Thursday, March 24, 2011

Maps on Album Covers

I thought it would be a good idea to spotlight album covers featuring maps but it turns out that there are fewer than I expected. I had to dig in some obscure places to find the ones below. Not having an exhaustive music collection I may have missed something obvious or notable. Let me know and I'll add it to the list.

I'll start with one of my personal favorite covers. Nile Rodgers of the disco/funk band Chic came out with a solo album titled "Adventures in the Land of the Good Groove" with a cover featuring lower Manhattan with faux latin place names like "Uptownicus" and "Nova Joysey."


Probably the best known album on this list is Chicago XI-Baby what a big surprise!


Martha and the Muffins went with the topographic Toronto look.


Early American folk music specialists Tasker's Chance used this historic map of part of Maryland.




Representing the world of experimental classical music is the Chicago Sound Map.








Hardcore metal band Slayer's "World Painted Blood" has a collector's edition with four different covers that when put together form a world illustrated with skulls and bones.



 This is more of a globe than a map but I've always been partial to Yes so I had to include "Fragile."



Canadian popsters Barenaked Ladies used an oddly styled Michigan for a live album with the somewhat clever title "Talk to the Hand."

Two Philadelphia area bands previously covered here have some good map artwork. The Strapping Fieldhands map showing sightings of the New Jersey Devil and Slo-Mo's map of the Northern Liberties neighborhood.


Finally, a 4 CD compilation called "Left of the Dial: Dispatched from the '80s Underground" used some map mashups for their covers. Don't try to use the map below for wayfinding!


UPDATE: for more good stuff see the follow up post.

14 comments:

KeithW said...

Well, if you're allowing globes, then Soul Rotation by The Dead Milkmen has one.

http://www.deadmilkmen.com/images/covers/soul_rotation.html

Dug said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dug said...

Good point! But I'm partial to "Big Lizard in my Backyard"

Damian said...

The covers of the four albums in the Ambient series by Brian Eno et al. (Music For Airports, The Plateaux Of Mirror, Day Of Radiance and On Land) all feature sections of maps.

DrSchnell said...

XTC's album "Go 2" had a map of Swindon inside it, but not on th front cover:
http://www.minilps.net/xtc/go-2-tocp-67802/mouldings-street-plan-of-1857

zebra said...

I don't have the album cover any more, but didn't the back cover of the Talking Heads "More Songs About Buildings and Food" have a map?

Dug said...

I think there's a satellite view of the USA on the back of the Talking Heads album if I remember correctly.
I didn't realize Colin Moulding was a cartographer! I may do a follow up post with some of your suggestions and some other inside cover art I came across. Thanks for the suggestions!

Benjamin Lukoff said...

No "No Borders Here" by Jane Siberry? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Borders_Here

Michael5000 said...

Hell's Ditch!

DrSchnell said...

Good one, Michael5000! I just saw the Pogues complete with Shane MacGowan at their farewell tour concert in NYC......

Dug said...

Was Shane drunk? Is that a stupid question?

Michael5000 said...

Was Shane legally dead?

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