ArtBeat: “Can You Dig It?” @ the Hyde Collection

Photograph by Kirsten Ferguson

“Take those old records off your shelf…”

Back in April, The Hyde Collection in Glens Falls put out a call to the regional community, requesting the loan their favorite album covers for consideration in an exhibit celebrating the art of music. The exhibition, “Can You Dig It?,” is now on view in The Hyde’s Rotunda Galley.

More than 800 album covers were submitted by music and art fans, and the Museum’s staff winnowed them down to the 84 album artworks – dating from 1965 to 1989 – that are currently adorning the walls in the exhibition.

“Music, much like visual art, is a means of expression and ‘Can You Dig It?’ is a celebration of the artistic convergence of music and art,” explained The Hyde’s director Erin Coe. The album covers in the exhibit range from the Rolling Stones (who led the pack with six album covers) to Local 518 ’80s fave Blotto (the lone indie label band, represented by their debut disc, Hello! My Name Is Blotto. What’s Yours?”).

In addition to the Stones, other artists represented with more than one entry in the exhibit include the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Jethro Tull, Kansas, Led Zeppelin, Joni Mitchell, Pink Floyd and Spyo Gyra.

If museum visitors want to rock out to some of the iconic songs from many of these albums, The Hyde is providing MP3 players that are available at the admission desk.

“Can You Dig It?” is on view now through Sunday, October 11.

Here’s a complete list of the iconic album covers that are featured in “Can You Dig It?”:

12-Inch Maxi Single (1983)
10cc: The Original Soundtrack (1975)
Air Supply: Greatest Hits (1983)
The Beatles: Revolver (1966)
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Blotto: Hello! My Name is Blotto. What’s Yours? (1980)
Cheech & Chong: Up in Smoke (1978)
Chicago: Chicago (1973)
Jimmy Cliff: Struggling Man (1974)
Chick Corea: The Leprechaun (1976)
Larry Coryell/Alphonse Mouzon: Back Together Again (1977)
Derek and the Dominos: Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (1972)
Devo: New Traditionalists (1981)
Bob Dylan: Planet Waves (1974)
The Eagles: One of These Nights (1975)
Emerson, Lake & Palmer: Brain Salad Surgery (1973)
The Firesign Theatre: In the Next World, You’re On Your Own (1975)
Fleetwood Mac: Mystery to Me (1973)
Fleetwood Mac: Rumours (1977)
The J. Geils Band: Hotline (1975)
Off-Broadway Cast: “Godspell” (1971)
The Good Rats: Live at Last (1979)
The Grateful Dead: Skeletons from the Closet (1974)
David Haines with the Paris Theatre Orchestra: Warsaw Concerto (1965)
Hall and Oates: Big Bam Boom (1984)
George Harrison: Electronic Sound (1969)
Billie Holiday: Billie’s Blues (1973)
Joe Jackson: Night and Day (1982)
Jethro Tull: Stand Up (1969)
Jethro Tull: Thick as a Brick (1972)
Elton John: Goodbye Yellowbrick Road (1973)
Janis Joplin: Pearl (1970)
Kansas: Leftoverture (1976)
Kansas: Point of Know Return (1977)
King Crimson: In the Court of the Crimson King (1969)
Lake: Lake II (1978)
Ronnie Laws: Friends and Strangers (1977)
Led Zeppelin: Physical Graffiti (1975)
Led Zeppelin: Houses of the Holy (1973)
Led Zeppelin: Led Zeppelin III (1970)
John Lennon: Menlove Ave. (1986)
John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band: Shaved Fish (1975)
Lynyrd Skynyrd: Second Helping (1974)
Melanie: Melanie (1972)
Bette Midler: Bette Midler (1973)
Joni Mitchell: The Hissing of Summer Lawns (1975)
Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark (1974)
Molly Hatchett: Flirtin’ with Disaster (1979)
The Moody Blues: Every Good Boy Deserves Favour (1971)
Mott the Hoople: Mott the Hoople (1970)
Osibisa: Osibisa (1971)
The Outfield: Play Deep (1985)
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)
Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here (1975)
Pleasure: Accept No Substitutes (1976)
The Police: Synchronicity (1983)
Jean-Luc Ponty: Civilized Evil (1980)
Iggy Pop & James Williamson: Kill City (1977)
Pure Prairie League: If the Shoe Fits (1976)
Queen: Jazz (1978)
The Rascals: Once Upon a Dream (1968)
Leon Redbone: On the Track (1975)
R.E.M.: Murmur (1983)
REO Speedwagon: You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can’t Tuna Fish (1978)
The Rolling Stones: Their Satanic Majesties Request (1967)
The Rolling Stones: Some Girls (1978)
The Rolling Stones: Tattoo You (1981)
The Rolling Stones: Let it Bleed (1969)
The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers (1971)
The Rolling Stones: Love You Live (1977)
Bruce Springsteen: Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Spyro Gyra: City Kids (1983)
Spyro Gyra: Morning Dance (1979)
Billy Squier: Emotions in Motion (1982)
Steel Pulse: Earth Crisis (1984)
Cat Stevens: Teaser and the Firecat (1971)
Rod Stewart: A Night On the Town (1976)
Traffic: On the Road (1973)
Various artists: Appetizers (1973)
The Velvet Underground & Nico: The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)
The Who: The Who by Numbers (1975)
Stevie Wonder: Innervisions (1973)
XTC: Oranges & Lemons (1989)
Neil Young and Crazy Horse: Zuma (1975)