Saturday, October 4, 2008

Album Cover Art

We are now half way through our look at Gigwise's 50 most controversial, weirdest, best and worst album covers as compiled by their crack staff. Let's explore #25:


Controversial


25. Minus – ‘The Great Northern Whale Kill’ Offensive? No doubt. Insensitive? No doubt. Controversial? No way it cannot be because the image you are looking at is of an eight-year old boy.

Mínus is an Icelandic alternative rock/hardcore band from Reykjavík. They are signed to the record label Smekkleysa. Mínus have shared the stage with, among others, Metallica, Foo Fighters, and Queens of the Stone Age. 'The Great Northern Whale Kill' is their third LP and was released 3rd of March, 2008.

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Weirdest


25. Swamp Dogg: 'Rat On!' Albino lab rat? or just playing horsey? Certainly fits into this category. This R&B artist has made many albums in his 40-year career, including this 1971 offering. To those in the know, Swamp Dogg intentionally came up with this ridiculous (some would say startingly ugly) cover shot. Per Swamp Dogg, he thought it hilarious that a black man was finally on top. Also, per Swamp Dogg, the record company, Elektra, was less enthused.

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Worst


25. Fleetwood Mac – ‘Rumours’: I disagree with it belonging along with some of the worst album covers of all time. There was a lot of personal strife within the band (Nicks & Buckingham were fighting, as ususal), so I guess Mick & his little balls stepped up.

Rumours is the thirteenth album by rock band Fleetwood Mac, released in 1977. In December 1976, prior to the release of the album, Reprise released the single "Go Your Own Way". In 1978, Rumours won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. As of 2007 the album has sold more than 30 million copies, and is on the list of best-selling albums of all time. In addition, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Rumours at #25 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to Carol Ann Harris author of "Storms - My Life With Lindsey Buckingham And Fleetwood Mac" the album has sold over one million copies in the Los Angeles area alone. This rare feat puts it next to other major releases such as "Thriller" by Michael Jackson.

Hit singles included Buckingham's "Go Your Own Way", Nicks's "Dreams" and Christine McVie's "Don't Stop" and "You Make Loving Fun". Buckingham's "Second Hand News", Nicks' "Gold Dust Woman" and "The Chain" (the only song written by all five bandmates) also received significant radio airplay.

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Best


25. Prince: ‘Lovesexy’ This makes the 'best' list? The naked 'Purple one'? And he calls it a gospel LP? Great, a naked cover on a gospel album. Has he no shame?

The album is notable for the haunting gospel of "Anna Stesia," and the hit single "Alphabet St." Also notable is the cover, causing some controversy as it depicted Prince in the nude, in a seemingly devout pose. Some record stores refused to stock it or censored the cover with black wrapper.

Lovesexy is an album by Prince, released in 1988. Lovesexy was issued as a substitute record after the release of the infamous Black Album had been suddenly canceled. The Black Album and Lovesexy almost act as companion pieces, sharing the song "When 2 R In Love," but nearly opposite in theme. The album was recorded in just seven weeks, from mid-December 1987 to late January 1988, at Prince's new Paisley Park Studios, and most of the album is a solo effort from Prince, with a few exceptions. The opening track, "Eye No," was recorded with the full band (Miko Weaver on guitar, Levi Seacer, Jr. on bass, Doctor Fink and Boni Boyer on keyboards, Eric Leeds on saxophone, Atlanta Bliss on trumpet and Sheila E. on drums). Sheila E., in fact, plays drums on several tracks and sings backup, along with Boyer. Leeds and Bliss provide horns on most tracks, and Ingrid Chavez provides the intro to "Eye No". As opposed to the LP release, early CD copies of Lovesexy have the entire album in sequence as a single track, so the album is heard in the context of a continuous sequence, though later editions have it as 9 separate tracks.

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