Monday Music #50: Automotive Album Covers

Cars and music. While these two interests are vastly different on the surface, they both have an association with each other. Strangely, they actually go well together like peanut butter and jelly. Ever since car radios became popular, automobiles and song have been wedded. So today, for my 50th monday music, I present to you some of my favorite automotive imagery from the music world.

Pinks Season - Pink Guy (aka Filthy Frank aka George "Joji" Miller)

Pink Season is the brainchild of living meme George “Joji” Miller who goes by the name of Filthy Frank (one of his characters) on Youtube and makes comedy music under the Pink Guy persona and serious music under the name Joji. The Dodge Stealth on the cover of his breakout album with the Pink Guy persona caught my eye, and it fits well with the oddball character of Pink Guy. There’s also something to be noted in how the Dodge Stealth is an American car which is really a rebadged Japanese car, and how that mirrors how the artist in question, Joji, is half Japanese and spent an extensive part of his life in Japan, yet now lives in America. The best part, however, has to be that Joji actually owns this car and actually has it star in one of his strange comedic videos. Petrolhead Rating: 10/10

Good Kid M.A.A.D City - Kendrick Lamar

Another sort of breakout record here, Good Kid M.A.A.D. City by Kendrick Lamar features a stylistically distorted picture of a Chrysler minivan parked on the side of the street. If you have ever been in an American city, this type of vehicle is common, as people can’t afford newer or nicer vehicles in poor neighborhoods. Also notice how the street is extremely cracked, conveying a message about urban poverty and decay. There’s just something endearing about the way the minivan looks in the shot. No other picture has made me long for an old Chrysler minivan in this way, except for the next album cover of course. Rating: 8.5/10

El Camino - The Black Keys

El Camino, the Spanish word for the road, it’s right there in the title. The van in this album cover seems more to suggest a band van, and how small bands need one to travel around to various gigs. The act of playing music or doing stand up comedy at various small venues is often referred to as being “on the road”. At this point, the Black Keys were no longer a small full-time indie road band, but it seems they still wanted to capture that same sense of adventure and freedom that comes with automotive travel in a band van. I also have a soft spot for that wood paneling! Petrolhead Rating: 8.5/10

Heartbeat City - The Cars

By their band name, you would assume they would end up somewhere on the list, but what really earns this album a spot is the exquisite Plymouth Duster 340 illustration. The cover was not commissioned, but instead licensed work of an artist name Peter Phillips who met with drummer David Robinson. The pop art piece on the album cover marries the forces of fast cars and rebellious counterculture of late 60s early 70s. Most classical art snobs would scoff at the idea of scantily clad women and muscle cars having a place in the art world, but honestly, nobody likes those people anyway. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

OK Go(self titled) - OK Go

Now we arrive at the first album I didn’t know about before doing research. OK Go is an American rock band founded in 1998, and this is their debut album which came out in 2002. This debut album peached at 107 on the Billboard 200 (still less than Pink Season at 70). The man who designed the cover was Stefan Sagmeister, who is somewhat of a celebrity in the graphic arts world (his listed clients on Wikipedia include Jay-Z, Aerosmith, and The Rolling Stones). Personally, I really like the illustration of this Volvo (240 right?), and how it compliments the band logo and colorful background.
Petrolhead Rating: 9.5/10

Lawyers in Love - Jackson Browne

Another rock album from an artist who sort of flew under the radar for me, Jackson Browne’s “Lawyer’s in Love” is a platinum-certified album, and of course, there is a car on the cover. More specifically, it’s an image of a man in business attire, rowing his Mercedes which somehow isn’t sinking. I’m no expert, but there seems to be a heavy connection to how a Mercedes is a status symbol, which one might assume a lawyer would own. This could mean that him rowing the car as a raft instead of driving it refers to how he cannot buy love and that his shiny car is ultimately pointless in this pursuit. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10
(edit: I just found out I have been heard the song “Somebody’s Baby” from this album on the radio multiple times. Not a bad song, but it gets overplayed imo.)

Chemical World - Blur

Ok, so technically this is a single cover, but it’s just too good to pass up. Blur is a British alt-rock band which was at its peak during the 90s and early 00s. This artwork pretty much sums up the late 80s early 1990s aesthetic and looks very vaporwave esque. Well done illustration of the always breathtaking to look at Ferrari F40. Petrolhead Rating: 9.5/10

nostalgia, Ultra. - Frank Ocean

Hip-Hop and R&B artist Frank Ocean happens to have very good taste in cars along with his musical prowess. It only makes sense that somebody who comes out of Odd Future, one of the most stylistically impressive groups in both sound and image, would take a liking to a slick car like the BMW E30. When you look at that car it’s not overly flashy or the fastest car that could be on the cover, but the E30 has a good mix of quality and approachability. When you see an E30, you think man, that guy has good taste, unlike when mister chrome wrapped Lamborghini Gallardo drives by. What makes me most happy? Just like the first cover artist Joji, Frank Ocean actually owns the car he put on his cover. Not sure if it’s this exact one, but props to him. That’s why I have to also give this a 10/10 Petrolhead rating. (link below to proove Frank is an E30 fanboy).

Junkyard Speed Ball - Left Lane Cruiser

Oh boy, shout out to Mr.PurpleV12 because this album cover features a nice crown vic. Left Lane Cruiser is an Indiana blues rock band from Indiana and this is their fourth album which came out in 2011. I have no idea how popular they are, but this cover happens to be excellent marketing. My only wish is that I could see more of this beautiful beast on the cover! Petrolhead Rating 7.5/10

In Search Of - Fu Manchu

From my light research, I determined Fu Manchu is a stoner rock band. Many of there albums and projects have automotive-themed covers for whatever reason, I’m glad they have chosen this theme. I specifically wanted to highlight the excellent cover to their 1996 album “In Search Of”. I also include the bonus “Daredevil” cover below which I also liked! Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Bonus Album Cover - Daredevil - Fu Manchu

Gorillaz(Self-Titled) - Gorillaz

The head musical talent behind Gorillaz, Damon Albarn has already had one entry to this list with his band Blur, and here he pops up again. If anybody does not know, Gorillaz is a fictional band which is portrayed through animations and comics. The Gorillaz dune buggy looks “totally rad” to be blunt, and I really like the subtle touches like the wheels with nice rims and lettering on the tires, as well as the logo on the front being “geep”. The buggy also gets a feature in a music video, so that’s another plus.
Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Frankenchrist - Dead Kennedys

Famous hardcore punk band Dead Kennedys decided to go for a sort of comedic cover with their 1985 album Frankenchrist. The image depicts “Shriners” (a sect of the Freemasons) driving miniature Oldsmobile cars in a parade. Fun fact: those featured actually attempted to sue the band, but the image was first legally used by Newsweek. Oddly, I don’t know why anybody wouldn’t want to be featured this way on an album cover….unless you were part of the Illuminati and can’t be associated with weakness of any kind! Petrolhead Rating: 8/10

Ego Trippin' - Snoop Dogg

Oh Snoop Dogg, thanks for proving to the world Japanese wagons can fit with hip-hop. Seriously, am I the only one who finds it cool that Snoop Dogg posed with a Nissan 510 WAGON on an album cover? And it doesn’t look out of place either, and I like how the car is fully in the shot and compliment Snoop Dogg’s position in the frame. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Made In France - Francis Lai

This cover of instrumental/composer Francis Lai’s 1972 album aims to be everything distinctly French and thus includes a beautiful Citroen SM. Nice color too. Petrolhead Rating: 8/10

Jesus Built My Hotrod - Ministry

This wonderful image of a good old American V8 is from a single by metal band Ministry released in 1991. I don’t know much about the music, but this engine image is exquisite. There’s just something cool about orange painted engines and top-mounted hot rod air filters. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Eliminator - ZZ Top

ZZ Top, the famous beard wearing rock band, and their best selling album Eliminator which came out in 1983, features a killer hot rod illustration. I would also like to give a mention to the follow-up album Afterburner which also featured a nice hot rod illustration. Petrolhead Rating: 8/10

Little Deuce Coupe and Shutdown Vol. 2 - The Beach Boys

As many of you may know, as well as being about surfing, many of the early Beach Boys songs were about cars or motorcycles. That meant that it was only logical some appropriate cars by put on the cover. On “Little Deuce Coupe” we get this cool hot rod with unique double stacked lights which I have never seen anywhere else. On “Shutdown Vol.2” (where was vol. 1?) there is also a car theme with a stingray and a Pontiac GTO. The best part is I know the songs won’t disappoint you, because of the musical genius of Brian Wilson and the talents of everybody else on the record. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Trans - Neil Young

1982 synth rock/pop record by famous artist Neil Young, Trans had a style heavily inspired by Kraftwerk, and new synthesizer equipment. On the cover, it’s very interesting to see the old car vs. futuristic car symbolizing a move into the future. The futuristic car illustration is an awesome look at what people in the past thought the future would be like. Petrolhead Rating: 8/5/10

Out Loud - Boom Boom Satellites

Released in 1998, Out Loud is the debut album of Japanese alt-rock electronica duo Boom Boom Satellites. Why they chose an Alipina rally car for their album cover, I have no idea, but I’m glad they did. The more look at it, the more the photograph itself grows on me. Petrolhead Rating: 9/10

Honorable Mentions (Nights Out - Metronomy - 8.5/10)

Not to say these are less deserving, but honestly I am running low on words and time, so here are just some other great automotive covers.

All Or Nothing - The Subways - 8.5/10

Kraftwerk - Autobahn - 8/10

Turbulence - Miam Nights 1984 - 8/10

One Bedroom - The Sea and Cake - 7.5/10

Honk If You Love Fred Durst - TISM - 7.5/10

(Some French thing, idk) - Jo Privat - 7.5/10

Pentastar in the Style of Demons - Earth - 8.5/10

Be Here Now - Oasis - 8/10

White Van Music - Jake One - 7.5/10

Auberge - Chris Rea - 9/10

(More Unintelligible French Words) - Hector Delflose - 7/10

Grand Prix - Teenage Fanclub - 8.5/10

Mack Daddy - SirMixaLot - 8/10

(Yet More Irrelevant French Words) - Jacky Gordon - 7.5/10

Traffic and Weather - Fountains of Wayne - 8/10

Mint 400 - Ammon!a - 8.5/10

Jimmy Smith Plays the Blues - Jimmy Smith - 8.5/10

B-Sides and Rarities - Cake - 9/10

Hot Wheels - Hurriganes - 9/10

Tweez - Blint - 8/10

Dishonorable Mention: My Way of Life - Soulja Boy - 2/10

Ok, this is the exact wrong way to feature car(s) on your album cover. It lacks any style and just comes off as brash and braggadocious. The point of having a car on an album cover should not be to flex on people, but to add an element of beauty.

Soulja Society (EP) - Soulja Boy - .05/10

Summary

Well, that’s it, folks, I hope I didn’t miss any major automotive album covers but feel free to share below. I also hope I convinced you guys that this is a very common phenomenon and that automobiles have a place in the art world. Let me know what your favorite was, I know I particularly liked some of them which you would know by the ratings. That’s all for the 50th #mondaymusic, here’s to another 50. Who knows, I might even start making my own music by then, I do have some great track ideas, it’s just I have little to no music production abilities at the moment…