I love album cover artwork. When I was a kid, I would study every nuance of every image. I looked for hidden meanings in the lyrics as I listened to the music. The idea of hiding the truth in plain sight on a cover made the artwork more compelling. Placing hidden gems or messages in a cover’s artwork was a thing bands and talented cover artists often did. Sometimes, it was subtle. Other times, it was “in your face” obvious.
The Devil Is In The Details
The devil was truly in the details in the cover of Black Sabbath’s 1981 album Mob Rules. In the artwork designed by artist Greg Hildebrandt, you can see the face of Satan staring back at you from what appears to be a bloody canvas. Looking at the ground in front of the canvas, you can almost make out the name “Ozzy”. Ozzy Osbourne and the band parted ways acrimoniously in 1979, two years before the release of Mob Rules.
On the next album, they are up to it again. If you look closely at the lightning on the cover of 1982’s Live Evil, you might see a familiar visage.
When Ronnie James Dio left the band shortly after that to form his own band, aptly named Dio, the logo design was brilliant. If you flip it upside down, it transforms from “Dio” to “Devil”. You might have to stare at it, but you will eventually see it.
Blackbird singing…
Let’s leave the boys of Black Sabbath and move over to an artist on another end of the musical spectrum – Kate Bush. I’ve been a fan of her music for years (check out her song “Babooshka” if you haven’t), and her album covers have always been beautiful. The cover of her 2005 album Aerial features what appear to be rocks protruding from and reflecting in an expanse of water against a sunset. Nope. It’s actually the waveform of a bird’s song.
Speaking of blackbird’s singing, Paul McCartney’s second studio album, Ram, also had a hidden message (I know – the blackbird transition to Paul was a stretch). The “L.I.L.Y.” stands for “Linda I Love You”. A touching gesture to his wife Linda.
Drugs Under the Table
Since we’re on the subject of the Beatles’ solo efforts, let’s move on to one from ex-Beatle John Lennon. Lennon produced his friend Harry Nilsson’s 1974 album Pussy Cats during the period known as his “lost weekend”. It was lost for several reasons, with drugs playing a large part in that. If you look under the table on the cover, you’ll find the drugs.
Clouds
Have you ever looked at clouds and seen shapes? You’ll see a skull if you look at the clouds behind the figure on the cover of the Grateful Dead’s 1973 album Wake of the Flood. No? Tilt your head to the right…
See it?
There ya go.
E*T Me
Ok. We’ll do one more. I could do this all day, but talking about these albums makes me want to listen. Especially Ram, which I haven’t listened to in a long time.
So far, we’ve found Satan, waveforms, love letters, drugs, and skulls hidden in the artwork of album covers. If we want to get a little crude, we can pull out License to Ill, the classic 1986 album from the Beastie Boys. Nothing to see here, right? It’s just the rear of a plane. Now, look at the tail number on the plane “3MTA3”. Still nothing, right? That’s because we have to flip it around…
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