PERFORMING ARTS

Through the Prism: Untold Rock Stories from the Hipgnosis Archive

by Aubrey Powell
Thames & Hudson. Dec. 2021. 320p. ISBN 9780500252376. $39.95. MUSIC
COPY ISBN
The iconic album covers designed by the English firm Hipgnosis (founded by Powell and Storm Thorgerson) are among the most arresting in the history of popular music. The title of Powell’s new, lavishly illustrated book is a nod to the cover of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, just one of many memorable Hipgnosis designs. Hipgnosis made the art for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, Led Zeppelin’s Houses of the Holy, and Paul McCartney & Wings’ Venus and Mars, and Powell tells detailed stories of these and other projects. It’s clear that these works were dear to the musicians and that Hipgnosis was deeply embedded in the rock world. Powell is to be commended for striking the perfect balance of insider anecdote and personal and professional modesty; he gives credit where due, and it all adds up to an informative and fascinating tale.
VERDICT Anyone who has wondered about the background of these iconic covers, and what it’s like working with these musicians, will find much to savor here. Powell reminds readers how closely these images are entwined with the music. Highly recommended for fans of classic rock.
Reviewed by Bill Baars, formerly at Lake Oswego P.L., OR , Dec 01, 2021
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