Wax Trax takes pride in its creativity when it comes to displaying vinyl. In 1993, when the Pope came to Denver we had a Popeapalooza display with bands like Ministry, Jesus and Mary Chain, Godflesh, Jesus Lizard and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult’s album “Kooler Than Jesus.” The display was topped by a picture of the pontiff. We all had a lot of fun creating that display. It got so much attention, one of the newspapers came in and took pictures of it. The annual Record Store Days in April and November always receive a lot of display space and in June we did a pride display along our front windows. I recently made a permanent Wax Trax Weekly Top 10 vinyl sales display and had to make labels for Kendrick Lamar’s 10 year anniversary reissue of To Pimp A Butterfly because the cover had no name or title and kept getting overlooked by customers. The original cover was better and the new one gave people something to talk about. This got me thinking about what makes a great album cover.
I began flipping through my vinyl collection to find my favorite album covers, I noticed sometimes a cover wasn’t particularly striking, but still held a special place in my heart because of the auditory goodies within. For example, the cover of Love and Rockets first album, “Seventh Dream of a Teenage Heaven” isa striking blue with some super basic silhouette images, simple. Pulling it out feels like catching up with an old friend.
It turns out it’s hard to separate a cover from the music it represents, and that made overall rankings a tough proposition. I did however figure out some categories where certain covers really stand out.
Covers that fit the music
Pink Floyd – “Wish You Were Here” (1975)
The iconic cover of “Dark Side of the Moon” would have been an easy choice, but the cover of the brilliant “Wish You Were Here” was genius in its own right. Pink Floyd’s ninth studio album, was released after their landmark “Dark Side of the Moon.” At this point in their career, the band had dealt with several record labels and experienced the soul sucking greed of the music industry. The cover photo of two men in suits shaking hands as if concluding a business deal was notable because one of the men was on fire, a sardonic reference to getting burned. The back cover featured an image of a desert with an invisible man in a suit holding a record. A clever reference to a faceless company trying to make a sale. The album’s classic tracks “Welcome to the Machine” and “Have a Cigar” made clear the band’s feelings about the music industry.
Various – Black Box – “Wax Trax! Records: The First 13 Years” (1994)
Although this isn’t an album cover, it deserves mention as its truly unique packaging perfectly complimented the music contained within. Limited to 10,000 numbered copies, the original release was a galvanized steel box with Black Box stamped on the cover. It was covered in a heavy mesh bag closed at both ends with heavy wire. I never opened mine, but I imagine it would take a pair of pliers and a bit of work to get past the wire, as no discerning collector would dare cut the mesh bag. The box’s contents and limited edition number (mine’s 4,100) were listed on a tag also attached to the mesh bag, but with a much thinner wire. Inside the box was a poster, a 76-page illustrated book, party coasters, an embroidered patch and three CDs sitting in a bed of audio tape outtakes. The 41 tracks represent the heart of the early 90s industrial dance music genre including: Ministry, My Life With the Thrill Kill Kult, The Young Gods, Pailhead, Coil, The Revolting Cocks, A Split Second, Clock DVA and Pankow to name a few. An added bonus was the previously unreleased version of 1000 Homo DJs “Supernaut” featuring vocals by Trent Reznor. The Black Box is a classic!
Warning! Shameless plug – If you’ve ever wondered about our humble little store’s history and connection to the Chicago store and the Wax Trax! record label, be sure to check out the 2018 film Industrial Accident: The Story of Wax Trax! Records available on DVD and Blu-ray at the store.
Oingo Boingo – “Dead Man’s Party” (1985)
Dead Man’s Party was Oingo Boingo’s best selling album and the title track is my favorite. The cover art was a nod to the Mexican holiday Dia de Los Muertos. The party of clay skeletons looked like they were having a great time which fit with the song’s lighthearted lyrics and danceable rhythm.
Musicians who created their own cover art
The Soft Boys – “Underwater Moonlight” (1986 reissue)
English rockers, The Soft Boys, released their second album in 1980 and the cover featured two life sized dummies representing the couple in the title track sitting on a rocky shore. The cover I chose, however, was on the 1986 reissue. It featured a painting by Robyn Hitchcock, singer, songwriter and guitarist for the Soft Boys. The whimsical ocean scene illustrates his imaginative lyrics across his body of work.
Danielle Dax – “Inky Bloaters” (1987)
Danielle Dax was a member of the English post-punk band the Lemon Kittens before going out on her own when the band broke up in 1982. Inky Bloaters was her third solo album and my favorite. Dax designed the cover for Inky Bloaters in addition to writing all the lyrics, singing, playing keyboards, flute, sitar, percussion and kalimba. Whew!
Coming out before the internet made artist’s photos available with a few keystrokes, I loved this cover immediately for putting a face to the massive talent behind the music. With a waxy texture running down her face and layered loose flowers painted around it, the cover takes the stock picture of a pretty artist to another level.
Daisy Chainsaw – “Eleventeen” (1992)
Eleventeen was the debut album by UK experimental/noise rockers Daisy Chainsaw. Their sound was one-of-a-kind and their name aptly described it. Singer KatieJane Garside’s striking vocals ranged literally from a whisper to a scream and had a loopy little girl quality to them. For the cover art, each band member contributed to the cartoonish creature creating an amalgamation of the band. The cover fits their eclectic vibe.
Not as advertised
Ferrante & Teicher – Soundproof – “The Sound of Tomorrow Today!” (1958)
Keyboard virtuosos Ferrante & Teicher produced two albums with the same name and cover but different music. Apparently their creativity was limited to their musicianship. The cover was a great picture from the 1956 movie Forbidden Planet. When I bought this used (of course), I expected a cheesy sci-fi soundtrack but got covers of Latin classics like Mexican Hat Dance and La Cucaracha. Talk about false advertising! This album sounded like lounge music from a bowling alley. You can almost hear the pins falling in the background. That was not the sound of tomorrow in the 60s, 70s or hopefully ever!
I realize these albums are all from the 20th century. What can I say? I’m a boomer. Maybe in a future piece, I’ll write about covers from this century. With the exception of the last one, if you haven’t heard of any of these bands or albums I highly recommend you give them a listen. They’re an eclectic bunch.
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