First off I’d like to apologise to Studio Parris Wakefield for taking my sweet time to get this post together. But at least I’ve timed this post with the day of it’s release.

If you have a Joy Division fan in your life then this release has been perfectly timed with Xmas gift time. Oh and the 20th Anniversary of Ian Curtis’ death.

The Deluxe edition (limited to 500 copies) is SOLD OUT but you can still order the standard edition which is limited to 5,000 copies.

There is some insight into the design process from SPW on their blog. Used here with permission.

We have been working on the design of the new Joy Division box set ‘+-’. Now we are able to share
with you the story behind the imagery.

In Peter Saville’s book ‘Estate 1-27′ Michael Bracewell describes Saville’s work with Factory Records and in particular Joy Division as the ‘…muniments of a crematorium in deep space.’ Thus inspiring Saville to look towards the infinite qualities of the universe to capture the essence of a collection of Joy Division singles.

Tasked with the brief of ‘deep space and nebulae’, Howard Wakefield researched through the collection of Nasa imagery at SpaceImages. While tempted with a nebula called Factory, its name was too good to be true, for it didn’t compare with the more expansive deep blue nebula of Hubble NGC 346 SMC. Peter Saville was keen to see how it could be transformed from being purely documentary, so suggested an inverted, monochrome version.

The Factory Nebula. This image was not used.

The actual NASA space image used aptly named Hubble NGC 346 SMC. Check out the official NASA press release of this image from 2005.

In addition to the compilations cover SPW were also tasked with recreating the covers of the 10 singles. But this was not as simple as it seems.

Of the 10 Joy Division singles, only 3 were ever released on 7 inch vinyl. There were 3 EPS, a flexi disc, a booklet, a 12 inch and even an LP. Compounding this, the artworks didn’t exist in a state that could be used anymore, so the only option was to scan the sleeves.

However, scanning was not possible as each sleeve would need to be cropped to allow for printer’s ‘bleed’, so Saville suggested a border. At which point Wakefield saw the potential of portraying the singles as, not only important musically, but important in the history of music design. The design was as influential as the music and they should be both represented as such. The design concept was agreed – they should be portrayed as pieces in a gallery.

The sleeves were photographed and presented as moments in music and design history, backed with caption-style text on the reverse, allowing the music and the original sleeves to be the stars…

Here are the 10 covers. I think the photography presentation of them actually makes them look better.

SPW also blogged about the origin of the + – (or Plus Minus if you are trying to Google it) which in itself reveals an interesting story about Teenbeat and their lawsuit/PR stunt against the record label.

Where did the title + – come from? What was the influence? In 1988, Factory Records released the Joy Division single ‘Atmosphere’ from the compilation ‘Substance’ – the inner sleeve showed a detail of ‘Plus en Min’ by Jan van Munster.

Naturally, in 2010, during the discussions over titling the forthcoming Joy Division compilation, we were drawn to the 1988 release as inspiration. Calling it ‘Substance’ was too close a title to the original release, however, titling it ‘+ -’ was an acknowledgement to the 1988 release as the newly remastered track list was the same.

As part of the Deluxe box set, Peter Saville was asked to create a piece for inclusion. Originally there was a notion that a new ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ metal plate be created, but the cost was too prohibitive. However a perspex interpretation of the + – was more appropriate as the glow edge referenced the + – image from 1988.

To replicate the orange glow, a choice of two colours were available – Lava Orange or Mars Red. For cost and timing issues, Mars Red was selected.

Regarding the recent Pitchfork story about Teenbeat (the label) and +- (the band) who are suing for trademark infringement and plagiarism. We find this very strange, as the band admit to being influenced by Joy Division. Yet they are comparing their artwork (2002 album +-) which clearly appears to be influenced by the 1988 Joy Division imagery. Is this a stunt? Enough said.

Sadly this is the + – cover is only available when you buy the deluxe edition.

And this is the cover from + – from Teen Beat records.

So Lava Orange is more expensive than Mars Red? Budget is something I think Jan van Munster has never had to worry about. His work is amazing while his website sucks. The + – motive is spread across a lot of his work. I really like the “Brainwave” series with the wobbly neon lights. This could have almost been a cover itself.

And lastly SPW also designed a poster for an event at Rough Trade this week. More info here.

Here is a promo video from Rhino on the compilation.

The entire package itself is an impressive piece although the standard of compilation packs/limited edition runs these days is very high. I’m reminded of the Pet Shop Boys “Yes” packaging. At least this one is only $100 and not $450!

Take a look at SPW’s other musical design work and take in just how influential they have been. It also doesn’t hurt that Peter Saville is so closely connected to them also.

While putting together the Fist album collection I noticed this cover from Alice Cooper and was surprised by such a progressive cover for an artist like himself. Even more surprised it was released in the 1980s. Where are the crazy colours, geometric shapes and big loud type?

The cover immediately reminded me of the XTC cover. Sans any inside humour. What you get here is just the lyrics from the album presented in block paragraph form on the cover. There is also the very subtle ALICE COOPER across the top of the album via a light red hue shift. I’m not sure it was meant to be an opical illusion like the Soulwax covers I think the modern scanning and bad compression has reduced it’s readability.

I believe Explosions In The Sky copied Alice Cooper in their 2003 album “The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place”. The red Band Name in the lower right just sits too closely.

You can imagine all the Alice Cooper fans at the time (sorry to generalise) thinking “WTF is this!?”

The back cover features Alice Cooper in a suit shirt and tie. I wonder if this was originally proposed as the cover?

It’s a dead ringer for Christian Bale in American Psycho.

This is one of the few Alice Cooper covers that doesn’t feature the man himself. It’s also one of two albums he doesn’t even remember recording! “Zipper Catches Skin and the following album, DaDa, are two albums which Alice reportedly has no recollection of recording, due to excessive alcohol abuse. There was no tour to promote either album and none of the songs have yet been played live.” Source

Like all covers which do not feature the same of the album retailers and labels need to put stickers on them to make it easier to spot in record shops. Here’s a couple from Brazil and Europe for the collectors out there. Source

You can also read about the 2010 reissue and a more in-depth review of the album here.

If I redid the cover for 2010 I would have made it look even closer to the XTC cover like below. I feel this also looks more like an Alice Cooper cover just by going black!

Alice even shot a TV ad for the album which by 1980′s standards is passable (barely).

I don’t remember seeing that many TV ads for albums. But this might be as I’m too young to remember. Compare the “conceptual” Alice Cooper ad above to the more retail & music focussed ads from Kiss. Kiss sure knew how to sell well. The Zipper ad looks like a bad SNL skit.

And one last piece of Zipper Catches Skin media is this very quick review of the album by this couple of Alice Cooper fans. Rock brings people together.

The image of a fist is a universal sign of aggression, power and defiance yet there was a significant lack of albums featuring fists. I thought we’d be trawling through hundreds but it seems we have just the few seen below.

It’s no mistake that most of the bands are metal and only one has any sense of humour. For a band or album with fist in the name it must be hard for the designer to resist such a powerful image.

A big shout out to GuitarNoize for helping chase down the albums via Twitter.

So I present to you all the fist albums we could find. Which is the perfect compliment to our album covers with butts cover compilation.

I’ll start with one of the worst covers and the one that comes up the most on Google Image search for fist album. (Side Note: Make sure to turn ON safe searching whenever searching for “fist” on Google images. Argh I can’t unsee some of that stuff!)

MSTRKRFT: Fist of God
Designer: Unknown (Lucky bastard as this is an uninspired turd!)

A better cover would have been this promo image of them with masks on.

The masks hide the fact they look like douchebags without them (learn from Daft Punk guys). Well the guy on the right looks like Chick Liddell.

Moderat: Moderat
This was the only album to have some sense of humour (and a female) with the fist imagery. Moderat’s self titled album is one I’m going to track down next week for a proper listen.

It reminded me of a SFW version of Coop’s art. But upon research (source) it looks to be inspired by a R. Crumb piece from 1990 from his Bring Me Your Love illustrations booklet. Buy it here on Amazon or check this Flickr set. Which makes sense as R. Crumb had a sick sense of humour.

The first single off the album Rusty Nail also features a fist and this time on solid red. This is quiet nice also.

The actual song is oddly familiar and a great track.

Interesting when you take the women out of the picture and my mind turns to this war poster, rather than an image of a women hitting herself in the face.

Alice Cooper: Raise your Fist and Yell
Jim Warren the artist on this piece seems to have moved on from the horror work for more dolphins & horses meet Dali inspired work.

Rage Against The Machine: Battle of Los Angeles

According to Wikipedia “The album cover art was an original artwork by the LA Street Phantom aka Joey Krebs aka Joel Jaramillo, a well-known Los Angeles artist who has exhibited at numerous galleries in Los Angeles, New York City and throughout the United States. Despite claims to the contrary, the image was not inspired by images from the 1992 street riots of LA or from images of Munich, but by the band’s own music and words, and represents one in a series of images of the artist’s work, which can also be seen on various street murals in Los Angeles”

You can see his work on this classic film clip also

After reading The Street Phantom’s artistic statement you have to feel for the guy who didn’t market himself as well as Banksy. I mean he didn’t even get mentioned in Exit Through the Gift Store and doesn’t even have a Wikipedia page on himself. That doesn’t stop him from throwing down a challenge to Shepard Fairey though. Boom! Street Cred = True. Mo Money = False :(

Wait did I say Street Cred? I’d like to retract that statement after seeing the photo below :) Sorry Joey

Metallica: St Anger

Now this is what you call a fist! Pushead did the art who is normally recognised by his skull work. he doesn’t seem to have an official site but you can say hi on his Facebook page. I still love the scene in Some Kind of Monster when Lars is trying to push the name of the album as Frantic and the other guys had to convince him of St. Anger.

The back cover is more of the usual Pushead style.

The cover was originally planned to have 3 alternative color variations but due to cost this was scrapped. Their website has the post from 2003! Congrats for keeping the site live for 7+ years! The other color variations look weak to me but some collectors out there have the limited edition lithograph prints of them. And some even crazier collector has all the foreign variations of the covers! Insane

Mr Flash: Disco Dynamite

This is one of my fav Fist albums with the artwork by the eclectic So Me French design group who look after all of Ed Banger’s artwork. Mr Flash was the first artist signed to Ed Banger Records which is something I’ll be sure to drop into conversation just to sound like I know WTF is going on in the world of music.

here’s Mr Flash posing for the cover

And I know I’ve said it before but the French are seriously punching above their weight (no pun intended) when it comes to new music. They are seriously pushing it.

Warning: If you only watch one Mr Flash film clip then please do yourself a NSFW favour and check this one out below! And if you think that is in poor taste do not watch this one by the same director Cédric BLAISBOIS.

Motorhead: Iron Fist

The first photo cover so far with what looks to be an actual fist prop. The photographer of the cover Allan Ballard photographed a lot of Motorhead’s stuff but this is the ony URL I can find of an Alan Ballard. I hope it’s not the same person. I found this alternative cover which shows where the prop was used. Very Spinal Tap! I wonder if that fist is in a Hard Rock Cafe somewhere?

Anthrax: Fistful of Metal

“Fuck yeah! that is exactly what I had in my head” is what was spoken when Anthrax saw the artwork for their debut album. Kent Joshpe not only did the artwork but the bands logo too which is still in use. What is Josh doing now? He’s the CD of an advertising agency! I doubt he has done any other logos recently that will last over 20 years and be tattooed on thousands of people.

Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power

We covered this album long ago. Still one of my favs for both the music and the statement is makes as a cover. Has anyone got this issue of Revolver where they explain the story behind the photo?

it also gives me another opportunity to post this video…

Rainbow: Rising

Wait it’s a hard metal band called Rainbow? C’mon. Artwork by Ken Kelly who did the epic Love Gun for Kiss.

Chemical Bros: Push the Button

We covered this album and all it’s singles in great detail previously.

KATASTROFIST: Katastrofist

This cover actually came about after the band/designers posted options up on their site and asked for freed back. The end result is better than the options but still very cheesy. I would have preferred just the photo they used as reference below. Now that is a fist!

Here’s a few others I didn’t find anything worth posting about but wanted to include them in the “Fist Album” collection.

Super 400: Sweet Fist:

Snowgoons: A Fist in the Thought

Lime Spiders: Beethovens Fist

Update:
A big thanks to Ira and Holger for suggesting a bunch more that we missed.Including ones already covered on this site. Doh!

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz!

Already featured here.

Fist: Back with a Vengeance

This just needs a Kapow! sound FX bubble. Cover art by Sid King.

Black Flag: Damaged

Ed Colver pre-smashed the mirror with a hammer before putting fake blood. You bunch of pussies!

Rancid: Let’s Go

Riverboat Gamblers: To the Confusion of our Enemies

Fist: Thunder in Rock

Does anyone have a 500px or wider version of this cover? Also why didn’t they just change their name. Redoing each cover to say MYO FIST for Europe is just dumb.

Fist: Hot Spikes

Now we’re talking. Like the cover of a Fighting Fantasy cover for the new book “Metal Fists of Fury” with artwork by Istvan Resz. I love that it has finger nails!

Take It Back!: Rumors Of Revolt

Rise Against: This Is Noise

Anti-Nowhere League: Streets of London

This is a single but we’ll include it. Also it’s just the bands logo on a wall but it’s a pretty bad ass logo. Again while corporate brands refresh their brands all the time bands seem to stick with the same one forever.

Have we missed an important fist album? Comment below and we’ll add it to the list.

Since forming in 1981, Metallica has become one of the world’s biggest selling bands, with over 50 million albums sold in the US alone. They’ve won 9 Grammy Awards and – from the battle over their first release through to the celebrated packaging for Death Magnetic – have created significant cover art as well.

Kill ‘Em All (1983)

This release was to be called Metal Up Your Ass and the cover was supposed to feature a toilet bowl with a hand clutching a dagger emerging from it. After significant pressure to reconsider, the band settled on Kill ‘Em All as an angry response and used the artwork for tour t-shirts instead.

Ride the Lightning (1984)

Master of Puppets (1986)

One of the most acclaimed metal albums of all time. Many prints of the 1986 release featured a parody of the PMRC “explicit lyrics” warning labels.

And Justice for All (1988)

The cover was made by Stephen Gorman based on a concept by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

Metallica (1991)

Also popularly known as the Black Album, this is the second best selling album of the Soundscan era. Read a previous Sleevage entry about it here.

Load (1996)

The original artwork on the cover is entitled “Semen and Blood III” and is one of three photos by Andres Serrano, who mixed his own semen with bovine blood between two pieces of Plexiglass. The cover also features a new Metallica logo.   

ReLoad (1997)

Garage Inc (1998)

St Anger (2003)

Brian Schroeder designed the album cover and artwork for St. Anger.  Originally there was meant to be four different limited color variations  but the plans were eventually canceled.

Death Magnetic (2008)

A special edition of this release was packages in a coffin box. Death Magnetic won Best Recording Package at the 51st Grammy Awards.

In a classic Saturday Night Live Sketch in 2000, the show satirised the game show Celebrity Jeopardy – skewering both Robin Williams and Catherine Zeta Jones. But the breakout star of the sketch was comedian Darrel Hammond’s Sean Connery, who introduced the term “anal bum cover” in this memorable exchange:

Alex Trebek: For the last time, that is not a category. Sean Connery, why don’t you pick?

Sean Connery: Well, the game is afoot. I’ll take anal bum cover for 7,000.

Alex Trebek: That’s “An album cover”, not anal bum cover.

Sean Connery: I can read, Trebek. That says Anal bum cover. I’ve spent five years of my life trying to invent an anal bum cover, failing to do so is my greatest regret.

So in tribute to this obscure but resilient meme, we celebrate 7 great covers with backsides on the brain. Bottoms up!

Bruce Springsteen: Born in the USA (1984)

The undisputed heavyweight of album covers with bottoms on their front belongs to The Boss.

Born in the USA was the best-selling album of 1985 and shares the record for the most top ten hits from a single release. Springsteen was already a big star but, as one commentator puts it, it wasn’t until he “hit the gym to get buffed up and showed off his rear end in Annie Leibovitz’s famous cover photo for Born in the USA that he became an American pop icon.”

Springsteen’s new image came at just the right moment, as Rambo was hitting cinemas and Reagan was ushering in a period of muscular nationalism.

The irony that underscores this cover is that the vast majority of Springsteen’s new fans radically misinterpreted his lyrics and ideology. The patriots that packed stadiums and cheered on his anthems were blissfully unaware that they may as well have been nuns at a Madonna concert, delighted to see so many crucifixes on stage.

The contradiction was certainly not lost on Springsteen, who had to be convinced to use Leibowitz’s photo for the cover. Ultimately he did and the image was also incorporated in the video for the title track.

Born in the USA is one of the most imitated covers of all time. (The following examples were all found on music site AMiRIGHT)

The 2 Live Crew – As Nasty As They Wanna Be (1989)

Rarely was an album so aptly named, or a band so enamored by the backside. This cover is not what you’d describe as a design masterpiece, nor is the photograph anything less than ridiculous. And funnily enough, the bling and bum combo on the cover is the chastest thing about As Nasty As They Wanna Be, which was declared by more than one local court to be “obscene and illegal to sell”.

While their LA contemporaries were terrifying the moral majority with gangster rap, the Miami-based 2 Live Crew achieved it with pure filth. The single “Me So Horny” features a raft of romantic lyrics sure to melt the heart of any young lady:

“I won’t tell your mama if you don’t tell your dad
I know he’ll be disgusted when he sees your pussy busted
Wont your mama be so mad if she knew I got that ass?
I’m a freak in heat, a dog without warning
My appetite is sex, cause me so horny”

In a later verse, Fresh kid ice adds:

“You said it yourself, you like it like I do
Put your lips on my dick, and suck my asshole too”

The band also released a PG-version, As Clean As They Wanna Be, which came with the cute disclaimer “This album does not contain explicit lyrics.”

While the controversy surrounding As Nasty As They Wanna Be contributed to sales of over 2 million units, As Clean As They Wanna Be stayed on the shelves.

With battles over both censorship and copyright issues, The 2 Live Crew is one of the few bands to have their case taken to the Supreme Court.

Echoing their enthusiasm for both pop-culture references and female buttocks, the next release was a cheeky tribute to Born in the USA.

Loverboy – Get Lucky (1981)

Loverboy spent the eighties creating anthems that make you feel like you’re flying down a freeway.  Even the titles of Get Lucky’s hit singles scream epic good times: Working for the Weekend, Lucky Ones, Gangs in the Street and Take Me to the Top.

Get Lucky’s cover, featuring a confusing image from photographer David Kennedy, is striking in its simplicity. There’s something genuinely charming about the crossed fingers, which perfectly bring to life the hopeful optimism of the album’s title.

According to Wikipedia, the famous derriere belongs to the photographer’s daughter Tymara Christen Kennedy, which is not at all creepy.

Various Artists – Ripper ‘76 (1976)

I know very little about this hits compilation, except for the fact that its cover is amazing. It also must have shifted a few copies, as the motif was repeated the following year.

Eagles of Death Metal: Death by Sexy (2006)

They got their name when frontman Jess Hughes heard bandmate Josh Homme describe death metal group Vadar as “The Eagles of death metal”. The striking turn of phrase inspired Hughes to consider what that mix would actually sound like.

This enthusiasm for pastiche continues on the cover of Death by Sexy, the band’s second album. Recognisable influences for this anal bum cover include the Stone’s Sticky Fingers, Too Fast for Love by Motley Crue, Get Lucky and Born in the USA.

In many ways, it’s a perfect companion piece to the cover by The Donnas.

The Donnas – Bitchin’ (2007)

Read a previous Sleevage entry about this cover here

Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (2008)

The latest album from everyone’s favourite Icelandic post-rock band features a photograph by contemporary artist Ryan McGinley. It’s taken from a 2008 series of his called I Know Where the Summer Goes (the title of which was taken from an early B-side by Belle & Sebastian).

McGinley’s primary artistic focus is youth and for this series he traveled America with a troupe of models. He photographed them sometimes clothed and sometimes naked, frolicking across vast, sunlit landscapes. The cover image evokes a feeling of freedom and joy, which is perhaps why the band chose it for an album titled (in English) “With A Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly”.

Strokes: Is This It (2001)

Yes, this is it. This is the sexiest Anal Bum cover in the history of mankind. The Stroke’s debut was that rare beast – an album that exceeded its considerable hype musically and then matched its sonic genius with an iconic cover.

The image was the result of an impromptu photo shoot by photographer Colin Lane. His girlfriend at the time possessed the fetching figure you see on the cover. As she tells it: “I walked out of the shower and I was completely naked,” she recalls. “I was walking around the house – he was like, put this glove on. I walked over, boom, that was the shot.”

Lane told NME that “a stylist left the glove in my apartment. I begged my girlfriend at the time to do it. We did about 10 shots. There was no real inspiration, I was just trying to take a sexy picture.”

He succeeded and, he says, his “ex-girlfriend was thrilled – she was a very rock ‘n’ roll girl so it’s a big feather in her cap to have her ass on The Strokes’ cover.”

She tells the story herself in this video, originally posted by Goldenfiddle.

Is This It from Goldenfiddle on Vimeo.

Call out: If you know of any Anal Bum Covers we’ve missed out on, please let us know. It’s important this list grows.

Not a fan of the rear? Check out the flipside here

But in the last few years I’ve been rediscovering the music of my teenage years and also how kickass the album covers were. It took me a while to whittle down my list to my favourite top 10. I’m sure I’ll come across a few later and wish I included them, but for now this is my definitive list in no particular order.

Warlock – Triumph & Agony
- Awesome painted cover: check.
- Chrome logo: check.
- Foxy blonde woman in leather being fondled by a demon: check.

Vinyl was king in the 80′s and hard core audiophile metal fans still prefer this format. The beauty of the large dimensions of vinyl covers is you can appreciate the detail and work put into painted artworks like this cover. This would look great on the side of a panel van.

Motorhead – The Bomber
This cover appeals to the plane spotter in me. Apparently there was a slight uproar that an English band would choose a German bomber, a Heinkel 111, over the English Lancaster bomber. Lead singer & bassists defended this decision: “Sure, it’s a filthy memory – but the fact is the bad guys make the best shit.” The scale of the band member to the aircraft is all wrong but I think it adds a comical air to the setting.

The Cult – Electric
The photo of the band is the only weak part of this cover and feels like a last minute add in. Sorry Ian Astbury, I’m sure that is your best raccoon hat.

But metal bands have the best logos, and creative use of typography and i think this cover is a great example of that. Metal band logo designs always seem to embody the nature of the group it is representing.

Def Leppard – Hysteria
This cover design is actually pretty cheesy and a good indicator of late 80′s graphix and that’s why i like it. The album is called ‘Hysteria’ so lets have a badly painted morphing of faces screaming. Overlay it on the plans to the Death Star from Star Wars IV and have a paint splattered album title, job done.

Judas Priest – British Steel
I’ve never understood the appeal of ‘The Priest’ but I’ve wanted to like them based on my fondness for some of their covers, which include Screaming for Vengeance & Turbo Lover. British Steel is my favourite.
This cover couldn’t be any more metal. A leather studded arm firmly gripping an oversized razor blade, all set on a “how more black could this be? and the answer is none – none more black” background. And their logo is just kick ass.

Kiss – Rock and Roll Over
I remember flicking through my friend’s extensive Kiss album collection for the first time and coming across this cover. It stood out in stark contrast to the direction of their other covers, and even other fellow metal groups cover designs at the time (1976). It feels like more of a designed cover then some artistic piece with it’s symmetry and very poppy japanese influence.

Poison – Open Up and Say.. ahh!
For me, this is the quintessential 80′s Hair Metal album cover. Day-glow colours, a Gene Simmons inspired tongue, big hair and a ridiculously unsubtle and misogynistic album title.

Aerosmith – Permanent Vacation

I love this for the great Sailor Jerry Tattoo inspired illustrations and the way they are placed in a repetitive wallpaper pattern. The red illustrations on black also balance really well with the yellow Aerosmith logo.

Iron Maiden – Somewhere in Time
It would be sacrilegious to not have a Maiden cover in this list. They’ve had some great covers but I guess this one stands out for me due to the fact it reminds me of Blade Runner. It came out around the time I started getting interested in metal, making this the first Maiden cover I came across. It also features one of my favourite incarnations of Eddie.

Van Halen – Fair Warning
This cover

I’ve loved Van Halen from the day I first listened to Van Halen 1. They’ve had a few interesting album covers after their first two releases, with Fair Warning being the standout for me. This cover is a little disturbing, which is fitting for what was hailed as Van Halen’s darkest album. But it wasn’t until I researched this cover that I discovered the complete painting “The Maze” created by the Canadian artist William Kurelek. The painting is a depiction of the artist’s  tortured youth and makes for a very bold and interesting choice for a so-called “hair band”. Then again, as fans of the band already know know, they were always so much more than that.

“One has to believe in what one is doing, one has to commit oneself inwardly, in order to do painting. Once obsessed, one ultimately carries it to the point of believing that one might change human beings through painting.”
Gerhard Richter 1973

The same could probably be said of music.

When Sonic Youth went into a modest New York basement studio in 1988 they baulked at the $1,000 a day fee. Although they’d previously recorded four other albums, they had yet to achieve a national profile and only had limited means. To keep the budget under $30,000 the band worked through the night and rushed some of their takes.

Despite these limitations, it seems they had some inkling that down in their basement they were building a monument. Everything about the finished result announced a bold intent, from the double album format through to its suggestive title. And the cover became central to its iconic status. As Jutta Koether, a German artist and critic, wrote in the liner notes to the 1993 Reissue, “With the inclusion of “high-art” cover-art, it became visually and musically a description of loss and self-doubt.”

After 8 years of Reagan, the candle represents a lone spark of hope and optimism, one that is albeit vulnerable and lonely. Depending on whether you are a “half glass full” or “half glass empty” kind of person, it could either represent the undying hope that Obama evoked or the dwindling remainder of once-great aspirations.

The featured artwork is “Kerze” (candle), a painting by German artist Gerhard Richter.

Facing the complicated question of what to paint at the beginning of his career, Richter instead decided to amass thousands of images taken from photos and clippings. He would pick one, project it onto the canvas and then recreate it in a photo-realistic manner. The distinctive touch that brought him a worldwide following is the “Blur” – the smudging he applies that disrupts the image.

He also went on to create a body of abstract work.

He’s an amazing artist. But by the late 80’s he was also an artist of the establishment, so the band’s decision to use his image was as unexpected as it was inspired. The inside-fold of the sleeve features a portrait of Sonic Youth circa 1988 and they don’t exactly look like they’re on the best galleries’ opening night invite lists yet.

The gap between the value of the Richter’s painting and the income of the “Daydream Nation” was only underscored when “Kerze” went under the hammer at 2008 Sotheby’s auction. Sonic Youth fans watched on gob-smacked as members of Europe’s high society rapidly drove the price up with every bid. It eventually went for over 7 million pounds.

But who needs the painting anyway? For less than $50 you can score a Daydream Nation poster for your wall and the soundtrack to go with it. You’ll find it still sounds pretty relevant.

From the hard to make out lyrics (“They called the clip a two-headed cow / Your hate clipped and distant, your luck, pilgrimage,”) through to the murky, unattractive cover art – nothing is made too easy on R.E.M.’s debut album.

R.E.M. were clearly not interested in perfection but rather the interesting tensions that came from ambiguity, originality and raw energy. The producer was to be Stephen Hague but the band successfully fought to have him fired after they found his obsession with technical perfection stifling.

When Murmur was released, it was praised by critics as an instant classic and reinforced Athens as one of the most exciting music scenes in the country. Only the fifth largest city in Georgia, Athens was a student town experiencing a creative explosion. As Josh Jackson writes in Paste Magazine, while “Athens wasn’t a one-horse town, neither was it Greenwich Village or San Francisco…But there’s something about a college town nestled in some small corner of rural America that ignites creativity in kids who grow up in towns like Macon, Ga., or Collinsville, Ill., and discover that there actually are others out there who share their passion for music, film or art.”

“Other college towns… would eventually get their moment. But in 1983, the spotlight was on Athens, thanks to R.E.M.’s full-length debut, Murmur.” Bands to have come out of Athens include the B-52’s, Indigo Girls, The Whigs and Drive-By Truckers.

Murmer’s cover art is a grainy tribute to the Southern landscape – one that is slowly being swallowed by kudzu, the agricultural nuisance you see on the cover. Imported from Japan, kudzu was originally considered exotic until it took on the qualities of an indestructible weed.

On the back cover of the record, we see a sepia-toned photo of a disused trestle, which was once part of the Georgia Railroad line into downtown Athens.

Before long, it was referred to as the “Murmur Trestle” by proud locals and, much like other landmark covers we discussed recently, became a point of pilgrimage for loyal fans.

In 2000 moves were made demolish it. But after a public outcry, which stressed not only the trestle’s importance in pop culture but also heritage value, the Athens-Clarke County Mayor and Commission voted to save the trestle in October 2000.

If R.E.M.’s portrait of its hometown is far from flattering, depicting a milieu riddled with overgrowth and crumbling infrastructure, it also originated the band’s policy of avoiding their own portraits on sleeves. As Pitchfork notes, the “group pointedly didn’t appear on its album covers or inner sleeves; instead, R.E.M. remained confident that a kudzu-covered ravine or a folk-art painting could speak more strongly about their music than their own presence ever could.”

Murmur was considered a commercial disappointment upon release and to date has only been certified gold (500,000 units). At the same time, it was named by Rolling Stone as the Best Album of 1983, pulling ahead of competition that included Thriller and U2’s War.

In 1996 R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported $80 million in one of the biggest recording deals ever. In 2007 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Starting out small and exotic worked for the band, whose eventual dominance proved as irresistible as the kudzu claiming their homeland.

It’s always good to see the designers behind classic album covers getting critical and commercial recognition. And few designers could boast of a career as celebrated and prolific as Storm Thorgerson.

Taken By Storm: The Album Art of Storm Thorgerson was published by Vision On in 2007. It’s a selection of some of his best work from the past 30 years. The book also spawned a traveling exhibition of the same name.

Sleeve lovers in Brisbane can still catch Taken by Storm, which is showing at Artisan Gallery until August 1.

The same show toured to Sydney at the Global Gallery last December. For more information about this legend of cover art, there’s a nice article in the Courier Mail and an interesting interview that featured in in Time Out Sydney from late last year.

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.

True Blue was released in 1986 and to this day remains the best-selling Madonna album. I remember my older sister buying it and listening to it constantly. Shortly afterwards she got into The Smiths and informed me that Madonna “was shit”. True Blue spawned a bundle of top-ten hits and boasted the pop star’s first famous reinvention, from lace-covered “boy-toy” to a platinum blonde, toned man-eater. Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine called it “the supreme archetype for late ’80s and early ’90s pop music” and said that with this album “Madonna made the transition from pop tart to consummate artist, joining the ranks of ’80s icons like Michael Jackson and Prince.”

Of course, Madonna never had the musical talent to rival her 80’s contemporaries Michael Jackson and Prince. Her gift is in picking the right producer and tune for the moment and repackaging herself to suit the times. As Joni Mitchell would snarkily have it, she’s “hit talent out of the ballpark. She’s become the most famous person in the world by hiring the right people.”

One of those people was the late Herb Ritts, the photographer behind this cover. He began his career in the late 70’s and would eventually become the leading celebrity and fashion photographer of his time.

Ritts’ work became short code for high gloss, commercial photography. In the advertising industry there was a joke that lazy or desperate art directors would say: “I’ve got an idea, Herb Ritts!”, when they couldn’t come up with anything original. He was also an accomplished fine arts photographer and when his work was displayed in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston in 1997, more than 250,000 attended the show.

As is so often the case with Madonna, she managed to spot him on the way up.

“I met Madonna in ’83 or ’84, when I was commissioned to do an ad for a movie called Desperately Seeking Susan” he recalled. “I remember that day. I was in New York City in an old factory loft with lots of windows. She arrived early and marched into the studio with all her “boy-toy” belts and black lace, very definite. She opened a cigar box with all of her jewelry, mainly little silver crosses. She said, “I’ve seen all your work in Lei magazine. You’re good.” She knew who I was, though I’d only been shooting for a couple of years.”

The True Blue cover is the most recognizable and sensual picture he took of her. The cassette tape and poster version is even sexier.

It’s a perfect example of what a post-modern operator she is – the hair Monroe’s, the jacket James Dean’s, the eyebrows Frida Kahlo’s. The images from the shoot are also a reminder that at her career zenith she was just, well, incredibly rootable.

Yet as Nathan Rabin – for my money the best writer on the web – points out in the AV Club, “there’s nothing particularly natural about Madonna’s sex appeal. It’s largely a matter of attitude and lighting, iconography and shrewd calculation, exhibitionism, and a finely honed gift for provocation. It’s telling that many of Madonna’s most fruitful artistic collaborations are with photographers and music video directors. Depending on the angle and the outfit, Madonna can look like Marilyn Monroe reborn or the boogeyman’s grandma.”

On this cover she gets the angle and the outfit just right.

Postscript:  One of our readers crack_ho pointed us in the direction of a fascinating interview with Jeri Heiden, the Art Director who worked on a number of Madonna covers including Like a Virgin, True Blue and Like a Prayer. Well worth checking out.

Seminal British band The Stone Roses released their self titled debut album in 1989. The cover features artwork by band member John Squire, who was largely responsible for the band’s visual identity.

Squire is an accomplished visual artist who at the time was heavily influenced by Jackson Pollock.

The painting featured on the cover of The Stone Roses is titled Bye Bye Badman, as is one of the songs on the record. Both the song and the painting are about the May 1968 riots in Paris, which explains why the tri-colours of the French flag are featured on the cover.

“Ian (songwriting partner Ian Brown) had met this French man when he was hitching around Europe, this bloke had been in the riots, and he told Ian how lemons had been used as an antidote to tear gas” Squire told Q magazine. “Then there was the documentary – a great shot at the start of a guy throwing stones at the police. I really liked his attitude.”

The riots were the largest general strike to stop an advanced industrial country and it’s amazing how quickly their impact have faded from the public consciousness. Less than 50 years after revolutionaries overthrew the monarchy in Russia, students and workers looked for a moment as though they might overthrow the de Gaulle government. It was a revolt against the modern consumer society, with a utopian left-wing fervour that was as critical of Stalin as it was of capitalism.

It’s hard to imagine such a popular wave of discontent and civil disobedience today, which is probably why The Stone Roses sought to evoke the fury and defiance of that fleeting period. The rioters were not louts or thugs, rather Parisian students that found a poetry amid the aggression. As they ripped up paving stones to throw at police, they saw sand underneath, giving birth to a memorable chant that translates as: “Under The Paving Stones – The Beach”. You’ve got to hand it to French people.

The song Bye Bye Badman features incendiary lyrics.

I’m gonna make you bleed
Gonna bring you down to your knees
Bye bye badman
Ooh bye bye

Choke me smoke the air
In this citrus sucking sunshine
I don’t care you’re not all there

Ian Brown explained: “Imagine a protester singing in a policeman’s face during the Paris riots. Then you’ll get some idea what it’s about.” I really like the final verse.

I’ve got bad intention
I intend to knock you down
These stones I throw
Oh these French kisses
Are the only way I’ve found

It’s amazing how finding out the story and inspiration behind any piece of art or design can suddenly make you love it. When I first saw this I just assumed it was a playful and kind of unattractive pastiche – some lemons casually chucked on a post-modern artwork. Now I can see the way that Squire has once again found some poetry in the chaos and anger. “Under The Paving Stones – The Beach”.

This record cover from 1981 is a homage to Manet’s Le déjeuner sur l’herbe (“The Lunch on the Grass”).

The large scale oil on canvas painting by Edouard Manet was finished in 1863 and caused instant controversy, due to the scandalous combination of a naked women next to two fully dressed men. Their casual, relaxed demeanor underscores the pervading sense of weirdness the canvas exudes – particularly for its era. While today it looks like a relatively tame juxtaposition, at the time it was a provocation to say the least. Of course, Le déjeuner sur l’herbe can now be found in the venerable Musée d’Orsay in Paris and is an important part of any syllabus discussing the modern art period.

Bow Wow Wow, meanwhile, are now little more than a footnote of the 1980’s New Wave movement. They were founded by Malcolm McLaren, former manager of the Sex Pistols and New York Dolls, to promote the New Romantic fashion lines he released with partner Vivienne Westwood. McLaren must be one of the great post-modern operators of the last fifty years, an artist and promoter that combined aggressive opportunism with a sharp eye for the next big thing. To put together this band he stole most of the lineup from Adam Ant and then auditioned vocalists to join as the lead singer. After many fruitless months he eventually discovered his vocalist in 14 year old Annabella Lwin, who was working behind the counter at a dry-cleaning shop. The band would go on to create an eccentric and noisy combination of 80’s pop and world music and today they are most remembered for their amazing cover version of “I Want Candy”.

Note Lwin’s nudity in the single cover above, because it was McLaren’s enthusiasm for showing his lead singer in the buff that would land the band in trouble. She was only 15 years old when the photography for the cover of See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy. was taken. Her outraged mother cried exploitation and involved Scotland Yard in an attempt to keep her daughter from leaving the country with McLaren. After all, who would let their underage child be sexualised just to sell records?

McLaren’s powers of persuasion resulted in a compromise, with Lwin able to remain in the band on the condition that she was not marketed as a “sex kitten”. An alternate cover was issued in the US and UK (while the offending cover art was still released in many major European markets).

Bow Wow Wow would attract further controversy for “referencing” African music a little too closely – with many suggesting that it came closer to plagiarism. And in more than one case you could accuse them of unoriginiality.

But the cover for See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang, Yeah. City All Over! Go Ape Crazy. is still considered a classic today. The composition and photography are beautiful and the performances and fashion perfectly update Manet’s iconic image. It also neatly encapsulates McLaren particular genius – in updating a once reviled but now canonised painting, he succeeds in refreshing its controversy. The viewer is again shocked at the woman’s presence in the picture, only this time because of her age.

Is it creepy? Brilliant? Both? Would it even raise eyebrows today?

Holy god. The first thing that I thought when I saw this cover was: “what a fearsome thoroughbred.”

Photographer Jean Paul Goude took this photo in 1978 for a New York Magazine profile of model Grace Jones. The article (and the accompanying photographs) would help to transform her into a pop singer and gay icon. When Island Life – the punnily-titled compilation of her biggest singles for Island Records – was released in 1986, this image was pulled out of the bottom draw and dusted off to create a classic album cover.

Some more background on the original image has emerged with the release (the puns continue) of So Far So Goude, by Jean-Paul Goude with Patrick Mouries. At the time of the photo Goude was Jones’ lover and she was his muse. Before they fell out, they furthered each other’s career in a way neither could have imagined.

“Initially, she was flattered by all of my attention,” says Goude. “And she’s no dope – Grace is an opportunist and she knew my vision was good for her career. Initially, she let herself be taken over, but then she suspected that I had only fallen in love with her image.”

If you’re wondering how Jones’ body can do this pose, the simple answer is that it can’t. Goude employs what is technically referred to as “visual trickery”. Here’s how it was done:

Here’s a picture of somebody else trying the pose:

Describing the concept, Goude says “…unless you are extraordinarily supple, you cannot do this arabesque” (the ballet pose in the picture). “The main point is that Grace couldn’t do it, and that’s the basis of my entire work: creating a credible illusion.”

Apart from this album cover the only thing I previously knew about Jones was that she was good friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 80’s. It kind of makes sense – they both look as if they have emerged from an alternate reality where infants are breastfed steroids and the puny are used as toothpicks. 25 years later he’s the conservative Governor of California while she’s still drunkenly touring the world and releasing albums with cover art like this (2008’s Hurricane):

I was told about this album from someone I had just met via email. I dropped into the conversation that I ran Sleevage and he mentioned this was his favourite album sleeve. I should add Sleevage to my email footer as crowd sourcing sleeves to post about is much easier than real research.
I was happy enough that the sleeve was constructed out of sandpaper as that seems both impractical and expensive. However to find out it was a Factory Records design and actually assembled by Ian Curtis of Joy Division (who needed the extra cash) while the rest of the band watched porn in the same room. (source) made the sleeve even more interesting. Even if this last story is untrue it shows that an album with a story is much more interesting that one without.

Here’s the back cover which is also devoid of information.

FACT 14 refers to the Factory records number system which you can read about here. There were two FACT 14s the other being Martin Hannett’s “Testcard”.

The first edition on sandpaper was limited 2000. The sandpaper sleeve comes in various editions: Some with spray-painted FACT 14 in black or in white, some without spray-paint. This makes for a very rare collectors item. Sadly The Durutti Column isn’t as “cult” as Joy Division so don’t expect to pay off the mortgage with it.

If you were to buy the album from Amazon now sadly this is what you’ll get. An ugly interpretation of the sandpaper.

The official TDC site has this on the album’s page. I’m not sure if this is a photo of a limited edition re-packaging or the album itself was a photo. Anyone know for certain?

The credit for designer was hard to track down. Each site I went to credited different people. Discogs has Steve Horsfall, while Wikipedia has Peter Saville and Tony Wilson and the official The Durutti Column site has the designers as Dave Rowbotham and Anthony Wilson credited with the sandpaper sleeve concept.

So Peter if you’re reading this please set the records straight. For now I won’t credit anyone individually until I hear otherwise.

The one thing we do know for certain is that the cover was inspired by the 1959 bookMémoires by Guy Debord a Marxist theorist, French writer, filmmaker, hypergraphist and founding member of the groups Lettrist International and Situationist International. Cover is below.

With a Wikipedia entry like that you can imagine what kind of dinner conversation Guy would have had. You don’t see ideas like hypergraphist or Psychogeography being theorised any more. I understand these concepts properly you could say Tomato’s work fits into this nicely. Especially projects like mmm… Skyscraper I Love You.

Compare this to a double page spread from Mémoires.

While I like to think my music knowledge as expansive, I’d be lying if I said I knew of The Durutti Column before this. It seems I say the same thing for almost every album that get reviewed here :) I’ve sampled some tunes on the official Myspace page and a fan page and it’s nothing like I expected. It’s quite chilled. I’m not sure if this is the same sound as they had 30 years ago though.

What I love about the cover and the idea behind the original Memoires is that the sleeve would leave it’s mark and potentially ruin other albums it sits next to. Like Stick Fingers, with the zipper that ruined the record, these impractical design solutions were created back in a period where experimentation in music and design for music was encouraged instead of feared.

Final Useless Fact: The Durruti Column was the most famous column of anarchist fighters during the Spanish Civil War. The band intentionally spelt it incorrectly.

Thanks Jon for the info on the sleeve.