Worst Record Covers

15th November 2023 – 27th January 2024

From the unintentionally funny to the completely bizarre, Steve Goldman’s collection of more than 500 record covers are something to behold. Collected over a seven-year period from charity shops and online marketplaces, Goldman’s selection criteria is stringent: Is this one of the worst record covers in the world? The exhibition of this collection, Worst Record Covers is a unique celebration of some of the most questionable design choice in music history.

Goldman explains that to get into his collection, a cover “has to make me laugh! There are plenty of covers which are bad for the wrong reasons – sexist, homophobic, racist, gory etc – you won’t find any of these. I want records where the designers have tried to do something that’s gone horribly wrong”.

Visitors will have the opportunity to have their say on which is the best – or worst – via a public vote to select a favourite. This is an exhibition which can be enjoyed by the whole family, and younger visitors can enjoy games and activities, including designing their own worst record covers.

The exhibition will run 15th November 2023 – 27th January 2024. Free entry – but Goldman is a stroke survivor and is staging the exhibition in aid of Different Strokes, a charity helping younger stroke survivors.

EVENTS:

Saturday 13th January, 2pm: Talk ‘Designing the Worst Album Covers’ with Simon Robinson (text author of The Art Of The Bizarre Vinyl Sleeve). Book on Tickets Wirral

Thursday 18th January, 6pm: ‘Pull Back The Covers’ with Brian Biggs, Alan Dunn & Steve Hardstaff. Book on Tickets Wirral.

Book events on Tickets Wirral

The exhibition’s opening will also mark the publication of Goldman’s book “The Art Of The Bizarre Vinyl Sleeve”, published by Easy On The Eye Books. The text is written by Simon Robinson at Easy On The Eye, who has produced many sleeve designs himself (happily none of which feature in Steve’s collection!)  with a foreword written by comedian Stewart Lee.