Album art

London Calling, The Clash

Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley

I tried, to no avail, to find the National Geographic photo that would be incorporated into the excellent Hissing of Summer Lawns. The snake on the outside gatefold provides a nice symmetry with the floating Mitchell on the inner gatefold.

The Hissing of Summer Lawns, Joni Mitchell

Hissing, inside gatefold.

I also tried and failed to find a copy of Blur's (? I think. Could be wrong. Would it be called Blured?) album cover tribute to Slade's amazing Slayed?

Slayed?, Slade

Everything about this is wonderful. The dude with no shirt, flexing the guns. The dude whose bandages cover up the 'L' and the 'A'. The dude on the left who can barely hold back a smirk. The fact that the dude on the right has stolen France Gall's haircut and added a bowl cut to the bangs. And above all, imagining the conversation that led to the rejection of the conventions of the self-titled album. At what point did they add the question mark?

And to bring this needless excursion to a close, here is what some have called one of the greatest album covers of all time, and what others have called the worst hip hop album cover of all time. You'll notice that under the album title are plates of salmon.

Doin Thangs, Big Bear