Quote: Gordon Bennett @ 5th April 2015, 11:17 PM BST
Americans, they rather see a rifle than an androgynous man.
That is an interesting point but I am not sure it is right. It is a cartoon by one of David Bowie's friends, Michael J Weller. The album was released there in November 1970 but not in the UK until April 1971. The dress that features on the UK cover was used in February 1971 on his first promotional tour to the United States. He wore it during interviews despite the fact that the Americans had no knowledge of the as yet unreleased UK cover. I sometimes wonder what sticking a cowboy in front of a hospital for the mentally ill says. Various things could be read into it. I reckon the Americans may have had issues with it if they knew what the building was in reality.
Incidentally, I do have very happy memories of it. The sun shone all the time and the grounds were beautiful. I don't go along with the gothic horror angle at all. People have gone backwards in their attitudes in my opinion. A lot of people in there were lovely if sad. The ones you have to worry about are the allegedly sane and successful.