Similar Album: Dream Theater x Circus Maximus

This is old, but I did find this article at http://www.metalsucks.net/ and the Dream Theater album A Dramatic Turn of Events (2011) cover uses the same stock image (that costs around 15$) as the Circus Maximus (a Norwegian progressive metal quintet from Oslo) used in their album The 1st Chapter (2005).

As Circus Maximus tries to sound like Dream Theater, for me, there is no problem to use the same image. At least the Dream Theater cover looks much better. Of course, Hugh Syme was the man behind it. (If you don't know, he is the guy behind all the album covers from Rush and many other bands).

Beatles - Abbey Road

The Beatles Abbey Road, maybe after Pink Floyd's Dark Side of The Moon, is one of the most famous and appreciated album covers of all time. There is a lot of content surrounding the cover and the picture and the zebra crossing is one of the most visited spots in London.

In 2008 Paul Cole with 92 years old left this life and with him a curious fact. He was at the picture accidentally, never listened the album and thought that The Beatles were a bunch of kooks. As I was reading, we was with his wife in London vacations in 1969 and failed on recognize the world famous Beatles.

Me and my wife also have our moment on the zebra crossing and together with the visit on the John and Yoko Room at Hilton Amsterdam, were my moments as Beatles fan. =)

Some facts about the album cover (Wikipedia):


The sleeve was designed by Apple Records creative director Kosh. It is the only original UK Beatles album sleeve to show neither the artist name nor the album title on its front cover.

Check how it was the zebra crossing with EMI studios in the background on 25 September 1969.

The front cover design, a photograph of the group traversing a zebra crossing, was based on sketched ideas by McCartney, and taken on 8 August 1969 outside EMI Studios on Abbey Road. At around 11:30 that morning, photographer Iain Macmillan was given only ten minutes to take the photo whilst he stood on a step-ladder and a policeman held up the traffic.

McCartney Sketch

In the scene, the group walk across the street in single file from left to right, with Lennon leading, followed by Starr, McCartney, and Harrison. McCartney is barefoot. With the exception of Harrison, the group are wearing suits designed by Tommy Nutter.

To the left of the picture, parked next to the zebra crossing, is a white Volkswagen Beetle motor-car which belonged to one of the people living in the block of flats across from the recording studio. After the album was released, the number plate (LMW 281F) was stolen repeatedly from the car. In 1986, the car was sold at auction for £2,530 and in 2001 was on display in a museum in Germany.


Also you can check it out the TV commercial made fro Rock Band Beatles, lovely film.

Black Sabbath 13 Cover Making Of

13 is the upcoming nineteenth studio album from the Gods of Heavy Metal Black Sabbath and It's very nice to see how the cover was done. Check the art and the making of video.

Album Covers That Are Better As Animated GIFs

Animated GIFs? Yes, please!

I love all the funny stuff around with animated gifs. So, I saw at Buzzfeed pick up a list of 25 album covers that are better as animated GIFs. I choose some and I also find few more at WTF Album Cover and Animated Albums blogs. Check it out.

 

Via (Buzzfeed)

Androgyny Albums

For me, one of the reasons the world is so nice is diversity. The most important thing is the be happy and that's all. Why not talk about album covers with artists who doesn't look like man or woman?

Of course the first one is when the genius Ziggy Stardust became Aladdin Sane in 1973.

According Bowie, he wanted to be up on the stage performing his songs but on the other hand not really wanting to be on those buses with all those strange people… So Aladdin Sane was split down the middle.


Patti Smith: Horses (1975)

An album that contains an opening with: “Jesus died for somebody’s sins but not mine” says for itself. She is the mother of the punk and the Norwegian black metal as well. .


Prince: Dirty Mind (1980)

Prince was everything. A purple rain, a symbol, a prince, a rock star but most importantly he was the Borat inspiration with strange bikinis.

Grace Jones: Nightclubbing (1981)

Grace was nothing related to grace at Conan the Destroyer.


Culture Club: Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984)

Boy George would be better called if his name was just George(a).


Poison: Look What the Cat Dragged In (1986)

I know the importance of Glam rock for heavy metal, but I still don't get it. I wonder who had the idea: "Let's dress and look like "hot" women to get more women!"


Reference: http://sleevage.com/top-10-gender-bending-covers-of-all-time/

RIP Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)

Yesterday Jeff Hanneman the former member of Slayer died. Slayer is one of my favorite bands ever and this news is really sad. Jeff Hannemann it was the composer one of the best Slayer's song (for me) Angel of Death, the very controversial song talking about Auschwitz.

Talking about Slayer and their controversial relationship with religion nothing better to honor Hanneman's memories than talk about the album cover "God Hate Us All".

First of all, to be sold in some marketings they had to design a different cover, and this tells a lot. The cover is self explanatory and I don't need to talk about that here. This post is just to honor the memory if Jeff and Slayer.

The past 2 years of Hanneman weren't the best ones. A spider bite him and now the depression and alcoholism. Well, Tom Araya sang in Postmortem "Do you want to die!" and Hanneman unfortunately did want it.

 

Album Covers on Google Street View

Much more nice than just see where the pictures were made, is to see how it looks in the Google Street View today.

Check the location street view of some famous album covers. Enjoy! You can find the links for the Google Street View spots to explore the areas. ;)

Physical Graffiti - Led Zeppelin (Google Street View Link)

Paul's Boutique -  Beastie Boys (Google Street View Link)

 (What's The Story) Morning Glory? -  Oasis (Google Street View Link)

The Freewheelin' - Bob Dylan (Google Street View Link)

Animals - Pink Floyd (Google Stree View Link)

 Abbey Road - The Beatles (Street view Here)

 Dressed to Kill - Kiss (Google Street View Link)

461 Ocean Boulevard - Eric Clapton (Google Street View Link)

Album Cover without dead people

What about album covers without the dead guys? Well, the website I Seed Dead People figure out that. Check all the covers and probably there is more to come. http://liveiseedeadpeoples.tumblr.com/

40th anniversary of the Dark Side of The Moon.

I know I'm over posting about the best album cover of all time again, but in the past weeks, the Dark Side of The Moon completed 40 years old! Yes! And the fantastic and genius designer Storm Thorgerson and the Pink Floyd official Facebook page, posted during couple of weeks other versions of the famous cover. Check the final result poster with all the pieces and some of them in details.

Check the album on the official Facebook page here: