Progrock profundity

[greatbear]

Here's something for prog-rock aficionados as well as detractors. A pictorial study of 18 of the most outlandish progressive rock album covers. While some of the commentary is decidedly mean-spirited, in some cases it's not that far from the truth. My main reason for posting this is because I have a personal connection to one of the bands represented here. Kudos to anyone who can figure it out.

Comments

[magebear.livejournal.com]

LOL I own 9 of them!

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Dont feel bad, I have 15. ;)

[progbear.livejournal.com]

I have 11. Someone posted this to Progressive Ears. Predictably, some responses have come from the humour-impaired. I can’t help but think...come on! There’s someone out there that actually likes the cover to Acquiring the Taste? And they were complementary to the music!

And let’s not forget the guy who insists on posting repeatedly that the three worst album covers in history are Hemispheres, Yes’ Going for the One and Hinten by Guru Guru. Can you say “closet case,” boys and girls?

[wander.livejournal.com]

If you are into Prog rock, I'll send you a sampling of my brother's band, 310. Though they get labled trip hop, I'd say they have more prog rock/jazz fusion influences. All the members grew up on the east coast but now are scattered across the country and have picked up influences from all over. Shameless plug.

http:www.310.org

Wander

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

This does sound quite trip-hoppy, which is cool. I'd like to hear more. Thanks!

[wander.livejournal.com]

Give me an address and I'll send you a CD or two. I have all of them in hopes that one day they will get really famous and I can get rich on eBay.

heheh

Wander

[wander.livejournal.com]

I own more than half of them. Plus the cover to Broadsword and the beast is one of my icons.

W

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

And I've always thought that was a gorgeous cover. I have no idea why it's being called "particularly ridiculous."

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

I was a bit surprised at that one, but then again the whole fantasy art thing requires a certain suspension of ridiculousness, I can just about see why it's there but I bet there are more silly examples. That one is not bad at all.

Reminds me of the other *amazing!!!!* *proggish!!!* *fantasy!!!!* *related!!!!* *fact!!!!* - Jimmy Cauty of the KLF did the Lord of the Rings poster that was everywhere in the 1970's (the gollum one) and was best selling poster for years when he was 14. Talented bastard...

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Some feel that anything even remotely connected with prog is pompous and needs to be taken to task. My usual retort to those people is they cant appreciate album artwork that looks anything better than a drunken snapshot of the band and they get lost once a fourth unique chord is played. ;)

[wander.livejournal.com]

It was very fitting for the time when a bunch of folks were into D and D and it really fit the theme of the album. I thought it was a wonderful cover. Unfortunately I wore the concert t-shirt out that had the cover on it. I'd love to have another.

W

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

I always liked that cover as well.

[bearlover.livejournal.com]

Camel

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

As usual you have your finger on the throbbing pulse of all that is prog. ;)

[toshiomana.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

Is Chet in one of those bands?

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

If you meant Kit, yep, he's in the Camel album.

[toshiomana.myopenid.com (from livejournal.com)]

*sighs* I always admit I'm horrible with names. But yes, I was thinking of Kit. Walker?

[mondragon.livejournal.com]

I'm sure there has to be worse than these!

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Yeah, there are. I should research them and add to this discussion. lol

[geometrician.livejournal.com]

Is that your ear on the Queensrych cover?

That was a trip into realizing how much not-so-counter-culture has gone by in my life. I still have some (just a few... okay, twelve) of those on vinyl.

The Yes cover brought me back to my high school fascination with artist Roger Dean (http://www.rogerdean.com/), who did their logo and most of their cover art. Looking at his website, I still stir at the organic fluidity. He is the inheritor of art nouveau.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

I love Roger Dean's artwork. Waaaay back when I was getting into Yes in their heyday I thought the artwork was so futuristic and visionary. When I discovered that his stuff came from the Art Nouveau period of the turn of the century, I discovered a whole new (to me at the time) art form. I still love the form.

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

*without looking*

I bet you like Rush :-D It's either that or ELP

Why no Brain Salad Surgery? That album gave me the creeps as a kid - my sister had it. Eeek.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Well, I have seen both of them live at one point. ELP being in '77. :)

Brain Salad Surgery to me was one of the better (and yes creepy) album covers. Of course it's totally lost in today's CD releases, but the folding, embossed vinyl jacket was a cool design.

[progbear.livejournal.com]

Are you kidding? Make fun of the holy H. R. Giger? Even though he did do a cover for ever-popular rock critic whipping boys ELP, they wouldn’t do it! (Though one must admit, even he could make some pretty cheesy artwork at times.)

[fingertrouble.livejournal.com]

I own 0 of those albums and PROUD of it ;-) Although I do own the best of Steely Dan mainly for Peg and Showbiz Kids, as previously sampled.

"Loosely translated: It's a phonetic alien spelling of "guffaw."

exactly I was doing in the office! Very funny.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

I admit to trying to make sense of those 'runes' on that cover too. lol

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

I have almost everything by ELP as well.

Ah, the thought of and AM station playing prog boggles the mind these days. The thought of ANY radio station playing music that is not cookiecutter playlist driven dreck nowadays is simply a dream.

I used to have a roster of stations, AM and FM, that I used to listen to regularly in my early days where I honed my various musical tastes into the eccentric powerhouse it has become today. These days I rarely listen to radio in the traditional sense.

[budmassey.livejournal.com]

A few of those have made it to my CD collection, and I have seen four of the acts in concert. When I was in high school we had an art project to design an album cover. Mine was positively wretched.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

I can only imagine the sterilized art projects in school these days...

[budmassey.livejournal.com]

PrisonCityBear teaches art in college. I can't wait till his daughter gets in school and turns in a drawing of her two dads. That should shake things up.

[greatbearmd.livejournal.com]

Rock!

[fuzzcub.livejournal.com]

Oooh ooooh!

I know I know!