#23 - War: U2 (1983)

I like the rawness of this one – the boy’s intense, aggressive stare; the way his face fills the screen; the black and white; the big, bold, simple, and very red lettering.  What really makes this one, though, is the cut on the boy’s lip. Super subtle, but it’s a classic example of the little detail that make the whole image.

The model was Peter Rowen, a neighbor and the cousin of a friend. He actually featured in several of their early covers (cute kid, I know):

Hard to believe, but he’s a photographer himself now, and has taken numerous pictures of the band. Even better, he actually has several album credits of his own.  

The photographer was Ian Finlay., primarily a photojournalist and wildlife photographer these days. He’s responsible for all of the photos above, plus another of Peter (at least I think that’s Peter) and one rather well-known one of the band:

U2 is one of those bands who, though super popular, are also very cool. Basically a power pop group with a lot of anthemic stuff, they have enough of a post-punk/indie edge (and gobs of talent) to be very interesting as well.

Their third, this is also one of their best albums. Taking the band in a more political direction, it features "New Year's Day" and "Sunday Bloody Sunday” (but also "Two Hearts Beat as One").

Maybe it’s just me, but I like their early stuff so much better than their later. Under a Blood Red Sky is one of my favorites albums of all time.

Mr. Edge (guitar), Mr. Clayton (bass), Mr. Mullen (drums), Mr. Bono (voice)

Some more of their covers (which could have easily garnered another post here):

Needless to say, War is a very popular parody:

My guess is it's probably pretty easy to do in Photoshop.

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#24 - Country Life: Roxy Music (1974)

Whoa! That’s some pretty direct, up-front sexuality.

Not too surprisingly, this one managed to get censored, in some prudish places … like, say, the good old U.S. of A. This is what we got in its place: 

Hmm, I don’t know. It’s just not the same. Something seems to be missing

I’m guessing the title is also a little off color as well. And, by that, I mean something along the lines of Hamlet’s saying, “Did you think I meant country matters?” to poor Ophelia. Know what I mean, know what I mean? Nudge, nudge. Wink, wink. Say no more, say no more.

The cameraman was one Eric Boman, a fashion photographer, originally from Sweden. 

Eric and friend

He’s got 13 album credits to his name, several of them for Roxy Music and Bryan Ferry. Here’s a sampling of his work:

 

The models were two girls Ferry met at a bar while hiding out in Portugal, Constanze Karoli and Eveline Grunwald (in order). He talked them into the shoot and out of their clothes, as well as helping him out with some of the lyrics on the album. 

It was really just a brush with fame, though, as Constanze is a psychotherapist and Eveline is now an art teacher. Interestingly, though, Eveline would design a couple of album covers herself:

The album itself is a great one, one of their best. “The Thrill of It All,” “All I Want Is You,” “Prairie Rose,” “Casanova” - lots of top tunes.

Here’s the band, then and now:

Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Paul Thompson, Brian Eno

Hard to believe, but they’re still touring (though sans Eno). 

No shortage of homages and parodies here ...

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#25 - In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson (1969)

King Crimson’s been here before. This cover, though, gives a much better feel for the band’s dark, edgy, and – honestly – somewhat lurid aspects.

The album also just so happened to be their debut, and was arguably the first real prog rock album out there. The hits are the title track (a favorite of the true burnouts at Gateway SHS in Monroeville PA in the mid 70s) and “20th Century Schizoid Man” (a particular favorite of former Prime Minister Tony Blair).

Blair was actually in a band called The Ugly Rumors

The latter song was also the inspiration behind the cover. It’s the work of Barry Godber, a computer programmer, though trained as an artist. He would die soon after its release, at age 24, of a heart attack.

This is his only credit, though he also did the inside cover. The inspiration for that? Why, the Crimson King himself, of course.

Where are they now? Well, Robert Fripp would be the only band member to remain with the band the whole time. He’s also known as one of the best and most innovative guitarist out there (Frippertronics, anyone?).

Though he could easily be mistaken for a bank vice president

Greg Lake would go on to form Emerson Lake and Palmer. Tragically, he would die only a couple of years ago, from cancer.

Later stage Elvis?

Ian McDonald would help form Foreigner. He’s done a lot of session work since then, including guitar, sax, keyboards, flute, and vibraphone.

Random older bloke down the pub?

Drummer Michael Giles? Well, he was just the drummer.

Keep on drummin’

And here they all are in younger days:

Fripp, Giles, Lake, McDonald, lyricist Peter Sinfield

Here are a couple of more great King Crimson covers, all by artist P.J. Crook:

Some more of her very dream-like work:

And of course some parodies/homages of that original as well:

In fact, the thing has become something of a meme:

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