Bizarre Album Covers

[Thropplenoggin]

Here's my entry:



BIS, what is that all about?! Is this tree on the way to become a piano?! The dangers of imbibing too much .

Incidentally, thanks to new member rkyburz, I've been listening to this by way of Brautigam's Mozart piano sonatas. These seem quite little known aside of magazines, hardly showing up in Amazon searches for 'Mozart Piano Sonatas', and then often with no reviews submitted. They're utterly brilliant performances, gorgeously recorded, certainly the ne plus ultra of fortepiano playing (and piano sound!) I've heard to date.

[PJPJ]

I understand the series of covers involves the making of Brautigam's instrument, starting with the tree which provided the wood.

[Thropplenoggin]

I had an inkling that might be it. So this one came first:



But in isolation, it looks terrible. Surely they could have found a better shot of a chopped-down tree.

[Richard Tarleton]

I suppose it helps the eventual tone of the piano if the person wielding the axe is not wearing steel toecap safety boots

[Thropplenoggin]

I suppose it helps the eventual tone of the piano if the person wielding the axe is not wearing steel toecap safety boots

[Flosshilde]

But is it Historically Informed Tree-cutting?

[David-G]

... Brautigam's Mozart piano sonatas ... They're utterly brilliant performances, gorgeously recorded, certainly the ne plus ultra of fortepiano playing (and piano sound!) I've heard to date.

Perhaps I should try to get these. Do you know what piano he plays in these recordings?

[Flosshilde]

I find the JEG Bach Cantata CD covers a bit odd - & slightly exploitative, even though they are stock images & not taken especially for the CDs.

But 'irrelevant' images aren't new - was it Ace of Clubs or Eclipse that used pictures of National Trust properties?

[Flosshilde]

I understand the series of covers involves the making of Brautigam's instrument, starting with the tree which provided the wood.

Do they show the elephant that provided the ivory being shot?

[Bryn]

Do they show the elephant that provided the ivory being shot?

Brautigam plays a modern copy. No ivory is likely to have been used.

[EdgeleyRob]

remember these ?

http://www.westminstergold.com/

[Roslynmuse]

I find the JEG Bach Cantata CD covers a bit odd - & slightly exploitative, even though they are stock images & not taken especially for the CDs.

But 'irrelevant' images aren't new - was it Ace of Clubs or Eclipse that used pictures of National Trust properties?

Decca Eclipse. Ace of Clubs tended to be grainy black and white pictures of art treasures, whilst at the same time HMV Concert Classics had grainy colour photos of Classical architectural ruins. Product placement, aspirational associations. Not sure how a greasy spoon breakfast fits in with that and Brahms...

[jayne lee wilson]

remember these ?

http://www.westminstergold.com/

Wonderful, Edge!
I do remember that one, yes, thanks to Gramophone featuring it in best-and-worst covers a few years ago...

Looking at it now - classic case of "so bad it's good"!
I love a fried egg - not with bacon but with dry-fried large, flat mushrooms (you cook them first, then store in a hot oven), chopped hot chillies and tomatoes...

[Ferretfancy]

Surely the all time awful cover must be the box set of the Solti Salome with Birgitt doing her best to look evil, wonderful lurid stuff !

[mathias broucek]

Surely the all time awful cover must be the box set of the Solti Salome with Birgitt doing her best to look evil, wonderful lurid stuff !

I always felt she looked like a Star Trek villain on that album

For me the worst covers are where artists try to be fashionable. For example the Karajan leather jacket Heldenleben, the Previn/Perlman flowery shirt album and the Previn (again) Rach 2. (Sorry - tried and failed to upload pictures.)