If Best-selling Albums Had Been Books Instead

What if these best-selling albums had been books instead? The Record Books are the creation of UK-based graphic designer and art director Christophe Gowans. Below are ten of our favourites.

© Christophe Gowans. Reproduced with permission.

Are You Experienced
Charismatic Harvard whizkid Hendrix’s self-help bible. A spin-off from his phenomenally successful TV reality show, ‘The Experience’.

Abbey Road
Classic paperback. The story of two catholic sisters growing up in a swiftly changing post-war Britain. Guess what? It doesn’t end well.

Born to Run
A rags to glory autobiography by Bruce Reginald Grayson Springsteen. The story of his rise from squalor to victory in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics is… well, it’s a pretty dull book.

OK Computer
Instruction manual for an obscure brand of personal computer. Slightly yellowed but completely unused, as the machine itself never worked. Indeed, upon opening it up to undertake a repair, it was found to have no working parts of any kind. In fact it contained a brick, taped to the inside of the housing.

At Folsom Prison
A collection of poetry written while in confinement (7 years for grand theft). Each poem is inspired by a book in the prison library. This copy was stolen from the library, by the author. Ooops.


My Dark Twisted Fantasy
Very well preserved and neatly written diary of a 9-year-old schoolboy from Stoke Poges. His title is misleading to an adult reader; his most extreme fantasy extends to driving a Royal Mail overnight delivery train without wearing his glasses.

Let England Shake
1959 compendium of dance instructions ‘for all the latest ways to cut a rug’. It came, apparently, with a set of ‘footpad tiles’ to be used by the reader – in an adequately spacious room or hall – to perfect the steps. These are now missing.

Come On Over
A ‘compendium’, full of games, stories, puzzles and activities for children of both sexes to enjoy. At a rough estimate, 70% of these games, stories, puzzles and activities involved a hoop and a stick.

Master of Puppets
Issue 3 of Elektra Comics’ short-lived title. Even for a fantasy genre, the storylines were viewed as too far-fetched by the audience.

Horses
Thorough and clear children’s reference book concerning all things equine. Sadly, many of the illustrations within have been disfigured with juvenile amendments and additions, in biro.

You can view the full 48 album collection on Christophe’s website. Some of the images are available as prints and postcards at The Rockpot.