It has been quite a while since there’s been an album cover post.
So here is a six-pack of six-string instruments from the VC holding, each gee-tar dominating its sleeve. Few humans (or Martians) in sight (other than Robby’s disturbingly disembodied hands and the mortal remains of Mr Be-Bop).
THE ALBUMS
Chuck Berry – Rockit (1979)
Dire Straits – Brothers in Arms (1985)
Roy Buchanan – The Best of Roy Buchanan (1984)
Robby Krieger – Versions (1982)
Al Caiola – Tuff Guitar (1964)
Be-Bop Deluxe – Axe Victim (1974)
Feature image: Roy Buchanan – You’re not alone (1978)
Post title: Mars Needs Guitars is a 1985 album by Hoodoo Gurus
vinylconnection.com.au 
The Robby guitar seems disturbingly bent as well – unnerving. I love the Chuck Berry cover.
What, no Boston?
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I think it’s the space-time continuum.
I’d love to visit Boston. But not so sure about Boston ever living with me.
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I was a little disappointed by the lack of Hoodoo Gurus in this post. I guess the guitars aren’t floating in space enough in their cover.
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I can understand the disappointment. But the covers of the Hoodoos’ (and many other artists’) albums didn’t have the guitars prominently centre stage, and hence didn’t make the cut.
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Some lovely guitar shenanigans going on here. Like Joe, I’m awfy fond of Rock It! That’s a mighty fine cover.
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And versatile too – it’s last appearance was in 10 Spacey Album Covers!
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That’s what you want from an album cover, eh?
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I always love these album cover theme posts. So much to say on this one, but will try not to overdo:
(1) The Axe Victim cover is not only one of my all-time favorite covers, it is one of my all-time favorite albums from one of my all-time favorite bands. I believe I even one “foisted” a song from this album on you once.
(2) Al Caiola! Haven’t thought of him in forever. Guitar playing for homes with babies and small children; i.e. the edges thoroughly rounded and padded to ensure no chance of injury. Caiola LPs could always be found — and were always left behind — in abundance in the bins during my teenage thrift store treasure hunts of the 70s and early 80s.
(3) I must contribute but could only come up with one slam dunk addition from my own collection (and then a few others that require caveats and therefore don’t fit by definition but are offered here anyway because I can’t stop myself):
— Metal Church: (s/t debut) = slam dunk!
— Gary Moore: Live at Monsters of Rock = may pass muster when disembodied hands allowed
— Robin Trower: Back It Up = disembodied hand and missing just a bit of the guitar
— The Best of the Monkees = stylized yes, but still a standalone guitar, right?
— Yngwie Malmsteen: Rising Force = hand not so much disembodied as conveniently cropped
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(3)
Metal Church – consider it slammed, dunked, doused in communion wine and set alight
Gary Moore – it’s a fair cop. He’s in.
Robin Trower – more than my life’s worth to exclude him when VotF is about. (nice cover, too)
Monkees – that’s pushing it
Yngwie Malmsteen – Well, if Robin is in…
Back for 1 and 2 later.
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Good to see Roy B getting a showing and I don’t know that album or great cover at all. Am guessing it’s a compilation of his late ’70s Atlantic material?
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1973 – 75, Matt. Here’s the back cover:
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Nice compilation! Once again one gets the impression, what meaning six strings have.
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Nice to see the Be Bop Deluxe album.
Jeff Beck’s Guitar shop?
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Love that Jeff Back cover – and the album too!
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Def Leppard On Through The Night does have a guitar in space on it… but it’s on a truck. So it’s space truckin’ which confuses things nicely…
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Indeed, steveforthedeaf. The Def Leppard does cover several bases… and appeared in a previous series of posts on album covers with motor vehicles. You can see the relevant post here:
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Awesome! I knew I could count on you guys
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Like Mr Victim I’m a fan of the Be Bop Deluxe cover and album… wondering if I have any to add… does the guitar-as-castle on Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow debut count?
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What a poser of a philosophical question you’ve raised, Scott. Is it a guitar inserted into a castle, a castle built like a guitar, or some strange hybrid. And who does the tuning?
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Umm… kind of a hybrid? And… elves.
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Every time you do this sort of thing CB starts casting his mind over his music pile and after about 2 seconds I give up. Hows that for attention span? How do you spell lazy? CBLAZY. I am curious about the music on the ‘Tuff Guitar’. How and what is it.
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Al Caiola is a kind of easy listening guitar album. The ‘Tuff’ in the title is an aspiration it doesn’t really come within coo-ie of, sadly. Victim of the Fury’s comment (above) is spot on!
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Those covers were of the time and Fury’s take is what I thought. Becks guitar Shop as noted and his Big Town Playboy’s ‘Crazy Legs’. I don’t know if it counts because there is a girl stuck to the guitar. I knew I’d come up with one.
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The best part about this post is your title. 🙂 – Marty
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What, you don’t like guitars, Marty? 😉
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I just wish I had come up with it!
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Ha! Me too! Aussie guitar-pop-rock band Hoodoo Gurus were the creative souls who named their 1985 LP ‘Mars Needs Guitars’!
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Hmm. How to use that in a future post about retirement savings accounts….
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Mmmm… guitars… nice one!
Also, that skull one made me do a double-take before I saw it for what it was. Freaky.
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Isn’t it just? Not sure I’d hang that cover on the wall. Reckon the eyes would follow you around the room. 💀
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They totally would. Great for Halloween…
Also, that Chuck Berry guitar looks like the Millenium Falcon, on first glance…
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Indeed it does. And I believe Chewbacca is on drums.
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I like your new vintage header. It’s been bugging me for a few days, where that title came from (for this blog) and I finally read to the bottom! I loved that album, about 1987 or 88 I reckon…was just graduating high school then, sigh (school).
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You knew the Hoodoo Gurus in your part of the world? That’s terrific. Good honest indie-rock-pop from Downunder. Perfect for graduating high school.
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“It’s always bittersweet—“
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Your post title has been in my email inbox all week. I finally found time to sit down and read blogs today and was surprised by your series of pictures. Seeing your “Mars Needs Guitars” title has had me thinking about “Mars Needs Women” by Tru Fax and the Insaniacs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAconscnjRY – a concert clip that starts with the song,
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Good rockin’ punky/new wave stuff!
Yes, I used to do regular album cover-art posts as it’s a bit of a passion and provided a little uncluttered visual material to brighten up the place. It was fun preparing this one, and folk seemed to enjoy it.
(There are more in the ‘Covers only, Thanks‘ link on the right)
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There’s a Canadian group named the Killjoys that had a 30-second ditty or so on one of their mid-90s albums. It featured the line, “Maybe we could visit mars We could bring our space guitars” – and based on this post (and title), it looks like that would be a good plan!
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Excellent plan. How here’s a bit of synchronicity… For the following post “Games For May” I had a pairing (it’ll make sense if you read the article) of the Canadian Killjoys with the Australian Killjoys. Spooky, eh?
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I’m hoping that’s a case of ‘great minds’ Bruce, rather than fools seldom differing!
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Oh, undoubtedly the former, Geoff!
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[…] via MARS NEEDS GUITARS — […]
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Hey Bruce, that Robby album cover always freaked me out a little. I always loved the Dire Sraits one, however
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Hi Sarca. Lovely to read your voice! Yes, it’s the disembodied hands, isn’t it? Kinda creepy.
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