This week finds set 13 in the best/worst album cover feature. In the comments section rank each cover from 1 to 6 (1 being best, 6 being worst). Click on thumbnail for larger image.
Fields Of Love – Mark Bishop (2008)
Live – Dixie Echoes (1973)
Double Take Live – Gold City (1986)
Simplicity Too – Old Paths (2011)
Family Favorites – Speer Family (1962)
Alabama Lightning – Wilburns (1990)
Southern Gospel Views From The Back Row 
1. Gold City – This was an easy choice for number one. It’s a great concept, and they delivered it perfectly.
2. Old Paths – The only thing I don’t like on this is the placement of the album title. It’s better to either be centered or obviously off-center. This looks like they meant to center it and missed. Everything else looks great and fits the concept of “simple.”
3. Speers – This one looks good as well. My only complaint is the placement of the word “Stereo.” Everything under it is off-center, but for some reason the record company slapped Stereo up top in the center. It should have been put under the record label name.
4. Mark Bishop – This is another sharp looking cover. I would have preferred to see Bishop in focus rather than the grass in the foreground. It’s rarely a good idea to have the artist blurred.
5. Dixie Echoes – I like the idea of using art rather than a photo, but I wish they’d used a more skilled artist.
6. Wilburns – I understand why the photo has been darkened, but it makes it difficult to see the group members
Compared to some of the previous groups of album covers you’ve had us rank, these were all pretty good.
The Gold City cover always disturbed me a bit, as a kid. I couldn’t quite figure it out. Another thing, would they really be singing that close to the audience?? I think I see Eldridge Fox in the audience, too.
Old Paths 1
Speers 2
and the rest are about equal.
1. Gold City: I think this is hilarious because sometimes on a concert video you really do see members of the group mysteriously show up in the audience. Look at the front row!
2. Mark Bishop: Tasteful, connects with the title and a good shot.
3. Speers: Nice family portrait motif.
4. Old Paths: Not fancy but a nice shot.
5. Dixie Echoes: Kind of cartoonish.
6. Wilburns: Gimmicky.
1 Old Paths
2 Gold city
3 Mark Bishop
4 Wilburns
5 Dixie Echos
6 Speers
1.Old Paths-good crisp clean sharp look.
2.Wilburns-liked the lightning.
3.Mark Bishop-nice concept.
4.Gold City-nice but,it all looked a little scrunched up and crowded.
5.Speers -dated.
6.Dixie Echoes-dated also.
1. Old Paths
2. Gold City
3. Mark Bishop
4. Wilburns
5. Dixie Echoes
6. Speers
1. Gold City – Although you can easily tell the split in the photo, it’s still a cool idea, and the popcorn on the floor only adds to the fun
2. Old Paths – Like the title says, “Simplicity Too,” although being the grammar fiend that I am, the title should’ve been, “Simplicity, Too.”
3. Dixie Echoes – I’m not usually a fan of the painted cover (the only over album that pulled this off successfully was the Singing Americans’ “Live and Alive”), but in the case of live albums where the “perfect” photo is extremely hard to come by (especially with Dale Shelnut), the painting works.
4. Mark Bishop – The other end of the spectrum (compared to GC’s “Double Take”)….a concept is given, but in this case, it’s not executed nearly as well.
5. Speers – I give this one point above last because of the family portrait in the background, which adds to the otherwise cheesy concept
6. Wilburns – Reminds way too much of the Hinsons’ “High Voltage” cover, which itself was not their best cover. Although, I do like the old “Digital” logo in the corner that all CD’s had at first (kinda like the “Stereo” logo on the Speers LP cover)