Album Artwork - does it affect you?

Speedway

i've always noticed myself that album artwork has a large impact on my enjoyment of a cd. I think i always find that when i buy a cd, when i look at the album art work before i listen to it,it sets a mood for the album.
i think that when i look at artwork it can make me very biased on what the cd "should" sound like.

I think its more of a sub concious thing, but i really do think that it influences my opinions of the music. I think that if you listen to a cd that has no artwork i.e. copied or downloaded (legally :P) that you form a much more unbiased view of the music and the overall mood of the album.

look at this cover for example http://dreamers.com/rockweb/Imagenes/sisterhazel.jpg

and straight away i bet an opinion of the mood of the album or its depth is formed.I think the colours used and the layout can really have a huge effect on your own feelings towards the music,

i dunno if anyone else feels like this but i just thought id throw it out there.

Wishbone Ash

It was much more functional and significant when LPs were on the go, especially some of the double and triple albums that came with free posters etc.

John

I think the artwork is as much a part of an album as the music. An album is a physical thing that contains music that the artist wants presented in a certain way. Without the artwork, it's not the album it's just the music data so not how the album is supposed to be experienced. It's not just LPs that the artwork is relevant for, I've encountered many CDs that have beautiful sleeves that work within the space confinements of the jewel case/digipack (the most available example being Tool's last three albums with the hologram packaging of Aenima, the clear plastic layered anatomy drawings of Lateralus and the stereoscope packaging of 10,000 Days).

nlgbbbblth

Wishbone Ash wrote:

It was much more functional and significant when LPs were on the go,

They still are.

I buy a lot of new releases on vinyl.

Most back catalogue purchases I make are on CD. For reasons of remastering (or lack of in some cases*), extra tracks etc.

Artwork and packaging is important to me. I cannot warm to mp3s. Fine for seeing if something is worth a purchase but as a long term format - no.

When I started purchasing music seriously (in the mid 1980s) I was very influenced by 4AD artwork. In some cases I bought records that looked good rather than I actually enjoyed. It was the whole aura of the label and the way they packaged their releases.

* Some remastering nowadays just means LOUD and compressed. Not cool. Some of the early CD pressings sound surprisingly good when you turn the volume up. Particularly MFSL and West German Warner Brothers discs.

nlgbbbblth

Smiths artwork was particularly good.
Especially on the 12" singles.

Belle & Sebastian have carried this into the present day with iconic LP and 12" sleeve design.

Also Peter Saville who designed many Factory Records releases.

John

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Also Peter Saville who designed many Factory Records releases.

Saville's sleeves are just beautiful. Even though I have a lot of Factory Records releases on CD I've tried to get as many of them on vinyl to get the full effect of his design.

Do you know The Hafler Trio? It's one guy who makes his albums to be accompanied by the packaging (many of the releases include essays, dozens of photographs and drawings, posters, postcards, elaborate hand made packaging and in one case things for you to taste and smell). None of his releases fit on a CD rack but they deserve their own place on a shelf as they are quite remarkable looking.

Bixmoo

who wouldn't rather have the proper album artwork and case, there's something a bit disappointing about a MR DATA CDR with the album name scrawled on the front with permanent marker.. if I really love an album that I have copied or downloaded I nearly always get around to buying it properly, but at the end of the day, money's too tight to mention, I'm talkin' about money money, brother gots to pay the rent etc.

Speedway

Linkin Park - Meteora, and before i get slated, i never ever bought or owned a copy of that album.im not a fan of theirs but i did see the album artwork and i thought it was pretty original, but what i liked on the album and on Blink 182's album "Blink 182" was that the included some history of the song, the meaning behind it and some of the technical things about the songs production. kinda like a VH1 storytellers in the booklet. i always liked that kinda approach

TempestSabre

While I might like some album covers for their artwork, generally it doesn't affect me at all. Because when I listen to the music its always on a medium where I don't see the artwork.

Speedway

ya that's what i think TempestSabre - like if you listen to stuff you've only got on mp3 or whatever, i think you form a more unbiased opinion of the music.

TempestSabre

I never had much Vinyl, but I tended to tape it for the walkman or the car. Same with CD's. Now of course I rip my CD's to MP3. But even at home I tend to connect the MP3 portable player to the HiFi rather than swap CD's.

FillSpectre

I went to this last week

http://www.macba.es/controller.php?p_action=show_page&pagina_id=28&inst_id=20981

Interesting break down on music and visuals. A little too artsy here and there but still worth seeing. THe end of the show has all the music on a multi CD changer so you can hear it all.

Cd cases can be done as well but they don't have the space. Gatefold allowed for many designs. I wouldn't buy any new records but I would collect older records.

I don't get the revival of vinyl. If is just for the artwork I don't think it is worth it. Records still hold value to me due to memeory but to go back for it now seems not to be worth it.

John

Speedway wrote:

ya that's what i think TempestSabre - like if you listen to stuff you've only got on mp3 or whatever, i think you form a more unbiased opinion of the music.

What do you mean "unbiased"? As I mentioned earlier, an album is a physical thing that includes the artwork, it's not just a way of selling a product. The art is meant to accompany the playing of the album, if you remove the art I don't think you're hearing the music "unbiased" but just missing out on the visual element that adds to the music.

Speedway

i think by unbiased what i mean is that if you look at an album cover on the bus on the way home from town, you havent listened to the cd yet, by looking at the cover and artwork you already have an idea of what the tone of the album is and it's expected sound. and maybe that can distort your enjoyment when you do hear it. like do you ever wonder if some really great albums might not have been as successful or maybe viewed differently if the artwork was changed.

i know myself that if i am looking at the artwork while listening to the album sometimes i feel that the two don't sync up together.

take for example that you're listening to a very melancholic alternative rock album, slow rhythms, deep bass and quiet acoustic guitars. and then you see that instead of a very deep and introspective album cover, it's actually one with a clown face on the front and rainbows and etc etc

does that change how you feel about the album or does it change your views on what you're hearing?

honru

I would happily indulge in vinyl instead of CDs... it's just a shame they're more expensive (for new releases). Or am I mistaken?

This a good question though, for me album art is very important. You could give me a CD with no cover, nothing, and it just won't do anything for me.

nohshow

Artwork, no, except to identify the band at a distance when the artwork is uniform and distinctive enough, which doesn't happen so much these days. I once got conned into buying Queen's Night at the Opera because I thought Bohemian Rhapsody would be on it - check the cover art for why. Positively deceptive, in my view.

Information on album sleeves, definitely, as much as possible - I hate this minimalist approach to credits on albums where everyone is lumped in under 'thanks' or whatever. Might not influence my buying the album but it'll influence how I feel about the band.

Lyrics, I normally only need after I've heard the songs a few times. I find it changes the way I listen when I read while listening.

Dudess

nlgbbbblth wrote:

I was very influenced by 4AD artwork.

I totally hear ya. That guy Vaughan Oliver designed some absolutely beautiful sleeves - Heaven Or Las Vegas by The Cocteau Twins, Pod by The Breeders, Comforts of Madness by Pale Saints, the Lush stuff before they went all brit-poppy and "witty" with pics of people holding up signs that had the Lush logo on it. It wasn't just his graphics, even the fonts were beautiful too.

Ditto Saville. One of the things I really like about New Order's Technique is the sleeve. And obviously the Unknown Pleasures one is totally iconic.

nlgbbbblth

Dudess wrote:

Heaven Or Las Vegas by The Cocteau Twins, Pod by The Breeders, Comforts of Madness by Pale Saints, the Lush stuff before they went all brit-poppy and "witty" with pics of people holding up signs that had the Lush logo on it. It wasn't just his graphics, even the fonts were beautiful too.

Those three albums are amongst the best of 1990. A great year for music.
Saw The Pale Saints open for The Pixies that year.

Those early Lush records looked lovely. Scar, Mad Love, Sweetness and Light.

nlgbbbblth

f®eak s&#169 wrote: »

I would happily indulge in vinyl instead of CDs... it's just a shame they're more expensive (for new releases). Or am I mistaken?

Due to CD being the industry standard, albums are now a lot longer in duration. 60 / 70 mins for many.

Therefore the vinyl releases tend to be double LPs and are generally in the €20 + price range.

nlgbbbblth

John2 wrote:

Do you know The Hafler Trio? It's one guy who makes his albums to be accompanied by the packaging (many of the releases include essays, dozens of photographs and drawings, posters, postcards, elaborate hand made packaging and in one case things for you to taste and smell). None of his releases fit on a CD rack but they deserve their own place on a shelf as they are quite remarkable looking.

Yes.
Your signature has a link to the site.

Have seen and heard some of the releases in other people's collections. Some amazing designs. One called Exactly As I Do / Exactly As I Am is pretty striking.

Dudess

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Those three albums are amongst the best of 1990. A great year for music.
Saw The Pale Saints open for The Pixies that year.

In Ireland?

nlgbbbblth wrote:

Those early Lush records looked lovely. Scar, Mad Love, Sweetness and Light.

What has an even nicer sleeve is Gala, the compilation of all of the above.

http://www.toastboy.co.uk/music/images/cover/459.jpg

Sounds weird but it looks the way the music sounds - if you get me.

nlgbbbblth

Dudess wrote:

In Ireland?



What has an even nicer sleeve is Gala, the compilation of all of the above.

http://www.toastboy.co.uk/music/images/cover/459.jpg

Sounds weird but it looks the way the music sounds - if you get me.

I know exactly what you mean.

Yes, Pale Saints supported the Pixies in The National Stadium in October 1990. Tickets were £6.50 which represented excellent value. A combined coach and concert ticket from Waterford cost £10! A mate of mine paid £35 to a tout which we thought was a small fortune.
The Pale Saints were about to release the Half Life EP and opened with Two Sick Sisters. They played a short enough set - around 8 songs. Always regret not buying a t-shirt.

Pixies played 35 tracks including two takes of Wave Of Mutilation.

Lush played in the Rock Garden in January 1992 - just as Spooky came out. Was pretty good too although I nearly flattened a couple by over-exhuberant dancing.

Dudess

I remember clearly when Lush played the Rock Garden. I've said it before and I'll say it again, nlgbbbblth, when you were going to those gigs, I was a moody 13-year-old listening to Dave Fanning and John Peel (just about, on medium wave) and dreaming about going to such concerts. But hey! I'm not bitter... :mad:

nlgbbbblth

Dudess wrote:

I've said it before and I'll say it again, nlgbbbblth, when you were going to those gigs, I was a moody 13-year-old listening to Dave Fanning and John Peel (just about, on medium wave) and dreaming about going to such concerts. But hey! I'm not bitter... :mad:

Sorry.
I think I remember you posting that before.
I know how you felt - it was the same for me around 1984/85.

Stompbox

Bell X1-Flock

Works for me.

tj-music.com

It certainly effects me! Artwork is part of the package and it (usually) says a lot about the album. Never was a fan of cheap downloads and coverless re-writables.

TempestSabre

tj-music.com wrote:

It certainly effects me! Artwork is part of the package and it (usually) says a lot about the album. Never was a fan of cheap downloads and coverless re-writables.

Looking at the music?

chairs

it's all part of the experience, and that's partly why cds etc continue to sell in shops despite easily accessible downloads, legal or illegal. art work that accompanies an album is there to enhance it and to create a mood or tone for listening. unfortunately record companies are usually in charge of these areas and with a lot of bands it's hard to say that the album art is needed, seeing as it may not be something which was intended to accompany the album, it's not conveying a message which the artist wished to portray.

That said, I still love the physical item of a CD, because i enjoy collecting them, but also because of that feeling of ownership and personal experience with the music. It is easier to identify with an album with the full packaging and physical item is what i guess i'm trying to say

Dermington

10,000 days by tool has a fairly involving album case/cover etc.

typically tool though so it came as no surprise.

pearl jam's new album has great artwork too. all of soundgardens I like, especially down on the upside.

odhran

Yes, Virigina, the new Dresden Dolls album, has some great photographs in the booklet, each one representing a song on the album. I thought it was really great.

Tar.Aldarion

It does affect me. The amount of effort in tools new album cover persuaded me to buy the album.

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Yeah, I think the album art is an integral part of the concept of the album. As other people have said, what constitutes an "album" is more than simply the audio, the track listing, the artwork, and to an extent the physical package itself are all part of the album, which is why I'd never go in for this whole digital music store business...even though all of my CDs are ripped onto my computers more often than not I would find myself searching my racks for something to play, opening the box and playing it on the stereo, even though it's much more effort...

Also, the album artwork conjures up the mood, and gives you an idea what an album will sound like, as well as what the artist was aiming for...

For example, see here Klaus Schulze - Dune
http://www.insideout.de/data/covers300/KS10.jpg

The artwork immediately conveys the harsh environment and alienation familiar to anyone who has read Frank Herbert's novels, and gives you an idea of what Klaus is conveying in the music, and it really adds to my appreciation of the music, if I listened to the two pieces on that album in isolation, without knowing what they were supposed to be, I think I would be a lot more dismissive of the music...


Another two albums with beautiful artwork, just for fun:

cEvin Key - The Dragon Experience
Tangerine Dream - Stratosfear

Sonnenblumen

Devastatingly open landscape and only the music to guide you....

ZWEI_VIER_ZWEI

Sonnenblumen wrote:

Devastatingly open landscape and only the music to guide you....

YES!

100% agreed, love that album, love that cover....