Com-Page-riots: Storm Thorgersen Designer of Album Covers

Storm Thorgersen

Master album cover designer Storm Thorgersen has a new book out titled "Eye of the Storm: The Album Graphics of Storm Thorgersen" as well as an art exhibit at London Oxo Towers that runs through the end of July. For those that don't know, Thorgersen was the man who designed the album covers for three Led Zeppelin records, "Houses of the Holy", "Presence", and "In Through the Out Door". Thorgersen's most famous work however is his design for Pink Floyd's seminal album, "Dark Side of the Moon".

In doing press and giving interviews for his new book, and ongoing art show, Thorgersen has given a little bit of info on his thinking and inspiration in designing the three different albums he worked on for Led Zeppelin.

In an interview with Classic Rock Magazine, Thorgersen detailed how the cover of the album "Houses of the Holy" came about: "Led Zeppelin decided to go with an idea I’d had from reading Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke, in which kids from the future were imagined to coalesce spiritually in mass mutation and leave the Earth as a tower of flaming energy. Yup, that should be big enough for Zeppelin. Our variant was to have blonde and blue-eyed kids (Midwich Cuckoos) clambering across the rocks in some magical location, Giant’s Causeway, climbing towards a fiery dawn."

Houses of the Holy

In talking to The Pink Floyd Resource, Thorgersen outlined his thinking regarding one of the most mysterious pieces of Led Zeppelin memorabila, the so-called "object" used as a display tool in conjuncture with the release of "Presence": "For Led Zeppelin's Presence, one of my favourite pieces, I have to say, mostly as I was so surprised that they ever took it. I mean, it's kind of like a piece of kitsch, but not. Anyway, the black object as it became to be know, was painted on the side of a hollow pillar, in black, so if you tapped it, you'd get a response. Underneath it, I cut a hole, the same shape, in the hollow pillar, it was also black because there was no light in the pillar.

The Object

For those who don't know, when it comes to the album "In Through the Out Door" Thorgersen added a bit of an easter egg. According to Ultimate Classic Rock Thorgersen included a feature to the artwork that he didn't even share with the band, if you dabbed water on the cover the album would change color!

In Through the Out Door

Storm Thorgersen is a visionary, and his contribution to both rock and roll and the world of art cannot be understated. I'd highly recommend if you are in London that you stop by the show, admission is free, and Storm himself will be around to answer questions. Tell him I say hello!