One thing that has disappeared in this digital music world of ours is the publication of great photographs as album covers. Sometimes its the photograph of the musician — there's some absolutely fantastic photography made for jazz album covers in the 50s and 60s — but also, and even more interestingly, photographs borrowed from great — or not so great — photographers.
I think it possible that many in my generation started appreciating photography and its evocative powers not through magazines of books but, somewhat unknowingly, through their record collection — I'm talking vinyl, or course.
For example, I've always loved this album jacket. As much as the music that's on the album (big Tom Waits fan here). But only recently have I learned who the photographer was, what his work was, where the photo actually came from.
Now I do have to work a bit to look at it as a photograph totally unrelated to the album cover. It's a great photo. But I already knew that.
Anders Petersen, "Lily & Rose, Café Lehmitz, Hamburg", 1970
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Tom Waits, "Rain Dogs", 1985
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Any others that come to mind ?
