Ranking EVERY Roger Dean Album Cover!
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- čas přidán 28. 08. 2023
- Roger Dean is probably the greatest non-musician to influence progressive-rock. Through decades upon ongoing decades of dedicated work, he has supplied many of the genre's best known (and a lot of obscure) albums with mesmerizing paintings that cemented the visual beauty of prog for eternity.
I was so moved by Dean's work that I decided to go on a journey of discovery and uncover all of the album covers that he has ever made, and to compile and rank them all as I saw fit. And this is where I should note that my takes in this video are my personal opinions, and your thoughts will mostly likely vary from mine -- and that's perfectly fine!
And also, thank you for a thousand subscribers! Your constant support is why I spend so much time and effort into making videos like this one come to life!
A HUGE thanks goes to @UpsilonNova for composing background music for this video! ✨
And thank you to everyone who participated in this video and gave their own takes on some of these album covers:
Mary - @marysmusictaste 💃
Dave (A.R.C.) - @TheAlbumReviewGuy 😲
Iain (R.T.O.) - @Iainrankingtheobscure 🤨
Michael - @NotesReviews 🌷
Abby - @abigaildevoe ☮️
ProgHat - @progrocktommyscorner 🎩
If you want to help me make more of these videos:
🫂 consider supporting me on Patreon: / 365daysofprog
☕ or buying me a coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/365dayso... - Hudba
This was so much fun! Thanks again for asking me to participate. Loved seeing everyone's responses!
Loved to have you on here too! You're always such a wholesome and welcome guest, and I'm looking forward for future collaborations :DD
Came here for Abigail, but loving this whole video. Amazing job.
Thank you so much, and welcome to the channel! Any viewer of Abby is surely greeted here with open arms!
“This is the cookie.”
(Bill Bruford describing Close To The Edge and why he left Yes.) Amazing accomplishment, Naomi.
Thanks Scot! In all regards, this is a huge milestone for this channel :))
When the "worst" one are imho pretty decent, you know you have a TRUE artist on your hand, Fantastic work Naomi and Co !!!!! Awaiting your next video with patience !
Yeah, Roger Dean is a creative powerhouse who never really created any bad piece of album art.
Glad to have provided you with this video and I'm so happy that you enjoyed it! I actually have another video already made, but I am postponing uploading it a bit for the time being...
@@365DaysofProg Fantastic ! always worth the wait !!
This is great.. might be watching this in stages.. encyclopaedic! Relayer would be up there for me.
This is definitely one of those "stages" video, so take your time with it. And "Relayer" is up there for me too... ;)
spectacular video. I had a lot of fun and learned about this genius of record cover design.
My mission is complete :)) Thank you so much!
Just caught Abigail's contribution to your episode where she looks at the Fragile cover art. The comment that the circular design replicates the format is just one of those crucial observations that make her own channel such necessary viewing.
A gargantuan undertaking by you, maybe an important one, well done. I'll keep an eye out for 365days now.
Hey, thank you very much!
And referring to Abby's content as "necessary viewing" is strictly spot-on! She can really go in depth about her albums and unfold their mysteries is such unlikely ways.
Thank you so much for having me again, I loved doing this! 🥺 also I’m loving the editing for this video 😂💖
It was my pleasure, really! Always looking to have you on in these types of collaborative videos
Hi Mary I nearly chose that one But very well put
Great Video really enjoyed it
Thank you so much Iain! I am so proud of this project, and I'm ample glad to see it blooming out here :))
Well worth waiting for, an enormous achievement. Congrats on the ton of subs. A small tip, Drowning In The Sea Of Love by Snafu is well worth a listen. Don't be a stranger!
Thanks Mark! Will give that one a spin right now actually :DD
Did some eyebrow raising during the first hour, but I noped out at 58:23. TFTO, one of the most iconic covers in prog history, at #55? Wow.
Well, as I tried to make clear throughout most of the video: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I went into this ranking with the following mindset: "If I were walking around a museum and all of these artworks were presented to me there, which ones would I be interested in most? And which ones would I find more beautiful?" And in the case of TfTO, I think that it's good but it is elevated quite a bit due to the album that it represents.
@@365DaysofProg Well, that is of course absolutely legit; I feel like those past 7 years since the ascent of Orange Jesus have made it much harder for me (as it has for many people) to hash over differing opinions ("President Trump is quite possibly one of the greatest Americans to have ever lived!" is an actual argument I was presented with at one point; I believe it was the one that has made me quit engaging people in political discussions...)
OK, I'll try to be less facetious: I believe this album is quite hated by a large chunk of Yes fans, so the effect of the music is not as important (and, anyway, Going for the One has some fantastic music, but I still think the album art is shite); the iconic status of the cover has more to do with how well it manages to convey the "vibe" of that album. It's not as adventurous as the Relayer cover, and not as breath-takingly beautiful as Fragile (the cover that made me pick up an album by a band I've never heard of in my life and started off a love affair that has lasted for 50 years, 1 week and counting) - but it gets the job done. Definitely in my top ten Dean album covers (and I'm a huge fan, enough to have worn out 3 copies of Views). I can see where you're not as appreciative of it, but #55 seems VEEEERRRRYYYY low, and I'm just too scared to watch the rest of the video....
[yes, I AM a fragile snowflake - but it's Life's fault!!]
@@yatz57 Appreciated!
controversial
Anyway, glad to have had this chat with you, and I do get where you're coming from :))
I must say, I did not know most of these. So this was a treat for my eyes!
I gotta say, I knew the Osibisa album covers felt very familiar, I never put two and two together, but seeing it now, it all makes sense.
I have quite a limited knowledge, I know, but my favorite Roger Dean album might be Close To The Edge. Not because it looks incredible or something, but rather because it means a lot to me. I first listened to Close To The Edge at a time of my life where I wasn't doing very good at all. The first time I listened the album front to back was a very bright spring day, at the start of march. I skipped school that day, because I couldn't bear to go to school this day. I put the album on, got myself some vanilla ice cream, and sat in a park. I noticed quickly that the gradient on the album cover had exactly the same colors as my surroundings, the green leaves, to the dirt, and all inbetween. Whenever I see the album cover, as simple as it is, I feel the few rays of light hitting my skin, I taste the ice cream on my tongue, and if my eyes are closed, I see myself in that park again. It's quite a bittersweet feeling, as it was a short moment of absolute bliss during one of the worst periods of my life. The music itself has the same effect on me, it works as a whole. So it all means a lot to me.
Now for a lot less emotional stuff, I'm very happy to have seen this video! Gotta say, you're doing great with longer videos. The effort you put in paid off incredibly well! I'm proud of you for pushing yourself like that, and making this channel something truly special! Every video you make is better than the last. Had a big goofy smile on my face seeing the notification, and the length of the video. Also, good job on the 1k subscribers (soon), in my opinion you deserve even more than that!
Stunning work, Naomi! Keep at it, it's awesome!
As remarkable as this comment might be, you seem to have neglected referring to your music, so I'd do it for you. Your specially composed piece has to be the crux of this video, and it bounds it all together with such ease. In the countless hours of editing this video, I was constantly listening to "Earth Afloat" in the background, and I never grew bored of it. On the contrary - it always kept me lured into the video. So thank you so much for it (and I have not forgotten about your requital).
And I am glad to see CttE getting some love here, because I depraved it from any in this video... :P
And all in all, thank you for the very kind and generous words (as always)!
@@365DaysofProg Indeed, forgot to mention how proud I am to have made the music for this video! I'm very happy about the fact you like it so much!
Good accomplishment in general this. I had forgotten about a handful to may as well bloddy need, how/why in the hay do they have a non-Roger Dean Octopus for the entire western hemisphere, yezzir the more I think about that damn jar, that's gonna become a wrong that needs righting lol. Came for ol' Abby, (awesome she was on Fragile) and have also hoarded Roger Dean cardboards for 28 yrs, Yessongs Relayer and Gun are my tops. Neat to see the lesser known ones, thanks for featuring the content providers
I find that the obscure picks are what makes this video unique, because there's a ton of hidden gems out there!
And I had a special time inviting other to participate, and they are (of course) credited for their work.
Excellent video! I actually watched the almost two hours in its entirety. When I saw the current Yes lineup 10 months ago, I found out that Roger had been traveling with the band but his appearances were cut short due to a home emergency. It would have been just as thrilling to meet him as would meeting any member(s) of the band. I was not so much disappointed as I was genuinely concerned for his well being, strictly on the human level. In his absence, members of the road crew acted as proprietors for exhibits of his portraits and other works. I probably would have been very nervous looking at the high-end merchandise in the creator’s presence. I never knew Roger had any children. Freyja Dean is a work of art in and of herself! I think it’s fair to say that she is living proof that beauty and talent are literally in his DNA. I’ll be sure to check out your other videos, keep up the amazing work, Naomi! Cheers - Eric
Hey Eric, many thanks for this lovely comment!
It felt so wholesome to find out that Roger toured with the band, and Freyja has some incredible skill. I am always shocked to see just how similar, yet also uniquely dissimilar, her works are to her dad. I imagine that (much like Yes, who are reinvented a younger band lineup) the Roger Dean artistic lineage will live long with the input of Freyja.
Sincerest thanks,
- Naomi 🌻
Hi...I was referred here by Devoe. Devoe has some cool video. Tell her that Roger Dean makes pretty Primus pictures. Anyway, I hope you read this. Roger Dean set up a gallery showing in my small town in Norcal. What a trip. He brought a Primus Poster for sale. He did two different dates. I went to both. At the one in Feb. 2023, I asked him if he knew that the SR-71 was home to the Base that is 30 miles from here and that I like Budgie. He said yes and thanks because now I'm going to tell the story during lecture. He did a really good lecture. He told a story about Beale AFB. He told s story about losing his lawsuit with Avatar. He told a story about Queen Elizabeth II using the Yes logo pasted onto a letter to him from her. It was a very fun show. And then.... I talked to him out in the town the next day. He was walking around. I told him the town was hollow below because of the Gold miners. I told him that his artwork has been in my life for all of my life. That made him raise an eyebrow. I told him that I had known Alan for a long time. I said I went backstage and special seating to several shows. I told him i saw Drama Tour and I remember those and other inflatable Roger Dean sets. He praised Alan White and Gigi. The Lecture had a vid of Alan Whte doing an unreal solo while a bug was flicking over his head designed by Dean. He also said he was supposed to Going for the One but Jon drew it at last minute. Im sre you understand that seeing this show was an honor. The gallery is cool. They have food and beer. Thanks . Not proof read.
I have read it all and it seems to me that you have many stories to tell. I am so happy for you (and understandably jealous) that you got to meet and chat with Mr. Dean. I tried contacting him in order to have him participate in this video, but I never received a reply...
Anyway, thank you for the interesting comment and hopefully Abby and I will do something else together soon enough ;))
What a great video
Well, you have just made my day!
that was massive! Like I said, it could have been tited "365 Hours of Video Editing"
And correct you were! Hopefully the result has been worth the wait.
Great job on this video. Done very well!! Thanks for inviting me to participate. Have a good day..
Thank you ProgHat! Glad to have had you on! :D
I think it’s cool that you included Asia albums. Those guys are so great and they don’t get a lot of love!
Yeah. The goal was to include any R.D.'s that I could find really.
The album cover was definitely better than the music inside!
@@lemming9984 Haha!
@@lemming9984 don’t be like that😢
@@playlistmaker90125 Sorry, I can't help it! It just sounds like run-of-the-mill FM radio fodder (just like Yes' 90125 and Big Generator).
Hi . I watched all 2 hours and think I will watch it again.
You and your thirteen words really made my day! I'm really glad that you enjoyed this video, it was a passion project for sure :))
Unbelievable Naomi. Thank you
You're welcome Brad!
Nearly 2 hours of Naomi, let's goooooo!
After finally watching all of that, it struck me how little Roger Dean's style *should* work on me. I'm a big fan of minimalist, stark artwork and photography with darker moods and undertones, Joy Division's Closer and Miles Davis' Round About Midnight are two of my favorites if that gives you some idea.
But Dean's artwork... as cheesy and pulpy as it can get sometimes, it certainly captivates the imagination. His signature sci-fi landscapes, sometimes garish colors and stylized band logos have probably done more to drag young listeners into the world of prog than any other artist, and that's a high compliment. This vid helped me appreciate just how much range he actually has--those top 3 covers are brilliant pieces regardless of context, and yet so outside Dean's "usual" style. You've outdone yourself with this one, awesome job =)
@@wristofkings Honestly, nothing could have prepared me for the rabbit hole I would go down when making this video... Roger Dean is just that artist that you think you've seen all his cards, and then suddenly he pulls another ace from his sleeve!
But anyways, thank you for the kind words and I'm hoping to create similar videos in the (probably not so near) future :))
My copy of Lighthouse - "One Fine Morning" features exactly the stunnig biomechanical lighthouse painting by Roger Dean. On Vertigo. So what's "not official" about that?
From all that I could gather, the other cover is the first iteration of the cover (at least chronologically). Most online sources feature the non-Dean cover as the "official" one. And further information on the matter is scarce online.
@@365DaysofProg I guess it's rather a matter of US-release versus UK-release versus EU-release and the choices of the respective labels; like the different covers for "Octopus". In such a case I would neither cover artwork render "unofficial".
You can certainly have two "official" covers. in that case i'd rank both or if you wanted to keep it simple then rank the one you like the best. I certainly wouldn't rank the non-Dean cover art. makes no sense whatsoever. @@chutspe
Generally I love Roger Dean paintings but I always wish he would use red more since the back cover of ABWH's debut, Budgie's Squawk and Uriah Heep's Magician's Birthday all look so cool.
Never really thought of that, but he definitely goes more for the earthy and celestial tones rather than the fiery ones.
The Budgie album Ecstasy of Fumbling was a compilation. Dean probably had nothing to do with the overall design, just using his logo (used for previous albums).
So when I was researching for this video, I distinctly remember going a bit deeper when collecting information about this cover.
From what I remember, all cover credit goes to Roger or his brother Martyn (who's also credited for design on here -- though it is not said whether it's for the cover or inner gatefold).
But other than that, I just used simple observatory logic and "concluded" that the cover looks pretty fitting to be a Dean artwork, so I just went with it ;))
@@365DaysofProg 👍
I have a question regarding the cover of the Rick Wakeman King Arthur artwork by "Roger Dean" do you know the story on the knight dressed in armour perched in the tree grove? there are 2 other hidden figures behind him thanks
I saw the two other knights in the background as well, but I'd be lying if I said that I knew of a story behind this cover 🤷🏿♀️
@@365DaysofProg Thanks! the one in front seems to differ I'm guessing it is King Arthur.
So why is the Asia debut so low? It’s one of his best covers.
I personally never really liked the cover, regardless of the album's music. I feel as if most of Asia’s covers took Dean on a different, less ambient path that I connect to less.
And again, these are all my own, very subjective opinion :))
@@365DaysofProg it’s just so cool looking in my opinion
@@thekivster And what's your overall opinion of the album itself?
@@365DaysofProg I haven’t listened to it so much but it’s good AOR music
Faltou "relayer"
I definitely see a theme of brilliant paintings with godawful text/logos. I hate the text on most of them. I think my favorite Dean cover is probably Fragile, though of course there are MANY here in this video that I had never seen that are also amazing. I think my least favorite (at least my least favorite of the ones I was already familiar with) is Close to the Edge. I hate it. It is so boring and drab. I do love the Steven Wilson remix cover though, so I'll just pretend that was the original.
Amazing video! I watched the whole thing and was entertained the entire time!
I was really motivated to make this video as soon as I realised how many unknown Roger Dean covers exist out there. And taking the time to acquaint myself with all of them, I really grew to appreciate even the more obscure ones of the bunch.
And I must agree on that CttE point - the original is HIGHLY iconic but if it adorned a lesser album, it would be wholly forgotten in time. And the Steven Wilson remix has such a lovely alternative to it!
And on a more personal note, I am ever so grateful for that last comment of yours. Not even in my wildest dreams did I actually believe that people would want to sit through this two hour long video, but as you (and many others) have mentioned, it seems like I was downright incorrect. So thank you.
@@365DaysofProg I think this video will grab a ton of views. I think it's super well-made and interesting!
@@asymptoticspatula 🤞🏿
You do go on, don't you?
Nice job nonetheless.
Thanks! :)
Landed on MArs in 1976 not 1967.
Ok. So. You like the cover art for #126 but it is ranked that low because you made a mistake. Don't you think there was a better way to handle this than "punish" the cover art for your mistake?
After obtaining, resizing, reformatting, naming and importing all of the assets for the video, the "simple" task of moving placements around becomes neigh impossible.
I had to compromise and keep #126 and #124 in their original standings, but I explicitly noted that I like them and would rank them higher. The alternative solution of omitting these two stunning covers from the video seemed unfair and unfortunate.
Respectfully, you are looking at it the wrong way. I will hand it to you that it is very impressive to even take on a task of ranking such a large number. But you should not sacrifice order for integrity. Sometimes all of the pieces of the puzzle do not fit. The BEST way to do it would be to have a few TIES at whatever number this cover art merits. Not rank the art too low just for the sake of neatness. @@365DaysofProg
I enjoyed this . I recently saw Roger Dean talking trough his art. What is with the voice on this awful AI sounding, Any chance of a real voice?
Hmmm... That's my voice..........
@@365DaysofProg Yes sorry saw you live with the Prog Corner a million apologies .
@@mellotronin54 All is well! I had a great time on there :))
@@365DaysofProg And how was Anglagard.
@@mellotronin54 Still hasn't happen actually. On my way to the venue right now 🤞🏿
Really lost me there at the end.I think you're trying to be artsy fartsy,Relayer and Drama not in the top 10
That....speaks volumes.
I knew that the top ten picks would be controversial, but I decided on disengaging from the music and focus purely on the artwork, and that's what I did :/
But not really . . . @@365DaysofProg
Supposed-ly, not suposeBly
Every?!?!? Quite an overstatement considering the missing amount of compilation and live albums. No mention of Keys to Ascension 1 & 2 from 1998?!?! Blasphemy.
Also, interesting that you didn't mention Roger's hypothetical cover for Going for the One being used for Symphonic Rock - The British Invasion Vol. 1. latter down the line.
Please make a list of all the missing entries and I'll try to account to all of them.