There was nothing like walking into a record store during the LP era and catching sight of an album cover that presented a vision of the artist, the music and a reflection of the times. We listened with our eyes before we tasted with our ears. Are they one of us? The images on an album cover are images of an artist as well as images of ourselves. Or at least the image they want to project is. Ken Bielen looks at album covers and uncovers a history of musical art in his book, Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art. He invites us to listen to what we’ve seen and see again what we’ve heard. Or dare I say that an album cover is worth a thousand songs?

Don Cusic, Belmont University

Bielen exhibits his extensive knowledge and understanding of popular music and its intersection with society in Portraying Performer Image in Record Album Cover Art. I love how he dissects album cover and insert art and explains their relationship to the music and the images that artists and record companies try to project. His analyses are spot on.

James E. Perone, University of Mount Union

An insightful survey of varied performers, times, and musical genres as exhibited and understood through the visuals of popular music record album covers that is a much-needed and long overdue contribution to several fields of inquiry. Fans and scholars alike will find much to enjoy and consider in this close descriptive analysis.

Ben Urish, University of Kansas