You just can't top Sounds to make you Shiver! (1974) as the greatest horror themed record of all time. From a child's perspective, it's got it all - especially for children of the 70's, who were completely monster crazy. Could you possiblly portray the joy of Halloween and with more enthusiasm than this? Sure, it's busy, but so were the Tales from the Crypt comic covers - kids like busy. I mean, this is not a minimalist Bauhaus or Velvet Underground album - this is a kid's Halloween fantasy brought to life!Google Reader (1000+)Jesus Harold Christ on rubber crutches! This one cover covers every childhood horror theme imaginable! There's a ghost, Frankenstein, a werewolf, a witch, a graveyard, Dracula, Quasimodo, bats, a hangman's noose, a mad scientist and his laboratory, plus other nameless monsters wandering around and locked within the bell tower. Who cared what was on the record itself, 70's kids had the coolest LP in history!
Sounds to make you Shiver! is certainly the best there is of this type of record. But let's take a look at some more horror themed album covers, each great in their own way.. If you have some personal favorites not included, please comment!
Note: Last October, I wrote a post on the creepiest album covers of all time. Records like Black Sabbath's debut and all those disturbing clown and ventriloquist covers were in that list. The following is not a gallery of the scariest covers - it's simply a selection of album covers with a horror theme that I happen to really like. As you probably know, I'm a huge fan of album art, and it's October... so, what better gallery to post? Let's get it started. (click on images to enlarge)The coffin shaped frame is a nice touch. Plus, the image of the mummy standing among a happy crowd of hep cats is kind of alarming.This one's by Jack Davis, who always delivers the goods. Of course, it's shouldn't be surprising that the former EC artist for Tales from the Crypt would make a fantastic album cover. Davis also did other covers including the Monster Rally records.This one's a lot like the previous album, although, perhaps not quite as good. Milton Delugg was the band leader for The Gong Show and composed the score for Santa Claus Conquers the Martians. I certainly recognize the artwork here, but the name of the artist is on the tip of my tongue (it's not Jack Davis, I don't think - but perhaps another MAD illustrator?) Somebody help me out.Tasteful use of vinyl cheesecake and well designed; however, I'm not real sure what all those ropes are hanging around her neck.This is what happens when psychedelia and horror mix. Faintly Blowing (1969) by the druggie folk rock group, Kaleidoscope, may be a far cry from an Iron Maiden cover, but it still achieves an element of horror - with a cool sort of Grimms Fairy Tales vibe.This is a detail from the Halloween Horrors (1977) album back cover. It's absolutely incredible (and should've been on the front). My copy has the track listing and other text all over this mesmerizing image. Branded in the 80's, somehow has the image with the text removed.
October 15, 2009
You just can't top Sounds to make you Shiver! (1974)
Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else: Halloween 2009, Part 10--Big Bad Wolf, King Kong, The Voodoo Man!
Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else: Halloween 2009, Part 10--Big Bad Wolf, King Kong, The Voodoo Man!Halloween 2009, Part 10--Big Bad Wolf, King Kong, The Voodoo Man!
Click here to hear: Halloween 2009, Part 10
SLAYLIST
SITTIN' BY SITTIN' BULL (J. Driftwood)--Eddy Arnold, 1959.
THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATER MEETS THE WITCH DOCTOR--Joe South, 1958.
THE THING (Grean)--Arthur Godfrey, 1950.
THE VOODOO MAN--Del Vikings w. Carl Stevens Orch., 1958.
THE BELLS--Billy Ward and His Dominoes, 1952.
BIG BAD WOLF (Bartel)--Don Cherry w. Ray Conniff Orch., 1958.
LAUGHING OVER MY GRAVE--Ray Stevens, 1964.
SURFIN' BIRD--Hit Parader Records 27
IT'S ABOUT TIME (Wylie-Schwartz-Fried)--Wade Denning and the Port Washingtons, 1966.
KING KONG--Wade Denning and the Port Washingtons, 1966.
exploding heads
exploding heads
9 October 2009 | bedtime stories, crime | 8 comments
The climatic shift in attitudes toward child abuse […] seemed to have been effectuated less by studied logic, scrupulous research, and patient wisdom than by a combination of crusader spirit, self-righteous zeal, blind-eyed stupidity, steel-knuckled meanness, inquisition-strength intolerance, star shine idealism, teeth-chattering terror, and bugfuck looniness. It was also unclear how much it accomplished.
It may be that one of the nobler - and more courageous - functions of art and artists is the probing of societies for tender points. Does it bother you here, such art asks. What about here, it inquires. When society yelps, the artist may have found an area that warrants further exploration. For art is only words and pictures; and if it causes discomfort, those areas may benefit from open airings. What are you hiding, the artist asks. Why are you hiding it? Would you care to discuss it.
ha ha ha! - this bob levin guy is great! - he’s positioned himself as a champion of “outlaws, rebels, freethinkers and pirates” in the field of comix - my only previous encounter with him was an excellent in-depth piece on vaughn bode he wrote for “the comics journal” - but he’s also written a couple of other associated books i’ll now be sure to be getting - anyway, i’m halfway thru this particular book telling the story of dwaine tinsley, offensive-for-the-hell-of-it cartoonist for hustler magazine, accused by his drug-addled daughter for sexually molesting her “at least 100, 000 times” - yeah, altho bob is sympathetic from page one, it all looks decidedly dysfunctional to me - they’re all as bad as each other - from what i’ve read so far, dwaine seems clearly as guilty as fxck, so i’m curious to see how the tale unfolds (knowing nothing about the case myself) and if bob can convince me otherwise - what is kinda disturbing is that his own art was used as “evidence” against him - in particular the unfortunate invention of a character named “chester the molester” specialising in little girls - but, hey, it’s only lines on paper! (no little girls harmed, or even depicted as being harmed, in the creation of these cartoons)
That’s the job of art. Show things that have never been seen. Say things that have never been heard. Explode people’s heads.
julien martinez
7 October 2009 | alice, art, doll | 11 comments
love these - it’s the glorious antithesis of the customary icky-pritty-frilly (japanese) custom blythes - which i was so eager to buy last year - but in the end never did (due to ostentatious price tags mainly) - so screw the incongruitous kawaii aspirations - blythe is intrinsically an ugly little bitch - and this artist has admirably brought out her true nature - with such a striking attention to detail - and, ironically, she looks so much more stunningly beautiful!
neojapan aestheticism declaration (???)
5 October 2009 | tb | 25 comments
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