Worst looking CD/LP artwork

[Peter Power Pop]

Trying to find something good in that cover is quite the challenge.

At least it has the word "beautiful" in the title, no matter how weird it is being there.

[AnotherSpin]

Perfect fit. Funny too.

[KevinP]

My only issue is the cropping.

(And slightly annoyed by the man's short pants for no clear reason.)

[JBS]

Image courtesy of @Que and @Florestan



The problem with this cover afflicts a number of CDs devoted to Bach and other 18th century composers.

Can't they find an image showing people from the 18th century? They could only find images of 17th century people?

Curiously it never seems to occur in the reverse direction: 17th century music with an 18th century image. Nor do I ever remember the 18th and 19th century being mixed up.

It's just composers of c 1750 who get cover art of c 1650.

[/rant]

[steve ridgway]

[Peter Power Pop]

Seen over at the "What are you listening 2 now?" thread:

[Peter Power Pop]

Seen over at the "What are you listening 2 now?" thread:



I initially thought it wasn't a real cover. But it is.

[DavidW]

That is a truly awful cover!

[JBS]

TBH this cover is worse. That man clearly doesn't like what he's hearing.

[T. D.]

Chick Corea had some fugly album covers. IIRC I posted his Friends (with mini-Smurf figures) far upthread.

[T. D.]

Seen over at the "What are you listening 2 now?" thread:

Ugly indeed.
Funny, isn't Urania a cheapo PD label? Odd that they'd spend money on a cover photo but given that they did, not surprising that it's crap.

[JBS]

Chick Corea had some fugly album covers. IIRC I posted his Friends (with mini-Smurf figures) far upthread.

Faux Art Nouveau was in vogue in the 70s/80s. So this (unlike the Smurfs cover) was just being trendy.

[Madiel]

Seen over at the "What you listening 2 now?" thread:



I initially thought it wasn't a real cover. But it is.

Meh. I don't LOVE it but it doesn't offend my eyes like some of the others on the same page.

[Peter Power Pop]

Apparently, that's Georg Solti:

[pjme]

TBH this cover is worse. That man clearly doesn't like what he's hearing.

It is a fragment from a painting by Hieronymus Bosch, Christ mocked. I've no idea why this was chosen. quick and cheap design... ??

[Pohjolas Daughter]

Ugly indeed.
Funny, isn't Urania a cheapo PD label? Odd that they'd spend money on a cover photo but given that they did, not surprising that it's crap.

I beg your pardon!

 

PD

[pjme]

I initially thought it wasn't a real cover. But it is.

Discogs tells us clearly that the photograph is by Ilvio Gallo

http://www.ilviogallo.it/

"The photographer Ilvio Gallo, with his peculiar way of investigating reality by distorting the images....." 

[Jo498]

Image courtesy of @Que and @Florestan



The problem with this cover afflicts a number of CDs devoted to Bach and other 18th century composers.

Can't they find an image showing people from the 18th century? They could only find images of 17th century people?

Curiously it never seems to occur in the reverse direction: 17th century music with an 18th century image. Nor do I ever remember the 18th and 19th century being mixed up.

It's just composers of c 1750 who get cover art of c 1650.

[/rant]

Not with pictures of musicians but for Passions or other sacred music they will often use pictures from the 15th-17th century for Bach, Handel etc covers. However, I don't find the latter practice that offensive. The idea behind this is probably that late medieval/renaissance visual art is in a way "classical" for these particular subjects as high baroque sacred music is.

[T. D.]

I beg your pardon!

 

PD

No slight intended, of course. 
You surely know, but to avoid any possible misunderstanding I meant "Public Domain" label, sometimes aka pirates. The people who specialize in royalty-free releases of air checks, digital rips or needle-drops of old LPs, etc.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

No slight intended, of course. 
You surely know, but to avoid any possible misunderstanding I meant "Public Domain" label, sometimes aka pirates. The people who specialize in royalty-free releases of air checks, digital rips or needle-drops of old LPs, etc.

The PD didn't click yesterday [neurotransmitters misfired]; however, I did know that they have released older historical recordings (upon googling, apparently some new recordings too?).  And yes, those can require doing some research on the labels to try and find out which recordings sound decent (or which ones were over-processed, etc.) and try and get a sense whether or not someone swiped someone else's hard work, time and credit.

Pohjolas Daughter