Today, I was sitting down and looking through my record collection and decided that I absolutely had to do a top 10 list of my favourite album covers. There were an awful lot that were close, but didn't quite make the cut. It was not easy putting this list together, but I am very pleased with the result. Since I have quite a bit to say about each of these albums, I will be doing this list in three parts. I hope through viewing this top 10 you find some new and exciting music to check out. Enjoy.
10. Paul McCartney and Wings - Band On The Run
The photo used for this album cover was taken by photographer, Clive Arrowsmith. He has also collaborated with musicians and bands such as Fleetwood Mac, Humble Pie and The Jeff Beck Group, as well as another famous Beatle, George Harrison. This album is in my top 10 favourite album covers mainly because I love the random cameos. James Coburn, famous for such films as Charade, The Great Escape and The Magnificent 7 is one of the talented actors who posed for this cover. He is joined by Dracula himself, Christopher Lee. Christopher Lee is a very distinguished actor with an unmistakable voice. He has played rolls in many of my favourite movies such as, Count Dooku, in the Star Wars saga, Saruman, in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and as I previously mentioned, Dracula was one of the many horror icons he portrayed in his work with Hammer Film Productions. Other familiar faces on this album cover include Michael Parkinson, Kenny Lynch, Clement Freud and John Conteh. If you have never heard Band On The Run, I highly recommend checking it out. It is a great album from beginning to end, and arguably the best produced by Paul McCartney and Wings.
9. Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs
The cover of Eddie Vedder's Ukulele Songs displays a powerful image of “The Lost Correspondent”, an underwater sculpture created by Jason deCaires Taylor. Jason deClaires Taylor has done many interesting underwater sculptures like this one. I love that, over time, these sculptures become artificial reefs. It is such a fantastic concept, not only as a scuba/snorkelling attraction, but also as a way for art and design to have a positive effect on the environment. When I look at this album, it immediately reminds me of my high school field trip to the Hawaiian islands. This album was the soundtrack of my Hawaiian adventure. Feelings of nostalgia and the memories I connect to these albums have had an incredible impact on this list.
8. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced
This was Jimi Hendrix’s debut album and it took the world of rock by storm. The artwork for this album was done by Karl Ferris, who was famous for his contribution to the “psychedelic rock” phase through his amazing photography and designs. He was a photographer for bands such as Cream, The Hollies and Donovan. His work with Jimi Hendrix was his crowning achievement and after designing the cover for Are You Experienced, he went on to do the covers for Axis: Bold As Love,as well as Electric Ladyland. The first Jimi Hendrix song I ever heard, when I was very young, was Purple Haze. It blew my mind! Soon after, I listened to this whole record from beginning to end. I could not get enough Jimi Hendrix. This album was one of the first albums that introduced me to the music genre which we now call “classic rock”. I can definitely say that without this album, I may not have become the crazy vinyl junkie I am today.
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