Album Covers..

[Lucifer Sam]

Okay. I have wondered this many times.
What do the album covers for each record stand/represent symbolically.

Animals (seems like a power plant with a inflatable pig floating)
Division Bell (two metal faces facing each other)
WYWH (why is he on fire??)
Meddle (what is that?)
Atom Heart Mother (a cow)
DSotM (a pyramid, what does it mean)

If you guys know, or read about it and don't mind explaining it to me, please do so. Thank You.
Lucifer Sam.

[Radiochair]

Several months ago in art class, a video was being shown. I was not paying attention at the moment unfortunately, but I noticed the Dark Side of the Moon cover was being shown. It should the pyramid without colors, then it should the colors come from the left and went through the pyramid out the other side, so I'm guessing it has something to do with colors or something like that.

For covers, I wouldn't try finding some sort of meaning to them all. A lot of it is probably just some sort of idea that pops up into one of their heads.

[Not Now John]

The covers were all done, with the exception of the last two Waters-era albums, by Storm Thorgeson, a freind of Syd's. Basically Hipgnosis is in existence because Syd let them design the first album and the boys kept going back to them.

In the companion book to Shine On, all the covers and how they came about are described. I can't remember what they all mean, but I will breifly write what I recall.

Meddle--The only thing I remember about this is that it has a picture of Doctor Strange, a comic character cause the boys liked comics and it was a supposed scifi album.

WYWH-- The guy on fire represents a record executive shaking hands with himself who isn't there

There's more but I can't recall them all right now.

[hobgadling]

NNJohn - The album you're thinking of is Saucerful of Secrets, not Meddle.

As for Meddle, if you open the cover all the way up and turn it on its side, its a picture of an ear, and its supposed to represent the way in which sound waves enter the ear. The Division Bell cover is supposed to represent the communication theme that is present in the album. Atom Heart Mother's cover is the result of Andy Warhol's comment that a cow is the most un-psychadelic image that you could come up with.

-Hob

[t3ch3im]

hobgadling is entirely correct about the above covers. To fill in about the rest:

Wish You Were Here - come on guys! He's making a deal with the devil. Representative of Roger's feelings about record companies. Basically in the same vein as Have a Cigar. The robotic handshake being more representative of Welcome To The Machine (and remember, that was the original album cover IIRC).

Animals - the pig is, of course, a Pig from Roger's P3DO. It represents money grubbers, usurers, and corrupt politicians. People who want to force their ways on others, etc. It's in front of the power plant to enhance the overall ugliness. Really, what is uglier than a power plant?

I remember hearing the DSotM album cover explained somewhere, but don't recall what is was all about. However, there is an obvious connection between the prism and the pyramids. Anyhow, you might also be interested to know that the cow from AHM is the as one in the Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams video.

[PeRCeiVe]

P3DO???

[t3ch3im]

heh. Pigs, Three Different Ones.

Though it would be cool if there was a 3D version of the song... don't know how a 3D version of sound would work though....

[Bride of a Bull]

suRROund sound probably, but they did a damned good job of it during The Wall concert in London.

[t3ch3im]

Very true. One should never underestimate Pink Floyd when it comes to turning sound into a 3 dimensional experience. The Azimuth Coordinator slipped my mind entirely!

step...step...step...STEPSTEPSTEPSTEPSTEP...step.. .step...step...

[Comfortably Numb]

I thought the WYWH cover showed a record producer shaking hands with Syd who was bruning, since it was a tribute album to Syd and they sing about how he burned out in the success of a rock band.

[Not Now John]

Sorry it was Saucerful not Meddle, like I said it was from memory, and I typed it late at night. Once again I beg forgiveness.

WYWH is about abscence, as Storm puts it, "All the pictures refer to abscence in one way or another. The burning man is absent metaphorically- too frightened to be present, lest he be burned. The diver is absent physically because his trace, or rather his splash, is missing. The "handshake" on the cover is as much an empty gesture as a genuine greeting."

No the machine was not the original cover art, Storm later went on to say that the album was wrapped in a black plastic covering so you could not see the cover art till you got home, thus reinforcing the idea of abscence.

[PeRCeiVe]

Yoix, don't know how I couldn't figure *that* one out on my own...P3DO, indeed.

[Pink Pig]

Interesting topic Lucifer Sam. I enjoyed reading the responses.

THe prism on DSotM is intended to represent the pressures of touring and the "madness of ambition". Apparently the ideas came from Roger and Rick, so I take back what I said in another forum - Rick DID make a contribution to the band !
Joke by the way !

[PeRCeiVe]

Rick made a contribution? Pfft. Lies.

[Lucifer Sam]

What about Relics, that face looking thing made out of wood. what the hell is that?