Thursday, September 1, 2011

Your Similar Album Covers of the Week - Cock Rock

This week we feature two classic, provocative album covers. These two albums were released ten years apart, and not much needs to be said about how much sleazy rock music changed between 1971 and 1981 -- these crotchy albums say it all in a nutshell. In ten years we went from bulging denim to studded leather and chanis: the Stones paved the way for scandal and shock-rock (don't even get me started with their banned 1973 EP), and the Crüe ran it into the ground with their own shallow, over-the top brand, inventing Hair Metal in the process.

It's hard to imagine that Mötley Crüe didn't deliberately conceptualize their cover without thinking of the Sticky Fingers LP (photo by Andy Warhol, vinyl packaging complete with a working zipper which unzips to reveal Mick's skivvies), it's too similar to not be an homage. Whatever their motivation, these two bands were the leading beacons of Cock Rock for their respective generations, and these albums effectively exemplify this in an oh-not-so-subtle way.