Black is Beautiful... on Album Covers, Too

Ever notice now much attention is paid to all-black album covers? Black makes a statement. It's the "cool", dark, mysterious, even classy colour - or lack of colour, if you want to get technical about it.

As I recently picked CDs off my shelves for listening, I noticed (with more interest than usual) that there were more than a few albums with that plain yet striking all-black cover art. Occasionally, the cover would include a subtle adornment, like the band logo, album title, or some small graphic, but our eye initially only registers that looming darkness. There is importance and austerity in that colour choice. Maybe even something ominous and foreboding, depending on the artist and how you perceive them. And it seems just about every album wrapped in black becomes hugely famous. Coincidence?

This all-black cover feels sort of funereal, an omen

that this was the end of The Eagles (for a while)

The first albums that I noted were The Eagles' The Long Run, Metallica's self-titled "black album", AC/DC's Back in Black, and Spinal Tap's Smell the Glove. Oh, and Steely Dan's Aja.

There is usually a story behind an album cover, and there are some related to these shadowy sleeves: I don't know the scoop behind The Eagles 1979 album, but it was known back then that the band was disintegrating. It's my theory that the black cover art reflected the unhappy mood at the time, that this was the end. Until they reformed more than a decade later. 

Metallica's black album signalled a drastic change for the metal-heads: the subdued graphic of a snake coiled to strike might have symbolized the band poised to dominate the world... the album was huge, placing Metallica among the most famous and wealthy musicians, and it made them the most commercially successful metal band of all time. But there was a dark side to that fame and fortune: there was turmoil within the band and with their new radio-friendly approach, they lost many long-time hard-core fans. 

In the case of AC/DC, the somber cover art was clearly a respectful memoriam to singer Bon Scott, who had passed away just months before the album release. With a new vocalist on board, the band chose to honour Scott with a record heavy in mood, with more than a few nods to their lost compatriot. 

And then the Spinal Tap cover.... well, the plain black was substituted by the recording and production companies for the "morally offensive" image that originally appeared. The Tap first submitted album art that showed a woman on all fours, wearing a dog collar, sniffing a glove that was shoved in her face. Um, a bit of a problem there, eh, mate?

The spare but unusual imagery on Steely Dan's Aja

belies the intricate jazz-rock style of the music within

A little poking about on the web and I learned that Jay Z and Prince had released black albums, too. Maybe I already knew that, but I needed a refresher. Upon inspection, Jay Z's album doesn't really apply according to my "rules"... yes, the album art background is black, but there is also a large image emblazoned across it. On the other hand, Prince's album does meet my standards, with its complete lack of anything... though a small adhesive label bearing the artist's name was applied to the top corner of some copies.

I'd heard something about an unofficial Beatles "Black Album" years ago, but it was only now, as I researched it a bit, that I learned it was a late-career bootleg full of alternate versions, outtakes, and unused songs from recording sessions. The quality of the material was questionable, due largely to the lack of PC-ness of its lyrics. But perfect for the die-hard Beatle-fan. And cool in its dark sleeve, which is practically the negative image of the Fab Four's '68 White Album.

Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon sort of qualifies. Its colourful prism graphic is what draws the eye, not the empty backdrop. The large field of stark black provides the contrast that makes the rainbow colours pop out. So.... I guess I can give this a pass. 

I know diddly squat about the Arctic Monkeys (though I love the band's name), but they have a black album cover that depicts what appears to be a sound wave graphic, presumably that of an AM (amplitude modulation) signal... since the album is called AM. I guess this falls in the same marginal category as the Floyd album, since one's eye immediately settles on the sound wave image. Black, with an "accent". 

Electronic squibbler Tiesto's Just Be album cover is plain black with only his word logo and handwritten title dead centre. Nothing special, but it works. For some artists, this approach can evoke emptiness or loneliness, perhaps in connection with the music itself. Similarly, Japanese rock instrumentalists The Black Mages released a "black album", featuring their Final Fantasy game music. Again, there is a very simple word logo that sits comfortably in the centre of the nothingness. I suspect that when there aren't any creative ideas for a cover, the band and/or the graphic artist opt for basic black as the go-to.

Of Mice and Men's Restoring Force boasts an eye-catching dark cover, a large conch shell displayed prominently in the centre. Attractive, if not exactly a completely black cover. 

Rapper 2 Chainz's cover for the album Based On A T.R.U. Story works nicely with its simple yet strikingly elegant image. An appropriate name and cover art for the artist, given the musical genre. Nice bling.