I love crazy packaging. I just bought some 1970's DJ promo vinyl at a used place that are black and white images of near naked ladies. these were sent to radio stations for dj;'s to play witha fully programmed side A and a side B. I guess so they cold take a break. the covers are like a jigsaw puzzle, in that they fit each other to show a larger image. they are cool.
I think that packaging that reflects the music inside is crucial if you want to reacha target audience.
for example, back in the day, seeing the cover for FOSSILS by dinosaur jr, mad eme feel a certain way, and that is exactly what the music inside was like, damaged, naive, hopeless and hopeful at the same time, a shambles really.
I have never bought an album baeed on packaging alone from a band I have not heard. However, there are time sI wish I had. I have seen various albums that intrigued me but I did not buy only to find that I LOVEE the music when a friend played it a year later, but by then the album was not in stock anywhere.
I hate that.