Topic: Album Art and Packaging (Read 13278 times)

orangepeas · « **on:** 27 Apr 2008, 18:55 »

I did a search for this topic and came across nothing. As a graphic design student, I am always looking at unique and inventive ways of packaging and neat album art(covers). What albums do you grab your attention? What albums make you go "wow how did they think of that?"
To get us started of...I'll post some of mine favorites. In some cases, I'm solely posting the album because of the art not the music itself.

Endtroducing..... -DJ Shadow

So simple yet so cleaver. If you look at the album closely you will notice many interesting things, such as a cat.

Sigur Ros' albums has some of the best packaging and album art I have come across, but you probably knew that they were going to get mention at some point in this thread.

Tool has released many albums with fantastic album art and packing. Aenima and Undertow are my favorites. Did you know Tool put out an alternative version of Undertow with just a bar code and a note from the band? I really like the work of Alex Grey, who has provided the artwork for several Tool albums. Adam Jones, their guitarist is also a great artist.

The album's Canon,Evolve Reprieve by Ani Difranco. Evolve won a grammy for Best Record Package at the 2004 Grammys. I really like the packaging and album art for the last few albums and I'm really glad that she is incorporating her art into the albums. Maybe I'm just biased because I simply adore her. hehe

Amnesiac (Special Limited Edition)...wow, just wow.

The White Stripes-Icky Thump Limited Edition came with an USB drive...you gotta hand it to them, they could easily just sell their merchandise and not make music, but I think that would make some people sad. I like USB drives, the White Stripes not so much.

Beck-Odelay Delux Edition. I was in one of the major chain music stores(i know i know) and I noticed the delux edition. It's so simple and defaced, yet it made me smile when I saw it. Oh and I did some research and I finally know what that thing is jumping. The Information is also great album for artwork. Mat Maitland the guy behind the two album's art is groovy.

Can you suggest any album art and packing I should check out? I'm always researching anything to do with music.

Oh and please do yourself a favour and check this website out. It makes me happy.
http://sleevage.com/

orangepeas · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 19:01 »

I just googled them. Their artwork is fantastic! Thanks! ....their site is a bit overwhelming though hehe

mfpole · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 19:20 »

Jesu's album art is always beautiful. I really like what the artist did for the Conqueror packaging.

thehollow · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 19:56 »

Tool's artwork is always great, and Alex Grey has some amazing stuff including what's been used in Tool works. The stereoscopic thing used in 10,000 Days was pretty neat too. I also enjoy much of the art from The Mars Volta's albums, specifically their first two, which feature work from Storm Thorgerson, an artist who's done a bunch of work for album covers, including the Dark Side of the Moon cover, among others. Dredg has some cool art as well, as a couple of the band members also paint and create their own art, much of which ends up being used in their album liners. Personal favorites of mine include Tarkus by ELP- something about a giant armadillo-tank is just awesome. And speaking of ELP, the H.R. Geiger-produced cover to Brain Salad Surgery is pretty cool as well. Yes has some pretty great ones also.

Quote from: orangepeas on 27 Apr 2008, 18:55

Did you know Tool put out an alternative version of Undertow with just a bar code and a note from the band?

That wasn't really by creative choice, it was because stores like Wal-Mart refused to carry Undertow due to the naked guy and fat chick in the artwork. The note was an explanation from the band about what had happened:

Quote from: Tool

It came to our attention recently that many stores across our fine and open minded nation would not stock Undertow because of our explicit artwork. Although we loathe being censored, ~~we want your money~~ we still want you to hear our music, so we took it out. However, it is available to you at no extra cost. Fill out the form, stick it in an envelope, mail it in, and we will send you the original artwork. Love, Tool.

AnonymousNoob · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 20:01 »

Quote from: Ben792x

cross (justice)

The LE version of † says awesome:

Tom · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 20:50 »

Fuck yeah..

Christophe · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 21:21 »

The design for June of 44's Anahata is (at least to me) visually interesting, even if it hearkens back to that one Pearl Jam album that did the same thing.

Unfortunately, it makes up by being the band's worst album. So bad, there are like only two or three out of eight tracks that are worth listening to.

This thread kind of makes me wish I actually bought albums instead of merely downloading them.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 21:28 »

Takk by Sigur Ros and Burning off Impurities by Grails both have some of the most beautiful (vinly) packaging I haver ever seen.
Here's photos of Grails if you need evidence: http://www.deadformat.net/press/194#photos
And here's Sigur Ros: http://www.deadformat.net/press/2337#photos

pinkpiche · « **Reply #8 on:** 27 Apr 2008, 21:45 »

Efterklang's Under Giant Trees :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXwRp9INkNo

I still have no idea how the artist did that..

Der Turm, der Leute frass · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 Apr 2008, 02:45 »

it's friggin' POPCORN!

pwhodges · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 Apr 2008, 02:59 »

Going right back, The Beatles had several interesting covers.

Sgt Pepper - both front image and the inserts.
The "White Album" - pretty minimalist.
Let It Be - originally came with a substantial book (not just a big leaflet) of photos and quotes.
The "Butcher" sleeve for the US compilation "Yesterday and Today"; early "Yuk"!
John Lennon's "Two Virgins" with Yoko Ono was an early appearance of full-frontal nudity.

Paul

rynne · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 Apr 2008, 05:35 »

Quote from: orangepeas on 27 Apr 2008, 18:55

Sigur Ros' albums has some of the best packaging and album art I have come across, but you probably knew that they were going to get mention at some point in this thread.

I like the Smekkleysa version of Ágætis Byrjun with the slipcase and the half-circular booklet.

Quote

Tool has released many albums with fantastic album art and packing. Aenima and Undertow are my favorites. Did you know Tool put out an alternative version of Undertow with just a bar code and a note from the band? I really like the work of Alex Grey, who has provided the artwork for several Tool albums. Adam Jones, their guitarist is also a great artist.

Lateralus is my favorite of theirs. As much as I think the concept for 10,000 Days was inspired, the packing itself is friggin' annoying. Too big to fit in my CD rack properly, too oddly-shaped to be able to stack anything on top of it. But the worst is that you have to bend the packaging backwards to get the CD out, which seems like a recipe for destroying the packaging. I've opened it maybe four or five times since I bought it just to use the stereoscope; I burned a CDR of the album immediately after getting it home, and that's what I've listened to ever since.

I'll be a fanboy and say that I always liked J.G. Thirlwell's artwork (for his bands Foetus, Steroid Maximus, Manorexia, Wiseblood, etc....), which makes sense since he was trained as a graphic artist. He started out doing photo collages, then went into referencing Russian and Chinese propaganda posters, a detour through Anime-inspired art, and now he's in a sorta 50s exotica phase.

Thrillho · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Apr 2008, 10:11 »

Storm Thorgeson, particularly for his 'fuck graphics' attitude, such as actually constructing the big-ass heads on the front of The Division Bell and having some massive spotlights put behind them a few fields over rather than just adding them later.

I really like the artwork to Robbie's Escapology. It's probably the best thing about an otherwise mediocre album, and admittedly an obvious concept given the album title, but I think it's got a simple beauty to it, particularly the cover.

Actually, Robbie has great artwork on his previous album too, Sing When You're Winning. It consists of composite photos of himself as all the people in a football game, from fans to refs to players, and it's really cleverly done. Egomanical in the extreme, yeah, but smart all the same.

Broken_Drum · « **Reply #13 on:** 01 May 2008, 11:36 »

This site is great for looking at great design/ artwork/ packaging when it comes to music releases: http://www.hardformat.org

My all time favourite packaging...

I wish I had one of those.

Statik · « **Reply #14 on:** 01 May 2008, 14:29 »

Although a picture doesn't do this album justice at all. If you can find an old vinyl copy of it, its almost worth buying just for the art

Scandanavian War Machine · « **Reply #15 on:** 01 May 2008, 14:36 »

a recent example that i really liked (sorry no pictures, maybe i'll take some later):

The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely

i love all the art for this album. all the pictures of the band used on the front, back, and booklet were taken with a real tin-type camera, giving them that authentic "old timey" look, which i really liike. also, LIONS IN HARNESSES.

KharBevNor · « **Reply #16 on:** 01 May 2008, 17:45 »

(j/k, also, fuck, none of these are actual final versions)

rynne · « **Reply #17 on:** 01 May 2008, 18:14 »

Quote from: Statik on 01 May 2008, 14:29

One of my friends was telling me that the source image of this is a picture of Shirley Manson. I don't see it at all, do you have any idea if that's true or not?

Lexington, 125 · « **Reply #18 on:** 01 May 2008, 20:35 »

Black Moth Super Rainbow has had some solid vinyl colors... Dandelion gum has a scratch & sniff gum bubble, so that pretty mych wins

voidSkipper · « **Reply #19 on:** 02 May 2008, 00:10 »

Quote from: Statik on 01 May 2008, 14:29

stuff

Giger did music-related art that didn't involve Korn or a wall of penises? I almost have to buy it out of principle..

Bowers · « **Reply #20 on:** 02 May 2008, 07:20 »

check out The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow

I really like the art on that.
It also folds out really cool as well.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #21 on:** 02 May 2008, 08:30 »

The artwork for In The Aeroplane Over the Sea is very nice.

orangepeas · « **Reply #22 on:** 02 May 2008, 18:10 »

the popcorn one is insane! The red tv one is cleaver.

The Messhuggah art is very unique.

Thanks!
I didn't think this thread would do that well, I am defiantly inspired!

malec2b · « **Reply #23 on:** 02 May 2008, 18:14 »

Roger Dean has got to be my favorite album artist. He's mainly known for his work on the art for the Yes albums like Fragile, Relayer and Tales from Topographic Oceans.

The cover to moving pictures by Rush is pretty cool (with the tripple meanings of Moving Pictures)

Someone already mentioned the cover to Brain Salad Surgery.

Kansas had some good covers too.

orangepeas · « **Reply #24 on:** 02 May 2008, 18:21 »

sweet! i will look them up. I generally liked Yes's album covers.

www.sleevage.com is a neat site.

nice! · « **Reply #25 on:** 02 May 2008, 19:27 »

Anyone?

Gridgm · « **Reply #26 on:** 02 May 2008, 23:22 »

the new boris album, smile looks awesome, the cover is made out of a yellow foam coated in plastic and then has a see thru love heart cut out at the center

valiantninja · « **Reply #27 on:** 02 May 2008, 23:36 »

I noticed no-one said:

Mastodon - Leviathan

or

Mastodon - Blood Mountain

Thrillho · « **Reply #28 on:** 03 May 2008, 09:28 »

I want to name-drop Jacob's Stories here. His second album has only 500 copies being made, each one of them is numbered and has an individually painted piece of artwork with it. Mine's gorgeous, I dunno about anyone else's.

imapiratearg · « **Reply #29 on:** 03 May 2008, 10:54 »

Quote from: nice! on 02 May 2008, 19:27

Anyone?

Fixed.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #30 on:** 03 May 2008, 11:33 »

I agree, that is awesome packaging. The vinyl is especially great. Check out the individual record sleeves:

imapiratearg · « **Reply #31 on:** 04 May 2008, 07:48 »

WANT.

Broken_Drum · « **Reply #32 on:** 04 May 2008, 10:26 »

Also this fellow...

Can't wait to get my hands on it, hopefully it will arrive Wednesday. *Salivates*

thedavo · « **Reply #33 on:** 04 May 2008, 10:45 »

Quote from: voidSkipper on 02 May 2008, 00:10

Quote from: Statik on 01 May 2008, 14:29
stuff

Giger did music-related art that didn't involve Korn or a wall of penises? I almost have to buy it out of principle..

Celtic Frost used Giger art for To Mega Therion, and had a massive banner of the same art last year when i saw them:

I also quite like the packaging for the vinyl version of The Ocean's "Precambrian", and Pelican's "The Fire In Our Throats Will Beckon The Thaw"

Liz · « **Reply #34 on:** 04 May 2008, 10:50 »

Mount Eerie- pts. 6 & 7

I looked through the book at a show of his and all the photos are amazing. You can see smaller versions of all the pictures here.

Broken_Drum · « **Reply #35 on:** 04 May 2008, 11:00 »

Quote from: Misconception on 04 May 2008, 10:50

Mount Eerie- pts. 6 & 7

I looked through the book at a show of his and all the photos are amazing. You can see smaller versions of all the pictures here.

*Melts* That's fucking amazing.

TheFuriousWombat · « **Reply #36 on:** 04 May 2008, 13:45 »

It's for sale on his website/at live shows for slightly less but it'll cost you not much less than $70. Still, it's a gorgeous product (and a hell of a lot better put together than that shitty Sigur Ros 'In a Frozen Sea' deluxe vinyl release).

muffy · « **Reply #37 on:** 05 May 2008, 12:39 »

Agreed that the packaging for Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer is gorgeous - it kind of made me want to cradle the album for a while, take it out and stroke it.
Also, attempting to side-step the obligatory Oberst-bashing that tends to derail a lot of threads, but the artwork for Cassadaga by Bright Eyes provided me with literally minutes of entertainment - it has a weird slide-y thing you had to put over the cover in order to see it, which was kind of awesome. The pictures you get to see were a bit pants, though, but still. It was like an indie Magic Eye or something.

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Author Topic: Album Art and Packaging (Read 13278 times)

AnonymousNoob

voidSkipper