Storm Thorgerson died 12 years ago today

[Sudden Sam]

If you’re not familiar with Mr Thorgerson’s work, you’re missing out. I first became aware of his designs when I bought a copy of The Nice’s Elegy LP. The cover was striking. As the 60s and 70s rolled on, I bought many an album just because Hipgnosis, Storm and Aubrey Powell’s graphic design company, had created the cover artwork.

He and Po did covers for a huge number of bands, but they’re most closely identified with Pink Floyd.

Storm’s work influenced me in so many ways. And he created those designs long before Photoshop would have made it too easy.

Bow down to the genius of Storm Thorgerson.

[bungle clone]

Bow down to the genius of Storm Thorgerson.

[mvscal]

Nobody cares

[Sudden Sam]

Nobody cares

Your loss.

[Sudden Sam]

https://wimwords.com/the-hipgnosis-album-cover-gallery/

Enjoy the memories.

[Mikey]

https://wimwords.com/the-hipgnosis-album-cover-gallery/

Enjoy the memories.

A lot of good stuff there. I always liked the Climax Blues Band cover. Dude reminds me of me. At least he did 20 years ago.

[Sudden Sam]

A lot of good stuff there. I always liked the Climax Blues Band cover. Dude reminds me of me. At least he did 20 years ago.

Rack. Always liked that av.

[Mikey]

Not quite as prolific as Thorgerson, but Stanley Mouse / Alton Kelly did some great album covers (and a lot of posters), not just for the Dead, but Steve Miller, Journey, etc.

Also Neon Park.

[Sudden Sam]

The demise of the LP (I know they’re back in vogue, but it’ll never be what it was) is far more than just an audio thing. The cover art, liner notes, production info, etc is a huge loss to those of us who devoured every aspect of an album purchase.

[bungle clone]

I knew about the Hipgnosis/Floyd connection, but I'm pleasantly surprised (yet shouldn't be)that they made the Year of the Cat album art. The song by that name is something else. Not my favorite music, but I really dig how it *takes you somewhere*.

[Roach]

Album art had more power then. Now we are desensitized with videos of endless images every time we look at the phone. The noise level is way up.

[Mikey]

The demise of the LP (I know they’re back in vogue, but it’ll never be what it was) is far more than just an audio thing. The cover art, liner notes, production info, etc is a huge loss to those of us who devoured every aspect of an album purchase.

Yes. I really miss the album covers. Besides being very useful for rolling joints on, I would often put the record on and then sit there reading the liner notes, even if I had read them 50 times before. I actually mounted a small rack next to my turntable labeled “Now Playing.” These days, it’s mostly turn on the stereo, find what I want on Amazon Music, and start doing something else.

[Sudden Sam]

Now it’s just an over-produced song or two from an “artist”. Albums were sequenced and cohesive. There was an art…a methodology to song location on the vinyll.

You carefully slid that LP out of the sleeve. Handled it properly. Gingerly placed it on the turntable. Lowered the tonearm. Then sat back with the cover. Whether rolling a joint or reading the liner notes, you were intimately involved with that cardboard envelope. And you LISTENED to side one. 4-5 songs played and you got up, walked over, and carefully flipped the disc and repeated the ritual for side 2.

Good times.

[bungle clone]

Don't know if it is urban legend, but word I heard was that Dark Side of the Moon probably sold huge numbers for years because the folks who purchased a copy wore it out and had to get another, and perhaps another after that.