Best Matador Album Cover

[Scotch Carlson]

I know it's simple, but I'm going to have to go with Catpower "Moon Pix"

[Ladt]

The Tobe's Moonflower Plastic.

[earl grey]

I LOVE the cover for Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights.

[Dayne1234]

"Slanted and Enchanted" is my favorite. I even think it represents the music really well. I also like Yo La Tengo's "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out". Also very reflective of the music.

[Funk]

Originally posted by Dayne1234
I also like Yo La Tengo's "And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out". Also very reflective of the music.

I'm trying to figure out how a UFO abduction is refelective of the music on that album....

I sure like the cover to Thinking Fellers Union Local 282's Mother of All Saints album. JSBX's Orange was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the subject heading, but I think it has more to do with 12" X 12" of heavy silver cardboard than it does with the actual artwork.

[johansen smith]

what would the community think?

[Dayne1234]

I guess the way I see the cover as being reflective of the music is the darkness, stillness, and wonder that the cover evokes. I consider that album a night album for some reason.
Anyway, that is my thinking.

[earl grey]

That YLT cover is great - it's actually a cropped Greg Crewdson picture. I always thought the crop was in a weird spot ... you can see the full picture here:

http://monet.bestweb.net/~lagny/artist_art.cgi?crewdson

It's near the bottom of the page.

[Funk]

Originally posted by Dayne1234
I guess the way I see the cover as being reflective of the music is the darkness, stillness, and wonder that the cover evokes. I consider that album a night album for some reason.
Anyway, that is my thinking.

Yeah, that makes sense. I always saw it as pretty ominous, myself.

[tinobeat]

I'll have to go with Orange by JSBX as well, for the same reason... so shiny! poorly drawn theremin! ay ay ay!

I used to have this great Matador 10th anniv. poster that they were giving away that had a big "10" on it and then the covers of the whole matador catalog up til then, in order, inside the ten. that was a fun thing to stare at for a long time and look at all the covers.

I'd say Fantasma by cornelius has one of my favorite cover too...

[Paul]

I tried a couple times to win that very poster on eBay, but was outbid. Curses!

[johansen smith]

I like "Gone Glimmering"'s cover too.

[juicemaster]

Orange and/or A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey.

[Salman]

I always loved Wowee Zowee. Watery, Domestic is also another good Pavement cover.

The Magic City by Helium is pretty rad too.

[Oh!]

Exile in Guyville
Whip-Smart

[anagrama]

Originally posted by earl grey
That YLT cover is great - it's actually a cropped Greg Crewdson picture. I always thought the crop was in a weird spot ... you can see the full picture here:

http://monet.bestweb.net/~lagny/artist_art.cgi?crewdson

It's near the bottom of the page.

I agree...that one is my fave too.

the pic goes so well with the tone of the album.

[Susan Kirk]

Free Popcorn is a totally amazing cover--the band playing in a space-age pod above a dancefloor filled with famous sci-fi characters and robots! Kick ass.

I think the cover of their first album emerge was shot by the guy who did Younger Than Yesterday by the Byrds.

[chabysinisterra]

let's not forget bardo pond's, er, silkworm's 'firewater,' with the pictures by hiroshi Kimura... it's pretty fucking swell packaging...

[bcleland]

I thought RL was on Fat Possum.

I would have to go for wowee zowee.

[tinobeat]

yeah, RL is on Fat Possum, but A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey was released on Matador and had the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion as his backup band.

its got a pretty hilariously offensive cover too..

is that RL taking his belt off to whip those pretty ladies? oh my!

[9000]

orange
pentagram ring

[Che]

"Orange" first run on crypt had an orange jacket, black vinyl. Second run was silver cover with black vinyl.
First run on Matador was silver cover and silver vinyl. All new versions are silver cover and black vinyl.

[Funk]

Originally posted by Che
"Orange" first run on crypt had an orange jacket, black vinyl. Second run was silver cover with black vinyl.
First run on Matador was silver cover and silver vinyl. All new versions are silver cover and black vinyl.

I remember reading an interview with Tim Warren where he said he lost money on every copy sold of the one with the silver jacket because they cost so much to make (he may have meant the CD too, I can't remember).

How many copies were in the first run on Matador? I, and most people I know, bought the album within the first four months or so of release and I've never seen the silver vinyl, only heard of it (I thought it was a promo-only thing, to tell the truth). I actually remember being afraid of buying the vinyl because I was dreading it being on orange vinyl (down with coloured vinyl!).

[Susan Kirk]

The first run on CRYPT?!? Orange cover? W-w-whuh?!? Do you have a scan of this to post? I have NEVER seen this!!

Yo, Funk--one was able to find the silver vinyl version around NYC for, like, a year. Rare, ya, but at first it wasn't TOO hard to find. Wasn't a promo.

[Patrick]

The silver vinyl actually wasn't the first run - it was initially pressed on black vinyl in the States. But I think we did the silver before the end of '94. It was actually a picture disc to get the silver effect - very thick- and it sounded like crap! Looked and felt cool though.

re: Crypt. This was the European (not UK) pressing. It was simultaneous (roughly) with the Matador release - Fall of '94. And it had a great orange cover which contrasts nicely with the silver cover.

I'm not surprised Tim says he lost money- that silver is EXPENSIVE!

PA

[Funk]

Originally posted by Susan Kirk
The first run on CRYPT?!? Orange cover? W-w-whuh?!? Do you have a scan of this to post? I have NEVER seen this!!

If this worked properly, here's a scan of the orange cover I swiped from Crypt's old, old web site, using the Internet Wayback Machine.

[9000]

thanks for the orange illumination.

while we're on jsbx estorica, did the afro single originally have a b-side that didn't end up getting released? about two years ago, there was a white label pressing of afro on ebay that didn't have relax-her as the b-side.

[Jason]

Come's Don't Ask, Don't Tell and also Near Life Experience.

And GbV's Mag Earwhig.

[Damo Suzuki]

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drd500/d547/d54767j0pn0.jpg

[dekone]

Since I have it hanging in a frame on my wall right now, I guess I'd have to go with the Pizzicato 5 remix album...

silence is a rhythm too (http://www.geocities.com/mss_35/TheRezidence.html)

[Futureman]

This is not my favorite album cover; nor is it a Matador cover.

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc500/c508/c50856ce54o.jpg