Dead Kennedys – Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables
A true punk album cover in every sense of the word. At first glance it simply has a vague, sense of cold, oppressive, unknown violence – lots of black, a little white, and a huge plume of smoke is the preliminary impression. Ultimately the image is *only* a row of cars burning out, but the air of tolerance and even an understanding of such acts of mindless nihilistic aggression on behalf of the artist (and by proxy the band themselves), is rather unnerving – a vibe that every genuine punk act should surely aspire to.
The Pogues – Rum, Sodomy and the Lash
This is such an iconic album cover – incredibly atmospheric, dirty and romantic, just like The Pogues themselves. Released in 1985, the cover to Rum, Sodomy and the Lash is based on the painting The Raft of the Medusa by Theodore Gericault, with each band member’s face subtly daubed over the original. The Gericault painting was based on real-life survivors of a shipwreck in the 19th centaury, who had to ensure starvation, dehydration and eventual madness and cannibalism before being finally rescued. Another marvellously overdramatic metaphor for the band’s collective consciousness.
Roisin Murphy – Overpowered
A fantastically witty, subtly humorous album cover that exudes aesthetic intuition. The juxtaposition of your average greasy spoon café against Murphy’s outlandishly creative and gratuitous outfit is simply marvellous.
See this is MTTM: http://www.morethanthemusic.co.uk/features/musings-on-music/favourite-album-covers/
