Does The Album Cover Match The Music? (Vinyl Community)

[@gypsyfreek]

The Pet Sounds jab got me , classic Robert

[@iainneville7137]

I absolutely laugh my head off every time you knock that Pet Sounds l.p. Its got to the point that I'm actually 'willing' you to bring it up in every video you post. As crap as Pet Sounds is, I'm glad its exists purely for the sake of your sense of humour. Bless you Robert. You're a star x

[@RobertFithen]

Thanks!!

[@shimtest]

that "reconsider war" joke at the end had me rolling. well done

[@theviraldrummer]

“Roadie for the Bay City Rollers.” Goddamnit, Rob 😂😂😂😂😂

[@calvinwazoo]

Great commentary on that Bowie album cover.

[@JaneDoe-rj4jn]

I’ll still never forget Throbbing Gristle’s album entitled “20 Jazz Funk Greats” with them casually standing in a picturesque field. Meanwhile the album was anything but jazz. Early experimental, industrial noise explosion. Imagine being an Oscar Peterson fan …picking that up not knowing what was in store. Hilarious!

[@uffe8951]

Beachy Head suicide spot …

[@theokidokis]

Yeah I was thinking about that one too. I found it at the thrift store in the bin with jazz and funk compilations

[@drwolftickets7473]

That was the funniest & most surprising use of c*** I've heard in a while!

[@baileydute1]

I really love the balance between seriousness and sarcasm in your videos. My wife busted a gut on your deluxe edition unboxing with the storage trunk.

[@RobertFithen]

Thanks!! I try to keep things balanced. lol

[@richmoreno9938]

The Beatles gatefold also doubles as a reflective distress device when stranded on a desert island. 🏝️

[@Pauldjreadman]

Very good point regarding matching covers art with music.

[@JCM-LedZeppelin-Stories]

My next Zepp video series address this. Thank you for bringing this up. I have a form of synesthesia and i see colors in music so album cover colors HAVE TO MATCH! Spot On Presence. A weird choice that one.

[@klipkultur3680]

The moment you got the Lennon live in Toronto record out I knew you'd be talking about the amazing Yoko performance. What a voice...

[@SeanKagalis]

4:47 (In a sing-song manner) I know what you mentioned and then edited. (Regular speech pattern) Wise, because those of us who know, already know. Great topic, Robert. Every time you post a new video, I watch and then get inspired to make some VC videos of my own. One day... lol In the meantime - thanks!

[@RobertFithen]

You should.

[@mightyV444]

Yeah, I too had expected The Grateful Dead to be a Hard 'n Heavy band already when I wasn't even a teenager - and then I saw and heard them during a live 'Rockpalast' TV/radio simulcast in 1981 and was rather underwhelmed. I rewatched that same show about a year ago, without having listened to them ever again meanwhile, and I *still* wasn't able to get into them and actually was feeling kinda confused at times 😅 And this video's great topic also reminds me of the international 'glove' cover of The Strokes' debut album 'Is This It', which differs from the US version😀

[@shortsleave]

I’ve always imagined the Charlie album would sound like Roxy Music. The 1982 Uriah Heep album, “Abominog” has possibly their most overtly metal looking album cover with a big slimy red devil face. Finally gave it a listen. The first song’s a bit rockin’ but the rest of it sounds like Joe Lynn Turner era Rainbow. Expecting Stone Cold to be the next song.

[@antoniopereiraneves2009]

"official coke dealer to the stars" 😄 How has that never been a t-shirt?!

[@CinemaATTACKS]

Axe was another southern rock band with extremely metal album covers. I feel like bands and record companies figured out that a metal cover in the 80s have you a bump in sales.

[@chriscorman734]

Just can't wait for your videos. It's music knowledge meets comedy

[@sidesup8286]

Great video Robert. I think the first album that comes to mind is The Worst Of Jefferson Airplane. The actual title more than the cover I guess. It's really a Best Of Compilation, meant to be amusing by calling it that. The word "Worst" is even a bright hellish red orange as opposed to the black color of the rest of the cover. As some people will find out some day. Hell is the Worst. Can you imagine all the cussing that goes on down there in the nether regions on New Arrival Forever Day? Other covers that springs to mind are a lot of the Steely Dan albums. What are those white things with eyes on the Countdown To Ecstasy album? A blurred close up of a bug on Katy Lied? Such an overtly smooth slick group musically, but they really had trouble coming up with anything slick for the covers; maybe except for Can't Buy A Thrill, which was at least colorful, and had Charles Atlas and a big pair of red lips. He made a fortune off me when I was a 99 pound weakling in the 1960s. Another album that would have to be mentioned is 90125 by Yes. Is that the right number/album? Again, such a slick group with such complex sophisticated instrumentation, and a good album; but it looks like someone designed the album cover during a tv commercial break. Same with Frank Zappa's album Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A Drowning Witch. Didn't they know anyone who could draw? Here are some other album covers that I feel are out of sorts with the musical artist. The Alfred Alpaca album where he is not wearing a Hawaiin shirt. The Ray Conniff & "The Singers" album cover where they only show Ray Conniff and not "The Singers". The Lawrence Welk album where there is not one flying bubble in sight, and instead of a conductors stick in his right hand, there is a violin bow. Way back in ancient times, conductors conducted the symphony with a violin bow instead of a stick. That must be his first album. The Norman Luboff Choir. I don't recall ever seeing a picture of Norm Luboff or his choir on the cover. What did he look like? Neil Diamond Christmas albums never had a picture of a Menora. If it's spelled wrong I'm not Jewish. If not a Menorah, you'd think at least a candleabra. Any heavy metal rock group with an album cover where they are just sitting there.Maybe someday they'll make classical musicians stand during a concert, except for the cello player who could be bent over or maybe sitting.

[@cpsedmonds]

Great video as always! And you should be aware by now that if you quote people correctly online, you take it all out of context ;) "...oh my God, The Beach Boys Pet Sounds is the best album ever..." - Robert Fithen, 2023

[@stephpicher]

I listened once to side two of the Live Peace album 30 plus years ago and I remember exactly as you describe it.

[@thierrydefrance7220]

Loved it. Great fun especially the Pet Sound part!You brightened my day.

[@IndySnowman]

Back when I bought records based on the cover art I was fooled once by the awesome Frazetta illustration. Damn you, Molly Hatchet.

[@stereo999]

Charlie "Watching TV" is brilliant satire (at least it sounded that way to me when I was 12 and first heard it) Pre-dates Black Flag's TV Party by a couple years lol. no coke on my copy :(

[@andynaz5631]

No Second Chance is a very good album from Charlie. Always great cover art.

[@andynaz5631]

Tubes, Remote Control has a great satire TV song, Turn Me On.

[@tomflorio3639]

This was a fun watch. Your commentary on the "Sabotage" cover was hilarious! Another that I consider misleading: Gene Simmons' 1978 solo album. Shows a "demon" with blood dripping from his mouth, and then has songs with Cher and Helen Reddy as backup singers and a cover of "When You Wish Upon A Star". 😄 Also - speaking of Molly Hatchet (whose early albums I loved, but I get your point), the cover of their fourth album "Take No Prisoners" always made me laugh. Not because they downgraded from Frank Frazetta's art to Boris Vallejo, but just look at the muscular studs on that cover . . . and compare that to how the band really looked! 😄

[@giantorangerecords]

Geez Robert! That Bowie album cover with you holding a guitar in a paper bag was incredible! Nice fedora. Very American.

[@RobertFithen]

Thanks! I used to do things like that on my Instagram.

[@davidellis5141]

I've always been a fan of the album covers of the band Charlie but have never heard a note of their music. Nice to know , I'm not alone.

[@millopguy]

Your Trillion take cracked me up. I bought that when it was released, thinking this is gonna rock!! .... umm not really lol but I still revisit it once in a long while. Still love that cover though.

[@Jay87539]

My Bruh, never stop pokin' fun at Pet Sounds! Great Video.

[@hellionrebellionrocknrolla744]

So funny, my dude! I was guilty of thinking the Grateful Dead were a metal band before I heard them. Molly Hatchet as well. Lizzy Borden actually gets alot of respect in the rock world but IMO he gets hotter in the late 90's and early 00's. Trust me, listen to his "Abnormal" record and you'll hear something radically different than his 80's output. Cool idea for a video, loved it!

[@DetroitStars]

Another hilarious video! I agree with your opinion of Michelle Shocked. A lot of music resellers have been burned by her bogus copyright attacks.

[@harrysmusicroom]

I used to like her until she had that meltdown on stage and started gay bashing.

[@MudFlanagan]

good show. Agree with the Pet Sounds comments. Never got it..... thanks Robert

[@jasonarsenault3791]

This was absolutely hilarious. Great video

[@bakeone4406]

The incredible Rick Griffin piece that's the cover of the Grateful Dead AOXOMOXOA record belongs on an album that delivers a brain melting lysergic experience...it's damn near an ordinary country rock album.

[@andynaz5631]

Charlie's No Second Chance is an awesome album. Give it a try.

[@danaaronmusic]

That was fun! How about band NAMES that don't match the music?

[@RobertFithen]

Savage Garden would be one.

[@barfly946]

Yeah, like " Extreme ", lol.

[@mickschnabel]

Another fantastic video, love your shit man! but I KNOW that wasn't an original 'butcher' that dropped on the floor! LOL. Sidenote, I finally pulled the trigger on an og Helmet Betty (2 10" lp version)

[@rollo131]

Short Sharp Shock is an album by punk band Chaos UK. The Michelle Shocked album title and cover art are an homage.

[@Harrispilton22]

Great video. I showed a copy of The Zombies ‘Odeyssy & Oracle’ in my last video. It’s an 80’s pressing & the sleeve looks like it should be by a German doom metal band called Stench Trench! I always thought ‘Surfs Up’ by the Beach Boys had a holy inappropriate sleeve..or Maybye it’s the album title that throws things off course!

[@moonbeamskies3346]

I never realized that the guitar riff in Don't Worry Kyoko was taken from Wake Up Little Susie. I will never listen to either song the same way again again!

[@Onteo1]

Nuevo folkie shit ! 😂. I thought for sure you’d show Dire Straits “ Brothers in arms or Money for Nothing” . Great video as always.

[@deancronin6934]

A cautionary tale thank you for your service

[@grahampaulkendrick7845]

I was there at the Toronto Rock'n'Roll Revival on September 13, 1969. I left before John and Yoko, tho;,

[@leonyetman8700]

I seen a clip of John Lennon and chuck berry doing Johnny b goode and Yoko started screaming in the background. Berry looked like he was ready to shit a brick. It was pretty weird stuff. I think they shut her mike off after a minute of so.

[@Protometal66]

Bought Flirtin With Disaster when it came out thinking it was gonna be heavy. Fortunately I ended up becoming a fan but yeah, I was pretty shocked when I put it on.

[@SteveSmith-qy4ty]

Why I bought most of the Uriah LP's I don't know. I think Demons and Wizards was good. Keep up the great work always a good program!

[@jamiecottle5850]

Another fun video. You could easily do a part 2.

[@chutspe]

You take a look at ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery", and you cannot be blamed for thinking the music on it might be a little heavier than it actually is.

[@max199511]

Nothing confuses my dog more than Don’t Worry Kyoko 😂

[@jimmccloskey4254]

I buy because of the cover and the music - if not, who would by Roxy Music, Robert Palmer, most any Yes or Prog group records.

[@TheTreyBlue]

We have to talk about Meat Loaf

[@johnstoneback1345]

Meatloaf Bat out of Hell

[@lisakobar4153]

5:02... LOVE HEEP! There's actually one song on that album called Come Away Melinda that's a bit of a tear jerker.

[@tylerthompson1842]

I guess the whole skull fck thing was just to mess with the suits at Warner bros. This was a band that would take every opportunity they got to dose one of those guys by spiking the coffee or whenever they could. They thought if everyone in charge of running the world was on acid it would change things for the better lol can’t blame them for trying.

[@Mick_Ts_Chick]

When you said Trillion sounded a bit like the Sweet it made me wonder which phase. With them you get 4 bands in one. They started as bubblegum (because they were made to), then glam, then hard rock, then "regular" rock. Their forte and love was always hard rock though, and they did it well.

[@JWD1992]

I never thought of that before: Why does every Molly Hatchett album cover look like it was originally designed for a Norwegian power metal group? IIRC, the weird drawing on the US Man Who Sold The World depicts the mental hospital where Bowie's half-brother stayed. Of course, that could very well be an old urban legend. I do know that those two Uriah Heep albums had different covers in the UK. Not sure why Mercury in the US went with those weird covers. And of course I couldn't wait to hear what the Pet Sounds joke would be when I saw it come out!

[@billgabbard922]

To each his own, I played the Michelle Shocked album to death. Also have every Charlie album.

[@wernermoritz882]

The weird cover matches Sabotage‘s title though since the band totally sabotaged the photo shooting. 😂

[@Love_Street]

😂 carful with that Y&T album falling off the jukebox. That had to be a repress (slick)right?

[@markdonnelly394]

The Beach Boys , Pet Sounds. Not like the jacket or name. But leave sniff n the tears alone. I love Drivers Seat. Love the video!

[@RobertFithen]

"Driver's Seat" is excellent.

[@chrisrauen8321]

Hilarious 😂 Baby you can dive my car, beep beep n beep beep Yeahhhhhh! We would drive down the road singing that song our senior year in high school. Usually stoned to the bone.☺️ I could never figure out why Molly Hatchet used Frank Frazetta on their covers, totally mismatch for the music on the vinyl.

[@lisakobar4153]

Love Yer Blues!

[@paulboggan]

Great video BUT that michelle shocked album is great! thrombin gristles 20 jazz funk greats is an excellent example for this video.

[@mr61sprite]

Storm Thorgerson wrote that the obelisk represented the power of Led Zeppelin, saying they were "so powerful, they didn't need to be there" I've read all kinda crazy shit about that cover😂

[@antigravity420]

You should listen to Lizzy Borden's Master of Disguise album. I'm not a big Lizzy Borden fan but that album is a masterpiece.

[@cadillactiburon]

Perfect example is Maynard Ferguson primal scream. Cool funky disco type music. Not what I got from the cover

[@ChrisPropfeMusicallyObsessed]

Great video! I always thought Molly Hatchet was Heavy Metal too. Frankenchrist rules. Plastic Surgery Disasters is my favorite though. The Sabotage cover has always confused me…it is my favorite Sabbath though.

[@RonTheDon-30]

That Trillion album cover reminded me of the national emblem of India... three growling 🦁🦁🦁

[@ryanrichardson2957]

Man, I forgot all about trillion. I came across that album years ago and bought it just for the cover. I remember thinking it was ok but that was about it. I’ll tell ya an album that fooled me was Firefall’s debut album. I remember like it was yesterday browsing my local goodwill and seeing that album cover and thinking man, this looks like it is going to be some killer prog rock. Needless to say, I was very disappointed 😂

[@russkinter3000]

The man with the gun cartoon on the "Man Who Sold the World" is obviously a nod to the album's song "Running Gun Blues", while the mansion in the background is for "All the Mad Men". I can't come up with an explanation for the back cover of Marilyn Monroe and the blue collar guy saying "Oh by Jingo". Although, I was forced to look up that saying, so who says rock'n roll isn't educational? Wait! I'll take that back! "Oh by Jingo" is turning the tin pan alley song into "by Jesus", who Bowie is dissing as the "Man Who Sold the World". Ok, ok obtuse for sure...

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

Extremely accurate haha. Especially the Trillion and Molly Hatchet albums. Trillion has it's place amongst those mid-era softer prog rock fans..... along with bands like Shooting Star and shit. Now here's one for you..... album covers that you'd think don't fit the album until you smoke a bone and listen to the album. Savoy Brown "Looking In".... Nazareth had some album covers that kind of don't fit..... Hair Of The Dog, Expect No Mercy, and No Mean City.... even Loud and Proud.

[@charlesbowman105]

I love Pet Sounds but it's still hilarious when you piss all over it. Lol

[@patrick2420]

PET SOUNDS IS BACK BABY!!!

[@RUfromthe40s]

the gratefull dead had a lot of covers with this type of design ,it represented their style, Death Metal ,what?is this for real

[@patgalvez4563]

The first time I saw the cover of the best of Humble Pie I figured it was a comedy record...lol

[@sspbrazil]

The Sabotage album cover is by far the most perplexing rock album cover ever. Lol

[@lisakobarandaspastickraut714]

Approximately Infinite Universe is actually pretty good! Yoko actually SINGS on it too!

[@chrisnairn8129]

It's kind of off topic. But Public Image Limited had a release called "Album" The cassette version was simply called "cassette" compact disc version. Well you get the point. I've always been appreciative of that concept for some reason

[@stereo999]

they were ripping off Flipper's "Generic Flipper" album. Flipper later released a live album called "Public Flipper Limited"

[@Cheeseburger.Launch.Sequence]

There was a band from San Diego in the 1990s called Fluf. Their first proper album was called "Home Improvements" on cd "Stocking The Lake With Brown Trout" on cassette and "Whitey On The Moon" on vinyl Same albums, same track sequence... just a wacky version of this concept. But I always enjoyed it.

[@brianjames5685]

Unfortunately I do have the DK's poster lol. My girlfriend will not let me display it.

[@johnnyplaza3793]

sorry to say, when i was younger i was fooled by cool looking covers to find the music within in SUCKED big time

[@retromusings]

Brilliant video.

[@kenfrederick6223]

Molly Hatchet is a great band. Their album covers do resemble Manowar though. I'll take Lizzy Borden over Faster Pussycat and GNR. any day. Love the Uriah Heep debut. The album art looks like it's from the old Centipede arcade game.

[@Fluteboy]

The album _Errol Flynn_ by *Dogs D'Amour* sounds less heavy than its cover suggests. Yes it's hard rock, but it's very melodic.

[@zoltanszabo4242]

I gasped loudly at 9:29. Hope nothing happened to the corners!

[@blackstreek]

KISS' entire look and aesthetic never matched their music. As for an intentionally misleading cover, Throbbing Gristle's '20 Jazz Funk Greats' is one of the great misdirections in graphic design.

[@JaneDoe-rj4jn]

Omg I just commented the same thing about throbbing gristle. Lol

[@legopaidi]

I had forgotten how atrocious the cover of the US version of The Man Who Sold The World was 😂

[@beatlejeb]

White Zombie - Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds. The cover looks like something our parents or grandparents would listen to in the 1960’s.

[@wowster-so8sx]

Yoko Ono should play at subway stations, zoos,. Superbowl Half Time shows.

[@michaelkaplan1429]

Lizzy Borden's earlier albums were heavier than Visual Lies and probably more in line with what you expected from them

[@PrankZabba]

Sonic Youth's "Silver Sessions"

[@Nazz1967]

LOVE IT

[@Mudjuggernog]

I saw meatloaf bat out of hell, and was expecting some evil metal... i was very dissapointed.

[@Trifixion22]

That Michelle Shocked album is a parody of Chaos UK's Short Sharp Shock. If you want fucking insane punk rock, that's your band.

[@rocker11281]

Laughed my ass off! Thank u!

[@markusneumann1933]

Hey Robert, warch your butcher sleeve… thx for another great video😊

[@RUfromthe40s]

i don´t get it ,is there a standart list of what kind of cover should albums have depending on their style, this are trends and music is not conected directelly to design, at least i always thinked it was a free choice like in late 70´s lots of bands had photos of the artists posing , sometimes almost ridiculous but i don´t judge the music by it´s cover

[@gummodude]

Any Riot album with the baby seal on the cover.

[@davidtaylor6663]

Mr Fithen you would appreciate this. Galaxie 500 did an unbelievable cover of "Listen The Snow is Falling" written by yoko. Dean Wareham is an amazing guitar player. Check it out. One of my favorite songs all time.

[@RobertFithen]

It's great.

[@davidtaylor6663]

@@RobertFithen classic please feature Galaxie 500 "This is Our Music" on your channel one day :) you could do a Newbury Comics series limited release :). Thank ou Robert Fithen

[@josephrohland5604]

Hatchet and Frazetta kick ass together!

[@vinylrichie007]

Michelle Shocked copied that album cover from the 2nd UK Decay album.

[@RobertFithen]

So, it was staged? That figures.

[@vinylrichie007]

@@RobertFithen It is supposed to be an actual picture of her getting arrested but it is an almost exact copy of the UK Decay album cover.