Hello and welcome to this month’s edition of Three Favourites. See below the selections which have made it this month.
Elvis Presley – Blue Hawaii 1961
Charlotte and I were having dinner the other night, and listening to Elvis. The cover on his 1961 offering is quite delightful to this reviewer. Elvis is posed, next to a reel which proclaims, twice, that there are 14 great songs on the album. Elvis himself is in a bright Hawaiian shirt, with a black ukulele and a string of flowers around his neck. This is a splendid and balanced cover which has sufficient whimsey to be entertaining and memorable.
The Zombies – Odessey and Oracle – 1968
This cover is psychedelic and captures something of the end of the 1960s. The album itself is light and beautiful with the track Time of the Season being a real highlight. The colours and shapes intermingling and completing a full picture are impressive. OVerall this is an exciting cover which is very much of its time.
Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells – 1973
I am surprised I have not included Mike Oldfield’s exquisite Tubular Bells before. This cover is very simple: A tubular bell, set against a natural background of sky and a wave. I suppose the understated nature of this cover in light of the brilliance of the album is what sets it out as one of the iconic covers of all time. I love this, it is effective and striking.
Tune in next month for the three favourites of September.