Here’s an album cover post a while in the planning. Though perhaps that should read: a while in the acquiring.
Years ago, when I first got a copy of Kraftwerk’s Radio-aktivität I was struck by the cover art: a geiger counter showing the operation panel on the front of the LP and the rear of the device on the cover’s back. It seemed such a neat idea; I wondered if other artists had created covers using the same idea. They have.
The behind-the-scenes back of each album is shown first. See if you can guess the device.
* * *
Kraftwerk — Radio-aktivität [EMI Electrola, 1975]
Matthew Bourne — Moogmemory [Leaf, 2016]
Gallagher and Lyle — Love On The Airwaves [A&M, 1977]
Family — Bandstand [Reprise, 1972]
Holger Czukay / Jah Wobble / Jaki Liebezeit — Full Circle [Virgin, 1982]
* * *
Feature image
Mushroom — Analog Hi-Fi Surprise [Clearspot, 1999].
This excellent space-rock/psychedelic/progressive album featured at Vinyl Connection here. It’s a clever piece of CD packaging where a cardboard slipcase has the main image…
While the jewel case tray pretends to be a turntable:
And the back of the insert has the underneath of the turntable. Neat, eh?
* * *
Favourites here?
Other albums using the same front/back electrical device design?
vinylconnection.com.au 
I love the turntable CD case. Pretty cool. I actually love all these and it highlights the fact that a physical product is the only way to go to get the full album enjoyment.
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Well said, Comrade John! We may be a dying breed who love the physical object, but we ain’t goin’ down without a fight!
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Nope! I will fight that war until the bitter end and I am trying my best to get the kids to keep waging that battle as well.
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There’s also the Tragically Hip’s Phantom Power album cover and back…
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Yeah! That’s a good one. Buggered if I know what the device is, but it’s electrical kit, that’s for sure.
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I feel like I used to know what it was (someone told me, once), but I don’t recall now. Looks like it could be part of an airplane, somehow…
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Cool post! I like the bookend idea of front and back being, well, front and back…
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Work with what you got, eh?
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Neat idea for a post. Those were some cool album covers. Not familiar with most of them.
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Some are a tad obscure, jp. The executive summary goes (top down):
Electronic – 70s
Electronic – 10s but retro
Pleasant 70s AOR
Prog-influenced UK rock
Eccentric Can/PIL hybrid
Psych/Prog post-rock/retro
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That last sounds interesting
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Yep. The post where it originally appeared has more about the music (after the ‘light entertainment’ section!)…
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Another good compilation! In the middle of the seventies you could purely electronically produced sounds almost only find in the avant-garde electronic music. Groups like Kraftwerk were quite unique for me at the time, but also very impersonal.
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Hi HF. Radio-Aktivitat certainly has a cold, austere feel. But some Kraftwerk is much warmer, I reckon; the romance of Trans-Europe Express, the human/auto journey of Autobahn, zum beispiel.
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You are right, there was definitely humorous component.
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Very cool sleeves! I love them all, but I’m not familiar with nost of them. And I was dead-sure there is radio receiver on the Kraftwerk “Radio-activity” with the speaker in the middle, so the information that it’s acctualy a giger counter is revolutionary for me 🙂
Some other examples (not devices though but showing the back of the front cover… well…on the back):
Black Sabbath ‘Sabotage’ – some fun with the mirror reflections
Deep Purple “In rock” – You can admire the backs of the statues on the back of the cover 🙂
Gentle Giant “The power and the glory” – Cover idea is to resemble playing card bend in half so the back is the other part of the same card
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Thanks for joining the conversation iwarti. Always enjoy it when you pop up! Yes, using the back cover to continue the story is very nice. Perhaps another post right there.
As for the playing card design, somewhere I have a list with a few of those, but not enough in the VC collection to make a post.
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Always a please to chat with You! Oh, and I must say this “Full cirlce” with Can/Pil crew is great! I’ve discovered it just in time to include it in my letter to Santa 🙂 So Thank you for this one!
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Oh, I meant a pleasure not a please 🙂
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Got it! 🙂
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I’m sure Santa has his radio tuned to your station, iwarti!
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Brilliant! Not an electrical device, but the front/back idea present: Bob Marley and The Wailers, Babylon By Bus, front and back of a bus. Maybe for a new post, abour transportation devices on album covers? Greetings from Belgium, Guy
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Hi Guy. Lovely to have you join the conversation, and hello to you in Belgium!
Album covers with forms of transport? Yep, we certainly have that covered.
Here’s the link to the first in what became a sprawling series…
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I haven’t seen the back, but maybe XTC’s Transistor Blast?
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Yes indeed. Nice get. Can’t quite believe I missed this…
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Oh cool, I don’t actually have a copy.
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The first Butts Band (post Doors crew with Jess Roden) had the front and back of an amp. https://www.discogs.com/Butts-Band-The-Butts-Band/master/243025
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Superb! Great get Paul.
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I love everything about this, I obviously need more albums in my life so I too can do this type of connect the album stuff in nefarious and circumstantial ways. You sire are an inspiration.
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Why thank you. These posts are certainly a way of ‘playing’ with the collection, and I’m chuffed when there is a positive response. This, naturally enough, justifies more purchases.
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Nothing better than self-justification, Bruce. It’s the ultimate reward 😉 – Marty
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Who was it said, ‘Indulgence is its own reward’?
Oh. I think it was me.
Cheers Marty! 😉
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Very neat. I’m intrigued by that Full Circle most, for the lineup more than the artwork. Really inventive theme for a post too, this one.
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Thanks Bill. Quite a while in the making, this one. I knew about the Gallagher and Lyle from my record store days, but wasn’t willing to pay more than $5 for an LP purchased entirely for this post. Hence, quite a long wait.
Two members of Can + the bass player from PIL. It is more the former than the latter; reminiscent of Holgar’s solo work if you know any of that strange opus.
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I was scrolling down the take wondering if you might by chance include the ‘Family’ album. Off you did!
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G’day Bruce
Some great albums amongst this lot. Here’s one that’s not particularly exotic:
AC/DC – Backtracks (2009 box set)
Cheers, Dave
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Hi Paul. That’s a good addition, and very fitting! That original amp box was simply fabulous.
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Brilliant Bruce, coincidentally I bought Moog Memory this week too.
I absolutely love the Mushroom CD – how clever of it to know that vinyl is inherently better than it is.
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Cheers Joe. Reckon you’ll love moogmemory. And yes, Mushroom are that sort of bear.
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[…] I was searching for album covers that incorporated sound equipment (Back To Front) I did not come across this neat bit of […]
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