Ever buy an album strictly because of the cover artwork?

steamthief · #1 01-09-2013, 09:05 AM

I've bought two albums that I can think of off the top of my head based on the cover art without ever hearing a single track.

In high school, I saw Dio's Holy Diver LP in the new release stacks, and the artwork looked so sinister, I parted with my hard earned six bucks. I liked the music even more than the cover, and my mom freaked out on the imagery.

The second CD I ever bought was Queensryche's Operation: Mindcrime - I hadn't really heard any of their stuff, but I knew they were metal and the Orwellian album art intrigued me. I was blown away with the music inside.

Mushroo · #2 01-09-2013, 09:07 AM

Revenge: One True Passion
(big disappointment

)

Bufalo · #3 01-09-2013, 10:33 AM

Herb Alpert / Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

C.Linton · #4 01-09-2013, 12:12 PM

No. I only ever bought an album because I heard and liked at least one of the songs on it. The cover art was never a consideration.

C.Linton · #5 01-09-2013, 12:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bufalo

Herb Alpert / Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

If that's the cover I'm thinking of .... Woof!

TolerancEJ · #6 01-09-2013, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bufalo

Herb Alpert / Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

LOL! My parents had that album, but I never actually listened to it. Let's just say it wasn't easy being an adolescent teen, knowing that album cover was nearby. LOL!

Lonesomedave · #7 01-09-2013, 12:17 PM

nope....BUT...

when i was in college, i had a couple of friends who bought literally hundreds of albums based on nothing but...

shoot, these guys somehow got registered as retailers so they could go to the warehouse (this was back in the early 70's, so i don't know how it works now) and buy dozens of records by artists they had never heard of, simply based on the album art.

oh well, to each his own.

Raymeous · #8 01-09-2013, 12:21 PM

Guilty -

Saxon: "Crusader" back in nineteen hundred and uh huh.

It had knights and stuff on the cover. Also the title track turned out to be pretty good and was one of the first things I learned how to play in my formative years. Kinda laughable now but good memories.

**rtav** · #9 01-09-2013, 12:23 PM

MANY times - back in the 70s. There was a lot of progressive rock and jazz fusion music from lesser-known artists that wasn't getting any FM radio airplay, so unless a friend had the album, or a recording of it, or the band was on Midnight Special or something, you could not hear them. My friends and I would hear about bands, or check out popular groups where members rotated in and out (like Yes, Genesis). We would check out an album by the cover art, song names, length, instruments used (if referenced on the cover)., and then decide to buy the album or not without having heard any of the bands music first!

It paid off much of the time.

This is how I discovered Rush (bought 2112 for my first Rush album back in 1977), Renaissance, Return to Forever, Jean Luc-Ponty, Allan Holdsworth, UK... of course I ran across a lot of DUDS, but more often than not, it worked, and I STILL love many of these bands and albums to this day.

BawanaRik · #10 01-09-2013, 12:29 PM

I think I bought my first Yes album like that. Pretty happy with that. And at least dozens of others. You'll never find something new with out looking outside of your present area of focus.

I still kinda miss the big canvas of an album.

Richland123 · #11 01-09-2013, 12:34 PM

I have bought numerous albums solely based on the cool album cover art or photos without hearing the music beforehand. Quite a few times, I would be very pleasantly surprised at the what the music was. The first Boston album was a prime example of that. I walked into a record store, saw the album artwork, bought the album without knowing who Boston was or what they played, took it home and was amazed.

JimK · #12 01-09-2013, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rtav

MANY times - back in the 70s. There was a lot of progressive rock and jazz fusion music from lesser-known artists that wasn't getting any FM radio airplay, so unless a friend had the album, or a recording of it, or the band was on Midnight Special or something, you could not hear them. My friends and I would hear about bands, or check out popular groups where members rotated in and out (like Yes, Genesis). We would check out an album by the cover art, song names, length, instruments used (if referenced on the cover)., and then decide to buy the album or not without having heard any of the bands music first!

It paid off much of the time.

Yeah, same here.

In that era, Circus magazine & my older, cooler cousins in Philly were my only sources.
So...
I had never heard of Yes...bought Fragile because of the cover. Homerun.
Never heard of Uriah Heep...bought Demons & Wizards because of the cover.
Another winner & another Roger Dean cover, to boot.
Stanley Clarke's 2nd album (self-titled, the one w/ "Lopsy Lu")...I was just getting into Jazz & wanted to hear a lot of bass...bought because of the cover.

There's more but those three albums I distinctly remember.

JimK · #13 01-09-2013, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bufalo

Herb Alpert / Tijuana Brass - Whipped Cream & Other Delights.

Yeah, OK.

Like nobody bought The Ohio Players Honey album for the cover.
Wow...

I'm a big AWB fan...but if I wasn't, I woulda still bought Warmer Communications.
Hey, now!

...and a co-worker here noted that it is a woman's hand passing the soap bar.

fclefgeoff · #14 01-09-2013, 12:49 PM

Yes! Here's a few that come to mind:

Thick McRunfast · #15 01-09-2013, 01:18 PM

Linda Ronstadt -- Living in the USA

Tanya Tucker -- TNT

theretheyare · #16 01-09-2013, 01:22 PM

yes, several of them, and still do, when rummaging through second-hand lp bins and the like. There's a special joy in discovering music I am completely in the dark about, and trying to interpret how a cover could possibly relate to the music.
These were great finds at the time:
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CNUqLHRzqL.../s1600/le1.jpg (a Dr. Feelgood style R&R group, that has just fantastic energy)
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_XWnnA2Kaug.../0014575e.jpeg (Now I know it is a classic, one of Sonny's best records, but it was the cover that got me into it, back in the day)

This, on the other hand, was terrible:
http://sinistersaladmusikal.wordpres...-goes-on-1968/

But who cares, for $2?

bigsnaketex · #17 01-09-2013, 01:23 PM

I used to review albums for a service back in the 70's - they would send a catalog and I would pick the records to listen to and review - then they would send them to me FREE!

Best gig in town. Of course, these albums were by folks you NEVER heard of.

I remember one time I picked one simply for the name of the group "The Flaming Groovies" and ended up really liking that one. But many were chosen for the cover art and many were very, very forgetful.

Ah, the 70's.........

N.F.A. · #18 01-09-2013, 01:23 PM

Yes, back in the 70's I bought Starcastle - fountains of Light for the cover. I'd never heard of the band. Turns out they were pretty darn good.
Also bought a Lucifer's Friend album back in the day based on the cover. That one was not so good... Wonder if it's still in print?

Mugre · #19 01-09-2013, 01:30 PM

The first Queen album and "Birds of Fire" by Mahavishnu.

4001 · #20 01-09-2013, 01:33 PM

Iron Maiden: KILLERS