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SPIRITUALIZED - LADIES & GENTLEMEN...

(Rigsy - ATL Presenter)

Easy one this, as the artwork for Spiritualized's Ladies And Gentleman We Are Floating In Space is just... beautiful. Two silver sheets of six blister pack "pills" (in reality little white mini-cds) inside white cardboard box designed to look exactly like a prescription straight from the chemist, complete with a fold out sheet with "dosage advice". Granted it cost a bit, but even the normal, widely available version (a single CD in a smaller blister pack) was absolutely beautiful. A perfect physical representation of a mind-blowing album.

THE DOORS - STRANGE DAYS

(Paul McClean - ATL Producer)

Around the age of 16, when a young man wants to become excruciatingly cool, he starts to listen to "weird" stuff, to gain understanding of things other than chart music in order to impress young ladies. So with the early 90s yet to deliver Nirvana's Nevermind and therefore blow the world to shreds, it was back to the 60s counter-culture to pillage for some kudos. Circus freaks cavorting along a cobbled street gave the band a European vibe that no doubt would have pleased the pretentious buffoon that was Jim Morrisson and indeed it certainly did a naïve young Carrick boy, poring over ever inch of the sleeve. This album sounded like nothing else, and looked like a snapshot from a gothic horror. Job done.

VARIOUS ARTISTS

(Paul Hamill - ATL Dance Presenter)

It's probably too difficult for me to settle on an overall favourite. I have always loved the work of The Designers Republic (The Orb, Aphex), Saville Associates (New Order, Pet Shop Boys) and Anton Corbijn (Depeche Mode/U2). I would often buy a record without knowing the music if I saw one of these names among the sleeve notes. Designers would often only work with acts they felt would add kudos to their brand, so there was a certain degree of safety in my assumption that if one of these names was on the sleeve then I'd probably like the music.

OK COMPUTER - RADIOHEAD

(Philly Taggart - ATL Chum)

I pretty much love any cover that Stanley Donwood (resident Radiohead designer) and Thom Yorke have worked on. OK Computer sticks out in the mind with its mixture of abstract digital images and hand drawn doodles. Like most of their work it tackles zeitgeist themes in such an ambiguous and interesting way that you can lead yourself to your own conclusion on what it all means. Some of it seems quite tongue in cheek as well, almost like they are purposely putting in certain symbols to confluster The 'Head massive.

BUCK OWENS & THE BUCKAROOS - MONSTERS' HOLIDAY

(Warren Bell - ATL Website)

My dad's a big country music fan and has a vast record collection which I used to regularly stare at as a cute little baby child. This one always stood out for me because, if I recall correctly, it was just about the only album cover that didn't simply comprise some cheesy looking yeee-haw eyeballing me. It looked bizarre, slightly amateurish, and really made me want to listen to the record - and isn't that the point? Maybe, maybe not, but I've always liked this one for its utter randomness. Great title track too. At least it was when I was about eight. Haven't listened to it since. The only reason the others didn't pick it is coz they've never 'eard of it I reckon. Some doubt it even exists.