Album Covers 1983-1984

Over the past 5-6 decades, album covers have become more and more artistic, to the point where the best of them deserve a place in this blog. They featured prominently in the past, and of course they will be present in the new set-up. I have gone for a grouping per years of release (covering 2-3 years per post). I will try not to include the most famous album covers (like Sergeant Pepper, Dark Side of the Moon, Nevermind), but focus on more obscure but very good examples. Also the aim is no duplication of acts within one post. These posts are meant to be illustrative only, not necessarily my personal top twelve for the time period. The image above is created via Photofunia and is free from copyright issues.

Neue Sterne by Anyone's Daughter (1983)

Neue Sterne is the fourth studio album by German progressive rock band Anyone's Daughter. The impressive art work on the cover is by Wolfgang Blanke.

War by U2 (1983)

War is the third studio album by Irish rock band U2. The boy on the cover is Peter Rowen, who also appears on the covers of their debut Boy, and a few other albums and singles. Bono described the reasoning behind the cover: "Instead of putting tanks and guns on the cover, we've put a child's face. War can also be a mental thing, an emotional thing between loves. It doesn't have to be a physical thing." The photograph is by Ian Finlay.

Script for a Jester's Tear by Marillion (1983)

Script for a Jester's Tear is the debut studio album by British neo-progressive rock band Marillion. Their covers, both for albums and singles, really stood out, thanks to the artwork by Mark Wilkinson.

The Hurting by Tears For Fears (1983)

The Hurting is the debut studio album by British new wave band Tears for Fears. The cover reflects the album title in a perfect minimalist way. The photography is by Peter Ashworth.

Touch by Eurythmics (1983)

Touch is the third studio album by British synth-pop duo Eurythmics. The cover shows singer Annie Lennox wearing a mask, that caused some commotion at the time - apparently this type was popular in the BDSM scene. The photography is once more by Peter Ashworth.

Eliminator by ZZ Top (1983)

Eliminator is the eighth studio album by American rock band ZZ Top. Their music does not really do it for me, but this album cover is a stunner. The album was named for a drag racing term and the cover features band leader's Gibbons's newly customized 1933 Ford coupe. The cover illustration is by Tom Hunnicutt.

It's My Life by Talk Talk (1984)

It's My Life is the second studio album by English New Wave band Talk Talk. In hindsight, this band made some of the best albums of the decade, and the same goes for their covers. This particular cover is by illustrator James Marsh, incorporating elements of The Boyhood of Raleigh by John Everett Millais.

Some Great Reward by Depeche Mode (1984)

Some Great Reward is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. The cover features an interesting juxtaposition of a romantic image of a wedding couple and an non-romantic industrial environment. The photograph was taken by Brian Griffin in the Round Oak Steelworks in Brierley Hill, England, shortly before its demolition.

It'll End in Tears by This Mortal Coil (1984)

It'll End in Tears is the first album released by 4AD collective This Mortal Coil, an umbrella title for a loose grouping of guest musicians and vocalists brought together by label boss Ivo Watts-Russell. It is widely regarded as one of the best dream pop albums ever made. The cover matches the music perfectly, but unfortunately I could not retrieve whom to credit for it.

Various Positions by Leonard Cohen (1984)

Various Positions is the seventh studio album by Canadian singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen. The cover features a striking portrait of the artist - and it is very unfortunate that once again I could not find any information on the artist responsible.

Stationary Traveller by Camel (1984)

Stationary Traveller is the tenth studio album by English progressive rock band Camel. Like much of Camel's output, it is a concept album, in this case centering on the trials of East German refugees attempting to cross the Berlin Wall from East Berlin into West Berlin. The atmospheric art work for the cover is credited to Artwork by Artifex Studio, London.

Ocean Rain by Echo and the Bunnymen (1984)

Ocean Rain is the fourth studio album by the English New Wave band Echo & the Bunnymen. As with their previous albums, the album cover was designed by Martyn Atkins and the photography was by Brian Griffin. The photograph used on the cover is a picture of the band in a rowing boat which was taken inside Carnglaze Caverns, Liskeard, Cornwall.

Copyright statement: posting lower quality album covers is deemed fair use. 

The Compositions of Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827) was a German composer, who worked most of his life in Vienna. He is widely regarded as one of the three greatest composers of all time. In my own ranking he usually ends up in the 20-30 range. I like a lot of his works, but there also many famous Beethoven compositions that I do not like at all, including the ninth symphony, Missa Solemnis and the opera Fidelio. In this post I will list twelve works that I do love, listed in chronological order. All depicted CD's are from my own collection.

Piano Concerto No. 3 (1800)

Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor, Op. 37 is generally thought to have been composed in 1800, although the year of its composition has been questioned by some contemporary musicologists. It was first performed in 1803, with the composer as soloist. It is my personal favourite of the five piano concertos. The version shown above is by Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti on a Decca CD.

Septet (1800)

The Septet in E-flat major for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello, and double bass, Op. 20, was sketched out in 1799, completed, and first performed in 1800 and published in 1802. It is dedicated to the Empress Maria Theresa. After a handful of string quartets, this is my favourite chamber music piece by Beethoven. The version shown above is by the Gaudier Ensemble on a Hyperion CD.

Piano Sonata No. 14 (1801)

The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor, marked Quasi una fantasia, Op. 27-2, is better known by its popular name Moonlight Sonata. However, Beethoven did not name it - it  goes back to a critic's remark after Beethoven's death. It is my favourite of the 32 sonatas, ad the only one that made this list of twelve. The version shown above is by Daniel Barenboim on a Deutsche Grammophon CD.

Violin Concerto (1806)

The Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61, is Beethoven's only concerto for the instruments (some want to include the two romances for violin and orchestra, but those are not concertos). After an unsuccessful first performance, the work languished in obscurity, until revived in 1844 by Joseph Joachim. Since then it has become one of the best-known violin concertos. For me personally it is his best concerto, and definitely in the top 10 of the violin concerto genre. The version shown above is by Arthur Grimiaux and the Royal Concertgebouw orchestra under Edo de Waart on a Philips CD.

Piano Concerto No. 4 (1806)

Piano Concerto No. 4 in G major, Op. 58 was first performed in 1808, with the composer as soloist. It is my second favourite of the five piano concertos, ahead of the more famous fifth (I don't care for the first two). The version shown above is by Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under Sir Georg Solti on a Decca CD.

Symphony No. 5 (1808)

The Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op. 67, has been a perennial crowd favourite, and is one of the few classical music works that is famous way beyond the group of classical music enthusiasts. The simple motif that starts the work (tatata ta) has become iconic. Personally I love it as well, it is my second favourite Beethoven symphony. The version shown above is by the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan on a Deutsche Grammophon CD (seventies series).

Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral" (1808)

The Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also known as the Pastoral Symphony, is in five movements, rather than the four movements typical of symphonies preceding Beethoven's time. Beethoven wrote a programmatic title at the beginning of each movement (see Wiki for more details). It tends to divide classical music lovers, some put it near the bottom of his nine symphonies, some near the top. For me it is clearly his best symphony, and even his best work altogether. The version shown above is by the Berlin Philharmonic under Herbert von Karajan on a Deutsche Grammophon CD (seventies series).

String Quartet 10 (1809)

String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat major, Op. 74, is nicknamed the "Harp" quartet. This refers to the pizzicato sections in the first movement, where pairs of members of the quartet alternate notes in an arpeggio, reminiscent of the plucking of a harp. Like many nicknames for Beethoven's works, this was created by the publisher. For me this is the best of the quartets before the "late quartets" (12-16). The version shown above is by the Quartetto Italiano on a Philips CD.

String Quartet No. 13 (1825/1826)

String Quartet No. 13 in Bes major, Op. 130, is one of the six late string quartets composed in his final years, a string of works generally seen as among the best string quartets ever (an opinion I share). In its original form, it ended with a stunning long movement that is now known as the Große Fuge (Grande Fugue, op.133), but his publisher urged him to replace it with something more conventional, which Beethoven did. The version shown above is by the Takacs Quartet on a Decca CD. They include the Grande Fugue as the original final movement, but also offer the simpler final as an alternative. Actually, I agree with Robert Simpson, who argued that Beethoven's intentions are best served by playing the quartet as a seven-movement work, with the Große Fuge followed by the replacement finale - just the way it is arranged on this CD.

String Quartet No. 14 (1826)

String Quartet No. 14 in Cis minor, Op. 131, is one of the six late string quartets composed in his final years, a string of works generally seen as among the best string quartets ever. I love them all, but the 14th has just that little bit extra. The version shown above is by the Quartetto Italiano on a Philips CD (reissued on Decca).

String Quartet No. 15 (1825)

Continuing with the late string quartets, the next in line  is String Quartet No. 15 in A minor, Op. 132. The number traditionally assigned to it is based on the order of its publication; it is actually the thirteenth quartet in order of composition (for simplicity I posted it here after the 14th). The version shown above is by the Takacs Quartet on a Decca CD.

String Quartet No. 16 (1826)

String Quartet No. 16 in F major, Op. 135, is the last of  the string quartets, and actually the last major work he completed. It is the shortest of the late string quartets, but one of the best. The version shown above is by the Quartetto Italiano on a Philips CD (reissued on Decca).

Copyright statement: posting lower quality album covers is deemed fair use.

The Art of Alexej von Jawlensky

Alexej Georgewitsch von Jawlensky (1864 - 1941) was a Russian expressionist painter active in Germany. He was a key member of the New Munich Artist's Association (Neue Künstlervereinigung München), Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) group and later the Die Blaue Vier (The Blue Four). The self portrait shown above was made in 1912.

 

Portrait of the Dancer Alexander Sakharoff (1909)

One of the most iconic portraits of the expressionists movement. Alexander Sakharoff was a Russian Empire dancer, teacher, and choreographer who emigrated to France. His androgynous appearance made him a suitable subject for the expressionist movement that started around that time.

Shokko in a Red Hat (1909)

Jawlensky's main claim to fame is his series of female portraits that he made in the period before the Great War. This is one of the first. The model, named as Shokko, has featured more often in his work. 

Young Girl in a Flowered Hat (1910)

An interesting portrait, where the title emphasizes the hat, whereas I am more intrigued by the shape at the bottom. A fan?

 

Murnau (1910)

In addition to his portraits, von Jawlensky also left us with paintings of villages and mountain landscapes. Here we have his take on the village Murnau am Staffelsee in Bavaria, an expressionist hub: Gabriele Münter and Wassily Kandinsky of the Blaue Reiter artistic collective lived there for several years. 

Schokko with Wide-Brimmed Hat (1910)

 More Shokko, sporting another special hat.

The Violet Turban (1911)

One of the most sunning portraits in his oeuvre, not just the striking colours but also the oversized eyes  make a strong impression.

Oberstdorf - Mountains (1912)

The mountains that surround the small town of Oberstdorf  in Germany's Allgäu Alps is the subject of this painting.

Princess Turandot (1912)

Many artists of the time were inspired by Asia and von Jawlensky was no exception. Here he depicts Princess Turandot, whom Puccini immortalized later in his opera. We have seen this painting in an exhibition in The Hague some years ago.

 

Head in blue (1912)

Another unnamed model, and another striking portrait. No wonder that the CPO record company has used a number of these portraits for the covers of their CD's.

Loneliness (1912)

Another mountainscape in typical expressionist style - location unidentified, but most likely the alps in Germany or Austria.

Woman with a Green Fan (1912)

This portrait is almost over the top in its use of colours and lines. But instantly recognizable as a von Jawlensky.

Red Hat (1912)

It is interesting to see how often the titles use the headwear to distinguish one from the other. This is a personal favourite of mine.

Copyright statement: images all in public domain. 

Imaginary Albums [5]

Imaginary albums was one of the topics for many years in the blog before the re-start early 2022. It  was based on the "Debut album game" that was making its rounds around bulletin boards and blogs over ten years ago. The idea was to create an album cover for a fictional band (anything that came up in the random Wikipage generator) with a fictional title (the last four words of the very last quote of the page generated at the Random quotations site) and a cover image found by searching for a random Flickr Explore photograph. I have been trying to find out who had the original idea, but so far no success.

I made a few changes to this procedure: I opted to take any four words (although preferably the final ones) of a random quotation to give me the album title. Moreover, also because of copyright constraints, I decided to choose suitable images from my own Flickr streams for the cover. Finally, to spice things up a bit, I added a fictional review for these fictional albums.

I have decided to post all of the album covers I made this way since 2009 (and maybe add new ones later) in groups of twelve in chronological order. Here is the fifth batch (the image above is made via Photofunia).

Death by Celebrity

 

It has taken the Slovakian pop group Sponvika three years to come to terms with the tremendous success of their debut album, which sold millions of copies all over Europe. The sudden superstar status of singer Josip Dvorak led to severe arguments within the group, a number of cancelled tours, and repeated postponement of the studio sessions of their second album. Well, that album finally arrived on my desk yesterday, and the title, obviously meant to be ironic, is unfortunately quite to the point. Gone are the catchy rhythms and beautiful tunes, and there is not much else that has come in its place. A pity.
 

Quote by Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine: Here's a tip to avoid death by celebrity: First off, get a life. They can't touch you if you're out doing something interesting.

Together in the merciful dark

 

I had thought that Emo had by now run its course as a style of rock music popular with a certain segment of teenage and early tween listeners. But here we have the band Fueled by Hate, from Stockholm, whose first album is storming up the charts all over Europe. Together in the merciful dark is surprisingly good quality emo punk with a dash of progressive rock sounds making a surprising and effective variation on the usual soundscape. Perhaps not so surprising after all, considering that the album was produced by Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. The title song, available on YouTube, is a good starting point to explore this band. Recommended.
 

Quote by Mary Stewart: I reached for sleep and drew it round me like a blanket muffling pain and thought together in the merciful dark.

 

 

The Basic Truths of Life

 

One of the best debut albums of the decade in my opinion. Singer/song writer Arlabecca (the artist name of Simone Lipschwitz from San Francisco) gives her comments on every day life hassles, from the banal to the profound. Always with great lyrics and haunting melodies, accompanied by her self on piano with a small jazz-style studio combo. Sample the title song on her Facebook page and you'll get a good impression of her style. Very highly recommended.

Quote by Elizabeth Goudge: Most of the basic truths of life sound absurd at first hearing. 

 

 

Suffering, nothing but suffering

 

Just when you thought Emo had run its course, the Belgian band Escape Clause releases their debut album Suffering, nothing but suffering. A very appropriate title for having to review this disc. It start and ends with two pretty bad covers, Joy Division's Love will tear us apart, and Bowie's Rock'n'roll suicide. And the ten self-penned songs in between are far worse. Granted, the whole genre does not hold much appeal for me, but even so I'd recommend you give this a miss.

Quote by Jane Austen: One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it, unless it has been all suffering, nothing but suffering.

 

 

No Glory in Illness

 

The background story is well-known by now: just after Timmy Maechler stormed the charts with the hit Automatic and the debut album So far so good, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Two years later he has been pronounced cured, but the experience of course left a mark on his soul. His sophomore album, with its wry but appropriate title, takes us through these experiences - albeit set against similar driving beats as on his debut album. It is not an easy listen, but very rewarding.

Quote by John Green: If you were to go [to the Rijksmuseum], and hopefully someday you will, you would see a lot of paintings of dead people. You'd see Jesus on the cross, and you'd see a dude getting stabbed in the neck, and you'd see people dying at sea and in battle and a parade of martyrs. But Not. One. Single. Cancer. Kid. Nobody biting it from the plague or smallpox or yellow fever or whatever, because there is no glory in illness. There is no meaning to it. There is no honor in dying of. 

 

 

 Quiet, Still and Solitary

 

The Estonian band Bithiasa is difficult to categorize. They are composed of a string quartet and a wind quartet, who both had considerable success in the contemporary classical repertoire - yet, as Bithiasa they explore different styles altogether. Although the general feeling of their music is soothing, it is not New Age either. So forget about labels, and enjoy the impressive musicality that is evident in every single note on their debut album.

Quote by Franz Kafka: You do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet. 

 

 

At the Gates of a New City

 

Riff Raff Theatre Company from Aberdeen has slowly but surely come to the attention of the prog community. Five years since their first gig, and three albums under their belts, their latest release could be their big breakthrough. At the gates of a new city is an exhilarating mix of neo prog, postrock and prog metal, blended into a sound unlike any other band. Four epics in the best prog tradition (between 10 and 15 minutes each), and the more radio-friendly (but great) song Tourniquet. Give them a spin!

Quote by Anne Michaels: Hold a book in your hand and you're a pilgrim at the gates of a new city. 

 

 

Bits of Stellar Matter

 

When Kraftwerk hit the charts in the seventies, other groups tried to follow suit, aiming for their own share of the electronic pop music pie. Most were not very successful, but Damals from Freiburg did manage to get some success with the single Metropolis and the debut double album Bits of stellar matter. The original LP records are a rarity nowadays, but this recent reissue on one CD makes for an interesting document. Even if it is a notch below the level of Kraftwerk.

Quote by Sr Arthur Eddington: We are bits of stellar matter that got cold by accident, bits of a star gone wrong. 

 

Memories can be Bad

 

This is a stunning debut album by percussionist Marie Schölzel. She tackles a baker's dozen of contemporary compositions, both for untuned and tuned percussion. It's a niche genre that Evelyn Glennie has dominated for decades, but the young Bavarian certainly appears to be ready to become a strong competitor. Strongly recommended.

Quote by Takayuki Ikkaku, Arisa Hosaka and Toshihiro Kawabata: Memories can be bad, but sometimes they can also save you.

The Sacrament of Confirmation

 

Many prog lovers pine for the seventies, and it is fortunate that even rather obscure acts see their old albums re-released as CD's or downloads. Not all of them are worthwhile of course, but once in a while one can find a real gem. A case in point is the Welsh band Girdadul with their only album The Sacrament of Confirmation, originally released in 1974. There is some early Genesis and Camel in their sound, and although they do not quite reach those heights, it is an album very much worthwhile listening to.

Quote by Voltaire: When we hear news we should always wait for the sacrament of confirmation. 

 

 

Mysteries That Challenge You

 

Sitting on the fence between New Age and World Music, Japan's leading shakuhachi player Katsushi Ota's latest album has already sold over a million copies in Japan, and will likely be quite successful elsewhere as well. The repertoire is a nice mixture of Japanese folk tunes, covers of Western songs like Fool on the Hill and As Tears Go By, and fascinating medleys based on Toru Takemitsu's film music. Ota manages to steer away from any cheesiness. Warmly recommended.

 

Quote by Meladee McCarty : Live your life as though there is great joy to be experienced... an abundance of goodness in each person you come in contact with, and the knowledge that you have enough inner wisdom to answer the mysteries that challenge you.

 

 

 

Stand like a Rock

 

The third album by Integrated Product Team from Blackpool sees the band take little chances. The concept follows that of the two preceding albums, which were pretty successful: a blend of art rock, postrock, dreampop, and a dash of folk here and there. All enjoyable, but yes, we heard it all before.

Quote by Thomas Jefferson: In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock.

 

 

Copyright statement: all imaginary album covers are based on my own photographs. Copyright Hennie Schaper.