Worst looking CD/LP artwork

[Peter Power Pop]

Never mind the background. Did the designer not like the top of Pierre's head?

That's another thing I don't like: bits of people getting chopped off in photos. Grrr.

If Sony are going to remove the top of Pierre's head, why not remove his forehead too?




Or cut off his ear?




Or just do away with his eyes?

[ibanezmonster]

Either his tie is more important than the top of his head or he's just self-conscious about how his hairline looked (if he was somehow even in any way involved in deciding the cover).

[EigenUser]

Not CD/LP artwork, but this thread reminded me of how much I hated the Boosey & Hawkes sheet music cover art for many of Bartok's pieces. The picture is uncomfortably close and the yellow tint doesn't help. At all. I imagine that Peter would have a problem with this. Here is my collection of works with this cover:


Messiaen's publisher Alphonse-Leduc can go either way. They can put out some of the most stunning, beautiful, and original cover art ever (Des Canyons aux Etoiles), or they can make a cover so uninspired that they may have well just used one of those office file folders:


I seriously wish I could frame the art for Canyons..., though. It fits the music perfectly. Reminds me of what the slow movement would look like if it was a painting instead of music.

[Peter Power Pop]

Not CD/LP artwork, but this thread reminded me of how much I hated the Boosey & Hawkes sheet music cover art for many of Bartok's pieces. The picture is uncomfortably close and the yellow tint doesn't help. At all. I imagine that Peter would have a problem with this. Here is my collection of works with this cover:

Yep. That shade of yellow makes me queasy. And the oversized face of Béla doesn't help at all.

Incidentally, my standard response to the alarmingly frequent practice of cropping people in photos is: No, no, no, no, no.

Messiaen's publisher Alphonse-Leduc can go either way. They can put out some of the most stunning, beautiful, and original cover art ever (Des Canyons aux Etoiles), or they can make a cover so uninspired that they may have well just used one of those office file folders:


I seriously wish I could frame the art for Canyons..., though. It fits the music perfectly. Reminds me of what the slow movement would look like if it was a painting instead of music.

The difference between the two Messiaen covers is amazing. The one on the left is so attractive, but the one on the right looks like something I wouldn't want to read. At all. Ever. (It looks like a technical manual from the 1950s.)

By the way (Extreme Trivia Alert): The carpet we have is almost exactly the same as yours. Although my charming companion doesn't like it ("It's too grey!"), whenever I look at it I think of koala fur.

Our carpet:

[Peter Power Pop]

Either his tie is more important than the top of his head or he's just self-conscious about how his hairline looked (if he was somehow even in any way involved in deciding the cover).

Yep, I don't think Pierre was consulted.

("We need a photo of that Boulez fellow for the cover of his new 1960s box set. What old photos do we have? That one? OK. That'll do. Will it fit? It won't? Well, let's just take a bit off the top... There, now it fits.")

[Brian]

I don't have Photoshop, but you can see what my intention was.

[EigenUser]

I don't have Photoshop, but you can see what my intention was.

Yet another appearance of Janet Leigh!

[listener]

I don't have Photoshop, but you can see what my intention was.

Bunuel?

[Peter Power Pop]

I don't have Photoshop, but you can see what my intention was.

Splendid.

But if you really want to mess up that cover...



Highlights:

• The Sony Classical logo as an eyepatch
• Pierre's name as a moustache
• The name of the album on Pierre's lips
• General disregard for Pierre Boulez

[ibanezmonster]

Splendid.

But if you really want to mess up that cover...



Highlights:

• The Sony Classical logo as an eyepatch
• Pierre's name as a moustache
• The name of the album on Pierre's lips
• General disregard for Pierre Boulez

I'm dying of laughter...

maybe they should have done that for the George Crumb CD's. 

[Peter Power Pop]

I'm dying of laughter...

maybe they should have done that for the George Crumb CD's. 

I'm happy to do what I can to continue the tradition of awful George Crumb album covers.

Now, let me see if I can find some photos of George...

[ibanezmonster]

I'm happy to do what I can to continue the tradition of awful George Crumb album covers.

Now, let me see if I can find some photos of George...

And so it begins. 

[Peter Power Pop]

And so it begins. 

Yes it does.

I thought I'd go gentle on George to begin with:

[North Star]

That's actually better than the real Crumb covers. Much better.

[ibanezmonster]

Nice, now you just need the complete list of performers covering his face (maybe even the whole cover besides the top).

[Peter Power Pop]

Nice, now you just need the complete list of performers covering his face (maybe even the whole cover besides the top).

Can do.

[ibanezmonster]

Be careful, I may actually die from all of this laughter. And then you'd be a murderer!   

[Peter Power Pop]

Be careful, I may actually die from all of this laughter. And then you'd be a murderer!   

Nooooooooooooo!

[EigenUser]

Can do.

This is hilarious! Half-violin?!

I agree that the original you did was far better than the actual Crumb covers (except for the title, haha).

[Peter Power Pop]

This is hilarious! Half-violin?!

I had originally thought of it as a half-size violin, but then I thought to myself, "Maybe it's half a violin." Someone can play half a violin, can't they? It only has two strings. Easy.

I agree that the original you did was far better than the actual Crumb covers (except for the title, haha).

That pun was just begging to be used.