Friday, February 19, 2010

What On Earth Is Going On Here?

My friend Eric Predhol turned me on to a Facebook page which features really, really, terrible album covers. I really enjoy terrible covers and try to figure out what the heck they were thinking. Usually its just a terrible photo of the "artist," often in terrible period clothing (lotsa icky album covers in the 80's), or, in the case of Progressive Rock and Heavy Metal albums, really stupid fantasy scenes. But the cover on display below really has me wondering: WTF were they thinking? Or, what, exactly, did they think they were doing? Let's examine this piece of art.

This record was released by a Religious Music label, Sacred, founded by Earle Williams in Los Angeles in 1941. Their first release involved someone playing sacred music on chimes. They were the label for Ralph Charmichael's One Hundred And Two Strings recordings, a staple in All Fine Christian Homes™, and by AFCH™, I mean Evangelical Christian homes, not that household of heretical Episcopalianism in which you were raised. According to my sources, Sacred was purchased by Word Records in 1960 and phased out in the early 70's. This record looks like it was released in the late 50's - early 60's, but since it IS a Fundie release, it could be the late 60's, evangelical clothing styles always being some ten years behind the times back then.

So wadda we got here? A little boy in what looks (to me) like a doctor or dentist waiting room (I say this because of the magazine rack on the left there) or perhaps a poorly decorated living room, with his ear to the left-hand speaker of a stereophonic phonograph. One would assume that he is listening to Edifying Tunes of a Christian Nature. However, the record sleeve is prominently displayed on the top of the stereophonic phonograph machine thingy, and the title is The Art of Love and then the words Kama Sutra in large letters. I tried to enlarge this so that I could read the title, but no such luck. Is this an instructional record, or is this music inspired by the Kama Sutra? Does our music-loving-toddler hear what he thinks are animal noises, or is he receiving instruction beyond his ken, or is he amazed by the sound of the tympani? I don't know about your Fine Christian Home, but we didn't even KNOW about any Kama Sutra in my sexually repressed Fine Christian Home, let alone have music inspired by said ancient asian pornography Classic!

What do YOU think is going on here, and WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?

7 comments:

Paul said...

OMG, the possibilities are all awesome.

1. They weren't thinking, always a possibility with this crowd.

2. They like titles with love and had no clue about Hindu literature of any sort, a high probability.

3. Some joker was working for these folk and we are witnessing a truly inspired bit of visual hacking. I rather like this option.

4. MP is Photoshopping and trying to dupe you.

The Werewolf Prophet said...

Well, I've at least identified the "offending" record, and Paul's #3 item - "a truly inspired bit of visual hacking." - seems the best explanation.

The album is currently available on eBay: Saeed Jaffrey: The Art of Love (Kama Sutra); Vanguard VSD-79228; 1966

it's margaret said...

Penance. They are making that poor child move the cabinet because he was bad, bad, bad to the core, as most children that age are prone to being, you know.

susan s. said...

This reminds me of an earlier post linking to a youtube where Lawrence Welk referred to "One toke over the Line" as a 'modern spiritual.'

johnieb said...

A wonderful find, Fadduh, and, until this one, comments worthy of the post.

Ormonde Plater said...

Padre, is this how you usually start Lent? I'm fascinated.

Padre Mickey said...

As always, Reverend Deacon, I begin Lent with an Ash Wednesday Mass in English at 7:30 am and una Misa de Miércoles de Ceniza en español a las 6:00 pm, like everyone else.

This is just another Lenten discipline: the analyzation of album covers for their True Meaning. I invite you to join me.

I See You!

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