Most [record label] cover art EVER!

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Inspired by a comment by jbr, off-forum...

* Pick a record label
* Post a pic of an album on that label (or maybe ANOTHER label!) that exemplifies the record label's cover art aesthetic to every bleeding stereotype possible.

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:42 (twenty years ago)

aw, i liked the MS Paint thread idea...

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:47 (twenty years ago)

most ECM cover art ever!

http://www.ecmrecords.com/Images/cover/ECM/1600/E1675g.jpg

― jed_ (jed), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:50 (twenty years ago)

Honestly, the only reason I started this thread...

Most Cleopatra cover art ever!

http://www.deathrock.com/ukdecay/images/UKDKWHIP.jpg

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:53 (twenty years ago)

You mean like

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000005HBY.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg ?

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:54 (twenty years ago)

that looks a little too high-concept for cleopatra. aren't they all about the really gothic-looking MS fonts? (xpost)

― send your men of science quick (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:55 (twenty years ago)

Most 4AD art ever:

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B00006L5PQ.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:55 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000LZQ.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 27 March 2006 20:58 (twenty years ago)

Most Constellation art ever:

― sean gramophone (Sean M), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:00 (twenty years ago)

Most Moonshine cover art ever!

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000005Q9B.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:10 (twenty years ago)

http://gullbuy.com/buy/2002/4_30/images/smash_png.jpg

Most Bpitch art ever: Angular vector design, broken & fractured, logo on front, repetitions on theme within cover, custom font, deconstructed design (leaving parts of the "blueprint" visible and tweaking them, bar codes, colour test spots etc), slight sense of cheese & fun, a lighter, less serious twist on the designers republic ethic basically.

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:13 (twenty years ago)

The other reasons for starting this thread:

* the see which labels do not get evoked.
* to see if people have different concepts of stereotypes for a label's art aesthetic, given that they can certainly change. PP's posting Family Man reminded me that I would have chosen a completely different SST album, one from later on.

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:15 (twenty years ago)

Most No Limit cover art ever:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc800/c814/c81444j34kk.jpg

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:16 (twenty years ago)

the Moonshine one could only be topped by:

http://img.epinions.com/images/opti/9b/9b/179126-resized200.JPG

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:17 (twenty years ago)

most CHESS

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000002O96.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:20 (twenty years ago)

Most Ebullition cover art ever

http://www.ebullition.com/images/covers/EB25.jpg

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:23 (twenty years ago)

I had copied this one for "most 4AD cover ever", but that Cocteaus one works as well.

http://www.lyred.com/covers/pale_saints_-_in_ribbons.jpg

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:25 (twenty years ago)

Most EMPTY
http://www.emptyrecords.com/empty/images/cd2/Deadahead.jpg

― Tripmaker (SDWitzm), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:25 (twenty years ago)

most rune grammofon:

http://www.runegrammofon.com/v2/sql/newsimages/RCD2018.jpg

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

Alisa, that's actually the first one that popped into my head, but when I went to look at it, it seemed a little less 4AD-ish than I'd remembered it being.

xx-post

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:26 (twenty years ago)

most Factory:

http://www.factory-overseas.de/images/Fact164_au.jpg

― hank (hank s), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

most ISLAND

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00009ATJM.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

all 4ad covers are the most 4ad covers ever

― s1ocki (slutsky), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:28 (twenty years ago)

http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002PZWQ0.03.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Yawn (Wintermute), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:29 (twenty years ago)

Alisa, that's actually the first one that popped into my head, but when I went to look at it, it seemed a little less 4AD-ish than I'd remembered it being.

Yeah, I thought exactly the same thing! That's why I didn't post it when I thought of it as soon as the thread was started.

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:30 (twenty years ago)

http://coverart.last.fm/300x300/7441.jpg

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:31 (twenty years ago)

here's a better most ISLAND

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/CDUCoverArt/Music/Large/04400630782.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:32 (twenty years ago)

Revelation before 1990:

http://revhq.com/images/covers/250/rev007.jpg

― pennington (M.S.P.), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:32 (twenty years ago)

lemme try this again...

ihttp://www.factory-overseas.de/images/Fact164_au.jpg

― hank (hank s), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:33 (twenty years ago)

Most Impulse!:
http://audiobasics.com/acatalog/Product_OliverNelsonSextet_TheBluesAndTheAbstractTruth.jpg

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Monday, 27 March 2006 21:33 (twenty years ago)

DISCHORD
http://www.dischord.com/images/078.jpg
(this also draws on their ad photo style)

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:34 (twenty years ago)

Most Cock Rock Disco:

www.posteverything.com/2004/12/17/8894/vf016cd_328.jpg

― Colin Meeder (Mert), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:34 (twenty years ago)

the most arhoolie. their covers are always terrible, unlike the music inside:

http://www.arhoolie.com/images/covers/345.gif

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:34 (twenty years ago)

Ha, I was just having a conversation with a friend about how uniformly terrible Arhoolie covers are.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:36 (twenty years ago)

I dunno, Specbird, when I think Rune Grammofon I tend to think of covers like
http://www.runegrammofon.com/v2/sql/newsimages/RCD2011.jpg

They do have a good number of fairly, eh, "loud" covers as well though, and they seem to be doing more and more of them. But the Supersilent covers seem quite singular in the label's discography.

― Øystein (Øystein), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:37 (twenty years ago)

most IMPULSE

http://www.vervemusicgroup.com/images/local/toenails/A104DB069C944F3E84BCCA74F6B402BA.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:38 (twenty years ago)

Most K-Tel

http://mfooz.com/lps/ktel.jpg

― ailsa (ailsa), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:39 (twenty years ago)

sorry about the Impulse double, Oliver Nelson is classic indeed

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:40 (twenty years ago)

They do have a good number of fairly, eh, "loud" covers as well though, and they seem to be doing more and more of them. But the Supersilent covers seem quite singular in the label's discography.

that's true, but those are also minimalist in their way. i paid more attention to the label earlier on, which is probably influencing my thinking. the deathprod covers fall squarely to the supersilent side too, though.

― a spectator bird (a spectator bird), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:43 (twenty years ago)

No Colours Records
http://www.no-colours-records.de/bilder/releases/hoffnungstod_gros.jpg
Black'n'white - some ghoulish dude - a silly gothy logo - landscape - woods - black birds
Just lacking some armor, blasphemy and racism.

― Øystein (Øystein), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:45 (twenty years ago)

Earache, back in the days when the label had personality:
http://www.metal-observer.com/covers/cov5244.jpg

― Øystein (Øystein), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:47 (twenty years ago)

matador:
http://rateyourmusic.com/album_images/o2085.jpg

― sam the puller, Monday, 27 March 2006 21:47 (twenty years ago)

See, Matador was one of the last labels I'd think would be mentioned here... I can't think of any stereotypical aesthetic for any Matador release personally... but different strokes, different folks, I guess.

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:49 (twenty years ago)

Most Barsuk (Thingmakers) cover art EVER!
http://www.barsuk.com/img/bark31.jpg

minimalist pallete. carefully drawn objects. The linear notes are more recognizable, more consistent.

― earinfections (Nick Twisp), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:49 (twenty years ago)

rateyourmusic & discogs images will need uploading somewhere else (try http://www.imageshack.us/ ) they don't allow hotlinking.

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:50 (twenty years ago)

most RIVERSIDE/PRESTIGE

http://amazon.com/images/P/B000000YBI.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:51 (twenty years ago)

http://www.recordsale.de/cdpix/j/james_ruskin-nto_submission.jpg

Most Tresor

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:52 (twenty years ago)

http://www.killrockstars.com/catalog/medium/MINDFLAYER_LOAD059.jpg

Most Load

― DJ Mencap (DJ Mencap), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:54 (twenty years ago)

one more time

http://store.acousticsounds.com/images/as60gif/AOJC-206a.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:54 (twenty years ago)

I don't know what album that green-beige square is supposed to be, but it still works for Matador.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Monday, 27 March 2006 21:55 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 23 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Most Touch cover:

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drg500/g540/g54018szrq8.jpg

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 27 March 2006 23:45 (twenty years ago)

Most 12k:

http://www.12k.com/1022mini.jpg

― Mark (MarkR), Monday, 27 March 2006 23:47 (twenty years ago)

~scape:

http://www.bazza.com/~charlesv/music/artwork/jan_jelinek/loop_finding_jazz_records.jpg

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:20 (twenty years ago)

Most early SubPop...

http://www.subpop.com/minis/0048-2_big.gif

― Aaron W (Aaron W), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:36 (twenty years ago)

most Profile/Sm:)e
ihttp://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B000000CNP/ref=dp_image_text_0/102-7409828-6580919?%5Fencoding=UTF8&n=5174&s=music

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:42 (twenty years ago)

damn it. or should I? it's not showing on my laptop screen but maybe it is on other folks'

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:43 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000CNP.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― mookieproof (mookieproof), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 00:44 (twenty years ago)

I was having a hard time pick a most Drag City -- would it be one of the more twee/sensitive/childlike covers like the Joanna Newsom or one of the hyper-ironic covers like Knock Knock or the Bonnie Billy/Marquis de Tren (with the nobles breakdancing on the back)?

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 01:47 (twenty years ago)

Most Thrill Jockey ever:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00000JKQO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

It has the standard map/chart/blueprint/technical drawing as well as a helvetica-like font with no caps.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 01:49 (twenty years ago)

Most early-to-mid period Rounder:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B0000002HZ.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

Relentlessly blocky, anonymous font, artist faces the camera, could have been designed on a coffee break.

― Roy Kasten (Roy Kasten), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 02:07 (twenty years ago)

SPV (could also work for Century Media)

http://www.ragazzi-music.de/bilder/rhapsody2002_gr.jpg

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 02:25 (twenty years ago)

Most Warp, at least for a certain period in the mid-90's:

http://www.discogs.com/image/R-r_3623-002.jpg

Unfortunately I can't find an image of the back, with all the little robots and warning signs and such. Though it's more an exemplar of the Designer's Republic aesthetic for flyers, posters, etc. than album covers- browsing through discogs, Warp leant a lot less than I thought on the stereotypical DR look. The other biggest offender is probably the 10+x compilations.

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 03:25 (twenty years ago)

Oh, dammit. Looks like Discogs doesn't allow hotlinking. The image in question is Blech II: Blechsdottir and you should be able to see it by right-clicking the broken image link and selecting "view image" (hit refresh if that doesn't work initially).

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 03:26 (twenty years ago)

I was going to say Autechre: EP7 for most Warp.

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 03:36 (twenty years ago)

Most perfect 2Tone cover for the most perfect 2Tone song.

http://www.archinect.com/images/uploads/050814-TheSpecials02.jpg

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:18 (twenty years ago)

Mo' Wax:

http://www.trip-hop.net/images/jacquettes/big/1162.jpg

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:23 (twenty years ago)

ESPDisk:

http://www.totalshutdown.com/espdisk/1014z.jpg

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:30 (twenty years ago)

The lustrous Perlon:

http://www.geometrikrecords.com/bol95/images/12211.jpg

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:35 (twenty years ago)

most Mille Plateaux:

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/record-reviews/images/comp/mille-plateaux/clicks-and-cuts.gif

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:47 (twenty years ago)

Most ZTT cover ever:

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 04:52 (twenty years ago)

This thread makes me want to study the esoteric lore of image posting over in the HTML Playground. Inspiring.

Somebody needs to post something from the Real World label.

― sleeve (sleeve), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 05:04 (twenty years ago)

Here would be my candidate for Drag City

Twee and sinister, hint of cartoonish. And the fact that it's a horse doesn't hurt either.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 05:13 (twenty years ago)

Most Flying Nun:
http://www.artistdirect.com/Images/Sources/AMGCOVERS/music/cover200/dre100/e122/e12221axdrb.jpg

― etc, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 05:18 (twenty years ago)

Touch & Go anyone?

― boris the spider, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 07:36 (twenty years ago)

i have to do everything here...most touch and go:
http://www.southern.com/southern/band/BHP00/pics/TG232M.jpg

(see also:scratch acid/jesus lizrd/big black covers etc...)

― boris the spider, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 07:46 (twenty years ago)

This thread makes me want to study the esoteric lore of image posting over in the HTML Playground. Inspiring.

again - rateyourmusic & discogs images (& others that don't allow hotlinking) will need uploading somewhere else. Try http://www.imageshack.us/. It's as easy as pasting the url into a box and hitting a button. Never expires, doesn't require creating an account.

― file under cozy techno (fandango), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 08:10 (twenty years ago)

most PHILADELPHIA INTERNATIONAL

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B00000255J.01._SCLZZZZZZZ

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 10:14 (twenty years ago)

lets try that again SHALL WE

http://cover6.cduniverse.com/MuzeAudioArt/130/130722.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 10:17 (twenty years ago)

most CASABLANCA

http://www.kissfaq.com/albumcovers/cover_takeme_small.jpg

― m coleman (lovebug starski), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 10:19 (twenty years ago)

Most raster-noton?

http://www.raster-noton.de/shop/covers/cdr037_f.jpg ihttp://www.raster-noton.de/shop/covers/cdr037_b.jpg

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 12:32 (twenty years ago)

Hm you'll have to click to see the back it seems.

― The Vintner's Lipogram (OleM), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 12:33 (twenty years ago)

Most PSF

http://www.dustedmagazine.com/covers/review_id-935.jpg

― Matt #2 (Matt #2), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 13:43 (twenty years ago)

Alternative Tentacles

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000000F72.01._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― bendy (bendy), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 14:38 (twenty years ago)

That's the Fushsitsusha 1978 thing up there, right?

― R.I.P. West Village Bird Shaman ]-`: (ex machina), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 15:42 (twenty years ago)

Stax:

http://tnca.myrmid.com/booker/albums/and-now.png

― Abbadavid Berman (Hurting), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 15:48 (twenty years ago)

Mute: chiaroscuro of a guy in a suit and some hasty typography

http://image.com.com/mp3/images/cover/200/drd800/d854/d85454p894b.jpg

― bendy (bendy), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 16:36 (twenty years ago)

Huh, I just noticed that the Oliver Nelson cover was The Blues & The Abstract Truth. Is that the original cover?
Yes.

Most El Saturn:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.dustygroove.com/images/products/r/ra_sun~~~~~_angelsdem_101b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.dustygroove.com/prip/0/9/53190i.htm&h=300&w=300&sz=23&tbnid=y8NzDbokRWhFgM:&tbnh=111&tbnw=111&hl=en&start=1&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dangels%2Band%2Bdemons%2Bat%2Bplay%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff

I know it's a cheap ploy to get one more Sun Ra cover in.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 18:03 (twenty years ago)

Ugh, I meant
http://www.vinyl.com/covers/LPSRES9956ANH.gif
Sorry to add yet another image bungle to the thread.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 18:05 (twenty years ago)

Most Shimmy Disc:
http://plaatjes.hemisphere.nl/000441.jpg

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 21:35 (twenty years ago)

Most (80s era) Nettwerk cover art EVER!

http://www.sisterray.co.uk/images/severedh.jpg

(The North American art for this album was part of the reason Severed Heads dictated doing their own art for all intl. releases)

― Yoo Doo Nut (donut), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 21:41 (twenty years ago)

Most early Lookout! Records covers:

http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/P/B000000FIW.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― pinder (pinder), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 21:57 (twenty years ago)

Yazoo. I believe this is a Terry Zwigoff design.

http://www.the-blindman.com/vids/bbl2.jpg

― erklie (erklie), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 22:09 (twenty years ago)

Most Shimmy disc should be one of Galaxie 500 covers...

― ddd, Tuesday, 28 March 2006 22:17 (twenty years ago)

Most Shimmy disc should be one of Galaxie 500 covers...
No it shouldn't. Their designs weren't especially typical of Shimmy Disc. And they were all on Rough Trade anyway.

― Mike Dixn (Mike Dixon), Tuesday, 28 March 2006 23:04 (twenty years ago)

Norton

http://www.feralmartian.com/images/records/r_starr.jpg

― bendy (bendy), Wednesday, 29 March 2006 01:46 (twenty years ago)

I would have to disagree with the choice of Smash TV, the most Bpitch art ever is:

http://www.bpitchcontrol.de/imglib/aa055_Front_200x200.gif

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Thursday, 30 March 2006 20:13 (twenty years ago)

most fake no limit:

― tremendoid (tremendoid), Thursday, 30 March 2006 20:36 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IYV1.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

― Telephonething (Telephonething), Thursday, 30 March 2006 20:45 (twenty years ago)

xpost - that one is better, I wish it was more representative !
(a different thing to "exemplifies", I think they rely on the solid vectors thing a bit too much sometimes).

― Delivering over 43,973,865,717,760 bytes per day | What are you sending? (fandan, Friday, 31 March 2006 18:12 (twenty years ago)

Most Psycho+Logical:

http://www.necrohiphop.com/images/barn_large.jpg

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 31 March 2006 18:16 (twenty years ago)

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