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Never for the cover, but I have purchased an album based on one song and than found that the rest of the album sucked!
Everyone knows not to judge an album by its cover. But sometimes we can't resist the visual allure created to tempt the unwary shopper. Have you ever bought an album just for the cover? How did it turn out?
I've always been a great fan of British design firm Hipgnosis and George Hardie. Apparently, most bands working with Hipgnosis were on top of my list. So, yes, each Hipgnosis album cover was a treat for the eyes, and all albums weremost of the timegood, if not great: Pink Floyd, 10cc, Led Zep, Alan Parson, Peter Gabriel, Yes. Some Roxy Music albums we're pretty nice, too.
I've been enticed a couple of times by a cover. Most notable was the angelic face on Fiona Apple's Tidal CD. Maybe I was thinking a face like that couldn't sound that bad, eh? It was definintely one of my best blind (or deaf) purchases. On the other side, a college buddy borrowed Al Di Meola's Kiss My Axe without asking once, drawn to the gorgeous and mostly naked profile of some young woman. He probably thought it was a rap album and you know how that sometimes can be. A nice album, but not to his taste so the disc magically reappeared later that evening.
I find it quite difficult to buy electronic music. I was flipping through the electronic CDs and found Roland Klinkenberg's Mexico Can Wait. The cover features a scene of deserted highway traveling off into a desert horizon. While this scene depicts my own personal slice of heaven, the music was not on par.
I almost did this. When I was young I thought Molly Hatchet had the best album covers ever. Viking dudes in helmets with giant axes? Dude, this must be the best band ever. Ever. This all changed when I finally heard some Molly Hatchet on the radio. The twang of southern rock just didn't work for me. Was I supposed to believe that this is how the Vikings rocked? Disappointing! At least I didn't spend any money just to find this out.
Is This It by The Strokes. CD box was always floating around in my totally untidy home as a bait to a curious female. B&W cover photo was surely a warmer conversation starter and even more. Music was also excellent. The old cover doesn't exist any more to save children from harmful materials.
Not just for the cover, but on the assumption that people with similar sensibilities will group together, and if they like the same cover look as I do, maybe it will be music I like too. Here are three: Tino Izzo: Foreign Skies; Anggun: Anggun; David: Gone to Earth.
Yes, I have. I bought Over the Rhine's Films for Radio and it introduced me to a great band! Conversely, I've shunned buying a record because of a nondescript cover and regretted it when I did later pick it up. The record? Queens of the Stone Age's Rated R.
You didn't have a vote option for "it turned out "OK," but I've bought two, In Search of the Lost Chord by the Moody Blues, oh, about 38 years ago, and I still listen, side 1 especially. ('Ride My See-Saw', 'House of Four Doors', 'Legend of a Mind') The other was, well, see the picture of the woman in whipped cream on the home page here. I think I listened to it once. Is A Taste of Honey on that one? Not really my kind of music.
I have had both good and bad experiences when buying an album based on its cover. Since there are no record stores to peruse anymore I don't buy on cover anymore. Also there are now samples of what's on an album on the Internet, so you can get a flavor of what's on the album before you buy.