Can an album be truly perfect without near-perfect cover art/liner notes?

On one hand, it's the music that makes it great, but on the other hand, there's something about the art that accompanies the music that can add to the mystique.

Of course, I'm not talking about random poses of band members. I'm talking about, for example, Nirvana's "In Utero" has some ...interesting art on the back sleeve:
http://eil.com/Gallery/237749b.jpg

I feel that it sets the mood for Cobain's coarse vocals and jagged guitars. Not a ton of what anyone would call "melodic" on the album.

Just a random example...I think it's obvious where I stand. But of course, to invoke an obligatory Further Seems Forever reference, their first release "The Moon Is Down" had an elegant pink and white-dominant scheme that was very simple and appealing in its own right.

Need I mention the self-titled Owls record for poor design? http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images ... 74&s=music

What do you all think?

As a "designer" you know i am right there with you on this one. In fact it is something that has been bothering me lately. particularly when an albums cover doesn't at all fit the mood of the music itself.

the most noticeable reference is he new New Found Glory CD



Don't get me wrong i know the cover art ties in with the name of the CD but a gritty wartime image is as far from the type of music that NFG plays than if they made all black with an angel that slit her wrist on the cover... it just doesn't work for me and the album loses some points because of it.

Ugh. That NFG album art killed me almost as much as the generic, already-done, trying-too-hard style of the actual music.

Indeed,

the CD had a couple of decent tracks but nothing to write home about. I was left empty inside.

That's not the point of the Owls album though. Tim Kinsella's main mission in life seems to be to just fuck with people. The design of the art might be poor but he still got you to notice it. And when you notice something that Tim Kinsella does he's won.

His entire body of work and the entire Cap'n Jazz parented family tree is out of control awesome though.