Album Shorts

At 28, Mati Klarwein painted Annunciation, which Carlos Santana later discovered and used as the iconic cover for his 1970 album Abraxas. Known for his fusion of Latin rock, jazz, and blues, Santana found Klarwein’s work, a mix of psychedelic and spiritual elements, a perfect visual match for his genre-blending music. Klarwein’s visually experimental art style became globally recognizable, and later appeared on albums like Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew, Earth, Wind and Fire’s Last Days and Time, and Jackie McLean’s Demon’s Dance, amongst others, cementing his influence in the world of music and art alike.

A Broken Frame reflects Depeche Mode’s struggle and growth after the departure of primary songwriter Vince Clarke. Their 1981 debut, Speak and Spell, had laid a solid disco-pop foundation, but Clarke’s exit left a creative gap. Martin Gore took over songwriting for A Broken Frame, leading the band through uncharted territory. Though many experimental sounds from this album didn’t continue in their later work, A Broken Frame captures Depeche Mode’s exploration of their identity. The band tested their boundaries, learning not only what worked but also what didn’t—knowledge that shaped their evolution into electro pioneers.

Van Halen’s 1984 album cover broke from heavy metal’s usual over-the-top designs, offering a memorable image of a baby angel holding cigarettes that was edgy yet subtle. Unfortunately, this originality didn’t carry through to the inner and back covers, which fell into predictable Orwellian clichés. The futuristic band photo, blocky “1984” font, and black-and-white shot resembling a mass of CCTV cameras were all intended to suggest constant surveillance but ended up feeling unoriginal. Though not as unique as the main cover, the entire design effectively captured the tension of the era, making 1984 visually and thematically powerful