SEX AND THE ART OF ROCK ’N’ ROLL
Remember the good old days? When album covers were symbolic (even in non-concept albums), when they really meant something deep and intricate and heavy? When each group had to outdo the next group’s cover as well as their music? When super-stars-in-their-own-right illustrators were hired at outrageous prices for their work which was supposed to illuminate the concept of the album?
SEX AND THE ART OF ROCK ’N’ ROLL
Q: DOES SEX SELL RECORDS?
BY LESTER BANGS
Remember the good old days? When album covers were symbolic (even in non-concept albums), when they really meant something deep and intricate and heavy? When each group had to outdo the next group’s cover as well as their music? When super-stars-in-their-own-right illustrators were hired at outrageous prices for their work which was supposed to illuminate the concept of the album? Or how the Rolling Stones had to out-Sgt. Pepper the Beatles by having a pseudo-3-D album cover?
Well, those days are gone. Didja check that Stones Black & Blue ad with the chick in ropes and charcoal? Well, that was their idea of an artistic concept cover ca. 1976, until Atlantic nixed it, fearing that stores just wouldn’t stock something like that. What they forgot was that the Rolling Stones are the state of the art, and the state of the art now is the hell with Peter Max; just stick some broad with her bazooms hanging out on there and it’ll sell, and be a hell of a lot more symbolic, too.