Rank The Solo Album Covers.
 

From favorite to least favorite:

ROCK A LITTLE - Simple and great. Stevie's smiling, sort of. Love the body silhouette and curves, the stretching but relaxed hands, and the way she can barely see out from under the hat. And her hair doesn't have that mutant straw look that it has in some of the concerts from that period. This album lifts my mood, and the cover exudes energy, grace, strength, and happiness. (Too bad she was probably stoned.)

BELLA DONNA - Stevie the Good Witch, giving us the bird. Her shoulder has never looked so good. Nightcap, anyone?

THE WILD HEART - My favorite album, and the colors and logo fit perfectly. The witchy theme is great. I'll get blasted for this, but I don't think she looks that great in the seated pose. I like the profile and the crossed wrists with the hood ones. Again, the hands add a lot.

ENCHANTED - Simple and memorable, though I think it should have shown Max the Bella Donna bird holding her up this time.

TROUBLE IN SHANGRI-LA - Wish I could see her face, but everything else looks good. Stepping off the castle ledge and flying into the '80s sea.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MIRROR - The chess board is fitting, she looks young, we all love her in red...So why don't I love this more? There's a fierce look to her pose that I like - but something in the eyes and mouth disturb me. Maybe the lighting (and that awful 80s hair).

STREET ANGEL - This pose is too soft, and I want to see those brown eyes (NOT false eyelashes)! With all the great photos from this period, this one could be improved.

- Jake

Hi,

Again, this is another pretty cool thread!

Here's my preferences : From Fav to least Fav

1/ Trouble In Shangri-La ... She is back to her old self...back into her rock roots...Her voice sounds it and the cover looks it. All of the art work is fantastic in the booklet..Especially the back-cover to the insert.

2/ TOSOTM ... She looks fantastic in red, she looks strong (even tho at the time she may not have been on top form). Theres a certain knowing-knowledgable wisdom in her eyes. She's seen life for what it can be like, good and very bad.

3/ Wild Heart ... It's mystical, and eerie. The colours are perfect, the hint of purple mist.

4/ RAL ... She resembles a dark ballerina....very unique style there.

5/ Bella Donna ... I dont dislike it, i like the cover, but it is a little too amateur dramatic.

Russ

...

I knew I forgot one!
 

TIMESPACE - between TISL nd TOSOTM - Cool pose, but I want to see blond hair. (And I hate the back cover, though this thread really only judges front covers.)

- Jake

1. Trouble In Shangri-La: This cover *is* Stevie. The sea, the horizon, the sun setting, the flowing dress, the boots, I could go on and on....Just beautiful.

2. Wild Heart: Great cover because it expresses all facets of Stevie. The vulnerable Stevie, the strong Stevie, the sad Stevie...I just love it.

3. Bella Donna: Simple but speaks volumes. Stevie in all her glory: beautiful, witchy, dark.

4. OSOTM: The cover fits in with the album beautifully. Red=romantic, the chessboard, the black background, wild hair.

5. Timespace: It's okay, nothing special. Hate the hair, love the dress.

6. Street Angel: Ugh. *Awful* cover. You look at the Wild Heart cover where it shows this strong yet vulnerable Stevie, then you see this cover with a child-like, weak character. It's as if she's shielding ehrself from the world and isolating herself in her emptiness. I HATE it.

TIED WITH:

7. Rock A Little: Where do I begin? She looks tired, constipated, and dressed as if she's going to a funeral. And the photo made her nostrils look so big that you could fly a 747 through 'em. She just looks unhappy and the faux fabric is pretty damn cheesy.

1-The Wild Heart: My favorite Stevie album and my favorite cover. It's romantic and bewitching and everything that is Stevie.

2-Trouble in Shangri-La: Again, vintage Stevie: mystical and bewitching but much more upbeat in its colors and tones.

3-Bella Donna-Love, love, love the back cover.

4-Timespace--Love the blue shawl.

5-Enchanted-Really cool package even if my lyrics book tour away from the box

6-Other Side of the Mirror-Love the red dress but what the heck kind of pose was she trying to achieve there exactly?

7-Street Angel-I hated the title font for some reason. The pic is okay but she looks so sad/depressed. And with good reason, given her interviews about how unhappy she was with that project. I don't think it's as bad as she seems to think it was, though. At the time, I was just really happy to have any Stevie solo stuff again!

8-Rock A Little--I don't know why, I just don't like this one near as well as the rest.

1. Trouble In Shangri La- "I guess we don't believe that things can go that far. We all believe in people that we think believe in God. Somewhere in the night someone feels the pain. The ones who walk away try to love again." Whew. Those lyrics say it all. I love the colors, Stevie in that classic white winged dove-like dress, the ocean, everything. It's beautiful.
2. The Wild Heart- "Fearlessness is fearlessness"-in all it's purpleness. I love the cape, the teary eyes, the "Frozen Love" like heart and the melting letters.
3. Bella Donna- "And the lady's feeling just like the moon that she loves." It's Glinda from the Wizard of Oz only 40 years later and everyone wanted to be her with her tambourine, roses and crystal ball. The bird is there lest we forget Rhiannon. No one ever dressed like that on an album cover before.
4.The Other Side Of The Mirror -"There is maaaaaaagic...". Stevie swathed in a red Rennaisance Fair dress with a red streak in her hair and the infamous pout doing some kind of yoga pose before that other chic even thought about yoga. I always thought the back photo would have made a better cover. It's a beauty.
5. Rock A Little- "Just like the sea.." A simple black and white photo somewhat reminiscent of the Rumours photo. Love the crystal ball. Again, the back cover would have been a smashing cover photo.
6. Encahnted- "You thought you saw something in my eyes. It was a shame that you wanted me...you didn't try." Not much here although the booklet more that makes up for it. Love the cradle with the mini crystal ball on top, the rocking chair and good old Max. Was she trying to tell us something?
7. Street Angel- "Rhinestone collections all the time..." Pink obscurity. She looks so incredibly sad and beautiful all at the same time. Saving grace: fabulous jewelry. Check out the rhinestone cuff bracelets and the rings on every finger.
8.Timespace- "It's not what's in the mirror but what's left inside."
Stevie in a blue bedspread with brown hair. No. Once again, the back photo...

The Other Side Of The Mirror~~she looks fabulous in red against the black and white checkerboard tile. It looks very fairytale like.

Bella Donna~~Wispy and white. I love the outfit and the pose. This cover is so 80's nostalgic and every girl wanted to look like that at that moment.

The Wild Heart~~I feel like I am in the Beast's dark secluded study wrapped in my velvet cape. The three faces of Stevie portrayed.

TISL~~This cover is beautiful and very colorful. The stage set was very similiar to it. The ocean feel is captivating with those warm hues.

RAL~~The crystal ball in the corner and the simple outfit and pose are classy.

Enchanted~~The signature written out with her feather quill

Timespace~~I love the blue shawl but wish she had kept her hair blonde.

Street Angel~~Too pink and pale and Stevie does not look right to me here

Yeah, as in Where the hell's her neck?

- Jake

It was chopped off in a previous life! :eek:

Okay - that's it - I am going to bed before I really start acting up!! :laugh:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :nod:

Rocky Horror fan? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

1. FAVORITE: Bella Donna.
Classic Stevie...love the chiffon...love the design of her name and 'Bella Donna.'

2. Trouble in Shangri-La.
I agree that it's a shame we can't see her face, but the imagery here is great...love the colors...

3. Timespace.
Stevie looks fabulous in this picture...I love how the blue cape and her red lips and dark brown hair offset each other. Very striking.

4. The Other Side of the Mirror.
Now we start into my "least favorite" covers. I like her in red, but the only thing I can think of when I see this photo is: "I've fallen and I can't get up." Sorry, Stevie. Could have done better here (like the pic on the back cover).

5. Wild Heart.
The imagery here does nothing for me. I like purple, so the purpley/rose hues save this one for me.

6. Rock a Little.
This one's not *bad* either, but the fact that I can distinctly see her nostrils from across the room disturbs me! :laugh: I remember when I first started liking FM I was working at a record store at the time (1987), and a coworker tried to "convince" me Stevie was a witch because the stand upon which the crystal ball is placed is shaped like a "W." So whenever I look at this cover, I fondly remember that idiot.

7. Enchanted.
Was disappointed with this cover/artwork. A feather. *yawn*

8. Street Angel.
It is my least favorite because the entire packaging (as well as the photos) look like something "homemade." I know nothing about art design, marketing, etc....and I think a dork/novice such as myself even could have done better.

Great thread! :cool:

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

The booklet left something to be desired. Their were spekking errors in mine (in the lyrics) and if I remember correctly, only one photograph.

1. Bella Donna -- The front cover is one of the great Stevie images: the quintessence of Stevie at the time, in her white witch getup & crushed velvet boots, she forged a unique style. The face on the back cover has an unfortunate Oriental look. The whole "looking through the portal onto the sorrows of the world" image with the tambourine is a nice idea that wasn't quite carried out right. The inner sleeve of the three women in the bedroom is the best of all the pics of them through the years. It's the only one where they look mysterious without trying to look so. All in all, the most hip visually of all the SN solo album packages.

2. Street Angel -- Makes 2nd place by virtue of the fact that it's better than the remainder of the covers.

3. The Wild Heart -- A college friend once told me that Stevie looks successively dumber in each pose. Partially redeemed by an inner sleeve photo of the ladies lounging around a bed with tambourines & Casio keyboards lying nearby.

4. Rock a Little -- What's with the kewpie-doll-on-a-stick look?

5. Mirror -- Really trashy. On the very day the album was released, it already looked like a cutout bin reject.

6. Enchanted -- Is it a feather or a quill pen? Regardless, visually it disappeared on the shelves.

What else is there? Did I miss any? Some of the 45s are great, like the "After the Glitter Fades" sleeve.