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peringo2 
Forum Newbie
Joined: July 21 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 14
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 Posted: July 21 2004 at 06:37 |
When I was young and had time to listen to music carefully, the cover - and inside photos and lyrics - were an integral part of the experience. From my point of vie, I favored cover with tons of details to be disscovered at each time I sat down to listen to a record. Iron Maiden and MArillion's Fish era were the ideal covers to get lost into, although they wer mostly crimes againt humanity.
BTW, I love dreadful covers. They give you a reason to laugh among friends. Specially Ozric Tentacles. My friend Victor once said "I Liked "curious Corn", so I'm buying another one. There are tons of 'em, so I'm getting the one with the less terrible cover art". He came home with an Ozric Tentacles record, but clearly depressed. "Would you belive THIS was their best cover?"
It was hard to believe. And I became an Ozric tentacles fan since that moment.
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"Your sperm's in the gutter/ Your love's in the sink"
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emdiar
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 05 2004
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 890
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Posted: June 09 2004 at 10:59 |
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I bought "The Penteteuch of the Cosmogony" by Dave Greenslade entirely on the strength of the fantastic art work by Patrick Woodroffe, having never heard of Greenslade. I was 13 yrs old and CDs had not yet even been an item on "Tomorrow's World". The best prog art work ever and no need to strain your eyes to see it. At ten quid a shot it cost me deep in the purse, (a lot of cash for a school boy in 1980) but my god was it worth it. The book of art alone is worth every penny, but the brilliant double album is one hell of a bonus!
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Perception is truth, ergo opinion is fact.
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Radioactive Toy
Forum Senior Member
Joined: March 06 2004
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 953
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Posted: June 09 2004 at 10:29 |
The music and the cover are almost always not much apart from what they bring as musicians. I really don't know why but I think that still life is a bit sucky because of the red, because it shoudn't have that shiny read cover. The mood of still life is so much different than this colour. I can't really help it, but thats just me.. The frustrations of an artist I guess (ok.. artist.. a guy who's juggling with paint and such things)
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diddy
Prog Reviewer
Joined: March 02 2004
Location: Germany
Status: Offline
Points: 1117
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Posted: June 09 2004 at 05:17 |
Sometimes they have and sometimes they don't. You have to differentiate a lot.
Sometimes I'm very interested in albums if I see a good or interesting cover in a shop for example. And when I heard the name of the band somewhere I often listen to it in the shop.
But there are albums with bad covers. Just to name an example: Mahavisnhou Orchestra - The lost trident sessions. This Cover really sucks but the music on the album is awesome. I would consider the album to be even better if it had a better cover. To be honest I think that the guy who made or gave his blessing to the cover has to be punished  . And If there is an album like Brain Salad Surgery with great music AND an amazing cover artwork...what could be better? I think this is an good example where everything matches perfectly.
But I think that I woun't say no to an album I just heard good things about just because it has an ugly cover.
But in general I'm a kind of artwork-fan...I really love good cover artworks and some albums really attract me just because of the cover. I never was as interested in Porcupine Tree as I am now but it changed after discovering their cover for Lighbulb sun, fortunately. So sometimes covers arouse interest in me and I'm getting more informations about the band. I discovered Opeth and Porcupine Tree just because of the cover artwork or better; I heard the names before but I engaged in getting more informations because of the cover.
But if you suggest an album I woun't say no because of the cover. First thing is the music and if the cover is great as well it is perfect.
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If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear...
George Orwell
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The Prognaut
Prog Reviewer
Joined: April 14 2004
Location: Somewhere Else
Status: Offline
Points: 1492
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 19:11 |
Definitely album covers have such an impact upon the fan. In my case, I attempeted to discover Le Orme because of its meaningful, strange covers. First album I got was "Felona e Sorona". Beautiful art work. I like those front covers that are conceptually attached to the back cover or at least represent something at all. The art work of "Uomo Di Pezza" is a great cover as well, very surreal, very catchy and most of all, it brings out the emotiveness of the recording.
As once we were discussing here in the forums about the best art work for an album, I also enjoy anything Mark Wilkinson had made to Marillion's album covers like "Fugazi" and "Misplaced Childhood" and those drawings really talked me into getting both albums.
Regards, 
Land
Edited by landberkdoten
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break the circle
reset my head
wake the sleepwalker
and i'll wake the dead
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Vibrationbaby
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 13 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 6898
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 18:01 |
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When I first started buying albums in the 1970's the covers would influence me a lot. Anything that looked weird would attract me. I love holding a good album cover in my hands while listening to a great album on my headphones.
Edited by Vibrationbaby
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Belljar
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 04 2004
Location: Denmark
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Points: 168
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 15:57 |
It matters I think, but it doesn't depend on the cover, when deciding to buy it or not. It's definitely a plus if the cover of an album you buy is artistic.
What's boring is a lousy pop album, like Westlife or something, with Brian, Brian, Brian, Brian, and Brian on the cover TRYING to look oh-so handsome!
Edited by Belljar
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moonchild
Forum Senior Member
Joined: May 15 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 146
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 15:06 |
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Great looking album covers are a bonus to already great music contained within. However, I will keep atrocious covers with great music but not great covers with atrocious music.
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In the Wake of Poseidon
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Easy Livin
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin
Joined: February 21 2004
Location: Scotland
Status: Offline
Points: 15585
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 14:30 |
I've certainly bought albums on the strength of the cover on a number of occasions. A Roger Dean for example will always be a recommendation to me.
I've not always ben successful using this approach, some real stinkers have great sleeves. Conversely, some great albums have real duffers of sleeves ("Immortal" - Arena, "Crimson King" - King Crimson etc.)
I reckon the sleeve matters less these days than it did when LPs ruled, but undoubtably it can still have an influence.
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emdiar
Forum Senior Member
Joined: June 05 2004
Location: Netherlands
Status: Offline
Points: 890
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 10:54 |
12" covers were so much better and I, for one, lament their passing.
I've long been of the opinion that certain albums "sound" like they belong in a "dark" cover and some in a "light" one. This does not mean that dark music should necessarily be housed in dark covers however. Take the wall for example. On the other hand "Animals" has about as perfectly suited a cover as any album ever, dark as the music. The original covers for the Gong Radio Gnome trillogy are predominantly dark green, white and black, respectively. Perfectly matched to the vibes of the albums.
Which brings me to my last point, which is, when I come across a rerelease or foreign release of an old and familliar favourite dressed up in a totally different cover it freaks me out a bit. Like bumping into an old friend who's just had major plastic surgery. It's the same person in there but it'll take some getting used to.
All this considered I think, yes, it DOES matter.
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Perception is truth, ergo opinion is fact.
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Joren
Special Collaborator
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Joined: February 07 2004
Location: Netherlands
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Points: 6667
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 05:41 |
 Foxy wrote:
So this is the question... As for me, it matters sometime. For example I was avoiding Gentle Giant for some time because every time I saw the cover (this smiling giant, I s'pose) I have a feeling of such sixtishness-seventishness which put me off this band. My wife refused to listen to In the Court of Crimson King because of the cover and was very surprised to know one day that "this nice music" came from "that awful CD" (I confess I omitted the first song that time  ). However, after listening to CD I do not care much about its cover.
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I have a book with 1000 record cover (by Michael Ochs, I believe). I saw the cover for Gentle Giant's Octopus and I thought it was STUPID. What a surprise when the music turned out to be fantastic!
And BTW, I think the cover of In The Court... is beautiful!
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Paco Fox
Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 10 2004
Location: Spain
Status: Offline
Points: 500
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 03:16 |
Before the internet times and the availability of downloading sample tracks of songs,I sometimes (not usually) bought records just on the impression of the cover. That's how I discovered celtic rock group Gwendal, for example, or David Bedford's The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. It was like a musical russian roulette. 
I also agree that the cover can be very important in the overall enjoyment experience of a record. I'm a very visual person. That's why I usually think that's something is missing when I download an album from internet. As someone said, Thick of the Tail can't certenlly be the same without its cover. And the same goes for Wind and Wuthering (can't believe someone said it was a dreaful painting: it's maybe my all time favourite painting! Talk about tastes...),. That's not to say I have albums with terrible covers. My friends, in fact, know my record collection for these attrocities I usually wave in front of them in an act of auto-punisment. If you want to know what I mean, just check the cover of Ithaca 'A game for all who know', one of my favourite folk albums...
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richardh
Prog Reviewer
Joined: February 18 2004
Location: United Kingdom
Status: Offline
Points: 28070
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 01:47 |
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I've only ever purchased one album on the strength of the cover,namely Par Lindh Project -Gothic Impresessions.Generally I don't care about covers although it's nice to see some thought put into it rather than just something that's 'slapped on'.
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Bryan
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
Joined: April 01 2004
Status: Offline
Points: 3013
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Posted: June 08 2004 at 00:44 |
Really bad covers certainly turn me off from an album. For example, before hearing a thing about Love Beach, I knew I didn't want to hear it just from the cover. They don't usually play a role though.
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Ivan_Melgar_M
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Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 23:25 |
| This is a case of an album cover that does actually matter, since it's linked to some of the lyrics. |
Hi Cesar, if you got the USA LP, take a look at the inner sleve where the lyrics are written as pages of a Captain Log, the table with a sextant and a compass, it's also a clear reference to the title song. Extremely well done.
Iván
PS: Never recieved your mail, still waitting my friend.
Edited by ivan_2068
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Cesar Inca
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Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 23:18 |
The drawing of the POKR cover makes a clear allusion to the sailor's contents of the title track's lyrics. Another drawing portrays a lightning-like female figure bearing a sword - an allusion to the song 'Lightning's Hand'. Besides, the image of the falling ship may also point out the fact that some of the songs are about loss and confusion ('Dust in the Wind', 'Closet Chronicles', 'Nobody's Home', 'Paradox'). This is a case of an album cover that does actually matter, since it's linked to some of the lyrics.
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Ivan_Melgar_M
Special Collaborator
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Joined: April 27 2004
Location: Peru
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 21:32 |
Not the main atribute I search for, but of course it helps.
A good album like Point of Know Return with an excellent art cover and inner sleve (LP version), gains a few points.
If I go to a store and look at a Roger Dean cover I will surely take the album and at least take a good view of it. Of course if the music is crap it won't matter, but at least the cover gave the album a chance to be noticed by a progressive fan.
Iván
Edited by ivan_2068
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raleighgranprix
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Joined: May 31 2004
Location: United States
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Points: 32
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 21:30 |
Cesar Inca wrote:
No, a cover doesn't necessaril matter... but in some cases, the conceptual strength of the album's repertoire may influence on the cover design and art direction - Marillion, Genesis, IQ, Yes...
Other covers are nice, but simply effective, such as 'Brain Salad Surgery', 'Thick as a Brick', 'Mirage'...
I don't think it matters, really.
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Ponder this, then, there were album covers, now CD jewel cases, but
I often bought cassettes, cheaper, convenience reasons ... now, cassettes, are sort of out of vogue, I visited a used music storer, got some of my "gym" tapes to listen to, in this manner,
but cassette art, is about equal to that of a box of cigarettes, in some odd way (ho, yes, and some have put cigarette packs on covers, few cases) in that what is there to look at? even with expanded leaflets.
so I sort of agree, it is nice to have nice art, but the underlining factor, does not seem to matter "much"
Edited by raleighgranprix
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"You well heeled big wheel, ha ha, charade you are ... and do you feel abused, down in the pig mine, you're nearly a laugh but you're really a cry ......- PF
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Cesar Inca
Special Collaborator
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Joined: May 19 2004
Location: Peru
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Points: 4888
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 20:08 |
No, a cover doesn't necessaril matter... but in some cases, the conceptual strength of the album's repertoire may influence on the cover design and art direction - Marillion, Genesis, IQ, Yes...
Other covers are nice, but simply effective, such as 'Brain Salad Surgery', 'Thick as a Brick', 'Mirage'...
I don't think it matters, really.
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Dan Bobrowski
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Posted: June 07 2004 at 17:40 |
I believe a cover should be representative of the music within. Genesis' "A Trick of the Tail" cover is an amalgam of the characters with the lyrics. Wonderfully done. It shows the artists also cares about the visual aspects of music.
I would also add the importance of lyrics and information being included in the package. There is nothing worse than having a CD without lyrics and you can't make out what the singer's saying. Of course the Internet has made the process easier, but the artist should include that from the start.
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Album Covers - Does it matter?
