Neil Young fans have decided on the songwriter’s “best album with the worst cover”.
The 79-year-old songwriter will headline Glastonbury later this year, and fans are trying to figure out the best album in his discography cursed with awful cover art. It did not take long for Reddit users in the Neil Young subreddit to decide on the worst of them all, and all fingers were pointed at an album which “looks like a demo tape made by a college kid”. Despite some putdowns of the album cover, fans say the record “fucking rocks” and is one of the best in Young’s discography.
A user asked: “What is Neil’s best album with the worst cover? I’ve always thought Sleeps With Angels looks like a demo tape made by a college kid who just figured out photoshop…but the album itself fucking rocks. A close second for me is probably Silver & Gold, but I think the story behind it is great and so ‘Neil’ to use it as the album cover, so it gets a pass.”
Other fans agreed with their take on Sleeps With Angels, with one writing: “Agree with your takes, I’d add Are You Passionate? in there. I don’t love the album to death, but it’s grown on me for sure. The cover is… tough, though.”
Another observed there were few covers in the 1990s from Young which were anywhere close to exceptional. They wrote: “I agree Sleeps With Angels is one of his best albums but the artwork looks dated, but actually a lot of album covers looked that way at the time im the mid 90s. Graphic design software was still evolving and new and exciting, but artwork that was cutting edge then started to look dated just a few years later.
“He has quite a few albums with just the title scribbled or stencilled on the cover, this is just such a lack of creativity, it always bothered me. Living With War, Earth, Peace Trail, Before and After… Come on make a little effort. I also wonder every time one of his vinyl releases come with a blurry cover, which happened a few times with Neil.
What is Neil’s best album with the worst cover?
byu/astark356 inneilyoung
“Have none of your art friends ever heard of screen resolution vs print resolution? Does no one at the record company or printing plant double check this? I don’t understand how that still happens.”
Other fans complained of an album art cover which seems like there was “no effort” in making it. The fan wrote: “Peace Trail. No effort made whatsoever on art, but a really solid collection of songs.” The original poster replied: “Good one. I hadn’t thought about it. I don’t mind the cover, but you’re right…not a lot of effort into that one!”
Another user added: “I’ve only recently started listening to Peace Trail and I’ll admit that the lack of effort on the cover is what probably kept me away so long. Really liking it though, not brilliant throughout but a solid album. The title track I think is terrific.”
