Is This It

The original cover for Is This It caused such a stir that major American retailers refused to stock it, forcing The Strokes to create an entirely different version for the US market. The provocative photograph by Colin Lane was deemed too sexually explicit for mainstream distribution.

The concept emerged from the band's desire to capture the raw, intimate energy that defined their sound. Julian Casablancas and the band wanted artwork that felt as unpolished and real as their garage rock revival aesthetic, steering away from the over-produced imagery dominating early 2000s rock.

Photographer Colin Lane shot the intimate image that would become the international version of the cover. The photograph captures a moment of physical intimacy, cropped tightly to focus on a gloved hand against bare skin, creating an image that was both artistic and undeniably sensual.

The composition was deliberately minimal, with Lane focusing on texture, shadow, and the contrast between leather and flesh. The photograph's grain and slightly underexposed quality gave it an authentic, almost voyeuristic feel that perfectly matched the album's lo-fi production values.

Colin Lane was a photographer known for his work capturing underground music scenes and intimate portraiture. His approach to the Is This It cover reflected his ability to find beauty in raw, unguarded moments, bringing a documentary-style authenticity to album artwork.

When major US retailers including Walmart and Target refused to carry the album with Lane's photograph, RCA Records panicked. The label needed a quick solution that wouldn't delay the crucial American release of what they knew was a career-defining album for the band.

The replacement cover featured abstract particle imagery that looked like glowing subatomic matter or distant stars against a black background. This scientific-looking alternative couldn't have been more different from Lane's intimate photography, representing a complete visual departure from the original concept.

Critically, the controversy only added to the album's mystique and the band's reputation as authentic rock rebels. Music press coverage frequently mentioned the censored artwork, giving the album additional publicity and reinforcing The Strokes' image as artists who wouldn't compromise their vision.

The dual cover versions became a collector's item situation, with the original Lane photograph remaining the definitive international version. European and other international markets retained the original artwork, creating a split identity for one of the most important rock albums of the 2000s.

This cover controversy highlighted the ongoing tension between artistic expression and commercial distribution in the music industry. The incident demonstrated how retail gatekeepers could still dictate visual content in the early 2000s, years before digital distribution would begin changing these dynamics.

Interestingly, the particle imagery used for the US version was created using stock photography, making it one of the rare instances where a major rock album's artwork relied on pre-existing commercial imagery rather than commissioned original photography or illustration.