Pitchfork.com selects the worst album covers of all-time. Dirty Work is one of the selectees, with Pitchfork making the following comment:

"No cover goes so far to completely tarnish the reputation of a Valhalla-ensconced band while demonstrating the crushing awfulness of 1980s aesthetics as Dirty Work. Keith knees Mick in his citrus groin with his fought-for black slacks, as this was all obviously Jagger's idea. Charlie's hides in his camouflage blouse, blending into the blue background. The entire image is only of significance as it captures the turning point where heroin finally turned Keith's face from "Keith Richards" to "Dried Apple Head Doll.""

by Brent DiCrescenzo


[www.pitchforkmedia.com]

I think the Voodoo Lounge cover is way worse than the Dirty Work cover. What were they thinking on that one?

mickboy33 Wrote:
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> I think the Voodoo Lounge cover is way worse than
> the Dirty Work cover. What were they thinking on
> that one?

That`s what I like so much about the Stones...
one fan judges a song or a guitarslick or an album as the BEST,
whereas the next fan judges the same things as the WORST.

That said I think the Voodoo Lounge album cover is one of the best
the Stones ever published IMO.

My favourites are the early sleeves with closeups of their heads...... imagine it now though! Would scare the bloomin kids!

The Stones are the champions in 2 categories: great rock music and ugly covers

Voodoo Lounge is by far the best and most creative cover. Including the booklet with great photos and texture. Well, to my opinion that is ;-).

A Bigger Bang by far! Dirty Work is meant to be funny. And it is! A Bigger Bang is just so ugly.

Some of the worst Stones album covers are
- STEEL WHEELS (bad shit, and the songs do fit in)
- VOODOO LOUNGE (at least the inside cover is a little more imaginative)
- LIVE LICKS (chickenshit)
- A BIGGER BANG (boring)

Honourable mention goes to
- BRIDGES TO BABYLON (no cock an a roaring male lion? otherwise the package is acceptable)

How come all this crap was released in the CD era (since 1989)? There ain't no good covers anymore. No one cares for them anymore. It's just no fun lookin' at a cover 5" x 5".

To me, "Bridges" is a great album trapped inside a staggeringly bad cover.

The artwork on that thing should be airbrushed onto the side of a heavily customized van. That's the only thing I can think of when I see that cover...it's like meathead rock'n'roll--not at all the Stones cool, ironic stance. A damn shame too, because it hurt the album.

"Steel Wheels," on the other hand, seems pretty strong as cover art. Hard and modern--tough looking. I dig it.

Finally, the "Dirty Work" interior cartoons would make for a great t-shirt. Print them up on a bright yellow or orange or red shirt and they would be a funny item for the hard-core...

PS: I love the new "liquid" or "neon" tounge--especially in red. Wish they had used that instead of that lousy photo.

What page of the pitchfork story does DW appear on?

You're talking about an artist (Mick Jagger) who thought PRIMITIVE COOL was a great cover....Pa..leeeeezzzzzzeeee!

For all his "wealth and taste"...he is so off the mark when it comes to album covers.

Having said that, I thought the Dirty Work cover...(which a lot of fans might not remember came in a red shrink wrap...which at the time I thought was cool)...
captured the band perfectly at the time. Remember, it was the first appearance of the whole band on the front cover (not Black & Blue and It's Only Rock and Roll was a cartoon/painting) since believe it or not "Their Satanic Majesties Request"...
18 YEARS!!!! Since they put themselves for real on the cover...that alone does not put this cover in the trash for me.

Keith is centered and it was his album. Charlie is staring at the floor (embarrassed by the album and his addiction) Ron Wood looks like a 72 hour coke binge, Wyman looks disinterested as always, and Mick looks like he hasn't changed clothes since his Philadelphia LIVE AID appearance with Tina Turner...

I think this photo captures the Stones in that moment of time...so many worse covers than this.

PECMAN

southboundtrain Wrote:
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> What page of the pitchfork story does DW appear
> on?


eight. It's kind of fun to look through them all, they show you the covers with the write-up.

Karl

"Get Off Of My Sofa" would have been a good title for "Dirty Work"...

mistervinyl Wrote:
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> "Get Off Of My Sofa" would have been a good title
> for "Dirty Work"...

Or "The '80s Are Here And They Have Puked All Over The Rolling Stones"

No Security cover SUCKS

A Bigger Bang reminds me too much of the Paul McCartney stinker "Back to the Egg"

what about 'Undercover?' ..............It should have been!!