An eBay user is selling off his copy of the original artwork for Van Halen’s first album, which not only has the band’s original, name-written-out-in-full logo, it has a picture of the band where David Lee Roth is relegated to the background–and sorta-mimicking Johnny Rotten:
The reputed story is that David Lee Roth spotted a Sex Pistols similar pose and requested the same for his cover. When this version was done, he rejected it as he thought it was too punky.
Noel also told me that Alex hated his photo, it made him “look like a giant”.
A close-up of the original art, in which Alex is up front (for some reason I thought he was actually Dave, and that Alex had dyed his hair): 
I have no idea which Pistols shot Dave was inspired by (perhaps one from this shoot?), but I’m glad that someone stepped in and changed the logo, at the very least. Sure, the original version would have looked awesome in ballpoint pen on a cloth binder, but it would have resulted in more people spelling the band’s name “Van Halan” than not.
Van Halen Original 1st Album Artwork That Was NOT USED [eBay via Sleaze Roxx]
My old hometown had a rec center with all the 70′s/80′s band’s logos (VH, Journey, Yes, etc.) painted on the walls. A great logo definitely captures the imagination — sparked my interest in all these futuristic looking band logos when I was signing up for C-pitch. Not to mention jean jackets.
That is night and day difference. Crappy vs. professional design.
Plus, how would you make that logo with your fingers?
To me, it’s the Brady Bunch layout of the official cover that made it what it was. They could have used the old logo on it and changed it to the proper one on II, and history would not have been altered.
But I think many bands saw the action shots on the first album and went “hmmm”. (Not to say most bands made best use of that inspiration, sadly.)
@Chris Molanphy: I don’t know how you would make either logo with your fingers.
To me, the album cover isn’t so much Sex Pistols as it looks like the cover of the Dead Boys’ Young Loud & Snotty.
@juiceandgin: that VH insignia is serious design.
And most importantly, how would this have effected the Weezer logo?