Desperate Straights - Slapp Happy / Henry Cow (1975)
The rich lithographic artwork and spidery handwriting hints of the strangeness waiting within.
Devastate to Liberate - Various (1985)
A bit of a diversion for Stapleton's general artwork sensibilities opting for a simple typographic list of the bands involved. The ‘camo’ colours forming an Anarchy symbol slap bang in the centre - a mission of intent for this animal liberation benefit album.
Pop Eyes - Danielle Dax (1985)
Lovely bit of photo-montage this, as all her covers were. Vaguely reminiscent of Alien with its Giger connection in the vein work - the sort of album that cries ‘I’m interesting, buy me!’ and not a smidgen of disappointment in all these years.
The Culling is Coming - 23 Skidoo (1988)
A monolithic gong in an abyss of black, where the screaming sounds of the abattoir mix with gamelan Zen - documenting a one off 'Skidoo' sound-world that was sadly never to be repeated.
Daedalus – The Grief (1991)
The cover captures the sub-terrain essence of an album recorded deep within the earth - for this Grief and Ken Thomas collaboration.
Spooky - Lush (1992)
Luv to sit back and watch this glisten with its pearlescent inks and economic graphics. When it came to record covers Vaughan O sure excelled.
Soliloquy For Lilith - Nurse with Wound 2CD (1993)
The apocalyptic Ernst artwork and its graphite sheen really captures the slow unfolding nature of this all-time classic Nurse release (for me at least). One of Stapleton's landmarks in sonic experimentation, disk two still freaks me out even now.
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