UNK SEZ: Look! We got another postcard from our Pal Francisco from Spain!
Hey ho let's go…
More about 70's and early 80's lp covers, this time by one of the more interesting artistic teams I know Hipgnosis, who did covers for artists like Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Electric light orchestra and these two traumafessions. First, one of the weirdest covers in the history of pop and rock, 10 cc's "Deceptive Bends" (Image Above)
I saw that cover in a 70's catalogue for buying lps that was in the house of a relative and although I have listened to almost nothing by 10 cc that cover is still a mystery for me. I know it is a group known for its soft ballads, so what exactly is the meaning of the cover? What's the relation with the music on the vinyl? Is the girl dead? What happened to her? I think now that art by Hipgnosis is kind of abstract or surreal with absolutely nothing related to the music on the lps inside. In any case, although a bit creepy, a fascinating and very artistic cover. I don't want to be cruel but it's sure better that the music by 10 cc!!!
And what about this…Rainbow's Difficult to Cure.
Without comments for someone like me with fear of hospitals and doctors… just imagine yourself about to be operated on by this bunch of surgeons, it must be something really, really difficult to cure if the operation requires seven surgeons!!! At least on the back cover there is a pretty nurse but with the exception of the ultracool chief surgeon the people look worried… glubss…
Just opposite of 10 cc (sorry for the fans of this band) Rainbow is great… and this lp has as the first track one of the best heavy/pop songs I have heard…
Deceptive Bends was probably a visual joke / word play. The bends is a sickness divers get if they surface too quickly (hence the diving suits) and bends could also be akin to curves, aka a woman's curves (hence the model). And deceptive bends, well, all women have curves and are deceptive…
I must give a shout out for Rainbow as they were a great late 70's/early 80's band and had a good MTV presence during its heyday. They went through a lot of lead singers but their 80's sound was a fusion of Foreigner, Journey, Bad Company, Queen and Boston to me. (that's a great combo, IMO).
Some other great tunes by them:
Rainbow – All Night Long
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxXzgSGhh98
Rainbow – Since You've Been Gone:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rmYHuiG8lg
Rainbow – Stone Cold
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WukfC-6Gpc
Rainbow – Street Of Dreams (Old MTV music video movie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hyhrvrLCoQ
Rainbow – Jealous Lover
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ce_53dapuBk
Rainbow – Can't Happen Here (Classic MTV Video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t49v1f2q6DU
BTW, I still maintain the cover of the Scorpion’s album Blackout is the freakiest I've seen. Their Acoustica album cover was mighty freaky as well.
it's a very interesting explanation, there is something definetely weird in the soft rock of the last 70's
10cc's cover is probably a reference to the song (on the album?) 'I'm Mandy, Fly Me' in which a girl rescues a guy from drowning.
I must defend 10cc who are from the north of England like myself – they're not know for their soft ballads BTW; check out 'Rubber Bullets', 'Good Morning Judge', 'Dreadlock Holiday' (classic!!), 'Life is a Minestrone', 'The Dean & I', 'Art for Art's Sake'