Banned album covers...

Banned album covers...


Banned because Alice's thumb was mistaken for a penis.
Replaced with...


Can't really show this cover, but here is the original strategically placed:

This was the redone cover...



Replaced with...



Banned cover shown next to the censored cover.

Replaced with...

This one was done more out of respect to the band after the plane crash than anything else.

I never understood the reasons behind this one...


Replaced with a generic logo cover...

Autopsy's first album cover was banned I think, they did change it later:

Replaced with...

I remember Blind Faith, A couple of Stones lps and Bob Seger System. Of course, we all know "Virgin Kiler" by Scorpions

Here's a few more, some that Ult mentioned, some not. Some that might be NSFW...

http://www.sleazeroxx.com/censored/censored.shtml

Another one that's not safe for work that was banned is Scorpions - Virgin Killer.

Norwegian vinyl version of TNT's international debut. I think it also exists on CD in Japan with the same art. The US vinyl version looks like this:

A buddy of mine has the banned Pantera artwork on a t-shirt.

Also, just about every Cannibal Corpse album operates with 2 art works, 1 banned, and 1 "safe".

I never realized that Black Crowes cover was banned. My friend had that album with that cover.

Joe wrote:

I never realized that Black Crowes cover was banned. My friend had that album with that cover.

That original photo was used as a cover of Hustler magazine back in the 70's. Larry Flynt's tribute to America's bicentennial birthday. Classy guy.

I remember Rich Robinson of the Crowes being upset that they needed an alternate cover. Something like "Guns & violence are ok, but show a little pubic hair and everyone freaks out".

MetalGuy71 wrote:

I remember Rich Robinson of the Crowes being upset that they needed an alternate cover. Something like "Guns & violence are ok, but show a little pubic hair and everyone freaks out".

I seem to recall that now. Was the cover banned after the release of the album? I remember my friend picking this up on release day. He loved that band.

I seem to remember the original cover being pretty widely available at the time of it's release and I still see it pop-up in the used bins every now and then, so I don't think it's much of a rarity.

I was a pretty big Crowes fan at the time, so I'm pretty sure I got mine new. I don't remember when the blacked-out version started showing up.

There's of course the self titled Mortification. I'm glad mines not the censored version

censored version:


real version:

ultmetal wrote:

I never understood the reasons behind this one...


Replaced with a generic logo cover...

If memory serves, certain folks in the Christian bookstore industry were freaked out about the presence of a pentagram on the original cover (even though said pentagram was being "cast out" or "thrown out" of the picture) and therefore didn't want to stock the album.

When I bought THWTD on cassette in '86 there was a little sticker on the back of the cassette case with a message from the band "explaining" the concept of the cover. I thought it was kinda stupid that they even had to 'explain' it, cuz the message/idea seemed quite clear to me even at sixteen years old. Duh.

When I upgraded to CD a few years ago the only used copies I could find had the "logo" cover on'em so even though I would've liked to have one with the original (I'm told they're rather pricey collectibles nowadays) I finally settled for one of the "updated" ones. (Hey, at least it was on the original label, i.e. Enigma, not Hollywood.)

Also, I'm not sure if the album cover was officially banned anywhere, there's a band called Waco Jesus who released an album in 1999 called The Destruction of Commercial Scum which had an album cover of a collage of people defecating on other people.

Required Fields wrote:

Also, I'm not sure if the album cover was officially banned sold anywhere

If a band releases an album and noone is around to hear it, does it make a sound?

Speaking of banned album art.

How is it that "Dawn of The Black Hearts" by Mayhem wasn't banned!?

Noone saw it.

Probably has more to do with distribution deals than anything. It all depends on where you want your album sold. If your an underground black metal band, noones gonna care about an offensive cover. The more offensive, the better.

However if you want your stuff sold to the mainstream (SELL-OUTS!!), you gotta have something that isn't gonna twist some soccer mom's granny-panties into a giant knot.

I didn't look at that sleazeroxx link but I assume the original cover of Scorpions Virgin Killer is on the list? That may be one of the most offensive covers I've ever seen (and I don't offend easily).

tohostudios wrote:

I didn't look at that sleazeroxx link but I assume the original cover of Scorpions Virgin Killer is on the list? That may be one of the most offensive covers I've ever seen (and I don't offend easily).

It is. Actually, you can click on the sleazeroxx link without anything offensive popping up. It's just text. There's a list with the "banned covers" that you can then click on to view.

Speaking of jailbait, did anyone mention the Blind Faith cover with the topless teen? That's another one where you just look at it and say "What were they thinking?!?"

[quote="Fat Freddy"]

ultmetal wrote:

I never understood the reasons behind this one...


Replaced with a generic logo cover...

If memory serves, certain folks in the Christian bookstore industry were freaked out about the presence of a pentagram on the original cover (even though said pentagram was being "cast out" or "thrown out" of the picture) and therefore didn't want to stock the album.

When I bought THWTD on cassette in '86 there was a little sticker on the back of the cassette case with a message from the band "explaining" the concept of the cover. I thought it was kinda stupid that they even had to 'explain' it, cuz the message/idea seemed quite clear to me even at sixteen years old. Duh.

[/quote

Yep, I got the sticker too:

I remember the Bride album with Jesus in an electric chair...