Photo by Leah Reid
As a graphic designer and photographer, Omnivore co-founder Greg Allen has been active in the Los Angeles music scene for more than four decades, he has photographed artists such as XTC, Ray Charles, Ringo Starr, Social Distortion, Steve Earle, k.d. lang, Jellyfish, Richard Thompson, and Lucinda Williams, for clients including Nonesuch, Virgin, Epic, MCA, Warner Bros., I.R.S., and Rough Trade Records. He has also served as art director on numerous projects for Rhino, Concord, Warner UK, and Vanguard, among others. He has designed box sets for Wilco, John Coltrane, Gram Parsons, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, and Alice Cooper, as well as coffee-table books (Creem: America’s Only Rock & Roll Magazine, The Stooges: The Authorized & Illustrated Story), soundtracks (CBGB, Sex And The City, Hairspray, and A Christmas Story), and catalog reissues for artists such as Elvis Costello, Fleetwood Mac, Yes, and The Stooges. With an eye for detail and a vast knowledge of musical styles and eras, Allen has an eclectic design repertoire that encompasses classic album repackaging and new projects alike. Allen has served two terms on the Board of Governors for the Los Angeles Chapter of The Recording Academy. Omnivore is grateful to whomever first gave this guy a camera.
Boxed sets for Rhino Handmade: Tiny Tim, God Bless Tiny Tim: The Complete Reprise Studio Masters… And More; Allen Sherman, My Son, The Box; and Little Richard’s King Of Rock And Roll: The Complete Reprise Recordings. Reissue of albums by House Of Freaks, Monkey On A Chain Gang and Tantillia; and producing the reissue of Code Blue’s eponymous album.
Hank Williams, The Garden Spot Programs, 1950; Lucinda Williams, Lucinda Williams (Rough Trade); George Benson, Songs & Stories (Concord); B-Sharp Jazz Quartet, Searchin’ For Tha One (Mama Foundation); and the back cover of Social Distortion, Social Distortion (Epic).
A nearly-complete collection of McCartney 7″ releases spanning the globe (there’s more than you’d think), including some really strange Thai jukebox EPs and test pressings. A UK 7″ pressing of XTC’s “Science Friction.” Withdrawn before its scheduled release date, this record is reportedly worth $17,000 and I’d like to meet the person willing to spend that kind of money on a 45. Pete Townshend’s I Am, Happy Birthday, and With Love records for Meher Baba. And must mention the beautifully packaged double LP+CD of Massive Attack’s Heligoland.