Could someone explain the 'So Tough' cover?

[Alan Smith]

Oh, man - this is a bit distressing for me as I think it's a great cover by a pretty interesting artist (Dave Willardson).  Yeah, maybe it's a little out there in the context of the songs, and and a little dated.

But, we still get a cover that covers elements of the BB's history in a decidedly early 70s, evocativepiece of Americana.  The artist has a few things in common with the band's culture and history (he's from San Diego, was interested in car culture and car paint work back in the day), and his work relates to an (his) ideal image of the band, rather than attempting to present a cohesive theme for an uncohesive bunch of tunes. 

This clashes with how the music on CATP is itself idealised; this album is musically distanced from the brief 60s car era, and therefore, the art is considered inappropriate.

But, hey; it's by that same bunch of guys from Hawthorne CA (welllll, plus Blondie and Ricky) who grew up in the car days and still lived and remained immersed in a very LA lifestyle.  So, perhaps it's not too far off base or outside of the BBs sensibilities.

The album covers for Surf's Up, CATP, Holland, Love You, LA and (even) KTSA are all great pieces of art, a pity that Sunflower, Concert, 15BO and MIU couldn't compete.

By the way, here's a cross section of the top of the Australian '72 pressing mentioned earlier for those interested;

[The Heartical Don]

 

Your opinion on the KTSA cover is, um interesting.

[Summertime Blooz]

 

Your opinion on the KTSA cover is, um interesting.

[Mikie]

I agree, the cover does not fit the music.    There is a photo of the group from that time where they are leaning against a car, it's black and white, it would have been a perfect cover.

I think this is the picture you're referring to, Wild-Honey. It was used for the "Marcella/Hold On Dear Brother" single in Germany and The Netherlands. Another old car; it shows sideman Daryl Dragon sitting in the car, but it would have made a nice album cover at the time.

http://www.musicstack.com/item/111627858

The thing I always wondered about was the inner sleeve for the CT&P album. Was Brian really airbrushed into the black & white picture? I think he was, but don't remember if it was ever confirmed.

[Andrew G. Doe]

The thing I always wondered about was the inner sleeve for the CT&P album. Was Brian really airbrushed into the black & white picture? I think he was, but don't remember if it was ever confirmed.

Confirmed many years ago. Amongst many other past employs, I was once a printer, and the cut-in lines around Brian on the back of CATP-ST were obvious to em from the very first moment I saw it. Confirmation came with the publication of the original (or one from the same shoot) minus Brian.

[Mikie]

They did a good job of putting Brian in the picture. It was many, many years before I found out (probably from the purveyor of phony info) that he was inserted in that picture. Not too many picures exist of him around 1972 anyway, so it's kinda rare. I have the promo poster for the album and concerts for that era, so the picture with Brian was used elsewhere too.

[shadownoze]

In the early 70s, the airbrush was experiencing a rediscovery, having slipped into obscurity after its heyday in the advertising art of the 40s and 50s. Dave Willardson was a fairly well-known artist who was in the forefront of bringing the airbrush back into use in "fine" art instead of just advertising. I believe that the CATP cover was an existing work by Willardson, and its use at the time for an album cover was actually hip and current, like using a Warhol for Sticky Fingers. I liked it then and I like it now.

[Cabinessenceking]

Your opinion on the KTSA cover is, um interesting.

I consider the KTSA artwork utterly obnoxious and perhaps one of the most tasteless covers of all time, tho it did represent the band at the time - out of touch with anything.
And more or less all the music on it is garbage and disposable, I would actually (Am I getting banned now?) buy MIU over KTSA.

[pixletwin]

The only BB covers I never liked were 15BO, LA, and BB85. The rest never really bugged me.

[Mike's Beard]

I think "All This Is That" would have made a better album title.

[Emdeeh]

I like the KTSA artwork so much that I have a big poster of it hanging up at home. 

I always thought the KTSA artwork was kind of whimisical, to be enjoyed and not taken seriously. To each his or her own!

[Alan Smith]

Your opinion on the KTSA cover is, um interesting.

  It's a hard one to justify, but I like the bubble world concept, and it gets a reaction from me

[pixletwin]

I've always considered KTSA was among their best album covers.

[Custom Machine]

Never was much of a fan of the artwork, and the album title has always seemed a really bizarre choice to me.

My original May 72 purchase (got it the day it was released) still has it's shrink wrap cover, with a good size round sticker on the cover which reads, "The Beach Boys Specially Priced 2-Record Set", so although the group's name did not appear on the cover artwork, Warner/Reprise made sure it did appear on the outside of the album when seen in record stores.  (I can post a photo if anyone is interested.)

[drbeachboy]

I bought mine on day of release and mine had nothing on the shrink wrap, as I recall. I remember finding it odd and thinking they changed their band name.

[Dave in KC]

Thinking about BB album covers, I always wondered why Al is the only one looking away on the cover of 15 BO. The encircling of the photos makes that fact even more glaring.

[Jason Penick]

I agree, the cover does not fit the music.    There is a photo of the group from that time where they are leaning against a car, it's black and white, it would have been a perfect cover.

I think this is the picture you're referring to, Wild-Honey. It was used for the "Marcella/Hold On Dear Brother" single in Germany and The Netherlands. Another old car; it shows sideman Daryl Dragon sitting in the car, but it would have made a nice album cover at the time.

http://www.musicstack.com/item/111627858

Oh man, that's a great pic.  Thanks for sharing! 

[Wild-Honey]

I agree, the cover does not fit the music.    There is a photo of the group from that time where they are leaning against a car, it's black and white, it would have been a perfect cover.

I think this is the picture you're referring to, Wild-Honey. It was used for the "Marcella/Hold On Dear Brother" single in Germany and The Netherlands. Another old car; it shows sideman Daryl Dragon sitting in the car, but it would have made a nice album cover at the time.

http://www.musicstack.com/item/111627858

The thing I always wondered about was the inner sleeve for the CT&P album. Was Brian really airbrushed into the black & white picture? I think he was, but don't remember if it was ever confirmed.

That's it! Thanks Mikie.   I thought I had seen it in black and white.  What a great photo.  Wonder if I can get it printed somehow, would love it as a poster.

[bossaroo]

yeah it might not seem so great now, but i think it was pretty cool at the time.

Willardson's airbrush art was used a lot in the early/mid 70s, including the sweet Steely Dan design for the cover of Rolling Stone.


and this Grammy-nominated gem:


So Tough works on a lot of levels I think. It's not totally apparent what you're looking at on first glance. The retro/car theme was kind of hip, predating American Graffiti and the Beach Boys own resurgence a couple years later. The title is obviously a nod to Carl, who at that point had become the band's leader in a lot of ways.

it's not the most exciting album cover, but I like it overall. It certainly beats quite a few Beach Boy albums in terms of artwork...

Willardson did the American Graffiti art too:

[bossaroo]

here's a promo insert from So Tough:

[Slow In Brain]

I understand the CATP reference, but what about So Tough ? Was it a song or something about Murry ?

[The Heartical Don]

I've always considered KTSA was among their best album covers.

Yes. Because it Kept The Senile Afloat.

[phirnis]

Surf's Up had just brought them some much-needed media attention and here they are trying something entirely different all over again, both in terms of the music and the cover art. Personally I don't mind "Hold On Dear Brother" at all. It's a good song which wouldn't have been out of place on The Band's second album. Now does that mean it belongs on a Beach Boys album? Well, the group must have thought so! They were clearly searching for new directions around that time and on Holland they managed to make it all sound a little more cohesive. Still, CATP remains a huge favorite of mine.

[Magic Transistor Radio]

I agree with Phirnis on 'Hold On Dear Brother'. I really like that song. Quite frankly, the 'weak' cuts on So Tough and Holland just might be Dennis songs. I love Dennis, but I think he has better songs in the bag then what ended up the albums. Cuddle Up is powerful, but Make it Good and Only With You don't excite me too much. Steam Boat is excellent. I wish Carry Me Home was on an album.

[37!ws]

Regarding the cover...yeah, I have a UK copy of a Pet Sounds-less So Tough and I think that one too has the group's name at the top, very subtly.

Regarding the group name that's on the current CD -- that stencil font is actually taken from the longboxes that the 1990 CDs came in. They ALL had The Beach Boys' name in the stencil font face on the front of the longbox. For So Tough they replicated it on the actual cover.