Connecticut on the cover
How I-84 (probably) landed on the cover of a Radiohead album and other famous album covers shot in CT
With a robust assortment of music venues and its oft-forgotten recording history, Connecticut is a breeding ground for musical creativity. Connecticut boasts a comprehensive discography of albums that have been recorded or produced in the state from artists like Trey Anastasio of Phish, Alice Cooper and even Beyonce. Those with a keen eye will also be able to spot some Connecticut sites in famous album covers, like the I-84/I-91 interchange spotted on Radiohead’s “OK Computer.”
Here are three famous rock album covers photographed in Connecticut.
“OK Computer”
Release date: May 1997
Notable tracks: “Paranoid Android,” “Karma Police,” “No Surprises,” “Let Down”
The mere thought of a Connecticut highway could send many into a fit of rage. But it’s no surprise that Radiohead fans might think of something different — the cover of one of the band’s most famous albums is a photo of a highway interchange in Hartford.
Performing on its “The Bends” tour at the Meadows Music Theater in Hartford, band members allegedly took a picture of the connector from I-84 to I-90 in the city. That seemingly innocuous picture would become the cover art for the band’s next album, “OK Computer.” The story has been circulated by fans for years and publications like NME have addressed it. Though the story has never been confirmed by the band, many fans have been able to prove that the photo was taken from the Hilton Hotel in Hartford. The Hilton has even posted about the album on their Facebook account,
Covering everything from frayed politics to the social impacts of consumerism, “OK Computer” is often regarded as Radiohead’s magnum opus. The album was revered critically, and went fivetimes platinum in the UK and two-times platinum in the U.S.. “OK Computer” is ranked the 42nd best album of all time by Rolling Stone.
‘Boxer’
Release date: May 2007 Notable tracks: “Fake Empire,” “Mistaken for Strangers,” “Apartment Story,” “Slow Show”
The National worked with Bridgeport’s Peter Katis, owner of Tarquin Studios, on almost all of its studio albums. The band recently announced a ninth studio album, “First Two Pages Of Frankenstein,” with involvement from Taylor Swift, Sufjan Stevens and Phoebe Bridgers. Though Katis’ involvement has yet to be revealed, The National talked about working with Katis in Bridgeport at September’s Sound on Sound festival before delving into an unreleased song.
Before the band was playing festivals and selling out arenas around the globe, members cut their teeth in the indie music scene while working with Katis. The bond between the Katis and The National led to the band performing at his wedding. The performance was captured on camera and placed on the album cover of 2007’s “The Boxer.” The photo is of the band on a small stage with people slow dancing below them at the wedding.
‘Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue’
Release date: November 2002, Recorded in November-December, 1975 Notable tracks: “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Tangled Up in Blue,” “Hurricane”
Bob Dylan launched his Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975. It was the folk musician’s way to reach smaller, more devoted audiences following his rise to fame out of Greenwich Village in the 60s. The tour featured the likes of Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott. It also brought Dylan to Waterbury, Hartford and New Haven. The famous photo of Dylan that adorns the Rolling Thunder Revue live album’s cover was shot backstage at that New Haven show on Nov. 13, 1975, according to the San Francisco Art Exchange.
Recordings from the tour were released under the “The Bootleg Series” of Dylan albums in 2022 as “Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue.” “The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings,” a box set of more live recordings was released in 2019, though neither album feature any songs recorded during the Connecticut shows. In 2019, “Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story” was released on Netflix, which chronicles Dylan on tour during the Rolling Thunder Venue. It was directed by Martin Scorsese.