It’s a stylized nod to Helmut Newton or a sarcastic homage to Smell the Glove, depending on your point of view. Either way, the cover of the [lastfm link_type="artist_info"]Strokes[/lastfm]‘ highly anticipated debut, Is This It, sparked some controversy.

UK shops like Woolworth’s and HMV declined to carry the record bearing the black-glove-on-the-bum photograph by Colin Lane. American conservatives struck enough fear in the hearts of RCA execs that the cover was changed for its US release (to a far less intriguing mashup of colorful swirls).

The track list of the US version is also different from the UK version. With its release just shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the band substituted “New York City Cops” with the cut “When It Started.”

[metrolyrics artist="The Strokes" song="When It Started"]

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