In the Prog Seat: Album Covers That Suck!

[@manuelper]

When Luis showed the hand drawn pictures on his own album back cover, I nearly fell over laughing. That alone is worth watching this episode.

[@ralphmuller6040]

These guys are my favourite panel on YT. Always entertaining and VERY knowledgable.

[@johnmichaelwilliams6694]

A highly entertaining episode with a great roster of of prog seat panelists. Difficult to top many mentioned but kudos to Luis for showing that there always seems to be another bad cover at arm's reach. Thanks, gents!

[@carolynellis2788]

Hi, I'm Chris (my wife and I share an email address). I don't think I've commented on one of your videos before. I'm 72 and not a fan of prog or metal but I do love your channel and the variety of guests you have on. For this one when I wasn't laughing I still had a big grin on my face. Thanks to all of you.

[@ericporter344]

👍 Thanks Chris

[@mulicuy]

The middle school computer class artwork of Iron Maiden's "Dance of Death."

[@jason-budney7624]

Thank you ITPS crew, great show! I was laughing so hard all the way through. Most times it was the commentary that drove home how bad the album cover was.

[@scottsebben889]

I love that Max Webster debut cover as it just screams wackiness. Hemispheres perfectly sums up the theme of "balance between heart and mind." Going for the One does suck as it looks "cut/pastey." Great episode!

[@drumvc8060]

Laughed so much at that Majestic cover from Steve Reid, brilliant 😂🤣

[@neiljukes5272]

Great fun all, thanks. And kudos to Stephen for the correct explanation of the „There‘s the rub“ album cover, it is indeed a red cricket ball being shined by a player in traditional cricket whites. Though why you’d want that on an album cover, even allowing for the pun, is beyond me.

[@liberatoreZ]

01:05:46 Anamorphosis - it's actually called that. Stereographs are art that uses two similar, almost identical images, viewed side by side with a stereoscope (see Tool - 10.000 Days for example).

[@lahloonatic]

You are correct! Thank you for correcting. Cheers

[@RickNBacker]

I was embarrassed bringing Angel's "White Hot" up to the store counter to pay for it...

[@gratefulblac]

Now we need a show - best and worst inner sleeve art - ie gatefolds!

[@chutspe]

To be honest, I like the cover art for "Close to the Edge". The gradual colour change frm green to black towards the top symbolises the closeness to the edge, and also the reduced design puts some emphasis to the (then) brand new and great Yes band logo. So I like the concept. Granted, the gatefold image is the more exciting picture.

[@martinspencer1618]

I'd never heard of Yes but in 76 asked to borrow CTTE from a schoolmate just because of that green cover. I was then blown away when the music started: I hadn't known anything like that existed.

[@Fritha71]

Yes, I think that album cover is iconic at this point. Also, due to the subdued front sleeve the effect of seeing the gatefold is even greater once you open it up - think that's what Roger Dean was going for there, the element of surprise and astonishment that nobody expected. Love it, and yes the legendary logo was first shown here...

[@knightvisioniixv]

I have always loved the cover to Close to the Edge; since much of its music has a quality that brings verdant scenery to mind when listening, I think it works nicely. I should also confess to a partiality for both green and black - they are my two favorite colors. And while the gatefold imagery is stunning, I'm fine with the possibility of holding the unpopular opinion that it was right where it belonged - on the inside.

[@alternativepreacher4516]

Holy crap that Echolyn cover that Chad choosed is disturbing, what were they thinking!

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Disturbing can be good, especially for a prog band. Unfortunately it was bad disturbing. Kinda lame though considering they're just a bunch of apples.

[@RickNBacker]

"When the Sweet Turns Sour" from Echolyn is very disturbing.

[@ErnestIII83]

I remember Sebastian Bach in an interview saying when he saw the cover of Anthrax's Fistful Of Metal that he thought it was "badass". Surprised none of you mentioned Yes' Talk.

[@franciskocher200]

I like this cover...

[@robertkramer2271]

Ironically, "Talk" was done by Peter Max.

[@ErnestIII83]

@@shaynewest8757 Yeah, I know. Just thought I'd throw it out there. Ha

[@JohnnyRecently]

My wife loves her Yes Album T-shirt. Just loves it.

[@johnstucky2168]

Great episode- funny as hell!

[@stevewhiteside4525]

I think Chuck inadvertently hit the nail on the head when he said The Move cover might have been great when it came out in 1969 - it was, and that's the context that matters, who cares if it wouldn't fly now, what's that got to do with the price of fish? Half the music we love from those times we probably wouldn't like if it'd come out last week. Remember as well that some of this older stuff came out on vinyl. The Close to the Edge cover looked great in vinyl format and the first thing you're gonna do is open the gatefold to see the great picture inside, you're not going to find it 10 minutes into the album leafing through the CD booklet.

[@PeterBrown-mz4nv]

A few not so obvious ones, I think. Still-Tony Banks. Freaks of Nature-Kansas. The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect-Todd Rundgren.

[@rogermaybank9345]

One other thing, Rick Wakeman and Yes seem to have overwhelmingly won this competition!

[@gratefulblac]

Now we need a show - best and worst inner sleeve art - ie gatefolds! - Guns and Roses - Apetite for destruction gatefold art is one of the worst!

[@davidsimon2096]

I sympathise with Luis about the Close to the Edge cover- it is underwhelming- perhaps a bit too subtle but I wouldn't say it sucks completely. For one thing, it does introduce the classic logo. On a similar note I absolutely love the Per Un Amico album by PFM-it's possibly their greatest album but I really dislike the gaudy cover-it doesn't fit the music. They redeemed themselves when they re-recorded/remixed the album and re-named it Photos Of Ghosts with a really beautiful cover which reflected the gorgeous melodic symphonic prog rock.

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

The Bee Gees wannabes open shirts chest hair gold medallions of Emerson lake and Palmer Love Beach hands down number one🤣🤣🤣 THAT IS NOT PROG

[@rogermaybank9345]

This was a fun watch guys, well done. May I put forward my overall suggestion. One of the best and biggest bands in the world with a pretty excellent back catalogue but with some of the most consistently awful album sleeves? I give you, Black Sabbath.

[@stephenhaswell5823]

Another great episode. Also, a superb pick by Chad for the next homework assignment. But, the big question is, will @TranquilityFire be able to contain himself because of all the Steven Wilson content? 🤔

[@macseinchin]

Genesis - Duke Yes - Close to the Edge King Crimson - Starless and Bible Black ELP - Love Beach Other rock/metal genres: Urian Heep - Abominog Exciter - Unveiling the Wicked UFO - Mechanix

[@deaconofbeacon733]

Duke for sure.

[@tonyziporlin4240]

You could pick any Genesis album cover from the 80s

[@MoviesNStuff]

Find the gatefold cover for Close to the Edge, it pairs fantastic with the cover and the music, though I'm assuming you've seen the gatefold already

[@Magnum_Opus_1124]

@@tonyziporlin4240 And from the '90s.

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Man, Duke is a great cover. It doesn't blow you away or anything but it fits the music and the mood of the band at that time perfectly, and it's a really cool style.

[@RickNBacker]

Echolyn- When the Sweet Turns Sour is way more disturbing than As The World...

[@jimmycampbell78]

We never got to hear Ken's story about the time he made a graphic artist cry. Maybe he thought it would be a downer to include it in the episode. I don't mind one of Steven Reid's picks, IQ's 'Ever'. I see that abstract image of a woman's face/upper body and I raise you with Barclay James Harvest's cover art atrocity of "Victims of Circumstance".

[@lasercd7851]

We ran out of time + I forgot! Maybe someday it will come up.

[@MrTarkus01]

The "tank" Salisbury cover makes sense 'cos the British army use Salisbury Plain for military training. I don't know WTF that red thing is supposed to be.

[@annemoody7388]

I think that most if not all on the panel just aren't old enough to know or have seen certain things. For instance I'm 72 years old and got to see Jethro Tull on the "This Was" tour with Mick Abrahams on guitar opening up for the Dead and Paul Butterfield Band, the headliners, and they looked pretty much on stage like they do on that album cover. That was their look I guess.

[@RickNBacker]

Porcupine Tree "In Absentia" is so awful that I cut a sheet of blank paper to fit the CD case and put it over the cover.

[@rememberbeginning]

Man y'all had me rolling!

[@roberthardin2133]

Chris' picks were awesome

[@paulcrossley1366]

Great show surprised Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy never came up

[@zsatsfm]

Great fun guys! The first one that came into my mind is Uriah Heep's Look At Yourself. I had the original CD version where the reflective "mirror" was replaced by a dull grey square, which looked cheap and made no sense. Fortunately the album is saved by the excellent music.

[@zootallures6470]

Scorpions - Fly to the Rainbow Tony Williams - Million Dollar Legs Chick Corea - Friends Cat Stevens - Mona Bone Jakon

[@brianoakley980]

Remember I'm old now..but it all actually started for me when I met my still good mate Bobbie back in 1966, I can't quite remember if the first was Hendrix or Cream but it would have been around 67/68 then UNDERGROUND music started in the UK I bought the Island Sampler LP Nice Enough to Eat and I heard Free, King Crimson and Jethro Tull..is We used to Know just the BEST! So that's 5, then in Jan 1971 I saw Black Sabbath on the Paranoid tour and immediately after, they were Bottom of the bill Genesis and then TOP of the bill, and trust me I saw them all They were easily the most entertaining LIVE ...ELP they did Pictures at an Exhibition AND Tarkus. I bought Fragile and played it to oblivion so Yes of course Led Zeppelin although if I had another I would have to include Deep Purple Hendrix, Cream, Free, Crimson, Jethro Tull, Black Sabbath, Genesis, ELP, Yes and Zeppelin. Top 10 Van Der Graaf, Family, Wishbone Ash, Deep Purple, all on my Substitute bench

[@davidpousho4828]

This HAS to be ITPS's most hilarious episode!!!! Great entertainment everyone! Cracking up over here.

[@davidgasten4361]

Thanks for the entertainment! 😄 Picking terrible prog covers is like shooting fish in a barrel, as Luis demonstrated by grabbing something/anything random and within arm's reach and then holding it up the the camera. I'm surprised that no one put up *Moving Gelatine Plates' "The World of Genius Hans"* (1971). That one would have fit nicely within this parade of eyesores. Also about everything from *Birth Control* could be included here, and fortunately you did get one of theirs in.

[@zootallures6470]

I put it up last week among the best covers 🙂

[@davidgasten4361]

@@zootallures6470 Best of the worst, I suppose 😂

[@zootallures6470]

@@davidgasten4361 Some people like Trout Mask Replica and that is also a real trout head on Beefheart's face.

[@davidgasten4361]

@@zootallures6470 That one shows up in "bad album art" galleries regularly too. Great record though!

[@zootallures6470]

@@davidgasten4361 Not in my book. Amazing record.

[@RickNBacker]

EDIT: I posted this before I got to Anthony's picks!! ..... Yes - Going for the One. I had to hide this and Rush-Hemispheres whenever I had non-prog fans over, how to explain why I have two albums with naked man butts on the cover...

[@PeterBrown-mz4nv]

Did anybody mention Oblivion by Utopia. All black, and Spinal Tap came out at the same time!

[@kenl2091]

Some dreadful nonsense there but Close to the Edge has a great cover. Remember that it was the introduction to the classic logo and the album title font is so classy also. Any other design for the rest of the cover would distract from those so why not go for a simple green gradient? The Yes Album cover, however, is terrible.

[@jazzpunk]

I agree about CTTE...I gave always liked THE YES ALBUM cover art, though. :-0

[@linuxtuxfriend9155]

Fleetwood Mac - Heroes Are Hard To Find (1974) Daryl Hall & John Oates - Daryl Hall & John Oates (1975)

[@paununs8719]

27:23 _There are four lights!_ 😂

[@GrantTregellas]

The Al Di Meola cover would have been my number #1 pick. Cant even look at that cover if I listen to the album.

[@elizabethtimmons7754]

Anthony Phillips "Wise After the Event" with the giant squirrel wearing golf shoes.

[@seancheek6196]

"there's some dude living in his stomach"😂

[@proghead59]

My honorable mentions: 1. Steely Dan: Countdown to Ecstasy 2. Marillion: Fugazi 3. Rush: Power Windows all three of those dudes had their shirts stolen?

[@nelsonmaud1]

I was surprised Pete didn't mention grand funks Mr universes album cover he's mentioned B4 ,💪

[@georgelamie7001]

It's a prog show. He couldn't

[@tracerx6324]

When you go with the MP3 download, just to avoid a bad album cover.

[@SH-ud8wd]

Usually the drummers girlfriend came up with this and they had to take it. 😂😂😂

[@jimmypage2843]

I had told Pete I'd love to see a five worst covers show where George skewers five album covers everyone else loves. 😂 Even if not ones everyone loves this should be good.

[@ralphmuller6040]

Surprising at how the Americans on the panel didn't understand the Wishbone Ash 'There's the Rub' album cover. The Scotsman had to explain the joke/concept. That doesn't bode well for the T20 Cricket International World Cup that's being hosted by USA in 2024.

[@docbobster]

Only mentioning ones not mentioned: Three Friends (Gentle Giant); Zarathustra (Museo Rosenbach); Mother Focus (Focus); Works (ELP); A Live Record (Camel). Also, Acquiring the Taste is about the fetish known as rimming; I noticed in an earlier episode that none of you had figured that out (you have to hold the gatefold open to see the full picture).

[@qriofficial1769]

Three Friends has a good album cover, what's wrong with it? It's nowhere near Acquiring The Taste 🤮

[@docbobster]

@@qriofficial1769 Fair enough, it was a quick judgment and I might have been too harsh. And you are right, nothing is as bad as A.T.T. (but I love the music).

[@wardka]

Also, never, never, NEVER throw original art away -- if that's what I was hearing. Good lord!

[@andyshelton4889]

Rabbit “ A Croak And A Grunt In The Night” or Marillion’s “ Fugazi”.😀❤️🎼

[@gratefulblac]

Ken - I think Zappa and the Mothers - Were only in it for the money album cover equals your top choice. Ken - Likewise had the Beatles Butchers cover been used and released that would have been the worst cover art of all time! Even in these days of extreme black and death metal such sickening, violent cover art beggers belief - what were they thinking!?

[@CloseToTheEdge83]

What's the album from George's honorable mentions, the one with the monkey and the banana? Truly atrocious, but I can't see the name. Great episode!

[@georgelamie7001]

Missus Beastly, self titled

[@CloseToTheEdge83]

@@georgelamie7001 Thanks, George!

[@PS3JVS]

31:20 One of my favorite moments of this show. It was a funny topic and everyone presented some horrendous covers

[@abdulbasheer2207]

That Birth Control album cover looks like the creature from the movie Barbarian,

[@LM-kn3kl]

Steve Walsh Glossalia was done by Dave McKean.

[@mladent1464]

Is there anyone that REALLY knows what Hammil's Silent corner album cover actually is? I thought it was curtains separating, which could have something to do with the album title, if they're on a theater stage.

[@metalandautism]

What app are they using for the pics?

[@georgelamie7001]

Prezi

[@johnmagnusholm7172]

Man! This is so funny! This show rules!

[@frankalfar]

Wow Louis blew me away with the cp bukkake reference 😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅😅!!!!!!

[@holliskeith1571]

In a 5 person vote on that album cover, someone would vote on it just to stick it to another band member. LOL

[@frankalfar]

Please do a part two😅😅😅.

[@arnaudb.7669]

Hilarious show!!!

[@josevicentelazo2769]

It would be interesting to see how many records an album would sell if they just change the lousy cover for something more appealing. Most people if they don't know a band or artist go by the cover art. A nice little social experiment.

[@jimneary2802]

This was a really fun episode. My 5: Lucifer's Friend debut Fates Warning Night On Brocken (the original colored pencil 'art' with the garden gnomes) Arch Echo You Won't Believe What Happens Next Boud Deun Stolen Bicycle Black Sabbath Born Again

[@mathewsandford3796]

Peter Erskine 'Transition'. Have yourself a look. Nuff said.

[@PeterBrown-mz4nv]

Good one!! Isn't that the one Osaka Castle is on? I love that tune.

[@richardchestney4947]

57:16 😆

[@brettstrausser3846]

Peter Hammill's "Silent Corner and the Empty Stage" cover is a woman giving birth to Peter Hammill's symbol. Love this music...cover, not so much. Really funny show, guys! I should have watched during the day so my wife could sleep - too much laughter...

[@user-JnyRock]

I cant believe no one mentioned the worst of all. Acid Motherhood by Gong. What could be worse than two images of a naked, pregnant Daevid Allen on the front cover? For added pain, guitarist Kawabata Makoto naked on the toilet on the back. The stuff of nightmares.

[@patrickmurphy4297]

...thanks to Pete's comment about Salisbury, I am now writing a concept album about Salisbury Steak coming back from the dead to kill people...stay tuned!

[@jayfabe620]

Prodigious Junk would be a great band name.

[@erikleenhouts834]

This was great fun 😂

[@JaredRobbins2]

Prog: 1. Yes-close to the edge 2. King crimson- in the court of the crimson king 3. Jethro Tull- war child Other genres: 1. UFO- obsession 2. REO Speedwagon- you can tune a piano but you can’t tuna fish 3. Diamond head- debut

[@nectarinedreams7208]

Close to the Edge - the cover is on the inside. On vinyl it's an amazing design. Doesn't work with CDs or streaming unfortunately. At least the band logo is awesome. And ITCOTCK is an incredible cover. How dare you, sir.

[@JaredRobbins2]

@@nectarinedreams7208thanks for the information. Did not know that about the close to the edge cover. Itcotck album cover is weird but I guess it isn’t to bad.

[@MoviesNStuff]

​@@JaredRobbins2I gotta agree with you on War Child.. I love Jethro Tull but... man

[@stevewhiteside4525]

Number one for me is probably Stationary Traveller by Camel. The picture on the back is clearly a very badly doctored version of the picture on the front to make it look like the woman is walking away, using whatever techniques they had in those pre-Photoshop days - maybe it should be renamed Stationery Traveller. I saw the photo on the front of a book years later, so it was probably from a stock image library. Camel also gets in on the act with the cover/title of I Can See Your House From Here. Pretty cool cover but a riff on a well-known joke pretty offensive to Christians. Regarding There’s The Rub, as well as the cricket allusion it’s an expression meaning “that’s the problem”, possibly from Shakespeare. Also, the twofer of There’s The Rub and Locked In is an example of a pretty dreadful cover, plus Locked in had a dreadful cover in its own right and was an awful album. The US cover for Moontan by Golden Earring is terrible, but this is a rare case where the US track listing is much better than the European one. Great album. I don’t mind the cover of In and Out of Focus, it was an international release of their Dutch debut album and gave us a look at the original members in those pre-internet days and when the new members where in all the music papers. The title for me is a nice play on the group’s name and better than the Dutch title of Focus plays Focus.

[@holydiver73]

Sorry to say that despite being one of the best albums of all time, the front cover of Yes’ Close to the Edge, is as boring as pants. It’s only when you get to the gate fold that It becomes interesting. Whilst we’re on the subject of Yes, their dalliance with Hypgnosis in the late 70’s resulted in two complete awful covers with Going for the One and Tormato being two of the worst covers in their discography. 5:09 The covers of their 80’s albums 90125 and Big Generator suck balls too. With Yes it really has to be Roger Dean. The cover of the first Wishbone Ash album is pretty pants and boring But the crown has to go to……….Love Beach Fron Emerson, Lake and Palmer. What in the name of heaven were they thinking? Interesting subject. Maybe the next subject should be really bad albums with really GREAT covers, there’s loads to choose from there.

[@SwanShadow]

Best. In the Prog Seat. Ever. This episode is comedy gold. The panel was simply on fire tonight.

[@jamesswiderski890]

What a great episode..kept me laughing

[@andyhoughton7858]

Hi Guys, watching in Florida on vacation from the UK..

[@peterm.fitzpatrick7735]

I hope you enjoy your stay.

[@ericporter344]

Enjoy! Thanks for watching

[@stephenbrown4211]

Yes- Talk Pink Floyd - The Final Cut Any Whitesnake cover after 1987. In other words, anything that’s not rude

[@inmyhouse11]

Poor Rand Kelly watching his fav band get torched in this episode

[@georgelamie7001]

He'll just say they're all awesome, like he does with the albums themselves. :)

[@rickrobb6546]

accept.............. balls to the wall

[@ianbrown3304]

Nooooo, its a classy homo-erotic leather clad classic. And I Love it.

[@drea4195]

Have they done one yet about terrible albums with great covers? I can think of a few! I'm sure we've all been suckered in at least once, by great artwork on an album cover. Only to be disappointed after the first listen.

[@Kevinhamradio]

Echolyn has some terrible album covers. One not mentioned here is the original album cover for, "Cowboy Poems Free," which is basically a cheap, ugly picture of a kid selling cowboy poems for free and all the kids are in another line buying lemonade.

[@archibaldsalyards926]

Rick Wakeman looks like The Greatest American Hero!!! (Best quote!)

[@justamops]

I think he said “The Greatest American Zero”, which I think is even better!

[@elfensteen5222]

Luis very nice shirt from a very very good band !

[@tonyhonour665]

The cover of the UK version of In And Out Of Focus album is better. Marginally maybe but it is better. I think so, anyway. 38 Special released an album called Bone Against Steel, again in the eighties. It’s reminiscent of the Wishbone Ash album cover and for me just as bad.

[@nealeger8154]

You can now add I/O from Peter Gabriel to this list.

[@qriofficial1769]

I seriously never made the connection between Going For The One and Hemispheres... probably what soured my opinions of both albums in the first place. Raw To The Bone, though, has to be one of the all-time worst, but at least it fits the quality of the album.

[@donaldanderson6604]

Love Beach wins hands down but Duke runs it close. (My two favourite bands!)

[@frostea357]

Gonna throw my favorite band under the bus for this one, but When Dream and Day Unite from Dream Theater. No armpit hair for me, thank you very much. Most of Dream Theater's album covers afterwards I think are pretty damn good though.

[@seghj]

A very very weird one: Marillion - Anoraknophobia

[@pauldenby878]

Some of these choices I really like - Semiramis, SF Sorrow, Al Di Meola and Weather Report - I love these covers (LOL). And after all there are worse Al Di Meola covers (Casino for example). Also the Semiramis cover looks fantastic when it's sat next to the Resident's Not Available Five bad album covers I can think of are: VdGG - Reflections (compilation) Gentle Giant - Acquiring the Taste Caravan - Cunning Stunts (I could have included a whole bunch more Hipgnosis covers) Billy Cobham / George Duke - Live in Europe (I really did buy this based on that cover) Marillion - The Thieving Magpie I'm sure that there are way more that I've erased from my memory.

[@pauldenby878]

I forgot Focus - Moving Waves and there's a Uriah Heap album that looks similar!

[@DizzyBizzy88]

How about episodes based on: awful cover / great album and great cover / awful album?

[@xuliofb6726]

Really laughed with this episode 😂

[@rockjagg1]

I’ve never understood the need to have man butts and suggestive male anatomy on the covers of albums from bands whose fans are about 99% male. If they replaced the Hemispheres, Going for the One, and even Accepts “Balls to the Wall” with women models, that would be more fitting. Rush did correct course with the Permanent Waves cover, however.