Legendary blues albums and their equally legendary covers ...

Today we're going to talk about great blues albums, or rather their colourful album covers, which have already become an art form in their own right... We live in an era where digital music is predominant. Because of this, the importance of album artwork is gradually diminishing... But with the miraculous resurgence of vinyl, whose sales have grown exponentially over the last couple of years, it's likely that album artwork will become popular again! Let's face it: good, bad, beautiful or ugly - absolutely all covers tell a story. They have a fantastic power to appeal, inspire, intrigue and enchant... And they can say a lot about an artist! A well-done cover can instantly convey something that mere words cannot... In the early days of LPs, album covers were often created without much thought, but as time went on, album artwork became more and more sophisticated as marketing became an important sales tool for record companies. But why are we talking specifically about blues records today?

Unlike pop singers, most blues musicians have traditionally never actively pursued an image, prioritising the music alone... But that's not to say that blues artists have never cared about how they presented themselves on their album covers. Indeed, music history has seen some memorable and attention-grabbing blues album covers, and here are the highlights...

Robert Johnson: King of the Delta Blues Singers (1961)

Given the mystery surrounding Johnson's short life (legend has it that he made a pact with the devil and was murdered), it is perhaps fitting that the first collection of his work featured him as a painting rather than a photograph: this greatly emphasised his growing mythical status... Bert Goldblatt's simple but powerful portrait - an unusual overhead shot defined by vivid colours, crisp contours and a spectacular light and shadow combination - is widely regarded as an iconic blues album cover!

Bill Broonzy: The Bill Broonzy Story

This is a retrospective of Bill Broonzy, The Big Bill Broonzy Story (in which he sings and also talks about his life). Like Robert Johnson's album, The Bill Broonzy Story was released during the folk and blues revival of the early '60s... It was also one of the many blues album covers that featured a painting: a vivid and almost screaming portrait of a blues connoisseur, competently drawn by David Stone Martin, a prolific illustrator of album covers from the '50s and '60s. Using a painting rather than a photograph, the artist has emphasised the historical significance of Broonzy, making him a figure of truly grandiose...

Mississippi Fred McDowell: I Do Not Play No Rock 'n' Roll (1969).

McDowell was 63 years old when he recorded this album, famous for its sharp guitar parts... In large part, this record witnessed his transition from acoustic guitar to electric guitar... The title, which translates as "I Don't Play Rock 'n' Roll", is a bold statement of the musician's artistic independence! The cover features a stark photograph of McDowell playing guitar on the steps of his back porch: in sepia tones, the photo reflected the raw and brutal honesty of his music....

John Lee Hooker: The Real Folk Blues (1965)

Releasing his first high-profile hit in 1949, John Lee Hooker was a true blues veteran when he recorded this LP... Its cover is a monochrome and very close-up shot of Hooker's face from the side: his eyes looking upwards - a deceptively simple but powerful image that conveys the unvarnished essence and intuitive roughness of his music....

Albert King: Born Under a Bad Sign (1967)

"If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all," laments the influential bluesman on this album's catchy title song... The curse theme of Born Under a Bad Sign inspired one of the great blues album covers: it consists of images associated with bad omens and superstitions (including a black cat, a skull and crossbones, and a calendar page for Friday the 13th...). The bright, bold imagery of the cover matched the poignant vitality of King's music.

Howlin' Wolf: Howlin' Wolf (1962)

Don Bronstein's seemingly innocuous still life painting of an empty rocking chair and a guitar: you might find it a rather odd juxtaposition... However, it looks rather odd, if not creepy... Unlike the covers of many blues albums, Howlin' Wolf did not reflect the music: this artwork symbolised the elemental artistic purity of Howlin' Wolf's music....

Lightnin' Hopkins: Lightnin' Hopkins (1959).

You get four Hopkins for the price of one on the eye-catching front cover of the bluesman's only LP... Anticipating Andy Warhol's influential pop art style, designer Ronald Kline (who created over 500 folk and blues album covers for Folkways) presents a quartet of costumed Hopkins, depicted from left to right in colours of increasing intensity. It conveys the chameleonic personality of the musician, who was known for his frequent alcohol-induced mood swings...

John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers: Blues Breakers With Eric Clapton (1966)

While the facial expressions of the rest of the band range from bored to pensive and shy, an anxious Eric Clapton is caught reading a Beano comic book, which is a delightfully informal and naturalistic shot for a blues album cover! The band's blatant indifference to the photo shoot suggests that they would prefer to identify themselves through music rather than the visual medium. The backdrop of a graffiti-adorned wall also emphasised the urban starkness of their sound...

Johnny Watson: A Real Mother For Ya (1977)

In the late 70's Watson created one of the most egregious personalities of the blues genre... The cover shows us Watson's mother pushing him in a pram turned into a car. It shows that the musician didn't take himself too seriously and wasn't afraid to be the subject of a good joke!

Bo Diddley: Have Guitar Will Travel (1960)

Photographed with a customised rectangular guitar, riding a red and white scooter with his name emblazoned on the side - Bo Diddley looks superb, radiating positivity! This cover crystallises the bluesman's peculiar brightness....

Chuck Berry: One Dozen Berrys (1958)

Some blues album covers are memorable because they are awful and clearly lacking in artistry. And One Dozen Berrys album cover is one of those cases! Lots of brightly coloured strawberries with a small shot of Berry himself superimposed on top, as well as not the best wordplay for the title, are all certainly eye-catching. A classic example of when bad is good!