The enduring imagery of a concrete monolith located in a desolate panorama, juxtaposed with the band members having seemingly simply relieved themselves towards it, instantly identifies the 1971 album artwork for Who’s Subsequent. This placing visible, photographed by Ethan Russell, rapidly turned synonymous with the album and the band’s highly effective, rebellious sound. It cemented itself as a landmark in rock album cowl design, immediately recognizable and broadly imitated.
This particular inventive selection broke away from conventional album cowl designs of the period. It captured a uncooked, nearly primal vitality that resonated with the altering cultural panorama. The picture’s ambiguity invited interpretation, contributing to the album’s mystique and long-lasting affect. It turned a logo of inventive expression, a visible shorthand for a technology, and additional solidified the band’s standing as rock icons.