@@WhizzRichardThompson From the vinyl era of course. However some 90's album artwork was made with the CD format in mind. White Zombie, Pearl Jam, NIN, Beastie Boys or Tool had great artwork for CD's and there are some eccentric ones like the coffin shape like Misfits Box set. Some of that artwork is hard to reproduce on the vinyl format.
I was 14 when Yes Going For The One came out. I asked my mother to buy it for my birthday. She came home with it all flustered and said ' You didn't tell me there was a naked man on the cover!'
Hipgnosis were partially responsible for the turn in direction I underwent in music back in 1979 and showed the importance of album cover art through the 60s and 70s. At the time I loved the Beatles, pop and some soul but had just got into the Rolling Stones mid to late 60s stuff. I was at a friend's house and was going through his record collection when I came across this incredible album cover of some band I'd never heard of called Pink Floyd. It was a double album called "A Nice Pair" and all four sides of the gatefold sleeve had the most enthralling and engaging art work and photos. I couldn't take my eyes off it. It so hit me that I had to listen to the music contained within, so I borrowed the cassette my friend had made of the album. When I listened to it, it blew my head off. As I've noted before, that album changed my musical headspace. It was a repackaging of the Floyd's first two albums, "The Piper at the gates of Dawn" and "A Saucerful of Secrets", and those two albums, to cut a long story short, were my gateway into further psychedelia, progressive rock, jazz/fusion and in particular, heavy metal rock. And much of that stemmed from that album cover. I didn't know who Hipgnosis were; at the time, I wasn't interested in designers of album covers. But a few weeks later, I was introduced to this Bohemian artist in the city I lived in {this was in Nigeria} and he happened to have this book on him called "The Album Cover Album" and while he was talking to my friend, right there on the street, I started looking at the book. I was blown away by some of the album covers in it and later that year, a friend in England sent me the book {I still have it}. That was when I really first heard of Hipgnosis and other album cover designers. I already loved most of the Beatles' covers and the Stones' "Through the past, darkly", but this was when I really fell in love with the concept of album covers, something still with me today. As great as CDs and downloads were/are, their emergence really destroyed the notion of the album cover. Like millions of others, I have years of great memories, pouring through an album cover, looking, reading, being informed. Quite a number of those were by Hipgnosis, even though that didn't register with me much.
I have an original press vinyl and has the ufo on it. That whole image must have been ripped off by George Lukas for that scene in the first star wars movie on the rebel base....very similar!
Wasn't the Ummagumma album cover the one where they had all their gear laid out and displayed on the back of it? I remember as a teenager, being fascinated by that. I like the t-shirt too, Pete!
Yes, and same, I liked looking at it. Behind their gear was their van which was pretty basic, this was still the end of the 1960s and they were still a bit of an underground band!
@@michaelsalisbury1477 I wouldn`t doubt it. I`ve had all my gear and two guitars stolen by the fricking low-life drug addicts, three times. The only good thing to come out of it was that I no longer use a PA.
I never did get to meet Storm though a friend of mine who's also a big Floyd fan met him at an exhibition of his work. I did almost bump right into him though in the crowd going into The Royal Albert Hall, London, in 2006, for the David Gilmour gig.
Fun show Martin and Pete, always fun to delve into album covers and see what the band wanted or what they could get away with. Always takes me back to the album release party scene in 'This Is Spinal Tap' with this wonderful line: Ian Faith: Well you should have seen the cover they wanted to do. It wasn't a glove, believe me. Looking forward to part 2!
The main guys at Hipgnosis, Storm and Po, actually grew up in Cambridge with some of the Floyd. They were mates with Syd and Roger. I don't know to what extent they knew Dave Gilmour. The name of the company was very LSD~redolent. Kind of saying that not only were they the truly hip ones, i.e., not staid, conservative, old-fashioned and ∴ boring, but that they weren't ag-gnostic either; they had gnosis, knowledge, so they were deep, they truly knew. Quite what, no one was clear, but they _knew_ anyway ! That's what I got from the name, in any event. It's a nice play on words.
Fun review Pete and Martin. I am a creative director/graphic designer and always love to see reviews of music album designs and how they can help a record’s success. My favorite design from them is the Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd album design. Recently saw the Pink Floyd Exhibit in Hollywood where they featured audio commentary and visuals of the Hipgnosis design processes for that iconic Floyd album.
Once again it was a very good show and speaking for myself, thank you for the history lesson today, i had no idea what Hypnosis was and you showed me bands i've never heard of before.
Popoff and Pardo are at it again and return to album discussions for another two-part discussion. Hipgnosis did so many album covers that will have to go look at them to see about a longer list but Pete is wearing the t-shirt of one of my obvious choices. The cover for Argus by Wishbone Ash was tattooed in my memory very early when my older brother brought the album in the house. Loved that album. Finally - years later - had a hankering to hear it but could not remember the band's name at the time but the image of the cover was so easily remembered that my chat with a record store employee sent me right to the album. Like Dark Side Of The Moon, certain album covers just sear into your memory and Argus is definitely the first one that comes to mind. Thanks, gents, for your choices and the related stories and looking forward to part 2 next week. There ya go!
The object on the Table pictured on the Presence album is a device similar to a bong , but designed for a special blend of Iranian blue Heroin that Jimmy Page was rumored to smoke from with the ghosts of Allister Crowley and 12 May Queens sacrificed on Beltane to bring an early spring which inspired the song Stairway to Heaven. It would take place in the Crowley Mansion only once a year
Hi there Pete 👋 I just wanted to add that if you’re not familiar with the original art workshop of R. Pettibone the only guy who’s responsible for being as popular as Hipgnosis as far as the underground are concerned. Now he draws exclusively for the Black Flag Lp’s ( 4 💿 in 1977 alone!! recorded as well!) Seriously checking out this man’s creativity will be well worth your time Cuz it’s very obvious that you’re the brains of the outfit; A’lo the comic relief and Greg definitely did his homework assignments in school! I also dig Butch whom has never failed to surprize me with a lot more about these subjects than I know! Really love when it’s just you and Martin Cuz I do own several of his books 📚 so it was very cool when I first seen him on the show too! I’ve got reminders for all of the material coming on + trying to catch up with y’all as I watch every single episode! I don’t understand how we’re both the same age yet you’re light years ahead of me even if I did spend a couple decades living on n off the road when I was playing 🎸 from a young kid and although it has been quite awhile since? I’ve gotta try to get’cha to listen to what I do believe would be right up your alley including my former act originally on New Renaissance records with At War and Dark Angel etc until they’d fold; then take the 💰 and run 🏃. Check out our 💿 1986’s PostMortem Coroner’s Office & The Missing Link ep if ya can find’em; Relativity/Sony @ picked us up in’93 and put out those same Lp’s for GrindCore kids and made different covers for 3 of them as well:Festival Of Fun and the newest one interestingly enough entitled Destined For Failure and quite apt at that. Not really sure, but I hope you get to give it a chance. I think if you like BOC; Sabbath etc; I know you may like the Lp’s. I’m positive you’ll ❤️ the 💿 artwork on all 3 of them tho’ I ramble a bit. Sorry for that 🙌 Sincerely yours, Dean P. Boston Massachusetts USA 🇨🇳🏳️
Martin and Pete, if you get the chance to see the Floyd exhibition then you should. I saw it in London in 2017. It was amazing. I believe it’s in LA at the moment.
Great work - enjoyed the info even more because you picked albums I just never got into. Due to my age - I dabbled in Genesis and Gabriel and Floyd and such - but never really got into 10cc until later in life and many other albums that I just never dropped a needle on. Cheers. Great insight and I really appreciate your deep feelings for the music and art.
It would be cool to watch a Martin video talking about his vinyl collection, what turntable he uses, how he clean his records, what styli he uses, etc. Vinyl is back with a vengeance so now is the time, Martin.
Wish Bone Ash - Argus (with UFO on back cover not airbrushed out as they did) Humble Pie - Thunderbox Al Stewart - Modern Times Audience - House On The Hill Led Zeppelin - Houses of The Holy Solution - Cordon Blue Status Quo - Live Brand X - Unorthodox Behaviour Golden Earring - To The Hilt 10cc - How Dare You and Deceptive Bends Pink Floyd - DSOTM and Animals Trees - On The Shore Syd Barrett - Madcap Laughs Alan Parsons - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Hipgnosis has so many cover arts, it's hard to choose my favorites: 1. Any of the Pink Floyd albums I consider are my number one choices 2. Yes- Going For the One 3. Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway 4. ELP- Trilogy 5. Rainbow- Bent Out of Shape 6. Black Sabbath- Technical Ecstasy 7. Peter Gabriel (III) 8. Scorpions- Animal Magnetism 9. AC/DC- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 10. Rush- Hemispheres 11. Styx- Pieces of Eight 12. Al Stewart- Time Passages
Peter Gabriel 3 - the process is actually very simple (and fun), although a little inaccessible these days since the original Polaroid SX-70 film stock is hard to come by. Basically, while the emulsion is hardening (after the photo is ejected), you can push it around with a blunt tool (like a spoon). It was always a mad panic to do something artistic in the 2 minute window that you had to complete your work. Sometimes you got lucky. Sometimes not.
I think Hipgnosis' work overall was rather hit and miss, but when they hit they hit big time. Five of my favourites... 1. *Genesis* - 'The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' Enigmatic, bizarre imagery that somehow suits the music perfectly. 2. *Pink Floyd* - 'Animals' Such a great idea and I love the fact that it features my favourite London building, Battersea Power Station. 3. *Peter Gabriel* - 'Peter Gabriel' (1980) Powerful and immediate and vaguely menacing, much like the music contained on the album. 4. *10cc* - 'How Dare You' Love the concept that runs through the gatefold sleeve, featuring all manner of quirky details. 5. *Led Zeppelin* - 'Coda' Very different design for Hipgnosis but so effective. Minimalist and elegant, a beautiful cover.
Audience's "House on the Hill" also has a very memorable album cover and inside art design. Thirties style mystery feel to it. The music of the album is also wonderfully original. Love it.
Great show as usual! But....sorry guys I don't get it....always thought Hipgnosis was the classic company that took on way to many projects and waited until the last minute to submit ideas to the bands! Venus and Mars....Obsession.....Never Say Die....sorry....not brilliant in my opinion. Always love how people say about the covers that they don't understand the covers but they are so amazing 🤔🤔 Martin reminds me of the guy at the art show looking at the 4 Million Dollar portrait on the wall with 3 different paints thrown against the wall talking for 20 minutes about the intricate details and translation of the beautiful portrait 😂😂😂😂😂 Can't wait for next week to hear Martin's interpretation of the next batch of masterpieces....
The original vinyl record of Pink Floyd Ummagumma cover had a "Gigi" soundtrack album cover at the feet of David Gilmour.... 2nd release they blanked it out and now in Pete's cd copy they completely removed the record. Rumour has it that the record was made by MGM a competitor of Pink Floyds record label.
Is the cover for Technical Ecstasy made at the same time as The Alan Parsons Project album I Robot? The albums did come out at the same time, so I guess Hipgnosis did do them back to back
Remember being jet lagged after arriving at the airport in Paris and it slowly dawning on me I was in the I Robot album cover. Same trip, I was traveling south by train out of London and happened to look out the window to see the industrial building used on the Pink Floyd “Animals” album cover.
Have you ever seen the video of them shooting the 'Animals' cover while "Pigs On Wing" (both parts with the Snowy White guitar solo connecting them)? ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-fPAYR5NReE8.html
Ummagumma {A Cambridge term for sex} is one of my favourite 5 album covers {along with Revolver, Deep Purple in Rock, Trout Mask Replica and Strange Days}. I never get tired of looking at it, and it has always stumped me how they got that effect. It was one of the album covers that amazed me, the first time I read "The Album Cover Album" on the streets of Enugu. I was with my friend on the way to his house and I was feeling a bit apprehensive because he used to have this crazy Alsatian that would attack and pounce the moment you got into his garden {in Nigeria at the time, there was a problem with armed robbers so well off people had violent dogs} and you could never be sure it would respond to his commands to back off ! We were just outside his house, actually, and I so loved some of the images I saw in the book in the 5 or so minutes I got to look at it, that I kind of forgot about his dog, as I was thinking about how I could acquire that book. Until we entered his garden and the damn hound did its security routine ! 😱
The cover has always influenced whether I buy the album or not, and especially now that almost everything is available in digital form I only buy LPs and absolutely only if I like the cover.
The Ummagumma cover doesn't go to infinity. There's only five images, with the fifth being the Saucerful of Secrets cover. You probably need the LP to see it, though.
Great segment. The kids on the cover of Houses Of The Holy are brother and sister, Samantha and Stephen Gates. Samantha was also on the back cover of Presence.
Yes, as mentioned in an earlier comment: The Argus cover is not only a bucolic shot of a warrior overlooking a gorge, if you look very closely you will see the flying saucer he is about to encounter. So cool!
Lots of great choices here. Glad I'm not the only one who loves the Presence cover! Because it feels that way sometimes! Best ever Hipgnosis cover to me is Wish You Were Here. The theme is just so well done, not just on the front, but the back, the inside, the postcards...
Here goes my 5 cents on UFO's Obsession: the story we all know is that the band was kinda OBSESSED in getting big/famous circa 78 - except for Michael. That is why they are all blind dumb and deaf (by success) and wearing corporate suits/hairdos - except (again) for Michael. In a nutshell: the artistic guy vs the obsessed by success guys. Remember, it's just my interpretation. It was early 1978 and Michael seemed aware to what was happening to Scorpions X Uli around that time.
Martin, I always love your Led Zeppelin analysis on whatever the topic is. Your summary on ITTOD was especially interesting. The album cover is deceptively simple but there's more meaning behind it than I realized. I tend to prefer British bands over American ones because they seem to put more thought into everything from their band names to their music. I also think Brits happen to be better musicians. As a new member of the Zeppelin fan club, I appreciate and look forward to your analysis. Always interesting
I've always loved the cover art from the self titled third album from The Edgar Broughton Band. Always waiting for Rocky to come around the corner and start punching that meat
NIce choices: here are my fave 10 Hipgnosis/Storm T sleeves: Quatermass (1970) Trees - On the Shore (1970) Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down (1974) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (1975) Golden Earring - To the Hilt (1976) Genesis - Trick of the Tail (1976) Peter Gabriel - 1 (car) (1977) Peter Gabriel - 3 (melt) (1980) Catherine Wheel - Chrome (1993) The Pineapple Thief - Someone Here Is Missing (2010)
Maybe it was for the Never Say Die cover Sabbath didn´t liked what Hipgnosis came up with, and the picture ended up on Difficult to Cure cover instead, if the title was known before they started working on it, that is. I guess the doctors on the picture might as well could be an illustration of Never Say Die.
"Argus" is one of my favourite albums, but on the original cover, when you fold it out, up in the upper left-hand corner there is a UFO up in the sky. Did they take that out on the version that you are showing? I know it's there on the original vinyl LP that I bought.
Yes, I thought it was strange that the UFO wasn't mentioned. I had a look at the cd cover a moment ago, however, and it is missing from that, although the back is more or less the same as the vinyl gatefold. I can't recall exactly what the UFO looked like, perhaps if it was an 'Adamski' type there might have have been some sort of copyright issues in North America?. Or, as it was quite faint, maybe it just didn't survive multiple reprints, scans, and so forth.
Good spot. Yes, it’s classic “flying saucer’ shape and silvery catching the sun and completely integral to the cover. It doesn’t appear on the 2002 remaster CD oddly enough but it does appear on the later limited edition The Rock Masters remastered cd, which faithfully reproduces the original album cover in miniature (and sound great). I also have a first pressing of Argus on vinyl, treasured!
@@maddysmith8846 I only have the original LP, which I bought when it came out, and I think someone gave me another copy later on. I got the software to convert vinyl to CD, so I made a nice copy of that record so I could play it in the car. A few years back, I got in touch with original bassist and singer Martin Turner, who still lives in Torquay, England, and has his own version of Wishbone Ash over there. He sent me two live CDs of his band, and a third where his band re-created Argus in it's entirety. It is really good. It doesn't replace the original, but it's a very nice listen, all done with modern recording technology. They didn't really change too much at all. As much as I still enjoy Wishbone Ash in its American form, with Andy Powell now doing lead vocals, Martin Turner was the man. He made those early records, both with his singing and his outstanding bass playing, with his rumbling Gibson Thunderbird basses. Nothing sounds like those. I'm glad that they put the flying saucer back. It should be there. I gives a bit of a WTF? to that album cover.
@@MartyMurray That sounds super cool to have and very nice to receive it direct. I might check out Martin Turner’s WA band on cd. It’s a shame they are not still all together. Pete gave Andy Powell’s WA’S 2020 (I think) release a good review. Back to original WA, I agree, those first 4 albums were the peak (and Live Dates). I need to get There’s The Rub though as I always liked Persephone and don’t have that on cd or vinyl anymore. Have a good Xmas!
I love the Hipgnosis covers for The Mars Volta, but the one the band didn’t use for Amputechture is my favorite, with the giant face towering over the nun.
Someone may have said this, interesting how 'Venus And Mars' has the red and yellow balls (billiards/pool?) then Martin chose 'Never Say Die!' and the pilot helmets are the same two colours!
I was hoping Martin would do some Canadian content and include my favourite Hipgnosis cover. Streetheart are a Western Canadian band based from my home town, Winnipeg. A local band, although they actually came from the province next door. Their second album, Under Heaven Over Hell, had a great Hipgnosis cover. The front cover is mostly a black and white photo of a woman behind a door. The door is open just enough to show, a colour photo, of a man, with flowers, coming up a path through woods. Obviously he’s coming to court the lady. Unfortunately she is with another man, whose hand shows in the black and white photo. The back of the album cover shows the same partly open door, only now it’s in colour. Now the outside scene is a black and white photo, showing the suitor walking off, throwing the flowers away. Instead of a path through woods the outside is now a street and buildings. Tacked to the back of the door are photos of the band Streetheart, pin-ups, maybe suggesting they are all involved with the lady too. Maybe Martin will feature this cover next week. Probably not as well known as other Hipgnosis covers, but I think it’s one of the best I’ve seen. By the way, in the past few days I bought merch from Streetheart and it was shipped today.
I think the juxtaposition of AC/DC " Dirty Deeds" and Bad Company "Desolation Angels" is quite interesting Oddly humorous ...AC BC DC ...the workings of my mind
Houses of the Holy is definitely my favorite Zep cover. What I really love is the picture inside the gatefold, the color is so alien and you've got the spooky imagery of the guy holding up the girl, with the light peeking over the wall
