I was with a mate in a record store and he quite literally ran across the store for a closer look at "that album cover with the fit birds on it".

The album in question was Look what the cat dragged in, by Poison.

He still bought it though.

sounds like someone whos never had a gf or seen a real girl before


I used to collect music cds so I could copy the music videos out of them when I was in high school, then just burn discs with heaps of the music vids

I know the album cover in question, and to be fair to your mate, it's not a difficult thing to get wrong.
Much like looking at ThePussycat Dolls and mistaking them for women.

Mark

I can see some of where he is coming from. When I used to buy records (or tapes or CDs) the buying experience was enjoyable. I'd take my time in the shop searching for what I wanted or stumble on something I didnt know existed. It was almost a pastime. Now though if I fancy a new album I load iTunes (other music stores are available), search, press buy, download. It's a much more sterile experience and athough the end result is the same (I get the album/track I want) it's just not the same.

Although music is probably cheaper now I actually think I buy less. Not because I steal it but because of lot of purchases would have been impulse buys. I remember paying about £8 when I was 16/17 for an imported live version of Aerosmith's Dream On recorded (IIRC) before I was born. I wouldnt do that now.

I would like to point out that previewing music in store has been possible for decades. Record shops used to have booths where you would have the record played for you. Larger stores, even today, have headphones with juke box type affairs when you can listen before you buy. Not my local [LIFTED] HMV though.

In the 80s we used to actually travel to London specifically to "do the record shops". I still stop wherever I see vinyl, although that's mostly market stalls and it's always crap no one wants. My favourite shops are all closed down now.

I imagine over 50% of the bands I have vinyl for were discovered purely because I liked the album art; when I was 12 I'd pretty much get anything that had blood on the cover - except I borrowed them from the library because I didn't actually have any money

Same here. I used to go to a very small shop called Shades in St Anne's Court, just off Wardour Street in London. They dealt only in Metal albums and had a really good stock of imports. You could ask to hear tracks from any of the inventory and the guys in the shop were very knowledgable about music. They also held signings there and were a convenient 5 minute walk from the Marquee. I dare not think about how much money I spent in there!

As far as covers go, I bought the first WASP 12'' because of the cover and was surprised to find that the song inside was actually good. Albums with good artwork were a big factor in a purchase....I might not have got into Iron Maiden so early if it hadn't been for the 'Killers' artwork.

I think album art has always been especially important to metal-heads.

We're teetering on the edge of a 'post your favourite album covers' thread here.

I bought the poster for South of Heaven before I bought the album:



I'm also rather fond of this classic:



There are better covers out there, but those are probably the favourites from my actual collection.

Three of my earliest acquisitions:

I bought Killers on cassette. That little fold-out booklet just isn't the same, but it's still better than a jpeg

I do miss the "OMG Awesome!" feeling I used to get fondling 12" of visual poetry in the shops.