Big Six Classic Era: The Art Work
Printed From: Progarchives.com
Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Prog Polls
Forum Description: Create polls on topics related to progressive music
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=126829
Printed Date: August 15 2025 at 23:18
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Topic: Big Six Classic Era: The Art Work
Posted By: Progishness
Subject: Big Six Classic Era: The Art Work
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 03:13
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For the purposes of this series of polls I have taken the
generally accepted 'Big Six' of prog (whatever our reservations about
it), and defined the 'classic era' as being from 1967 to 1979. This time it's all about the artwork (not the music for once) - I've tried to choose three classic sleeves by each Big Six artist from the classic era. Please vote for your favourite album art, and comment! ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Replies:
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 03:36
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I have seen loads of big 6 polls, and to be honest, many don't interest me much, but this one is great. I don't remember having seen one like this before, even though in 150 years of PA history it probably exists. Several iconic candidates here. I tend to prefer what Pink Floyd comes up with even though I do appreciate TAAB, Lizard, some of Roger Dean's work a lot. Vote goes to Dark Side of the Moon.
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Posted By: Chaser
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 04:06
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Great poll! A lot of amazing album art here. Love the Genesis album art work, although some people can think its a bit twee. DSOTM album cover is obviously iconic But I'm a big Roger Dean fan and love his other worldly concepts. Relayer is great with its mystical, romantic cover. Always loved the inside cover of TFTO with the fish swimming across the landscape. But, for simple genius and pure impact it's got to be the cover of Fragile, with the strange trees growing out of the fracturing globe of the earth. Love it! ------------- Songs cast a light on you |
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 04:17
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Yep Roger Dean designed many iconic sleeves, as did Hipgnosis for many artists - but strangely their efforts for Yes didn't really work in my opinion. ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 04:19
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[I have no idea what to vote for yet.] ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 04:51
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Brain Salad Surgery is for me, probably the most unique sleeve ever used for any of the 1st gen Prog Rock giants (somewhat ironically, despite their extravagant wealth, HR Giger claimed ELP never paid him for his artwork) ------------- 
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Posted By: Psychedelic Paul
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 05:09
The Burning Man 
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 05:54
| Stand Up. Opening the LP turned into a pop-up book. |
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 06:09
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I think BSS and TAAB are amongst the cleverest designed sleeves of all time (and cannot possibly be replicated with the same effect for CD). ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Posted By: Nogbad_The_Bad
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 06:23
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BSS ahead of ITCOTCK for me. ------------- Ian Host of the Post-Avant Jazzcore Happy Hour on Progrock.com https://podcasts.progrock.com/post-avant-jazzcore-happy-hour/ |
Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 06:56
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Very tough choices! Had to go with Nursery Cryme. ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 07:01
| My favorite album cover has always been Stand Up, so it gets my vote. |
Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:07
| Tales is my fav Yes cover---but voted SEBTP---nice painting captures the album. |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:13
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Relayer > Tales > Animals >= TaaB ------------- 
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Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:13
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Stand Up, In The Court, BSS, SEBTP...all great... hard to choose. ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:29
That's precisely why I deliberately didn't allow multiple choice. ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
dr wu23 wrote:Posted By: Rick1
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:34
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Roger Dean - the epitome of prog sleeve design. No Moody Blues covers? Oh sorry, Tull were 'more' prog...
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Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 08:39
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I'm sticking with the 'alleged' Big Six. ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Posted By: Lewian
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 09:01
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I forgot to mention Minstrel in the Gallery, which is actually a wonderful cover. Surprised that Stand Up seems to be preferred among those who vote for Tull. |
Posted By: TerLJack
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 09:21
| I was about to vote Relayer, when I remembered the old vinyl fold-out version of Brain Salad Surgery. That's my pick! |
Posted By: Progishness
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 09:31
If I recall correctly, the http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=11345" rel="nofollow - flexi-disc promotional single which came stuck to the front of the NME back in the day had a similar sleeve design. ------------- "We're going to need a bigger swear jar." Chloë Grace Moretz as Mindy McCready aka 'Hit Girl' in Kick-Ass 2 |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 10:42
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The woodcut by James Grashow for the Stand Up album is superb. Wish we could vote multiple because there are several great album covers here, including Thick as a Brick's amazingly creative newspaper and the iconic face on ItCotCk. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 11:12
Well....'cover art'...for me that includes the pop up inside...... ------------- One does nothing yet nothing is left undone. Haquin |
Posted By: I prophesy disaster
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 13:32
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull (Vinyl) ------------- No, I know how to behave in the restaurant now, I don't tear at the meat with my hands. If I've become a man of the world somehow, that's not necessarily to say I'm a worldly man. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 13:42
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Court ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Earl of Mar
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 15:42
| Always loved Nursery Cryme. |
Posted By: JD
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 16:00
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Gotta go with Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick. Opening up into a newspaper with articles about Gerald Bostock, absolutely brilliant ! I love many of the others as well, not just for the front face but for the whole package. So TAAB, followed by In the Court of the Crimson King, Wish You Were Here, Tarkus. ------------- Thank you for supporting independently produced music |
Posted By: Sacro_Porgo
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 16:34
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These are all great, well Pictures less so unless the frames are filled in. Difficult poll! I had to go with Foxtrot. Bright, happy, complex, hand painted, filled with symbolism, that font! Just what I want my prog album cover to look like. ------------- Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :) |
Posted By: Umeda
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 17:20
Genesis - Nursery Cryme  ------------- Not for rent. To any God or government. |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 22:14
| It's got to be Relayer, my favourite cover ever. But there are many great ones on prog, of course, and in general Roger Dean and Hypgnosis are always great, but in particular, the covers for Thick as a Brick, and even more so, Brain Salad Surgery, on their LP versions, are something really special too. |
Posted By: Awesoreno
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 23:10
| On a side note, the WYWH cover was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, where I work as a tour guide! I mention it to any professed PF fans on the tour. I did it today in fact, for a guest wearing a Roger Waters 2016 tour shirt. |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 10 2021 at 23:19
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1. Relayer 2. ITCoTCK 3. Foxtrot .... ..... ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 11 2021 at 04:29
first vote for Animals , my favourite album artwork of all time. Battersea Power Station in all it's glory plus a giant inflatable pig. What's not to like?! 
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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 11 2021 at 04:31
| shame there is no vote for Pictures , I've just acquired on vinyl and it looks gorgeous! |
Posted By: nick_h_nz
Date Posted: July 11 2021 at 05:33
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I voted for In The Court of the Crimson King, which towers far above the others as my most favourite album cover of all time, across all genres. If there were multiple votes allowed, I would have voted for the following, that make up my top five from this list: 1. Court 2. Tales 3. Animals 4. WYWH 5. Foxtrot ------------- https://tinyurl.com/nickhnz-tpa" rel="nofollow - Reviewer for The Progressive Aspect |
Posted By: VianaProghead
Date Posted: July 12 2021 at 04:11
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Thick as a Brick - Jethro Tull. The artwork is simply amazing and original with its fakes newspaper.
------------- "PROG IS MY FERRARI". Jem Godfrey (Frost*) |
Posted By: kenethlevine
Date Posted: July 13 2021 at 18:41
| hard to beat "In the Court". Second choice would be TAAB but you almost need a separate category for it |
Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: July 14 2021 at 10:00
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It'll be a tough decision between Pictures at an Exhibition. The Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here. The latter is probably the most aesthetically interesting of the two PF albums, but if you think about it, the message isn't that subtle: The band (as symbolized by the man in flame) is burning up because of the evil record company (symbolised by the other guy who shakes his hand). Not sure why it is shot in the film city in Los Angeles though. Because of the supposed fakeness of the music industry perhaps? Dark Side is probably more convoluted. Think I'll go with Pictures. I like the idea of empty canvases. Others I like: Thick as a Brick Always found the Court cover a little too much.
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Posted By: The Anders
Date Posted: July 14 2021 at 10:19
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Also like to mention Atom Heart Mother. The cow appears very humorous and ironic considering the musical content of the album. |
Posted By: Progmind
Date Posted: July 14 2021 at 10:24
| Hard to pick only one option, love Giger voted ELP |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 14 2021 at 15:07
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From this list, TFTO, followed closely by BSS. ------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: tdfloyd
Date Posted: July 20 2021 at 14:19
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There is some great artwork here from the glory days of the LP. All PF albums , Tales, SEBTP, TAAB, really there are not bad covers here. BUT King Crimson In the Court of the Crimson King stands at the top to the heap. Still stunning and frightening today
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Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 20 2021 at 22:13
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I'd like to rectify my original post; TFTO is my favorite Dean artwork for Yes, and thus by proxy my favorite on here. I guess I didn't have enough coffee the morning I made my original vote  .------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: July 20 2021 at 23:38
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Lots of nice covers here. I went with Animals this time. I also really dig Giger’s artworks but prefer the one he did for Swiss group Island. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: July 21 2021 at 17:09
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Relayer - refreshingly Dean. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 21 2021 at 23:07
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------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: King of Loss
Date Posted: July 22 2021 at 21:48
Yes Tales! 
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Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: July 23 2021 at 09:42
| Relayer. Not my favorite Yes album but probably my favorite Yes cover. |