In the Art of the LP, author Johnny Morgan explores a time when the vinyl record was king.  Although it wasn't portable and scratched easily, the LP created a great opportunity for visual expression, because of it's large 12 x12 inch size.  Now, of course, no one bothers with clever cover art, since it's only going to be squished into your teeny Ipod viewscreen.  But, as Morgan's book suggests, there was a time when what was on the cover, was just as important as the music inside.