Awesome Album Covers: The Strokes’ “Is This It”
The Strokes - Is This It (RCA, 2001)
It’s a stylized nod to Helmut Newton or a sarcastic homage to Smell the Glove, depending on your point of view. Either way, the cover of the Strokes‘ highly anticipated debut, Is This It, sparked some controversy.
UK shops like Woolworth’s and HMV declined to carry the record bearing the black-glove-on-the-bum photograph by Colin Lane. American conservatives struck enough fear in the hearts of RCA execs that the cover was changed for its US release (to a far less intriguing mashup of colorful swirls).
The track list of the US version is also different from the UK version. With its release just shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the band substituted “New York City Cops” with the cut “When It Started.”
Said, "Thanks my friend," thought it was too late
Oh why, oh why I don't know
So you think things move pretty fast down here
Well just wait my dear 'til you look up there
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