Various places of origin
Album jackets; colors on cardstock
Via the Museum of Bad Album Covers

The Museum of Folly is pleased to present a special exhibition on loan from our sister institution The Museum of Bad Album Covers. We are excited to present this small but exceptional selection from MBAC’s extensive collection.

To those who say MBAC is no different from the used record bin down at your neighborhood thrift store, Mofo responds, “Right! But you aren’t down at the thrift store, you’re surfing the internet. So.”

The MBAC collection represents a rare synthesis of inept graphic design, crass commercialism, and scarcely imaginable self-delusion. Therefore, we feel it is particularly appropriate for our first-floor special exhibition galleries.

About this selection (clockwise from upper left):

• (Upper left) Like Eilert Pilarm (center), Orion channels the spirit of Elvis. Perhaps that is why the jacket title proclaims that he is “reborn.”
• (Top center) This cover from a Murk Family album has been lent from MBAC’s “Should I Shoot the Stylist Now?” gallery.
• (Upper right) Manfred’s “Love Songs” represents MBAC’s “We Don’t Need One of Those Fancy Graphic Designers!” gallery.
• Mofo believes that Freddy Gage’s “All my friends are dead” is misplaced in MBAC’s “Only in America” gallery. This album would be out of place in any country.
• (Lower right) The cover for the Scorpions’album “Animal Magnetism”qualifies for MBAC’s “”Sexist? … So what? What’s wrong with being SEXY?” gallery.
• (Bottom center) Lars Kristerz, “Stuffparty” — what more need be said? This album is from MBAC’s “Sexy Scandinavia” gallery.
• (Lower left) Garry Dalway (left, we think) of The Handsome Beasts is featured with a close friend on an album in MBAC’s “Metal Mayhem” gallery.
• (Center left) The MBAC curators place “Viva Gongalongamax!” in their “Great British Awfulness!” category. They assert that the figure on the jacket is the legendary British performer Max Bygraves. Mofo’s curators are not entirely convinced, as we observe that the model bears a strong resemblance to Howard Junker of the San Francisco-based literary magazine ZYZZYVA. More research is needed.
• (Center) Eilert Pilarm, a Swedish Elvis impersonator, occupies a special place in MBAC’s “Season’s Greetings!” gallery.

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Post from: the Museum of Folly (MoFo), internationally acclaimed museum of foolishness. Follow our director, Dr. Thom, on twitter.

Album covers, late 20th century