Album Cover Hall of Shame

JimL · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 01:57

That was MY Beethoven 3rd PC when I had LPs!

albion · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 07:35

Pengelli · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 12:31

I've seen two or three of those Westminster albums,but most of them passed me by,unfortunately. Have any ever been reissued with those sleeves,on cd. I assume not. And were the creators actually serious? Surely not. If i ever see one on a secondhand stall I'll snap it up. Absolute howlers. I've seen Pans People dancing to 'Fanfare to the Common Man',(and enjoyed it!),but Liszt's (?) Hungarian dances? More please!!!!
Oh & my apologies to Des O' Connor fans everywhere.

Pengelli · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 12:35

Gorgeous pouter Anna Moffo trumped by a spaghetti bolognese?
Lets petition Parliament to bring Westminster back!

Pengelli · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 12:42

And Tracey Emins unmade bed. I knew she'd pinched the idea from some mad genius.

Kriton · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 14:35

Quote from: Albion on Tuesday 17 August 2010, 07:35
Yet more gems from good old Westminster. Judging from previous responses, there are probably a few fondly remembered favourites in here:

They're Amazing, Albion!

I particularly like Brahms being represented by a greasy English breakfast and Wagner by the hippie belle with the Volkswagen hubcaps in front of her breasts. Do you reckon it's worthwhile speculating about the "why", or are they just unassuming jokes?

albion · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 15:05

Quote from: Kriton on Tuesday 17 August 2010, 14:35
Do you reckon it's worthwhile speculating about the "why"?

Probably not. The Westminster Gold covers were 'created' by Christopher Whorf, who designed covers for innumerable albums (rock, pop, jazz, just about anything in fact) from the 1960s onwards. Probably a very interesting chap, he seems to have had something of a lingerie fetish:

Pengelli · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 19:56

They really are funny,aren't they! Poor old Des can't compete.
OOPS!

chill319 · Tuesday 17 August 2010, 23:20

When those Westminster covers came out (after years of covers that were as innovative as the average dedicated fan of Paul Badura-Skoda), it was clear that someone on staff had a great sense of humor and a healthy respect for the Volkswagen ads that had revolutionized U.S. print advertising in the late 1960s. A girlfriend at the time was in advertising and was making funny commercials for the Monkees TV show. I remember thinking (based on my experiences with her) that Westminster had hired a clever ad person who hadn't the slightest interest in classical music. Of course, that didn't prevent Westminster from giving, say, Carlos Chavez his best shot at international fame as a conductor.

mbhaub · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 03:46

Look carefully. What the heck?

http://lpcoverlover.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08.resized/img_1910.jpg

Kriton · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 06:00

Quote from: mbhaub on Wednesday 18 August 2010, 03:46
Look carefully. What the heck?

http://lpcoverlover.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/08.resized/img_1910.jpg

Well, it's not called "piano artistry" for nothing...

Mark Thomas · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 07:41

Ooo, spooky!

Ilja · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 10:32

What about this one? Simply not Mahler, I'd say:
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41X5nUUQGPL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

There are interesting ones that aren't Beethoven and Brahms, either.

Design-wise, classical music covers have rarely been as interesting as those of other genres of music. Partly that's due to the fact that you're often dealing with series, which require a more-or-less uniform approach and ties you to a certain format. But there also seems to be a lot of disinterest doing the rounds (BIS, for instance). Naxos is an interesting case, since their design purposely emphasises the 'cheapness' of their CDs - a very clever trick, albeit with rather poor results.

I did a couple of covers for Sterling (e.g., the Raff Violin Concerto one), and the problem was also simply getting all the information in and still maintain some graphical attractiveness. But there are very good ones, as well. Modern RCA releases are generally well-designed; and although I can't always say I find them pretty CPO's covers are very effectively recognisable and usually convey the right atmosphere. Telos' design is usually quite good, too.

For me, the Karajan-next-to-his-plane or the Karajan-with-the-new-mrs-Karajan-watercolour designs represent the very worst in design. But that may have something to do with my distaste for Karajan and everything he stands for.

albion · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 11:15

Quote from: Ilja on Wednesday 18 August 2010, 10:32
the problem was also simply getting all the information in and still maintain some graphical attractiveness. But there are very good ones, as well.

Moving (briefly) away from the sheer awfulness of this chamber of horrors, three companies which I regularly purchase from can pretty much always be relied upon for attractive artwork. I would say that Chandos, Hyperion and Dutton actively enhance the appeal of their discs with superb, often quite cleverly thought-out, design. The Dutton posters are endlessly fascinating and there is usually some link between them and the music on the CD, but for a supremely attractive solution to the problem of the series (uniformity, yet distinction between discs) my vote goes to Chandos' fabulous Cyril Scott series:

http://www.cyrilscott.net/images-Cyril/CS_discog_images/Symp3.jpg
http://www.cyrilscott.net/images-Cyril/CS_discog_images/CHANmartynB.jpg
http://www.cyrilscott.net/images-Cyril/CS_discog_images/VlnConc_Fest_vol3.jpg
http://www.cyrilscott.net/images-Cyril/CS_discog_images/cello%20Conc.jpg

Simple, evocative and beautifully carried out. Now, back to Space Escapade ...

albion · Wednesday 18 August 2010, 11:42

Unsung Composers

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Album Cover Hall of Shame

JimL

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Pengelli

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Kriton

albion

Pengelli

chill319

mbhaub

Kriton

Mark Thomas

Ilja

albion

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