SMOKE AND MIRRORS
Ariel — Rock ’n’ Roll Scars [1975]
The Saints — (I’m) Stranded [1977]
Carson — On the Air [1973]
Skyhooks — Ego Is Not A Dirty Word [1975]
Coloured Balls — Ball Power [1973]
INXS — The Swing [1984]
Kush — Snow White and the Eight Straights [1974]
Dave Warner — Mug’s Game [1978]
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Feature image: Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs — Pick Me Up And Play Me Loud [1976]
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More Australian album covers from 1973—1984, this time focusing on people and contrast. (Part 1 is here)
You may not know many of these artists, but I hope you find the portrait gallery enjoyable.
vinylconnection.com.au 
Scott Carson made an album? Who knew, not me.
I also have Ball Power.
The Ariel guys have…neat outfits….
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I noticed Ariel’s fashion sense too. Were the Village People before or after?
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I’m not sure, but I don’t think either answer can salvage that one.
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That one guy seems disapproving….
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More ‘Glam’ than ‘Disco’ Danica. Yet a similar highly tuned fashion sense, I’m sure you’ll agree.
What’s interesting is that Ariel made intelligent, off-kilter rock that is not exactly represented by their sartorial sense!
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You know Lobby Loyde? That’s great! Their album “Obsecration” is just fabulous (maybe you already know that, Mike!).
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That’s not the kind of Ball Power I’m talking about!
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😬 Ooh you are naughty!
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INXS is the only outfit I’ve heard of!
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Not really surprising, J. Aus had not exported many band by the mid-70s. Men At Work, Air Supply and Midnight Oil were still to make their mark. This post was much more about the visuals!
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Ditto to JDB – – INXS is the only band I recognized (I’m in the U.S. and wasn’t in the ’70’s or ’80’s). I looked up The Saints and see Bruce Springsteen covered their tune “Just Like Fire Would,” and then listened to the original, stripped-down version which I liked better. But I did enjoy your gallery of album covers, pretty wild!
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Response ditto too, Robert.
“(I’m) Stranded” is one of the great early punk singles, btw.
Glad you enjoyed the covers. This one was certainly all about the “artwork”!
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The only one I have in my music library is The Saints – don’t know a whole lot of them, although I’ve heard you mention Skyhooks before, and I’ve never really like INXS. Do you like them?
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Not particularly. Bit radio pop for my tastes.
I reckon the first Skyhooks album, ‘Living in the Seventies’ was very significant at the time – literate, naughty, satirical, with pop smarts to boot.
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Cool – I should remember to look for Skyhooks.
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Best Fashion Statement – Ariel
Best Mood/Ambience – Carson
Best Use of Color – Skyhooks
Best Use of Crisps/Chips – Dave Warner
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Brilliant. Your votes have been tallied and will be read out by Warren Beatty at a black tie event somewhere in the future.
Anyone else want to make awards?
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You can’t beat the old album covers can you? I know this because I hit one repeatedly with a stick earlier and it just lay there, uncomplaining
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Hang on, I thought you said you COULDN’T beat them. You’ve been listening to too much Lionel Ritchie, you have.
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Sorry, I missed out the ‘into submission’ caveat.
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Oh dear that album Mug’s Game looks like most of my family parties in the seventies, too realistic, that could be my Uncle Alan there only it would be a red can of Watneys Red Barrel instead of the jug.
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Sounds like some memories stirred up there Neil. Probably need a jug of something strong after that!
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There’s a band called Carson?!
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Too right. Fairly short-lived but much loved early 70s outfit. Played an infectious blues boogie style of pub rock a bit like a stoned ZZ Top. Their one studio album (not the live one pictured above) was called ‘Blown’ which gives some indication of their recreational habits.
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Glass-blowing? Trumpet? No idea what you mean.
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😎
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That sounds like something I’d dig!
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Reckon you might, J.
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Not far into this, but I’m fairly enjoying it…
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I was reminded of the 1977 LP “Radios Appear” by Radio Birdman. The cover is high contrast (not a true black and white photo and not a true hi-con image)
https://www.allmusic.com/album/radios-appear-mw0000457868
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(will this link auto-populate the feed?)
https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0003/582/MI0003582029.jpg?partner=allrovi.com
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(nope)
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Not to worry. The Vinyl Connection piece on Radios Appear is here.
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Radios Appear was a strong contender (especially as I was aiming for contrast!).
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The Saints and Carson covers are my favourites, but there’s some colour here, eh? Yikes! In fact, the feature image is nifty also.
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The feature image story ends happily, J., with the kangaroo getting a lift in an open top limo. Thought you’d like to know.
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I’ve very pleased about that, Bruce.
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The Swing is very familiar to me. The cover makes little sense as it relates to the album title…and its music, but I do like it very much.
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That closing line described my experience nicely – I’m not familiar with most, but that didn’t stop me from enjoying the post!
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I always get a kick out of imagining the photo shoots like the one that ended up providing The Saints cover. Young band dragged by an artsy-fartsy starving photographer with “edgy” ideas into some rundown locale and told to stand there all casual-like, as if they were being photographed in their grimy reality. The unrelaxed “relaxed” poses and directed “indifferent” looks on their faces are perfect! I wonder if you could do one of your themed-covers posts on bands “captured in their (choreographed) squalor.”
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Artists in squalor, eh? Let me ponder the possibilities. But it is a wonderful cover, isn’t it? Att-i-tude, man.
I recently enjoyed revisiting the Who’s ‘Meaty Beaty’ cover, courtesy of CB. Would that count?
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Meaty Beaty could be an outlier……. but is maybe too jokey for the “grim reality” sense I have in mind.
As I think this through, “squalor” may be too strong. I’m thinking covers that purport to capture the artist in their stark, dour (emphasis on dour) reality — but which are also posed art pieces in locales carefully selected by the photographer “for effect.” I know I am being presumptuous here, but bear with me:
Beyond that The Saints cover, examples might be the debuts by The Clash and The Ramones (as well as The Ramone’s Rocket to Russia), Bruce Springsteen’s Darkness at the Edge of Town, Patti Smith’s Peace and Noise and Thin Lizzy’s Fighting. An example of the style bastardized could be Aerosmith’s Night in the Ruts.
All this said, more easily-stated themes such as “naked on peaks” — Buffalo, Robin Trower — may make more sense for actual posts.
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Or just ‘More guitars’?
PS. Good get on mountain nudity. Is there a third, I wonder?
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(I’m) Stranded is a Top 15 album for me, easily. Their other stuff is pretty damned good too.
Hmm, Ariel … no thanks!
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Do you have (I’m) Stranded on vinyl? Jealous!
RE: Ariel – say no to tights, sure, but the music is pretty damn good!
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“Ball Power.”
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Every one of those covers is on some kind of list, especially the ‘Rock and Roll Scars’ one.
(Still waiting for some Australian flicks list. Bruce style)
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A good selection of bands and album covers.
Crikey the Coloured Balls were loud live; the cover certainly does not do justice to the power
Thanks.
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You saw them and lived to tell the tale? Presumably not in Frankston then.
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Sunbury, and he was pretty damn good too.
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Ah, fantastic.
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Man, all of those are great. I haven’t heard The Swing in a long time…
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The INXS was probably the only one that made it ‘off shore’!
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Maybe, unless we got the Saints? Maybe? I dunno but it sounds familiar…
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