Crumb Covers: The Album Art of R. Crumb

It was the late 1960's. Robert Crumb was an aspiring artist living in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Fransisco when he was asked by Janis Joplin to design the cover for Cheap Thrills, the first major studio album of her band Big Brother And The Holding Company. The album would eventually reach number 1 on the Billboard charts exposing the world to the counterculture visuals of R. Crumb.

And so began the album cover career of R. Crumb.

Now, some 40+ years later, W.W. Norton has released a monograph featuring all of R. Crumb's record cover art.

From his work for Joplin to his long standing commitment to jazz, country, and old-time blues music of the 1920s and 1930s to his CD art work for the Eden & John's East River String Band; Crumb's stamp is unmistakeable.

In addition to the covers this compilation presents additional work related to the covers and other lesser-known illustrations that in some way relate to the music.

 

The details:

Crumb, R. The Complete Record Cover Collection. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011. . First Printing. Square quarto. [96]pp. More than two hundred fifty illustrations. Glossy pictorial boards, a Fine copy, as New in the publisher's slipcase. $27.95 Book is available here

and here is the publishers 6+ minute trailer:

(Via Book Patrol.)