I've only included the main artists, so left off a few.

Pascal Le Gras, for me.

Suzanne Smith, a close second.
Then MES, Castenskiold, Frost and Prior...

M Le Gras pour moi.

I would have liked to deliberate for longer, and maybe if something by Castenskiold had been used more recently, it would have been a harder choice, but I have to go Pascal LeGras.

Voted Castenskoild, just to be bloody awkward, really.

More George Shaw would be good, on a front cover.

:lol: :applaud:

Yes, definitely. :thumbsup:

Going by the other poll and what most people seem to feel about Le Gras, I would've thought Castenskiold would be way ahead.

Apologies for my earlier spelling! :ohdear:

I like Castenwotsit's sleeves, always something different to find the more you look at them.

Think PBL is my fave...

Castenskiold is a genius!

I found this on a Fall page the other day:

That's excellent! :applaud:

Can't see Mrs RM allowing it over our fireplace though... :rolleyes:

Much more powerful like that isnt it?
Perhaps thats why I prefer the LeGras work, its more suited to a small 'canvas', like an album or CD cover.

I don't have the original artwork to PBL, moving house soon and it's too big.
If anyone doesn't want it - don't PM me.

Going to the other extreme, I've got that on a Rough Trade promo postcard!

You're probably right, but other things being equal Claus Castenskiold's artwork is a much closer visual correlative to The Fall's music than Pascal le Gras's is. I like to think of him as The Fall's very own Roger Dean.

You wouldn't want that on your walls, though, all things considered.

"Hello."
"Hello."
"Would you like to come back to mine and see my etchings?"
"Sure."
[One hour later, at the flat]
"Can I go now, please. I'm scared."

"Hello."
"Hello."
"Would you like to come back to mine and see my Perverted By Language postcard?"
"Sure."
[One hour later, at the flat]
"Is that it?"
"Afraid so. But do you still want to see my postcard?"
"Can I go now?"

Claus by a country mile. Got one of his originals on my wall. It's a version of "Devil's Bargain" (WAFWOTF cover) that I commissioned from him a few years ago...

No!
Castenskiold and Suzanne Smith illustrate The Fall's music, whereas Le Gras' work stands entirely alone from The Fall, and yet, it's perfect for the gruppe.
I think the repetition of motifs, the exuberance, the simplicity, the colour and movement, the annoying aspects -- are all perfect visual correlatives for The Fall's music.

Le Gras doesn't provide illustrations of the music/lyrics; his covers have a life of their own, which in-turn adds another layer to the music -- something which colourful illustrations never could.

Having said all that, I think this is my favourite Fall cover:

"Hello."
"Hello."
"Would you like to come back to mine and see my Perverted By Language postcard?"
"Sure."
[One hour later, at the flat]
"Is that it?"
"Afraid so. But do you still want to see my postcard?"
"Sure."
"Ta-dah!"
"Sorry?"
"What?"
"It's only five and a half inches long."
"But MES signed it!"
"It says 'Mark E Smi..."
"I'll get my coat."
"But you live here."

"Hello"
"Fuck off!"
"Fair enough...."

This is meant to be the Elastic Man cover. I've clearly not figured out how to replicate it here...

Ah, OLOG in Prestwich. Had my first ever drunken experience there. Drank a PET of cider and put my hand through a window. Still got the scar on my wrist to this day...

Do you practice being rude to people?

I was going to mention that - Suzanne Smith's Grotesque cover (which is great) illustrates the album, grotesque peasants, a container wagon etc.

Sorry, but I'm not keen on the Pascal ones, they seem "cheap", especially MCR and Code Selfish, and don't seem to illustrate anything. :unsure:

Exactly. You either like them or you don't (I don't particularly) but they're generally interchangeable and not only do they not reflect the contents of the records, they don't even seem to evoke the essence of The Fall in the way that Castenskiold did.

I wish MES still did them once in a while...

It's the only thing I'm good at.

Claus Castenskiold.

I have the 12 inch Oh! Brother single sleeve hung up on my wall. 'Tis very nice.

Hmmm, why should a record cover have some connection to what's on the record?
The fact it's used as the cover is connection enough, surely.

I think covers which illustrate the sound or contents of a record are superfluous -- like illustrations in a book, they don't add anything to the record/book itself; they're just an aid for particularly unimaginative listeners/readers. :P

Also, they're not interchangeable, for the simple reason that MES chose those specific covers fro those specific records.

MES once said something like "Pascal Le Gras is The Fall" -- I've been trying to find the interview for ages...

Mmmm...

What about the Grotesque cover (depicting groteque peasants)?

Funnily enough I cannot bring to mind a cover that directly depicts the contents at the min. I'm sure one will come to me eventually.

Free Range EP sort of depicts conflict.

Whats that album where the sleeve depicted a guy who had blew his head off with a shotgun?

Neurosis 'Pain of Mind'.
Featuring Budd Dwyer, a regular topic of chat on FOF.
I won't post the cover, but Google it if you must.

Yeah, I've seen it before - No need to google, thankfully.

It was doing my head in (no pun intended) and I'm too proud to google :D

The photo was also all lined up to grace the front cover of 'Steps Gold', til someone at the record company pointed out it had been done before.

The old codgers who do 'Jawbone' on the Frank Skinner show. Grow old disgracefully, I certainly intend to. :beer:

Explain, please :confused: :confused: :confused:

I think he means 'cover version' not 'record cover'.

Oh right, I get you.

Whats the album like, btw? Neurosis 'Pain of Mind' I mean.

Claus Castenskiold. Got the PBL tour-print on the wall of the living room. Though in fact I love all of them. Suzanne Smith's Ghost In My House comes to mind, Anthony Frost's Extricate and IWS... Pascal Le Gras' new ones are great as well.

God knows - almost certainly a bit of a racket, though.