Album Covers: A Lost Art?

We are living in a digital world. Things are changing every day, and although this technological advance brings many benefits such as ease of communication and access to such a limitless supply of information, many gems and treasures have been lost along the way. With the introduction of the Amazon Kindle, and the Apple iPod and iPhone, gone are the days when shelves and bookcases were riddled with movies, books, records and CDs. These different forms of media are now all found online or saved to a hard drive. I have always felt that you can learn a lot about a person by the odds and ends that fill their shelves. That is a way to express who you are and add a personal touch to your living space. I may be thinking in an old fashioned frame of mind, but I like being able to personalize my home this way. It is the personal touches that make a house a home. 

One of the many ways I like to personalize my living space is through album artwork. There is something I find extremely satisfying in being able to actually hold a record in my hands and know it is right there in front of me. This is a feeling that can’t be duplicated by a digital file. As music has evolved from the classic LP record, to cassette, to CD, and finally to that little title you click in iTunes which plays the song you have selected, the album art has been cast off into the corner. I am an avid record collector. Apart from the unparalleled sound quality, one of my favourite parts of this hobby is being able to take a close look at the album art found on the record cases. It is a shame how the detail and the effort put into these covers has been long forgotten. There are things you see on these cases that you could never point out on a minuscule 300x300 jpg file that comes with a downloaded album. Albums such as The Beatles’ Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, Santana’s Abraxas and Cream’s Disraeli Gears make these record sleeves an art form. Record covers are among the many pieces that I use frequently in interior decorating. They make for a great focal point, as well as an excellent conversation piece.