M. Mattius Kaufman recreates classic album cover poses. How many can you identify?

November 23, 2008 11:13 PM

Can You Identify Famous Album Covers Based Only on a Mime in A Leotard?

A man, a black leotard, and an famous pose. The rest is up to you.
See how many of the album cover poses you can identify.
The positions span several decades of indelible pop music iconography.
But be fast, as you are being timed and this is much harder than you think.
Take too long and the mimes just get bored and kinda stare at you, having dropped their poses.

posted by Senor Cardgage (66 comments total)

And the answers?
posted by cheaily at 11:24 PM on November 23, 2008

I got bored after only 3, but that might be because I thought you wrote "a mime and a leopard"
posted by mrnutty at 11:27 PM on November 23, 2008 [7 favorites]

This reminds me of Trip Payne's Subservient Chicken Loves the '80s puzzle from the MIT Puzzle Hunt. (Full puzzle here, videos here.) You need to come up with '80s music stars, see if the chicken recognizes them, then identify the song he dances to.
posted by painquale at 11:34 PM on November 23, 2008

There is nothing worse than hipster mimes!

except a hipster mime crotch shot, of-which-there-were-plenty

Anyone have a melon baller?
posted by self at 11:36 PM on November 23, 2008 [2 favorites]

I got one out of the first 14, but couldn't take it any more.
posted by spacely_sprocket at 11:45 PM on November 23, 2008

The irony of 'Quietus' offering a loud and 80s video gam-y noise upon arrival at the site...
posted by librarylis at 12:19 AM on November 24, 2008

1 : David Bowie, "Heroes"
3 : Dizzee Rascal, Boy In Da Corner
7 : Elvis Costello, This Year's Model
12 : Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
19 : Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power
20 : Nirvana, Nevermind
28 : Moby, Play (I am particularly ashamed to know this one)
posted by suckerpunch at 12:21 AM on November 24, 2008

4 : Sonic Youth, Goo
posted by suckerpunch at 12:25 AM on November 24, 2008

5. Roxy Music - Country Life
21. Prince - Purple Rain
23. The Strokes - Is This It
26. The Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
29. Michael Jackson - Thriller
posted by zsazsa at 12:29 AM on November 24, 2008

this has done nothing to assuage my hatred of mimes
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:36 AM on November 24, 2008

2 : The Doors, The Best of the Doors
14 : Eurythmics, Touch

COME ON, METAFILTER, WE CAN TOTALLY DO THIS
posted by suckerpunch at 12:40 AM on November 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

No. And don't ask me ever again.
posted by grounded at 12:59 AM on November 24, 2008 [6 favorites]

I didn't enjoy this as much as I enjoyed "Can You Identify Infectious Diseases Based Only on a Mime in A Leotard". I thought that the mime really nailed Tuberculosis, artfully portrayed Hepatitis B through his clever body movements, and had me in stitches when he did Syphilis.

But I love mime.
posted by twoleftfeet at 1:22 AM on November 24, 2008 [4 favorites]

8. Sesame Street - Born to Add
posted by pracowity at 1:41 AM on November 24, 2008 [10 favorites]

I am speed walking across the Rynek in Krakow to get the last bus to Myslenice. There is a mime / performance artist there, mimicing and cavorting, and when he notices me he makes a brisk sprint to catch up and fall in behind, aping my hurried exaggerated gate.

I stop and turn, and so does he. "If you don't fuck off right now I will attack you."

He who turns and runs away will live to mime another day. This was not the piece of performance art to take a courageous stand on, and he knew it. I made my bus.
posted by Meatbomb at 1:50 AM on November 24, 2008 [5 favorites]

I'll just assume pracowity has children. ;)
posted by rokusan at 1:59 AM on November 24, 2008

6: Iggy Pop, The Idiot
27: Crimson King, In The Court Of The Crimson King

Hehe.
posted by book at 2:26 AM on November 24, 2008

I KNOW! Marcel Marceau's Greatest Hits!


(Sounds a lot like John Cage to me...)
posted by louche mustachio at 3:20 AM on November 24, 2008

Mimes of the Prairie
posted by louche mustachio at 3:21 AM on November 24, 2008

I'm really glad Andy Dick can still get work, but I do wish he'd keep his leotard on.
posted by mmoncur at 3:36 AM on November 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

This did nothing to sausage my hatred of mimes.
posted by Esoquo at 3:50 AM on November 24, 2008

All of this is bringing up horrible memories of my childhood. Mommy was a lip reader and Daddy was a ventriloquist. Uncle Pete read braille in the original Latin. Cousin Ernie proposed to his wife using semaphore flags and she accepted in Morse code. Uncle Pete's job involved close captioning silent films. The twins spoke sign language after the lights were turned off, keeping us all awake. Grandpa was an expert in body language, but only for the bodies of statues. Grandma read a lot into the wink of an eye (but only her own eye, bless her soul.)

Goddamn mimes! I hate people who can speak but choose not to. Stop calling me, mimes! (Somehow I got on a list for the International Organization of Mimes. They keep phoning me at all hours to ask for money... 30 seconds of silence.)

Thank God I turned out normal. When I want to communicate I just type into one of these text boxes.
posted by twoleftfeet at 3:53 AM on November 24, 2008 [4 favorites]

8. Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
12. Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
27. King Crimson, In The Court Of The Crimson King
posted by googly at 4:09 AM on November 24, 2008

Oops. All of my contributions previously found. Disregard.
posted by googly at 4:12 AM on November 24, 2008

Turns out men in leotards kind of creep me out, so I didn't get past #3. But really, all I can think about now is one of my favorite National Lampoon cartoons from the early '80s, Mime for the Blind - a guy yelling "I'm pulling an invisible rope!" Poor taste, hee.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:51 AM on November 24, 2008

I know I saw Patti Smith's Horses in there
posted by spartacusroosevelt at 5:22 AM on November 24, 2008

One of the few I got was Patti Smith's Easter.
posted by Casuistry at 5:42 AM on November 24, 2008

'Fucking mimes!' I scream
Pinned in a corner, shaking.
Pray for a swift death.
posted by xorry at 5:53 AM on November 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

While I do share a hatred of mimes, I must admit I liked this.

It's not about how great mimes are. I don't believe these guys are really even mimes; if they are, they're not very good.

It seems to me they're rather successfully using the silly and pretentious art of le mîme to highlight oft-overlooked silliness and pretentiousness inherent in the art of le poseur d'album-cover.
posted by Sys Rq at 6:14 AM on November 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

I thought this might provide me with an opportunity to reconsider my dislike of mimes, but I was incorrect.
posted by donovan at 6:59 AM on November 24, 2008

17: George Michael, Faith
18: Hole, Life Through This
posted by ManInSuit at 7:39 AM on November 24, 2008

This did nothing to sausage my hatred of mimes.

I now want a shirt that says I [picture of bacon] mimes.
posted by piratebowling at 7:40 AM on November 24, 2008 [1 favorite]

I had Born to Add on 8-track way back when and it was the greatest thing ever.
posted by aaronetc at 7:59 AM on November 24, 2008

No, I cannot.
posted by Khalad at 8:19 AM on November 24, 2008

I got absolutely none of them.
posted by flatluigi at 8:20 AM on November 24, 2008

I immediately got Powerage! (Listened to a lot of AC/DC back in the Bon era)
posted by squalor at 8:46 AM on November 24, 2008

9 - the libertines by the libertines
15 - Boy by U2
posted by ciderwoman at 8:48 AM on November 24, 2008

My fear of mimes prevents me from clicking on the link, so no.
posted by tommasz at 8:50 AM on November 24, 2008

I thought the beer can one was The Scorpions - Animal Magnetism but who knows.
posted by Asbestos McPinto at 8:50 AM on November 24, 2008

"Come on, don't talk back, mime is money, come on, move it."
posted by An Infinity Of Monkeys at 9:08 AM on November 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

Can You Identify Famous Album Covers Based Only on a Mime in A Leotard?

Apparently not.
posted by lostburner at 9:17 AM on November 24, 2008

I got one... but it was wrong.
posted by heyho at 9:46 AM on November 24, 2008

20 : Nirvana, Nevermind
posted by crawling101 at 9:53 AM on November 24, 2008

Yanno, I totally nailed that hue test, but this is friggin' hard.

See also.
posted by sararah at 10:12 AM on November 24, 2008

Hm... Using his body and a black leotard alone, our mime expert...

I spotted:

1. a necklace
2. sunglasses
3. a cigarette
4. a second mime
5. a leather jacket
6. a potted plant
7. a bill on a string on a stick
8. a beer can
(I am forgiving the spectacles because the mime might require them to see, even though he doesn't wear them in all the clips.)

Liars.
posted by Hal Mumkin at 10:41 AM on November 24, 2008

So, sorted from your answers so far -

1 : David Bowie, "Heroes"
2 : The Doors, The Best of the Doors
3 : Dizzee Rascal, Boy In Da Corner
4 : Sonic Youth, Goo
5. Roxy Music - Country Life
6: Iggy Pop, The Idiot
7 : Elvis Costello, This Year's Model
8 : Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
9 : the libertines by the libertines
10:
11:
12: Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
14: Eurythmics, Touch
15: Boy by U2
16:
17: George Michael, Faith
18: Hole, Life Through This
19: Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power
20: Nirvana, Nevermind
21: Prince - Purple Rain
22:
23: The Strokes - Is This It
24:
25:
26: The Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
27: King Crimson, In The Court Of The Crimson King
28:
29: Michael Jackson - Thriller
posted by jfrancis at 10:52 AM on November 24, 2008

10 - powerage by ACDC
13 - lexicon of love by ABC
22 - animal magnetism by the Scorpions
28 - play by Moby

Missing - 11, 24 and 25
posted by ciderwoman at 11:09 AM on November 24, 2008

28 is... in preview, never mind.

25 looks like the Jamiroquai logo from Travelling Without Moving, but it's not a match.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:13 AM on November 24, 2008

Checking the previous albums: 25's Jamiroquai - Emergency on Planet Earth.

Missing - 11 & 24.
posted by Pronoiac at 11:18 AM on November 24, 2008

I'll just assume pracowity has children.

I am children.
posted by pracowity at 11:27 AM on November 24, 2008 [2 favorites]

11 - prince charming by Adam and the Ants
posted by ciderwoman at 11:40 AM on November 24, 2008

Those guys aren't such good mimes.
posted by Mister_A at 11:41 AM on November 24, 2008

No such thing as a good mime.
posted by Meatbomb at 11:47 AM on November 24, 2008

It's Live Through This. With a v.
posted by Sys Rq at 11:57 AM on November 24, 2008

No such thing as a good mime.

How about a dead mime?
posted by Pronoiac at 11:58 AM on November 24, 2008

Also: 16?
posted by Sys Rq at 12:02 PM on November 24, 2008

it's not miming if you use props.
posted by CitizenD at 12:05 PM on November 24, 2008

Still missing: 16 & 24.
posted by Pronoiac at 12:14 PM on November 24, 2008

1 : David Bowie, "Heroes"
2 : The Doors, The Best of the Doors
3 : Dizzee Rascal, Boy In Da Corner
4 : Sonic Youth, Goo
5. Roxy Music - Country Life
6: Iggy Pop, The Idiot
7 : Elvis Costello, This Year's Model
8 : Bruce Springsteen, Born to Run
9 : the libertines by the libertines
10: Powearge by ACDC
11: Prince Charming by Adam and the Ants
12: Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here
13: Lexicon of Love by ABC
14: Eurythmics, Touch
15: Boy by U2
16: Easter by Patti Smith
17: George Michael, Faith
18: Hole, Life Through This
19: Pantera, Vulgar Display of Power
20: Nirvana, Nevermind
21: Prince - Purple Rain
22: Animal Magnetism by The Scorpions
23: The Strokes - Is This It
24:
25: Emergency on Planet Earth by Jamiroquai.
26: The Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
27: King Crimson, In The Court Of The Crimson King
28: play by Moby
29: Michael Jackson - Thriller
posted by meech at 12:16 PM on November 24, 2008

24 is "Definitely Maybe" by Oasis.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 2:11 PM on November 24, 2008

We have a winner!
posted by zsazsa at 2:21 PM on November 24, 2008

Ah, perhaps the problem is that I only own ten of those albums, and don't consider most of them any sort of icon to be remembered.
posted by klangklangston at 4:07 PM on November 24, 2008

I came here immediately after finding that #1 was not Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I'm not sure what that says about me. The Pink Floyd part, that is; coming here immediately after missing the first question says that I friggin' hate mimes.
posted by Brak at 4:51 PM on November 24, 2008

if it helps, here are some mimes getting there ass handed to them by some clowns.
posted by MiltonRandKalman at 8:43 PM on November 24, 2008

All this does is serve to remind me some great photography can make an album cover iconic. I got a warm feeling in my heart when they did Born to Run.
posted by grubi at 6:59 AM on November 25, 2008

Why do they all look like Smiths albums?

Even the ones I actually know look like them. Fucking Smiths.
posted by John Shaft at 1:50 PM on November 25, 2008 [1 favorite]