thinglets: Five Noisy Album Covers That Deserve Closer Looks

For a generation now, we have been bemoaning the shrinkage of album art to CD art, and pretty soon the art will die off all together as digital downloads dominate.

In memory of some great pieces of art, that in many cases (but not always) were accompanied by great music, I conceived some ideas for a series of posts that will hopefully make you and I rethink about some of these great visual works. Maybe we'll even listen to the music too. Because that what I did many Sunday afternoons when I was fourteen, listen to albums, read liner notes, and gaze for inexplicable hours at covers.

The five covers above are not necessarily all favourites, but do share a quality; they're all incredibly detailed, noisy and busy. Often we look at such things as whole pieces instead of checking out the details. I've tried to find some very hi-res versions of these covers, so you could re-examine them with new eyes.

It's amazing that while the covers themselves never change, we do, and somehow that makes all the difference.

1) Cream - Disraeli Gears

2) Nektar - Recycled

3) The Rolling Stones - Their Secret Majesties Request

4) Big Brother and the Holding Company - Cheap Thrills

5) Jethro Tull - Thick as a Brick