When I was a kid, I remember rummaging through my older brother and sisters' record collections while they were at school. I really wasn't interested in the music I just thought the albums looked really cool. And they were.

The surreal Pink Floyd images, the lavish sci-fi-influenced Yes illustrations, the half-dog / half-David Bowie Diamond Dogs cover and the re-occurring cartoon skull and roses on the Grateful Dead's albums were all more interesting than anything in my coloring books. Some of the albums were not only neat to look at, they were functional toys.

The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers came with a working zipper on the photo of a pair of jeans and Some Girls had a die-cut cover that put different hairdos on different people depending on which side of the inner sleeve was topmost. Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti also used the die-cut windows motif and Jethro Tull's Stand Up came with a cardboard cutout of the band that stood up like those pop-up children's books.

Fold-out double sleeves for albums became the standard for the superstar bands solely to provide more space for illustrations, photos, liner notes and lyrics.

But this is the '90s. Technology and convenience rule. The more sophisticated and portable compact discs and cassette tapes have made dinosaurs of the LP and the art work that comes with it.

Many critics and fans feel that an important art form has died with the demise of vinyl. The smaller formats and stringent packaging designs have put album covers art in danger.

"You hate to see it go," admitted Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records. "We're going to miss it. We used to hang album covers on the wall. What can you hang up now?"

Tom Steele, art director at Capitol Records, said he feels that the LP cover art has been an integral part of rock 'n' roll.

"Sure it's commercial art, but it's as close as commercial art can get to the fine arts," Steele said.

The album cover art explosion began with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band's colorful montage of characters. After that, LP design and liner notes became a vital part of promoting the products. Many artists and record companies realized that the 12 X 12 space provided on albums could be used for unique and innovative art work even if the sounds found inside were not that unique or innovative.

Often the images do play an important part in enticing consumers. Cassette tapes with plastic anti-theft brackets don't sell as well as those without because the brackets limit what can be seen on the covers, Gabbard explained.

The current CD package arose because two of the 6 X 12 cardboard boxes fit nicely side-by-side in the old record bins and because of the retailers' demand for a product that couldn't easily be stolen.

Gabbard said he feels the CD long box is a logical step in preventing theft, but quickly pointed out that "people'll try to steal anything no matter what size it is."

When the CD was first introduced, the accompanying art wasn't really an issue of concern, confessed Jodi Roven, art director at Atlantic Records.

"We didn't know if it was going to be another 8-track episode, so we just reduced what was on the album covers and put it on the CD boxes. We just didn't want to over-project," Roven said.

But CDs have proved they are here to stay and some stores have completely stopped ordering LPs. Consumers are obviously not buying albums anymore, Roven said, but they did want the art that accompanied them.

"We've definitely changed the way we illustrate," she said. "We're trying to give the consumer the art they need."

However, Gabbard and many others feel that's not possible considering the CD "jewel box," the actual plastic CD holder, is one-fourth the size of an album cover.

"When I think of CD art, I think that they are trying to tell us what art work used to look like," Gabbard said.

According to Roven, record companies are now trying to give the fans more for their money. They realize the consumers have to pay about $14 for a CD, so they try to provide as much as possible in that limited space, she said.

"I understand the feeling of people saying 'Gee, there's nothing like holding an album in your hands,' but we're now actually giving them more than they get with the album. We're giving them bonus tracks and expanded booklets with the CD," Roven said.

"A lot of albums used to include fold-out posters. The Beatles' White Album came with four posters of them," Gabbard said. "And some albums used included singles in them at no extra cost."

Jane Bogart, assistant art director at Warner Bros. Records, said the company is experimenting with new CD package designs to please the people who miss the art. Last year there was the "Batcan" which held Prince's soundtrack to "Batman," and Aerosmith issued a leather fold-out jacket for Pump.

Often store owners don't know how to display the awkward sizes and they end up behind the counter where you can't see them, Bogart said. They also run about $5 more than the regular package.

Money is key to getting an innovative design, Gabbard said.

"If people are willing to pay, the record companies'll make something interesting," he said.

Steele said he realizes that problems have risen with the change to CDs, but Capitol Records is trying to work things out.

"The package keeps shrinking and everyone is frustrated," he said. "Right now we're trying to get retailers to change their display fixtures so we can get rid of the long box and just use the jewel box."

The U.S. is now the only country using the long box and store owners are weary of converting store racks because of the cost involved, Steele said.

"The problem with the long box is that it's too much. The CD is overpacked and the cardboard package is just thrown away."

In the last few years record companies have begun utilizing the 6 X 12 box, but the movement afoot looks to even eliminate that. Critics feels the revolutionary cover of Sgt. Pepper's loses its impact on the tiny CD canvas and that nothing will replace the 12 X 12 format.

Once again art bows to technology and convenience.

Bogart said she feels a format that once attracted the work of such notables as Andy Warhol will never again be the same.

"The 12 X 12 cover is really cool. It's in your face. There's something there to look at," she said. "It's a shame it's leaving us but I guess it's the price we pay for better sound."