RANT- Bands With Great Album Covers, Part 2 (w/Martin Popoff)
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- Опубліковано 10 вер 2024
- Join Pete Pardo & Martin Popoff for part 2 of our look at bands with consistently great album covers. Today, we offer up 4 more bands for you!
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Speaking of under rated, The Pardo/Popoff connection is under rated. You guys should be youtube sensations. I'm glad |I got on board at the ground floor for you guys. I can tell all my friends that I have been watching you from the start.
I’m so glad Martin is back on! Love when Martin is on Pete’s show. Love his takes and opinions on all things rock !
The inner gatefold painting on Aqualung is the best artwork I've ever seen on a album, it's amazing!
Martin is correct on picking The Dead. Great album covers. But for me personally, their music has always bored me to tears.
Exactly great album covers - shitty music ! Boring !
C. Kay That’s your tastes. They weren’t heavy rock of course but if one appreciates American blues, jazz, folk and country, The Dead were masters of delving into those styles and coming up with their own style.
I agree to a point - but their music isn't sh&%^y, it's just not what you expect from them. I wasn't always a fan, but I've found as time goes by I warm to the music. At one time I thought the music was boring too and I missed not hearing now-and-then an awesome guitar solo. I've learned their playing is much more subtle, but eventually it'll get you hooked. It just may take a while.
Jydy Myyyr An “awesome guitar solo” can come in many forms too. Many of Jerry Garcia’s longer more exploratory solos are meant to take you places and it is definitely tied in to a dreamy/hallucinatory experience. Same would go for some of Coltrane’s sax solos circa “A Love Supreme”. I’m no Deadhead and never have been but as I get older, I don’t need music to be all “balls to the wall”. I like music for different things.
The Dead are very eclectic. Anyone who says they are boring just isn’t familiar with all their eras and phases or thinks they just only do overlong improv jams. I cannot believe that any rock fan, certainly a classic, prog or jazz fusion fan, wouldn’t find anything in the Dead catalogue they like. If you’re just a metalhead, fair enough. They were never heavy despite the iconography.
I really liked the last few minutes of this video because Martin hit on an excellent point regarding people who ONLY own or know/like the album/albums of a band/musician that was popular and have no interest in owning or even listening to the album that came before it or after it, which might be as good, if not better. AC/DC is a PERFECT example of this. Every so called AC/DC fan only talks about Highway to Hell and Back in Black and we can extend to that For Those About To Rock, but they NEVER talk about the amazing Let The Be Rock, Powerage or Flick of the Switch, or people who LOVE Queensryche's Operation Mindcrime and Empire, but have never listened to and have no interest in listening to The Warning, Rage For Order or Promised Land and only because the BIG HITS came from those 2 albums. It annoys me because it's obvious that these people have no interest or desire of listening to something that wasn't mainstream or a massive radio/video hit. These are NOT fans of the band. They are casual listeners who are fans of what was popular within that band's discography, while being oblivious to their actual discography. I'd say 95% of people are actually like this and this extends to movies as well. They sight Halloween as the best horror movie of all time, but they've only ever seen that movie and maybe a hand full of others and they only saw them because they were POPULAR. It feels lazy to me for some reason.
I saw Jethro Tull on the Passion Play tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto in the early 70's . When you walked into the arena they had a giant projection of the Passion Play cover over the stage . Just before the concert was to start , you began to hear a heartbeat over the sound system. When the heartbeat began, a red dot appeared where the ballerina's heart would be . As the heartbeat got louder , the red dot got more intense and flashed in time with the heartbeat. Then the ballerina's fingers started to move as she was laying on the stage of Royal Albert Hall in the projected picture. Then the heartbeat led into the start of Passion Play part 1 , the lights came up and the band was playing. It was the most sensational start to a concert that I've ever seen , and I've seen hundreds of concerts. I've always loved that Passion Play cover !
Since I found your channel about a week ago, I've got pages and pages and pages of notes of bands to look into. Thank you so much!
I think the “Moody Blues” album covers are almost all pretty cool...
When I think of great album covers, that band always comes to my mind first
Always happy to see Martin lending his expertise.
Music fan who's blind here: Great to hear about 'em all on one channel..
Love most of the Meat Loaf covers. Of course especially the cover of "Bat Out of Hell". Bombastic like the music...
All of these bands have always had either good or excellent album covers:
DIO
Iron Maiden
Candlemass
Merciful Fate
Rainbow
Manowar
Rush
Danzig
Thin Lizzy
Bathory
Dream Evil
Motörhead
King Diamond
Kansas
Asia
Blind Guardian
Saxon
And many more
If you’re a power metal or prog band it’s practically mandatory you have good album covers.
I’m also of the opinion that for about 75% of rock/metal out there, the quality of the music is directly proportional to its cover art. Some may find that to be a stretch but that’s just something I’ve noticed over the years. Most of the worst albums I can think of also have really awful covers and vice versa.
Totaly agree with you.
Savatage, Iced Earth, Gamma Ray, Stratovarius, Stryper, Overkill, Grave Digger, Running Wild, Kiss (with a few exceptions)
You can also add Morbid Angel, Obituary & Dismember to that list.
Also Death.
@@blacksabbath1022 Yeah. I was thinking about Death. I'm kinda on the fence about Leprosy. Love the music though.
There is a zillion videos about good and bad album covers. What is special and unique about what you are doing, is that you are looking at cover art for whole band's discographies, the whole concept (if there is one) and that make it a lot more interesting. All ups and downs.
Sea of Tranquility has become my favorite channel during the past several months. I love most, if not all, of the videos. But I know that we will be treated to magic when Pete and Martin team up on a video. Love this one. The GRATEFUL DEAD and JETHRO TULL are among my favorite bands. And Pete introduced me to OPETH through his videos here on this channel. Awesome.
All the stuff on the back of the Warchild album represents all the different songs titles.
I gotta believe that Pete and/or Martin knew that, but I was surprised when they didn't acknowledge it.
Another great vid. Bands that I have always loved the album art are KISS, Armored Saint, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth, and Dio.
Broadsword and the Beast is my favorite cover of theirs and the album is maybe my favorite to listen to since I had heard the early albums so many times.
I love Martin and I'm really digging these videos. Also, "A Passion Play" is my favorite Tull album. :)
I love the albums covers by the Barker Gurvitz Army and by the Graeme Edge band!
In 2010 I saw Jethro Tull and I recorded the show. The usher came to me and said Mr Tull doesn’t allow filming. I told her I’m sure he wouldn’t complain since he died over 250 years ago. The confusion on her face was priceless.
Always great to have another Popoff and Pardo show and enjoyed this discussion of good album covers. Martin, I cannot seem to find you on youtube as was looking for the History in Five Songs or whatever that title was. So this request is to you and Pete to help this technological Luddite by posted one of those weblinks in a future SoT show that includes you. Thanks for that and thanks to you and Pete for the continued great discussions on SoT.
It's not on UA-cam-it's a podcast. Google the name and you will find it easily.
@@seaoftranquilityprog Thanks, Pete!
1. Dream theater- Awake, Images and words, A change of seasons, A dramatic turn of events, The astonishing, Scenes from a memory, Systematic chaos, Train of thought, Octavarium, Black clouds and silver linings, Distance over time
2. Mastodon- Crack the Skye, Blood mountain, Leviathan, Once more round the sun, Remission, Hushed and grim
3. Marillion- Misplaced childhood, Fugazi, Clutching at straws, Script for a jester's tear, Brave, Afraid of sunlight
4. Kansas- Kansas, Song for America, Leftoverture, Point of know return, Monolith, The prelude implicit, The absence of presence
5. Rush- Hemispheres, Fly by night, Moving pictures, Permanent waves, Grace under pressure, Signels, Power windows, Roll the bones
Thank you for your RANT- Bands With Great Album Covers, Part 2 (w/Martin Popoff).🎤🎸🎵🥁
Hey Pete, I'm so glad you're doing this series. In my early teen years, album covers were my favorite piece of the record, and as for a lot of people, the initial introduction to the record. I love nerding out about bands who focus their attention towards the visual presentation. Really setting the scene telling a story that accompanies the music. I enjoy a sizeable amount of extreme music, yet completely forgot that Opeth existed. All of the classical nuances Mikael incorporated went completely over my head, and now I have a new appreciation for the band. There really is a visual distinction between the bands who sat down and devoted time and thought into their album covers, and those who didn't. Anyway, love the series!
All of the Creed Taylor CTI productions had gorgeous album covers.
Just when I thought I couldn’t love PP any more, he comes “bursting out” with the legendary, iconic and all-around brilliant J Tull as his pick! Sending you a complimentary virtual pint of your favorite fall ale, Mr. PP! 🍺
Yes, it is David Byron on Uriah Heep's "Very 'Eavy... Very "Umble..." cover. And Lee Kerslake's eyes were used on the "Innocent Victim" cover.
Great series Peter and Martin, thanks. Like Pete, nothing better than finding the content of an album matching a great cover, packaging is so important and maybe even more so today when tangible product is competing with streaming etc. Totally agree with Martin on the Dead and worthwhile mentioning that packaging on more recent historical live sets has just as much, if not more, attention to detail. Pacific NorthWest 73-74 is gorgeous - I tried to get the full boxed set shipped across the Pond but ran into difficulties with the GD’s warehouse so only got the 3 CD set releases in UK. I’m huge fan of Genesis prog era album covers from Trespass to Wind & Wuthering, love A Trick of the Tail - its based around each track, still one of my favourite gate folds. W&W should have been gatefold! Also always loved Kate Bush’s album covers, A Kick Inside and Never for Ever especially. Great art rock artist, Pete you need to review Kate’s career! Tangerine Dream also had great 70’s album covers.
Really pleased to see Opeth mentioned - really stunning covers - not really that clear on the video but people who know - know. Some interesting comments made by Martin and Pete regarding their position in rock: "Smarty pants" - so true - but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Is Martin referring to Jackson Pollock (the painter)?
I miss the covers and artwork of albums that CDs don't have. The art and texture was great. It would be nice for it to come back
Lots of vinyl out there, my friend. Seek and you shall find
Here is my list
Asia
Genesis
Emerson, Lake and Palmer
Black Sabbath
Dio
Iron Maiden
Motörhead
Metallica
The Moody Blues
Pink Floyd
Saxon
Supertramp
Toto
Marillion
Uriah Heep
P.S. I though you would have picked Genesis based on your T-Shirt
Reason for (my) Waiting. Awesome covers!!!!
I love the Mark Wilkinson’s work with Marillion & Fish.
Absolutely stunning work. Got my wife 2 Marillion albums unheard, just based on the cover art.
The gatefold Stand Up was brilliant. It was actually a woodcut. Benefit my next favourite. Then Passion Play
Maiden, Megadeth and Rush are my favorites
Surprised Judas Priest wasn't brought up. Awesome covers by Roslaw Szaybo and Doug Johnson! And the rest really aren't too shabby as well.
2 of my favorite current bands have the best albums IMO. The mentioned Opeth and Mastodon.
I think Jethro Tull never Cared about their logo because they had The image of Ian standing on one leg playing flute as their trademark. It's on a lot of their stuff. Love the Opeth covers and that Martin knows so much about the covers he presents, keep it up so many good covers out there.
Wait. Martin doesn’t like it when Deep Purple jams, yet is a huge Grateful Dead fan?
Re Benefit album cover: I remember a quote from an auctioneer of fine art who said that often artists don't rate their work as highly as others do. Reminds me a bit of the artist Francis Bacon, who allowed his friend to keep some discarded art roughs, doodles, scraps and notes from his cluttered studio. They later sold at auction for approx £1million.
Thx again/ an hour + flies by with you two gentlemen/ as usual super fun- NON/ depressing show !!! 👍💯
I'm amazed that you or Mr. Popoff haven't acknowledged the album covers of Rush. Nearly all of their covers are very deep and well done.
I completely agree. Grossly overlooked. Floyd as well ! Zeppelin and maiden as well!
Well, we've only done 2 episodes of this...
Sea of Tranquility more coming ?
@@analogkid2869 possibly...not sure when though
Sea of Tranquility that’s awesome news! Hope you do more in this particular series with Martin !
Yes, it's David Byron under the cobwebs on the first album...
The cover of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung was based on a series of photos taken in the East End of London by Anderson’s then Wife, Jennie, who also wrote the lyrics to the title track.
That "Head First" album cover reminds me of Nazareth's "Snakes 'N' Ladders" album as well!
I was born in 1970. I am a huge Tull fan. I like APP. I'm also an English teacher; I've never understood the concept of the album. I just dig the music and lyrics.
Another fantastic music discussion with Martin Popoff. Great picks as well for this episode.
The last twenty minutes of this discussion with Pete and Martin is amazing.
I've seen so many bands with great album covers but nobody did amaze me more than ''Iced Earth''.
I agree guns and roses over rated. Someone who is under rated is chris whitley living with the law is a killer debut. Tho i feel chris wanted to be under ground artist.
I have a problem with Martin saying Led Zeppelin are overrated because I think they really are up there- they don’t have to be everyone’s favourite but I think they are important and made so many classic albums. I feel the Beatles are overrated by Martin’s logic but so many people would demolish you for saying that! I agree with Pete about Guns N Roses but I do like them, I own all of their small studio catalogue.
@@jimmycampbell78 i agree led zeppelin are a great and important band and deserve their status.
Slayer and Iron Maiden (despite Dance of Death) are two that haven't been mentioned yet that have great album covers.
100% agree with you
Matter of life and death kinda sucks too.
Hello there! I have just listen to ALL the episodes of History in five songs with Professor Popoff. WOW - I have a masters degree in metal now!
Your first two bands, Grateful Dead and Jethro Tull, might owe quite a bit of props to one Ed Thrasher, Warner Bros. Records' art director through 1974. Much, if not most, of the artwork shown had to pass over his desk at one point or another, and he may have even had a large contribution for some of them, as well.
In fact, Thrasher did the photography for many of the label's albums (he also held the same post at Capitol Records for a couple years til '64, when he joined WB), in addition to working on print ads and posters. He passed away at 74 in 2006, after having amassed 12 Grammy noms for art direction, and winning in 1974 for best album package for Mason Proffit's "Come and Gone."
I really like Martin as a co-host. Please do a show with him of Ranking The Albums on: King Diamond, Jag Panzer, Manowar, Mercyfyl Fate and Riot.
Salisbury is where the British Army do their 'live fire exercises'. Hence the tank.
The Heep cover Salisbury could be a reference to Salisbury Plain in the UK, a big military army training tank area.
I believe Jethro Tull the Christmas album was there last, that was a great album cover also
I think the Roger Dean Uriah Heep covers were more barren on the back covers for the song listings and the other usual record company credits. Gotta remember CDs weren’t around at the time of those albums.
Greenslade and the Allen Parsons Project both had some interesting album art.
Don't care at all about the grateful dead, but the artwork is definitely cool. Same with Journey, though i do like those first 2 albums. And though I dont listen to it anymore, the Escape album was on heavy rotation when i was a kid. I actually recently picked up an original copy of Thick as a Brick on vinyl, and the inlays and everything are super cool.
Did it again! Outstanding job Pete!
Mastodon
@16:00 - don’t forget, the original Stand Up LP featured popup woodcut style art of the band that would ‘stand up’ when the gatefold was opened. One of my favorite covers.
I think it was "Benefit"...
Yeah, and they replicate that on the box set I have...should have shown that.
@@mutant_blues No, he's correct, it's on Stand Up.
@@seaoftranquilityprog OK! The cover of Benefit referred me to the pop up technique.
Rock Island resembles the cover of the Peter Benchley novel "The Island"
For the record, the Salisbury album title is a reference to Salisbury Plain an army training area, hence the tank on the Uriah Heep album.
On a completely different note, here in the UK we had Fish on a well known gardening programme talking about his garden, as you would. What a great guy.
Primus and White Zombie whose front men and main song writers also did the album cover art.
Great show Pete and Martin popoff! Really like all the various content in your shows. I have a request if you guys could rank the discography of Irish black metal, folk metal, Celtic metal band primordial or do a top 10 songs of this band when you have time. Thank you Pete.
You have to give it up to Cathedral for having great album covers. And although I already mentioned them, I'll say them again...Molly Hatchet. I'll even throw in Voivod for great album covers. And Ghost's album covers make you wanna check out the band. I bought Dio's Last In Line before I ever even heard the music based on how cool the album cover was. Same with Iron Maiden's - Piece of Mind. I bought it in 1983, I had just discovered metal a year earlier with Judas Priest- Screaming For Vengeance and I was hungry for more metal.
Logos, there's a discussion for the Hollywood squares!
Fun topic and great t-shirt Pete! ✌️🇨🇦❤️🎸
Top choice by Martin with Grateful Dead...and The Tull ones are mostly very good but you really need to display the vinyl not CD . Stand Up and Thick as Brick are fabulous.
I had a feeling Opeth would make this list, very happy with to see that. One of my favorite bands ever. Least favorite cover is My Arms, Your Hearse. Favorite is Still Life.
Demons & Wizards and Magician Birthday were some of my favorite album covers.
Pete you forgot the Tull Christmas album which has a stunning cover befitting the music.
Opeth. Moonspell. Katatonia. Fates Warning. The Gathering. Wolves In The Throne Room. Neurosis. Iced Earth.
Casual fans vs collectionists. That's a discussion. Though I'm not sure who you'd have it with (cause I don't think Pete knows any casual). But I've always been a collectionist. Once I decide a band is good I want it all. Everything they did. There are those bands I only need 1 or 2 from because... well they're not that good. But if I get to a 3rd album from somebody, I'm probably on my way to the whole thing. I want the deep tracks, I want the evolution, I want to hear them learn and change.
The pictures on back of War Child are visual describtions of the songs.Ladies ,the little girl with gun(War Child) and others.
Maiden, Dio, Journey, Primal Fear, Overkill, Megadeth, And Rush have great covers
Most of the covers showcased here were awesome. I especially enjoyed the brief dialogue concerning the overrated vs. underrated topic.
Oh btw, I'm fairly certain the back photo of Tull's War Child is supposed to be a pictorial representation of the songs and song titles from the album.
ELP - Brain Salad Surgery (HR Giger)
Steve Stevens - Atomic Playboys (HR Giger)
ELO - Out of the blue
Molly Hatchet - Molly Hatchet (Frank Frazetta)
Molly Hatchet - Flirtin with disaster (Frank Frazetta)
Excellent choices, especially for "Terrapin Station" and "Sea of Light".
As noted, The Grateful Dead were on another level artistically.
I think it be cool to review The Who’s album covers as they had a stretch of brilliant ones. Even the “Who Are You” album cover which is a bandshot of them sitting around their PA’s, speakers and wires took on new meaning a month after it was released because of the “Not to Be Taken Away” message on the backward facing chair Keith Moon was sitting on.
Interesting fact - former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair had a band called "Ugly Rumours", inspired I believe by that "From The Mars Hotel" album cover.
Gong!
King Diamond band album covers.
Hi Pete and Martin. Great choices from great bands. Pete I think that the tank on the front cover of Salisbury was because the British Army used to use Salisbury Plain for manoeuvers and tactical planning. Maybe they still do I'm not sure
Great Show! All great choices
My favorite album cover is Sad Wings of Destiny
Blind Guardian
Just got my copy of "Limelight" in the mail, can't wait to start reading it!
Mercyful Fate needs to be on here
Pardo and Popoff, only topped by the Squares crew. Great job, agree wholeheartedly with your choices.
I completely agree ! Popoff and the Hudson valley squares are the 2 best shows on Pete’s channel ! Hands down ! Love them !
I always thought the aboninog album cover had a Dario argento vibe to it.
The LP covers of Too old to RnR and Living in the past (and I believe Benefit too) were very cool, just like Thick as a brick. When you'd open Too old to RnR the whole comic story was there as a book. Tull has cool covers indeed!
The reason the tank is on the cover of Salisbury, is because the British Army has a training centre on Salisbury plain in Wiltshire, England and it’s where they do a lot of their tank training. It’s not far from Stonehenge.....which was just a bunch of stones until made famous by Spinal Tap. 😉
The Dead released 3 10’s in a row with: Wake of the Flood, Mars Hotel, Blues for Allah. Songs like : Mississippi half-step, US Blues, Music never Stopped, Help-Slip-Frank...
Weather Report covers are beautiful
The Uriah Heep "Return to Fantasy" cover might reference either Icarus or Phaethon, two Greek mythological figures who flew too close to the sun and lost their wings in the burning rays. I think it is supposed to represent "Hubris", or attempting to mimic the gods, with catastrophic consequences ensuing, of course!
I always thought it was a ballerina
@@jaysonraphaelmurdock8812 maybe it is, lol.
I saw someone comment about Marillion/Fish covers. Mark Wilkinson really did some unbelievable work on alot of those