Your Favorite Album Cover To Stare At

**JKL2000** · 09-11-2023

What’s your favorite album cover to stare at when tripping balls, or that just makes you feel like you are? I thought of asking when reminded of this favorite, which I’ve stared at in the past and think is a pretty nifty one:

**JKL2000** · 09-11-2023

Originally Posted by Mister Triscuits

Too stoned to include the pic?

Nope, I had to switch to Tapatalk to add the image. Hard to explain.

**arturs** · 09-11-2023

Fun thread idea. And one that I really don't think we have ever done before.

Mine is an odd one. But as a teen, I could listen to one of the two records, sometimes both, while staring at nothing more than the different pictures on this cover.

travels.jpg

**Mister Triscuits** · 09-11-2023

**Bake 2** · 09-11-2023

Rick Griffin was mind blowing and a big favorite. Tried not to rip him off too much w/ this drawing for Skin Yard Skin Yard PS.jpg
This cover held up pretty well as something to stare at, (best w/the Regal Zonophone LP photo while White Light is on) juniorseyes_677521252518448.jpg

**Scrotum Scissor** · 09-11-2023

Originally Posted by JKL2000

I thought of asking when reminded of this favorite, which I’ve stared at in the past and think is a pretty nifty one

Jed, Rick Griffin's AoxomoxoA is generally regarded as one of the untouchable masterpieces of 60s psychedelic "motive artworks" (i.e. with intent of presenting contents as in music/literature/film posters etc.). According to rumour, the original print of this was handed down along with other remnants of Griffin's portfolio to Stanley Mouse, who also belonged to the original S.F. "acid artist's collective" finding much of their revenue through commissions with impressarios like Chet Helms or Bill Graham or in subculture street mags like Oz (in S.F.) and indeed the legendary Village Voice (N.Y.), though in time eventually scoring with record labels and/or band agents/managements. Mouse, along with fellow S.F. paint-designer Alton Kelley, made several covers for albums by Journey, Steve Miller Band, Styx and many more.

Anyway, and again according to tale (i.e. one art historian Mette Line Pedersen at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, who administers the donation legacy of Norwegian physician/art dealer Reidar Wennesland b. 1908 d. 1985, the latter initially from Kristiansand but having resided most of his adult life in Frisco as collector of beat- and psychedelic visuals) - Mouse has been offered immense sums of money for that print, but apparently never relinquished even the tiniest interest in parting with it. Together with the s/t Quicksilver Messenger Service cover from 1968, this is Griffin's finest achievement.

A couple of other remarkable S.F. album covers of the period are George Hunter's layouts for It's a Beautiful Day (debut) and - again - the QMS's Happy Trails, both of which are multi award winning artworks.

**JKL2000** · 09-12-2023

Originally Posted by Scrotum Scissor

Jed, Rick Griffin's AoxomoxoA is generally regarded as one of the untouchable masterpieces of 60s psychedelic "motive artworks" (i.e. with intent of presenting contents as in music/literature/film posters etc.). According to rumour, the original print of this was handed down along with other remnants of Griffin's portfolio to Stanley Mouse, who also belonged to the original S.F. "acid artist's collective" finding much of their revenue through commissions with impresarios like Chet Helms or Bill Graham or in subculture street mags like Oz (in S.F.) and indeed the legendary Village Voice (N.Y.), though in time eventually scoring with record labels and/or band agents/managements. Mouse, along with fellow S.F. paint-designer Alton Kelley, made several covers for albums by Journey, Steve Miller Band, Styx and many more.

Anyway, and again according to tale (i.e. one art historian Mette Line Pedersen at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, who administers the donation legacy of Norwegian physician/art dealer Reidar Wennesland b. 1908 d. 1985, the latter initially from Kristiansand but having resided most of his adult life in Frisco as collector of beat- and psychedelic visuals) - Mouse has been offered immense sums of money for that print, but apparently never relinquished even the tiniest interest in parting with it. Together with the s/t Quicksilver Messenger Service cover from 1968, this is Griffin's finest achievement.

A couple of other remarkable S.F. album covers of the period are George Hunter's layouts for It's a Beautiful Day (debut) and - again - the QMS's Happy Trails, both of which are multi award winning artworks.

Thanks, interesting! I wonder where that print is now. It would be cool to see. AoxomoxoA has always been one of my favorites, and the palindrome title is great too, especially in Griffin's hands. It seems like a launching point for his painting.

I was not very familiar with the Happy Trails cover - nice. Looking forward to seeing your "entry" for this thread. Doesn't need to be All-Time Favorite, just *A* favorite.

Triscuits, the Fripp & Eno cover is a great one for staring at! Nice outfit, Mr. Fripp.

**flowerking** · 09-12-2023

I can't decide between the Beatles White Album and Spinal Tap Smell the Glove (all black album cover).

Aoxomoxa is a great choice. Some others that come to mind are Thick as a Brick, Relayer, Remember the Future, Script for a Jester's Tear, and Images at Twilight (Saga). No doubt I'll think of 100 more after I post this.

**Dunamis** · 09-12-2023

I enjoy album covers inspired by surrealist art, like this one f.ex.:

BVC.jpg

**headcrash** · 09-12-2023

Two of the best
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**Dana5140** · 09-12-2023

https://i.discogs.com/9luwfSMGuzT5-WN0PFSDjiCd19gFiBHUrKURIA-EfzA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTE5MDQ3/MTYtMTY2MjI0NDk1/MS0xNTI1LmpwZWc.jpeg

**mozo-pg** · 09-12-2023

77_1.jpg

This is an obvious one but I have a huge seriograpth (A lithograph is made on a stone plate, whereas a serigraph is created using a silkscreen printing process) in my living room - looks like a painting! I've had hours and hours of enjoyment with this image.

**alucard** · 09-12-2023

5fbf90f8bc2f3e2bd11f67a9efada66bf4eacaf4.jpg
live-1971.jpg
Mati Klarwein covers are among my favorites

**Lopez** · 09-12-2023

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper
Audience - The House on the Hill (and many of the Hipgnosis covers for that matter)
The Flying Burrito Brothers - The Gilded Palace of Sin (nothing special, but I could stare at those Nudie suits for a long time, and also wonder why Chris Hillman looks so stiff)

**interbellum** · 09-12-2023

Originally Posted by headcrash

Two of the best
2019-12-12-17_22_22-.jpg
084b440683ce6c4a85c06c28be5dbb60.jpg

Mati Klarwein's Abraxas was a favorite for a long time. I even had a poster from it, so I could stare at even on a larger scale

I also love covers like the first albums from Marillion where there's so much to discover.

**proggy_jazzer** · 09-12-2023

I "remember" staring at this one for a couple hours one night long, long ago:

TRWizStar.jpg

**Piskie** · 09-12-2023

Here's my entry (please note I don't do tripping balls) 910zMF+3+ML._SL1500_.jpg

**dgtlman** · 09-12-2023

Not necessarily the "cover", but the inner sleeve gatefold of Eat A Peach was always an old fav of mine back in tha day.

**Piskie** · 09-12-2023

Actually from the Incredible String Band I prefer this inside gatefold artwork
P1260286.jpg

**markwoll** · 09-12-2023

You know it was

**Dave (in MA)** · 09-12-2023

I always liked this one:

But especially the full size poster of it:
http://papabear.com/product/bpmgraphics/bpmwallp3.jpg
So many details. My favorite part is the carton of interchangeable Crafties.

The album itself isn't really my cup of tea for the most part, though.