We’ve all heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” But honestly, I don’t think that rule applies to LPs. Some of my earliest memories of music are centered around the extraordinary imagery that often donned the front of an album’s cover. Do you remember when album covers were more like original pieces of art rather than just an open-ended cardboard record-holder? If you think about it…an album cover was the predecessor to the music video. They provided the artist with an outlet; an additional source of creative expression. Cover art was an invitation FROM the artist TO you. In my mind, I think the artists were trying to provoke you with their covers. They used them as one more compelling reason for us to purchase their records. And if you’re anything like me, you probably remember an album for its cover just as much as you recall its lyrical content and instrumentation.
As a youngster, I followed my Pop around…foot to foot. In his spare time, he was a local dee-jay for neighborhood block parties, cabarets and other social gatherings. I tagged along on his countless trips to the record store…in search of the perfect “cut” ! While there, I’d mimic him by rummaging through what seemed like millions of rows of albums bearing vivid colors, images, photos and creative lettering and typefaces. It had become customary for me to select some vinyl of my very own on these visits. And without knowing much about the artists or their style of music, I’d select the ones that were visually appealing.
Between my smallish “pile” and my father’s enormous “collection”…here’s a look at the album covers that have forever been etched in my mind: (do you recognize any of these?)
It’s amazing what you remember. In writing this post, I had to call my Pop to ask him about one of the covers above. I won’t say which one. I could “see” it clear as day, but for the life of me I couldn’t recall the name of the album. I described what I remembered it looking like and within a matter of seconds he told me the artist and the name of the album. I guess you could say the bug bit him a long time ago and that I inherited this passion for music honestly.
So with that, I will set you free. Go ahead, launch into the deep to find and rediscover your old record collections. I challenge you to blow the dust off your old LPs and take a closer look at their covers. You’ll be amazed and reminded of things long forgotten. But beware. This may create a new hobby for you of visiting your local record shops in search of albums you once owned or ones that are rare to find. (Who knows you we may run into each other!)
Until next time…
-T
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