Who cares about the music, look at these pictures!

May 3 15:48 UTC 1997

I am a strong supporter of the idea that, regardless of things like image,
it's the music that really matters.  Certainly I have never stopped liking
a band because they 'weren't cool enough'.  Regardless, things like a good
band name, a good album name, or good cover art are always plusses.  So...what
are your favorites?

response 2 of 27:

May 7 01:30 UTC 1997

Album art:

Zooropa, U2
Ten, Pearl Jam
AEnima, Tool
Foo Fighters, Foo Fighters
Use Your Illusion I & II, Guns and Roses
Smash, Offspring

Artist names:

Pearl Jam
Foo Fighters
Metallica
Korn
Stone Temple Pilots
The Smashing Pumpkins

More later as I go album shopping with my eye on names and art.  I just can't
think right now.

response 4 of 27:

May 7 22:38 UTC 1997

Pink Floyd--Pulse.  (Except for the little blinky light thing, which bugs the
hell out of me.  *Never* try to sleep in the same room as this CD)
The Verve Pipe--Villains (Mostly for the blue jewel box)

response 6 of 27:

May 8 06:18 UTC 1997

  I think I'm swayed by a good title more than a good album cover but
  I do have a weakness for cool packaging -- within limits..  When it
  comes to CDs there is a very fine line between creative packaging
  and annoying packaging..  As much as I enjoyed the creativity used in
  coming up with LP packaging I have to admit to being pretty straitlaced
  when it comes to CDs.  Anything that breaks or wears out faster than
  a standard jewel box usually starts to get on my nerves.

response 8 of 27:

May 12 00:23 UTC 1997

We're only in it for the Monay-Zappa
Farewell-Karen Mantler
Tropic Appetites-Carla Bley
LEd Zepplin III(with the moving parts on it)
Supertramp-Breakfast in America

response 10 of 27:

May 19 06:28 UTC 1997

the problem with jewel cases is that they fall aprat way too easily.. too
fragile, I think they're an inferior storage system.  but they're standard.
Not that the cardboard is an improvement or anything.

response 12 of 27:

May 19 17:56 UTC 1997

 re #10:  My jewel-boxes stand up to a surprising amount of abuse, though
 there are certain types of blow that will generally kill them (the two
 tabs that hold the cover to the main body of the case seem to be the most
 fragile part..)  Despite their flaws they're still better than 99% of the
 alternative "solutions" I've seen and have this virtue as well -- if anything
 *does* happen to them they're completely replaceable.

response 14 of 27:

May 20 04:43 UTC 1997

Not for my AEnima CD by Tool, it isn't.  AENima has a bit of a special case..
too bad I got it predamaged.  

response 16 of 27:

Jun 24 08:00 UTC 1997

Depeche Mode: Violator (and the Enjoy The Silence single CD which is similar)
B-52's: Good Stuff
Suzanne Vega: Nine Objects of Desire
Ray Lynch: No Blue Thing (Music West release)
Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire II and A Fresh Aire Christmas
Chicago (1975 compilation-- forget the number)
Depeche Mode: Ultra, A Broken Frame
The Lightning Seeds: Sense
Erasure: Erasure
Tim Noah: Daredreamer
Enya: Shepherd Moons
The Cure: Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me

Notes:
1. The single rose has been one of Depeche Mode's greatest icons.  It seemed
to be the symbol for the World Violation tour.  The art for Ultra, however,
has captured them in all their melancholy glory-- dark, gothic/industrial
images-- the three with guitars, Dave with eyes painted on his eyelids, photos
of a hand with the nails painted black and a bracelet about the wrist-- truly
creepy.  By contrast, _A Broken Frame_ has much more innocent imagery.  Brian
Griffin took pictures of the three as young, hopeful, and still somewhat
innocent-looking.  The cover has a peasant woman threshing wheat in the field.

2. I say the Music West release, and not the Windham-Hill repackage.  The
cover has a blue sun with the title in the center, and an egg-shaped planet
beneath it.

3.  Fresh Aire II has Jackson Berkey at a keyboard, while Chip Davis conducts
in an exaggerated manner with an overflowing score.  Don Sears looks on in
an old aviation cap and goggles.  All around them is hay, dead leaves, and
a crisp autumn air.  A Fresh Aire Christmas has Christmas trees shooting like
rockets, each with clear ornamental globes with different items in them-- one
being the famous steamroller.

4.  The Chicago album I speak of is where the band is trying to paint the logo
on a wall from a pulley scaffold.  They're making a mess, since a cop is
hassling them, an apartment tenant is threatening to cut the rope, and a dog
is trying to pull one of them out.  The flip side of the LP shows the
resulting mess of the project.

5.  Anyone heard of the Lightning Seeds?  Sense just has some nice pictures
of rockets, stars, and comets on it.  hard to explain.

6. Erasure usually has really engaging cover art, but the art in the liner
notes of this self-titled album is really cute.  The picture shows Vince and
Andy in the interior of a spaceship that's more like a music studio.  Vince
is at the controls in the distance, with his back facing you.  Andy is in the
foreground, crooning into a microphone.

7.  This Seattle artist started out with a children's audience ("In Search
Of The Wild Wild Wibble Wazzle Woo"), but this album is directed to the young
at heart as well.  It's a painted black and white photo, with Tim threading
a ribbon into a teacup (relates to the title song-- "a vision in a teacup..")

8.  I think this Enya album has the best art of all.  The pictures are
flattering, warm, soft, and engaging.  The cover photo was taken in a soft
blue light that works well.  Incidentally, this album also won a Grammy.

9. The art is close-up photos of lips and two different eyes.  Psychadelic,
perhaps, but beautiful in their colorful realism.

response 18 of 27:

Jun 25 07:08 UTC 1997

Enya's always had good liner art.  

response 20 of 27:

Aug 5 23:15 UTC 1997

   art (in no particular order of preference):

   jethro tull's "stormwatch," "thick as a brick," "songs from the
wood," and "too old to rock 'n' roll, too young to die."

   steeleye span's "commoners crown."

   the beatles' "revolver," "sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club band,"
and the butcher cover.

   king crimson's "discipline."

   david bowie's "diamond dogs."

   there are more, but that's enough for now.

   band names (again, no particular order):

   echo and the bunnymen
   the residents
   the plimsouls
   itchy dog butt 
   siouxsie and the banshees
   duran duran (i think the name was the best thing about them)
   bongwater 
   red hot chili peppers
   violent femmes
   
   i'll add more when they occur to me.

response 22 of 27:

Aug 7 13:25 UTC 1997

Cool cover art: Jackie Gleason presents Lonesome Echo with cover art by 
"the eminent contemporary artist Salvador Dali". Even has a tune on it
called "Deep Purple", hmmm.....I wonder.....?

response 24 of 27:

Aug 8 03:29 UTC 1997

Re:21  The Royal Macadamians, sorry. (Toyal? What kind of a word is that?)

I also think the name Skinned Cats would make a cool name for a band, orin.
(sorry. Inside joke. You had to be there.)