. But given the sheer beauty with which they mythologise and recontextualise the building, it’s hard to believe that any one of the Eagles’ multitude of fans could view this building as anything other than the Hotel California.

Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti

These two 5-story buildings can still be found today at 96 and 98 St Marks Place in New York. However, they look a little different in the flesh – in order to fit the buildings on the cover, they cropped and altered the photo to make it a 4-story building. The cover features die-cut windows on the building, so that, according to Wikipedia, “when the middle cover is wrapped around the inner covers and slid into the outer cover, the title of the album is shown on the front cover, spelling out the name “Physical Graffiti”.” Amazing concept, design and execution from Mike Doud, one of the true legends of sleeve design who’s work we’ve discussed before.

Much like the Battersea Power Station, the building was used again by other iconic artists, in this case The Rolling Stones. The video for Waiting on a Friend features Keith Richards and Mick Jagger hanging out the front.

As a popular tourist spot, the building also echoes the story Paul’s Boutique. On the first floor of 98 St. Mark’s Place you’ll find the Physical Graffiti thrift boutique store.

Bob Dylan: The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan

This is Dylan’s second album and it features the classic Blowin’ in the Wind (the man was averse to “g’s” at the time). Much like The Beatles just walked outside of their studio in Abbey Road and the Beasties simply picked a corner from a nearby neighbourhood, the location for this charming cover was seemingly determined by proximity. It was taken on the corner of Jones Street and West 4th street in Greenwich Village, only a few metres from where Dylan lived. The photo, taken by CBS photographer Don Hunstein, shows Dylan contentedly walking with girlfriend Suze Rotolo, the two of them huddling for warmth and sharing a private joke. Young, in love and extraordinarily talented, Dylan has every reason to be freewheelin’. Without the weight of his musical talent, it could be dismissed as a twee happy snap devoid of creativity. As it is, the cover is a much imitated icon.

Today, Jones Street is described as a tranquil one-block haven that feels a little like a cul-de-sac because it hits the mid block of both of its intersecting streets. I wonder if the 22 year old Dylan had any idea that one day this tranquility would be regulalry punctuated by tourists seeking to commemorate and pay tribute to his achievments.

 Well, that’s our ten

We also recommend you check out the fantastic Album Covers Map by World Magazine which, with the help of contributing readers, shows where iconic album cover photographs were taken.

And please let us know which covers and landmarks we missed.

I’m not sure what the concept behind the distorted text is and I’m not 100% confident “Rumproller” is meant to be a reference to shaking your booty. It’s a great name for a roller coaster though.

I do know that it stands out when browsing by tiny thumbnail on a music site. Although this was the last thing on the designer’s mind back in 1965.

I remember playing around with this effect on the photocopier at uni. I even had a dream last week about photocopiers. Exciting I know.

The stark design and distorted text is certainly eye catching. I can’t help but this of Saul Bass when I see this and the subtle image of a shoe.

Was this just “something that looked cool” or is there a cultural message I’m missing in the distorted text?

Female fans can snap this up as a T-Shirt from Ropeadope.com which the site proclaims “Our most popular women’s item.”

I was surprised to find the label’s signature look can be attributed to one person. Reid Miles wasn’t the only designer who did covers for Blue Note but he was the major driving force behind it’s icon status in the design community. While Peter Saville and Vaughan Oliver seem to be quoted regularly as a source of inspiration I haven’t heard much talk about Reid Miles. This could be my own ignorance though. His WIKI page is sorely lacking too. Computer Arts has a quick feature on Reid Miles here. Worth a read if you want a more detail analysis of his career.

This wasn’t the first time Reid Miles had used the distorted type idea. The previous year he’s used it for “Art Blakey’s Indestructible” which in terms of high concept is more literal. I guess Reid wanted to have another crack at it for this release.

I prefer this more as a women’s tee not only for the colour but also it covers the boobs better. The Rumproller would make better sweat pants.

This must have raised more than a few brows in its time. I rescued it from my mum & dad’s garage a few years ago with a whole bunch of other vintage classics. I remember as a prepubescent adolescent my brother and I would fish this out of the vinyl compartment of our monstorous Hi-fi system when we had mates over and we’d pass it around ogling and giggling nervously.

Apart from my confused juvenile fascinations for the bawdy nectar covered Lucy I still really dig the design of this sleeve. The typeface for the title “Lexington” a revival of a 1926 typeface called “Titanic” is a great fit with its feminine curves and the reverse centrefold approach of the cover is cheeky and alluring (see wrap-around below).

Edit (3/12/2007): I just got the latest electronic newsletter from the T26 Type Foundry and the first new face on the list is called Juicy – check it out. Could it possibly have been inspired by this cover??

This is the first release, and self titled album from Juicy Lucy and according to Wikipedia they were “saucy blues-rockers, who formed in 1969 from the ashes of the cult garage band The Misunderstood; uniting vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn Campbell and keyboardist Chris Mercer. The group later picked up guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis plus their drummer Pete Dobson”.

I couldn’t find any info on who the brainchild was behind the shock tactic photography but it seems Juicy Lucy kept up the tradition albeit spiraling downwards to pure vulgarity as you can see from these later covers. As the band disintegrated so did any any shred of moral (and artistic) integrity it seems…

Here’s the full wrap around and inner for the original:

And, here’s the mexican release (eek):

And, the New Zealand release which out does the original I rekon…(it even has some Kiwi fruit!):

When I think about this album cover I imagine that the three blokes sitting there are the sleaziest looking buggers around, but now, upon seeing it again up close, I realise that, though, they’d never have become Top Models they’re not so bad after all.

They do, nonetheless, epitomise the hippie in all his many grotty guises. The inside photo does them no favours:

What is striking and most impressive about this cover – from Harry Diltz – is that within the confines of their combined poses we are able to, approximately, ascertain all we need to know about David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash.

Forget about the weatherboard house and the dilapidated couch – they’re nothing but props. You might be right in saying that the poses themselves are, well, posed, and, thus, not real; but irrespective of the photographer or painter’s cleverness the ‘real’ person can never be completely suppressed. Make sense? (I’m not making this up, just read Henry James’ short story “The Real Thing”.) What we see when looking at these three coke-heads is not three pals passing the time, but three millionaires in the midst of a cultural revolution, of which they are at the forefront and, yes, are most willing to take advantage of said revolution.

Too much information?

Right, all you need do is glance at Stephen Stills’s eyes – he’s the bloke in the middle – to get a sense of him. Look at him impatiently staring off to the side. Look at his jaw, a little clenched maybe? And the crossed leg, he’s the one who’s protecting himself from the situation, resenting being so close to his ‘pals’. (If you’ve heard even a few CS&N stories you’ll know they could barely stand being in the same room as one another.)

And Crosby with his fucked up mo’, freaking us all out, almost forty years later. Look at him slouching to the side (just) a little, like an annoying drunk who won’t stop pissing in your ear. See the lazy eyelids and the tiny pinprick pupils, squinty bastard! You wouldn’t trust him with your mother, let alone your daughter.

There’s Nash set apart – higher – than his band-mates, trying to project something akin to seriousness when, in fact, the man is as dumb as a sack of hammers. He had ladies and drugs and cash on his mind. My God, he sounds like 50 Cent!

And this is the idea that I like most about this cover art/photography: what it can tell us about the music we are about to hear and the people responsible for it. Often the cover tells us nothing, and this cover is misleading, in that it does not suggest harmony, when in actuality, the ten songs on the album are nothing if not recordings of perfect harmonies. Nonetheless we do learn that, though the music is all but flawless, we shouldn’t necessarily trust these hippies and all their love-one-another carry on.

The first thing that you notice is the seeming lack of balance in the photo. If Dylan were simply flanked by those two other blokes, then it would seem to make sense, but the fact that there is a fourth, and frowning figure, hovering in the background disrupts the entire scene. It seems nonsensical and, I’m assuming, deliberately haphazard. Take a look at Dylan and you’ll notice that the colour of his hat and jacket are an approximation of the colour of the tree’s trunk behind him, as though, yes, he is being sucked into the blackness (the void) of the tree itself. The idea that a tree could be black – I know it’s a black and white photo – as though it’s one of those trees you’d see in a forest that has been ravaged by fire. Here, though, somewhere in New York State deep in a nasty dry winter the whole scene is somewhat dismal. But the thing is Dylan and the two other blokes are grinning dumbly in spite of it all, yet we as the people who are looking at the photo can’t escape the almost menacing gaze of the bloke in the back.

More stuff to note:

check out the foreground, there is a hat, down the bottom, probably attached to a head; when was the last time you saw cover art so poorly cropped?

the bloke in the background is a carpenter who was working on Dylan’s house the day the photo was taken;

the two blokes in front are from the Bengali Bauls, a South Asian traditional music group, apparently;

the pale brown frame is odd and ugly, particularly the rounded-off corners at the top;

and, finally, that dreadful font (name?) is perfect, almost flat and lifeless, but seemingly with a little “zing” to the starting “J” and final “G”.

Music notes: the new “enhanced” ultra-expensive CD sounds great, but a crappy second hand vinyl version sounds just as good.

Credited as the first ever rock album to not display the bands name on the cover art (apparently Eric Claptons’ idea) was the self titled Blind Faith (1969).

The 60′s Supergroup’s only album featured Bob Seidemanns‘ striking photo of a nude, freckly youngster holding a gleaming, chrome, impressionistic sculpture of a jet (the hood ornament from a ‘57 Oldsmobile).
Raunchy album art seemed to be quite the thing to do at the turn of the seventies, but unlike, say STICKY FINGERS, this image is anything but direct.

Compositionally, it’s pretty simple but for a few elements – the superimposition of the head on the sky and the tilted horizon line betray a kind of 60′s/psychedelic vibe (only in hindsight I’m guessing) – but Stanley Millers’ design coupled with the photo produce symbolism and metaphor all over the shop.

Bob Seidemann says “To symbolize the achievement of human creativity and its expression through technology a space ship was the material object. To carry this new spore into the universe innocence would be the ideal bearer, a young girl, a girl as young as Shakespeare’s Juliet. The space ship would be the fruit of the tree of knowledge and the girl, the fruit of the tree of life.”

The American record company disagreed and released this cover with a sensible pic of Ginger Baker, Steve Winwood, Rick Grech and Eric Clapton -

Sorry Bob, but I guess it looked too much like underage jailbait in the buff with a dildo.

Blind Faith cover The Rolling Stones ‘Under My Thumb’ in Hyde Park – 1969.