With a recent resurgence and renewed interest in vinyl records, many music listeners are discovering the importance of an album’s visual identity. After all, an album’s artwork is the listener’s first impression of a recording, providing a glimpse into what type of listening experience they can expect.
Great album covers will grab your attention and make you want to learn more about the music found within. For us animal lovers, putting a cat or dog the cover is all it really takes to pique our interests. Continue reading to check out 8 of Crazy Cat Guy’s favorite album covers featuring cats and dogs.
Alice In Chains – Alice In Chains
Inspired by a three-legged dog that used to terrorize Alice In Chains drummer Sean Kinney on his childhood paper route, the band’s self-titled third studio album is often referred to by fans as the “Tripod” album. Photographer, music video director, and frequent Alice In Chains collaborator Rocky Schenk was hired to cast and shoot the album cover at a playground in Los Angeles. However, the photos from that shoot were scrapped in favor of using a faxed image of a photo submitted during Schenk’s casting.
Carole King – Tapestry
Released in 1971, Carole King’s intimate and introspective masterpiece Tapestry struck a chord with listeners and garnered widespread critical acclaim. The album spent 15 consecutive weeks at number on the Billboard charts and spawned such timeless classics as “It’s Too Late,” “So Far Away,” and “I Feel the Earth Move.”
The album’s cover was shot by Jim McCrary, a renowned photographer responsible for over 300 album covers, including Joe Cocker’s Mad Dogs & Englishmen and the Carpenter’s Ticket to Ride. Arguably McCrary’s most famous album cover, Carole King’s Tapestry features the singer-songwriter lounging on a window seat with her cat Telemachus.
Kate Bush – Hounds of Love
Featuring the 1985 New Wave classic “Running Up That Hill,” Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love recently found a new generation of fans after the hit single appeared in season 4 of Netflix’s Stranger Things. In addition to being one of the best albums of the 1980’s, it also features one of the decade’s most iconic album covers. Shot by Kate’s eldest brother, John Carder Bush, Hounds of Love features a photo of the singer posing with two Weimaraner dogs named Bonnie and Clyde. Outtakes from the photo shot can be found in John Carder Bush’s book Kate: Inside the Rainbow.
Yasuaki Shimizu – Kakashi
A cult Japanese jazz fusion album from composer, saxophonist, and producer Yasuaki Shimizu, Kakashi is considered an underground classic. While it may be one of the least know works on this list, the 1982 album’s eye-catching cover art is sure to attract new listeners. The vibrant red cover features a charming cat illustration, drawn by Yasuaki Shimizu himself. If you are as curious as a cat about Japanese underground music of the 1980’s, head over to Palto Flats and grab a copy of the Kakashi vinyl reissue.
Beck – Odelay
Culled from a series of photos shot for the cover of the July 1977 issue of the American Kennel Club’s Gazette, Beck’s Odelay features a surreal image of a moppy Komondor dog leaping over a hurdle on its cover. Shot by prolific canine photographer Joan Ludwig (1914-2004), Beck chose the image for his best-selling album at the eleventh hour before the deadline for the cover art submission. As quirky as the singles “Devils Haircut” and “Where It’s At,” the cover art of Odelay perfectly captures the energy of Beck’s recordings.
Neil Young with Crazy Horse – Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Featuring the popular Neil Young tunes “Cinnamon Girl,” “Down by the River,” “Cowgirl in the Sand,” and “Everybody Knows This is Nowhere,” Neil Young’s first album with Crazy Horse is an absolute classic. Shot by Frank Bez, the album features a grainy photo of the Canadian rocker leaning against a tree with a dog at his feet.
Over the course of his 7+ decade career as a commercial photographer, Frank Bez has shot many actors and musicians, including Sharon Tate, Raquel Welch, The Byrds, Johnny Cash, Jim Morrison, Andy Warhol and Nico, and countless others. For Neil Young’s 1969 breakthrough album, Bez shot Neil and his dog Winnipeg in Topanga Canyon in Southern California.
Jawbreaker – Unfun
Legends of California’s vibrant early to mid-90’s Bay Area punk scene, Jawbreaker released their debut album Unfun in May of 1990. The cover art for the independent Shredder Records release features a photo of lead vocalist and guitarist Blake Schwarzenbach’s cat Sammy. Shot by Schwarzenbach in his apartment, the Unfun feline named after Sammy Davis, Jr. is now immortalized on this classic release for future generations to enjoy.
Weezer – Raditude
Shot in 2008 by photographer Jason Neely, and originally published in the August 2009 issue of National Geographic, Weezer’s Raditude features Neely’s original photo of his high-energy dog Sidney on the cover. Sidney was also featured on MTV.com interviewing Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo about the band’s new album, and he appears again in Weezer’s music video for the song “I’m Your Daddy.” You can check out Sidney’s interview with Rivers Cuomo over on Vimeo.
