A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing: Mismatched Album Art

What is an album with artwork so amazing that despite knowing you’d dislike the music, you’ve almost bought (or perhaps actually did buy)?

About 85% of 4AD records in the ’80s that weren’t the Cocteau Twins.
Paul Shirley, Oakland

I don’t have a good answer for this one, though I bought my favorite album of all time, Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, based on the cover art alone.
Chelsea Spear, Popshifter

I purchased Oblivion’s D-Rok album from Dr. Disc in Hamilton. As a lad we didn’t have a record store in our hometown, so we used to drive there on occasion to purchase and barter for CDs. On this particular trip we came up with the idea to randomly pick a CD out of the two dollar bin and buy it. Using the standard “spin around and put your finger on it” approach, I selected this CD. The reason I actually bought it was the badass Warhammer artwork on the cover. What a treat it was when we got back to the car to listen to it: horrible ’80s cheese metal. I still have the case and the disc to this day.
Baron Zemm, Toronto ON

I think I saw Devin Townsend’s Ziltoid The Omniscent album first on Rate Your Music. I was looking at albums by Townsend because he had produced an album by an indie rock band by the name of Ten Ways From Sunday, whom I was fairly fond of at the time. Intrigued by the silliness of the Ziltoid cover, I Wiki’d it and learned of the wild story line of the album. It was very Pythonesque: an alien named Ziltoid from the planet Ziltoidia 9 travels to earth in search of the ultimate cup of coffee. I nearly bought it right there, but after I heard samples of it I realized it was the type of metal that made my ears want to jump off a bridge, if ears can do such a thing.
Mark Coutts, BC Canada

It’s no secret I’m a huge McSweeney’s fan, and the Dave Eggers-designed cover art for Thrice’s Vheissu had always caught my eye. I’m a sucker for interesting typography and good graphic design, and Eggers is very talented at both. Unfortunately, for me, I’ve never been able to get into Thrice’s music. It’s OK, but just not my thing. However, I often thought that if I could find an LP copy of this album, I would pick it up just to hang on my wall. Then I did come across one once, and I didn’t buy it, proving myself a big ol’ phony liar.
Matt Keeley, Seattle WA

Although the album itself is total emo crap, the cover art of Sunny Day Real Estate’s first album Diary was brilliant: a bunch of old “Fisher-Price people” standing in a kitchen with huge smiles on their faces, unable to do anything about the toaster on fire on the center island because they don’t have arms.
Arratik, Asheville NC

I liked Roger Dean’s artwork for Yes’ Relayer, but I never really liked the production on that album. The guitar sounded awful to me. What the fuck was he thinking? Or on? But I bought the album because it was Yes, not because I liked or disliked the art. I’d never heard the music on it when I bought it. My brother would add Zappa’s The Grand Wazoo to that list. He was so excited when he brought it home: “Check this out!!! It’s gonna be great!” Ten minutes later: “WHAT IS THIS SHIT???” Priceless. And Lou Reed’s Metal Machine Music must have done the same thing to many people. Anyone HAVE a copy of Metal Machine Music?
Andrew, Columbus OH

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