1984/Jump v Seventh Seal

[Van Squalen]

He's referring to the color, schlick.

It’s slick, sluck.

[Van Squalen]

You make a good point about the FW album cover, which is pretty menacing & dark.

I remember looking at the guy getting his face punched, and thinking:
This is interesting....

I do think the cover sort of creates a darker tone, psychologically.
"Balance" has a kind of dark cover, as well.

Balance def has a dark cover. Conjoined twins on a seesaw in a barren wasteland scape, one of ‘em pulling the other’s hair, the other crying. Lol. Fuckin’ Al. The Japanese couldn’t handle it so they changed it for pan Asian Warner distribution. :P

[japeape]

Balance def has a dark cover. Conjoined twins on a seesaw in a barren wasteland scape, one of ‘em pulling the other’s hair, the other crying. Lol. Fuckin’ Al. The Japanese couldn’t handle it so they changed it for pan Asian Warner distribution. :P

It's like a Korn album cover.

[VH1986]

You make a good point about the FW album cover, which is pretty menacing & dark.

I remember looking at the guy getting his face punched, and thinking:
This is interesting....

I do think the cover sort of creates a darker tone, psychologically.
"Balance" has a kind of dark cover, as well.

I agree, Jape. Both album covers are dark and both set a tone before the listener heard one note, chord, or lyric. That being said, those album covers may be dark because the band picked something that reflected the darkness inside.

[VH1986]

My three favorite Van Halen album covers are OU812, Balance, and 5150.

[Van Squalen]

Hmm.

My three best VH album covers....

Balance
FUCK
WACF

TBH, there’s something to be said about the digipak BOBW greatest hits stripes album cover too. Perhaps its sole outstanding component lol.

Did they even release that on vinyl? Nah.

[marcin]

Ad.1 Definitely Seventh Seal over 1984/Jump (just like Mean Street over Mine All Mine). Guitar-driven stuff always beats synth-laden stuff for me.

As for VH album covers... Meh. Best of them are decent at best... Think 1984. For good covers check out classic Scorpions and Judas Priest artworks. In Trance, Lovedrive, Savage Amusement... Turbo, British Steel, Screaming for Vengeance... Born Again by Black Sabbath. Nutz (1974), Tigres (Take It All), Mad Butcher (Metal Meat), Alice Cooper (DaDa), or Nazareth (The Catch).

[Dave's Dreidel]

Best VH album covers?

VHI
WACF
1984

Worst:

VHIII
5150
Diver Down

[Number 47]

Never understood the hate for the 5150 cover. I always thought it was a cool Atlas type concept.

Then again I never understood shredder head metal loving dudes who embraced pro wrestling and all the tights and oiled skin... but found a VH album cover to be... ghey.

[Simon Ribeiro]

It's like a Korn album cover.

And how about that Alice in Chains cover art from their 1995 release? Tripod ....

Best =VH= album covers? Hummmm ... It has to be 1984, Fair Warning and II.
For best back cover, it has to be W&CF. Hands down to the best Heavy Rock picture ever taken and it had to be with The Mighty One.

[japeape]

5150 album cover is uber gay!

The best covers, easily, are: WACF, VH I, FW (for just looking so menacing & different).

[RRvh1]

Never understood the hate for the 5150 cover. I always thought it was a cool Atlas type concept.

Then again I never understood shredder head metal loving dudes who embraced pro wrestling and all the tights and oiled skin... but found a VH album cover to be... ghey.

I like the 5150 cover and reverse side. Still think that the smoking 'angel' kid on 1984 is their best and funniest one...

[Simon Ribeiro]

Never understood the hate for the 5150 cover. I always thought it was a cool Atlas type concept.
...

I thought it was ok. You know, no big deal. But the 1st thing that I captured were the rings and not the wings. Even before listening to the entire record, I knew it was different. But the back cover stuff .... Hummm, I don't know. Edward with a strange look. Sobolewski wearing a fashioned Mickey Mouse t-shirt. Hagar and that hair cut. And Alex being himself. I think I'd prefer the picture they took for the WCTBL single as the back cover photo, but that's me.

[BlindtotheWorld]

Not sure why this would be considered gay? I think its cool. I also like the totally 80's green marble. Once again, I think people bring all types of baggage with them into these discussions. I guess maybe it can be summed up by saying that this album art needs more swagger.

[GlennyVH]

For me, Fair Warning has to be the worst cover. It looks like a bunch of crap thrown together for some high school art project. VHIII isn't that much better but for me Fair Warning is