The Syndicate

Posted: **Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:12 pm**

I was perusing a book of rock album covers at the book store the other day, and I thought it might be fun to give our top ten favorite album covers. You don't even have to like the music, just the cover!

Here are mine, and it turns out that by happy coincidence, these are all among my favorite albums musically as well as graphically. No particular order.

King Crimson - In The Court of the Crimson King

Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish

Brian Eno - Another Green World

Cluster 71

The Crazy World of Arthur Brown

The Velvet Underground and Nico

T.Rex - The Slider

Elvis Costello - This Year's Model

Penguin Cafe Orchestra

David Bowie - Low

Posted: **Thu Dec 29, 2016 12:56 pm**

I just realized that this whole list is a Six Degrees of Brian Eno game waiting to be played. That man runs like a thread through the tapestry of my musical taste.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 6:09 pm**

Ooooh! Fun game, I want to play.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:32 pm**

These are in no particular order. I would need a lot more time to determine a true "top ten", but these are all album covers I really like. I tend to be fond of covers that execute a monochromatic scheme attractively.

Sigur Rós - Takk...

Belle and Sebastian - If You're Feeling Sinister

Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic

Sibylle Baier - Colour Green

King Crimson - In the Wake of Poseidon

Joanna Newsom - Divers

Robert Plant - Fate of Nations

Yes - Relayer

Camel - Stationary Traveller

Björk - Vespertine

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 7:46 pm**

This is an awesome idea. I'm going to have to think about this.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 8:25 pm**

When everyones done this, I'm going to make my top 10 top 10 album cover lists by members of the syndicate.

At the moment, Jay ranks above llama for me.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:21 pm**

Golden wrote:When everyones done this, I'm going to make my top 10 top 10 album cover lists by members of the syndicate.

At the moment, Jay ranks above llama for me.

Posted: **Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:24 pm**

On the bright side, llama, anything I could put together would undoubtedly be worse than either of yours.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 1:00 pm**

Here are mine! Though it's very difficult to choose just ten, so these were the first ten that came to mind. And they all have the benefit of being totally amazing albums.

Talk Talk - Laughing Stock

Nick Drake - Pink Moon

Iron Maiden - Powerslave

Yes - Close to the Edge

Caravan - In the Land of Grey and Pink

My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory

Radiohead - OK Computer

Can - Tago Mago

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:30 pm**

I included one album I don't even like (Yes - Relayer). I distinctly remember buying that album during my prog phase just because the cover was so cool, and then I ended up finding the whole thing incredibly boring.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:31 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I included one album I don't even like (Yes - Relayer). I distinctly remember buying that album during my prog phase just because the cover was so cool, and then I ended up finding the whole thing incredibly boring.

I love that album.

But I like CTTE and TFTO more.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:33 pm**

I quite like Yes, just not Relayer. CTTE and Fragile are my favorites.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:40 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I quite like Yes, just not Relayer. CTTE and Fragile are my favorites.

I did have trouble with Relayer for a while, so that's understandable. It definitely grew on me over time; if I had only listened to it the first time or two, it'd still be a 2 or 3-star recording at best for me.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:41 pm**

Yes had some pretty good album covers generally, so I knew I was including one of them. I would have considered Relayer, but I like the simplicity of CTTE the most for some reason.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:43 pm**

I had a similar thought. My first task was to look at B&S, Steely Dan, and King Crimson just because those three groups always have great album covers.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:44 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I had a similar thought. My first task was to look at B&S, Steely Dan, and King Crimson just because those three groups always have great album covers.

I agree with that, even though I somehow didn't include any of them. You and Logan stole the best 2 KC covers I guess.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 2:51 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:I quite like Yes, just not Relayer. CTTE and Fragile are my favorites.

Relayer is the best and only relevant Yes album.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:06 pm**

So much prog around here but Camel gets no love.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:14 pm**

I like Camel well enough (depending on the album), but somehow haven't listened to them in like... forever. I should do that.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:20 pm**

For purely prog material, it's all about the big three: Mirage, The Snow Goose, and Moonmadness. My favorites are much later though: Dust and Dreams, Harbour of Tears, and A Nod and a Wink.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:28 pm**

MovingPictures07 wrote: haven't listened to them in like... forever.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 3:32 pm**

Andy Latimer > your favorite electric guitarist (the general plural "your")

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:20 pm**

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:29 pm**

Shameless self-plug there?

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:41 pm**

MovingPictures07 wrote:Shameless self-plug there?

Not at all. I really like what we did with that one. It was a great day and memorable. I like that there's this American ruggedness with the presence of that beat-up relic- something nostalgic and familiar, but at the same time the image evokes a sense of mystery and slight uneasiness.

In fact-

Spoiler: show

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 4:42 pm**

Epignosis wrote:
MovingPictures07 wrote:Shameless self-plug there?
Not at all. I really like what we did with that one. It was a great day and memorable. I like that there's this American ruggedness with the presence of that beat-up relic- something nostalgic and familiar, but at the same time the image evokes a sense of mystery and slight uneasiness.

In fact-

Spoiler: show
The more I look at it,
The more I like it.
I do think it's good.

My comment was mostly in jest; I actually really like the way it turned out too.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 5:22 pm**

Great lists, MP and Epi! In the Land of Grey and Pink really does have a great cover, although I don't like the album at all.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 7:00 pm**

lol, I love epis predictability. It is a good piece of cover art though. Plus I reckon epi hits the top of my rankings of top 10 top 10 lists.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 7:44 pm**

JaggedJimmyJay wrote:So much prog around here but Camel gets no love.

I love Camel, but am not so into their album covers. Mirage is fantastic, particularly the keyboard solo on Nimrodel.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 10:40 pm**

In no particular order:

Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre

Carolus Rex - Sabaton

The Last Stand - Sabaton

Telephantasm - Soundgarden

Hybrid Theory - Linkin Park

Sunset on the Golden Age - Alestorm

No Sacrifice, No Victory - Hammerfall

Maximum Overload - DragonForce

Ammonia Avenue - Alan Parsons Project

Alpocalypse - "Weird Al" Yankovic

A bunch of power metal albums here, but they just tend to have awesome covers.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:40 pm**

leetic wrote:In no particular order:

Oxygene - Jean Michel Jarre

Oooooh, forgot about this one! Awesome cover, awesome album.

Posted: **Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:41 pm**

And good to see you back, leetic!

The Syndicate

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