Help Us Choose (do not click if you hate being asked to help a band choose their record cover)

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Okay, myself and band (The Chemistry Experiment) have finally finished our first 'proper' album, after about three thousand years of dicking around. Now we are stuck on the artwork (none of us agree on any idea, I don't think) but really don't want to be in the same position this time next year. So, we have a few different concepts/mock-ups, but we need HELP.

The ideas we have so far can be seen here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/chemistry/

Any other ideas would, I guess, be welcome.

― emil.y (emil.y), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:39 (twenty-one years ago)

(sorry if this comes across as a bit of self-publication. It is genuinely an appeal for aid and guidance)

― emil.y (emil.y), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:40 (twenty-one years ago)

I'd go for the Bosch or the spilled wine. At a pinch, maybe the chickens.

Certainly not the one with the dead flowers, that's way too twee looking.

This is why I always took the bull by the horns and legislated album cover art for my band. Saved arguments. ;-)

― Danger Whore (kate), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:44 (twenty-one years ago)

the spilled wine one reminds me of:

http://www.euroranch.org/images/smog_supper_gross.jpg

if you use that one, use a different font.

― hstencil (hstencil), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the dead flowers.

― Velveteen Bingo (Chris V), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

The spilled wine goes along with the "death of..." theme, but I'm just a sucker for Bosch.

― Danger Whore (kate), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:47 (twenty-one years ago)

i vote for the dead flowers as well.

― Emilymv (Emilymv), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:48 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the 'retiringday' one. You're covering Story of Isaac? Cool, I love that song.

― Kevin Gilchrist (Mr Fusion), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the retiringday.jpg best.

― jel -- (jel), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:49 (twenty-one years ago)

i like the dead flowers too... but in the end it all depends on what the music sounds like... the covers kind of have a red house painters or similarly slow and sad vibe to me. dead flowers for sure though if that's the case.

― firstworldman (firstworldman), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:51 (twenty-one years ago)

The dead flowers one (spiders) looks like Badly Drawn Boy's first e.p.

I sort of liked the 'retiringday' one.

Then again, the remainder of me is saying oof. No.

― mark grout (mark grout), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the rooster. Or that one with the trees and very dusky blue sky.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:54 (twenty-one years ago)

retiringday

― Michael White (Hereward), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Retiring Day and Spiders - I like those layouts the best.

― Thermo Thinwall (Thermo Thinwall), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:56 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the spiders-thumb one the best.

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:57 (twenty-one years ago)

I like #1 and #2 (going across). The only one I particularly disliked was the blue face.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 4 October 2004 15:58 (twenty-one years ago)

4, if any.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

5, if any, I meant.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, definitely not the blue face. Hope that's not something that someone's girlfriend painted for the band.

― Pleasant Plains (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:14 (twenty-one years ago)

What's yr band sound like?

― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:20 (twenty-one years ago)

Chickens please!!

― Markelby (Mark C), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:21 (twenty-one years ago)

'retiringday' or 'spiders'. (they are compositionally very similar)

'sheleaks' looks a lot like an edsel auctioneer sleeve but in a different colour. and 'bosch' looks like the last mojave 3 lp.

― koogs (koogs), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:22 (twenty-one years ago)

Thanks so far guys - it's kind of going along with the ones I thought it would, my only problem with Retiring Day and Spiders is that maybe they're a bit nondescript? And I'm not keen on using the Bosch as it's a famous bit of artwork (not sure why I'm particularly against this idea, but something isn't right with me). The chickens I think is silly but that's maybe a good thing when paired with the album title. The only one that's made by someone with close ties to the band is, I think, the spilled wine one, which was painted by my step-dad.

You can hear some of the record here: http://www.chemistryexperiment.co.uk/records/listen.html
but I'm not sure that those three songs are the most typical. At the moment I think we're a prog-pop-disco Tindersticks. Or something. Maybe an indie-jazz Bananarama. Or a psychedelic-pop Jandek.

― emil.y (emil.y), Monday, 4 October 2004 16:51 (twenty-one years ago)

The chickens are best for me, but overly reminiscent of "Big Cock" by King Kurt. This is unfortunate. Spiders is good too, but Bosch is a bit overused for album covers no?

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:12 (twenty-one years ago)

'Spiders'. It's a cool picture because the scale is unclear. 'Sheleaks' is also good. Definately not the spilled wine one - that would put me right off.

― Wooden (Wooden), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:22 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the red one (number five)!

BTW I have one of your ep:s (the Dutch zebra one) and I really like it! I also think I met someone from your band at a party in Stockholm once. But I may be wrong.

― Hanna (Hanna), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:42 (twenty-one years ago)

hstencil OTM about the wine glass cover looking remarkably close to the Smog "Supper" cover.

― n/a (Nick A.), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Roosters or Spider plants, please.

― jocelyn (Jocelyn), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:57 (twenty-one years ago)

either one or two, they're excellent. the others are kind of generic to me.

― kyle (akmonday), Monday, 4 October 2004 17:59 (twenty-one years ago)

'Spiders' is the one.

I still can't believe you bunch of layabouts actually stayed sober for long enough to finish this. Well done!

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 4 October 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

I really don't like the spilled wine one.

I'm leaning towards the chickens, but I kinda want to steal it for my own band. We have a song about chickens. It'd be good.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 4 October 2004 18:59 (twenty-one years ago)

Dead flowers or spiders. Critique time: the roosters and the blue one have sucky typefaces and the spilled wine needs some other colors in the 100% black type (like 20% cyan, 20% magenta, 20% yellow and 100% black). Every single one of these looks like it was made in the 80s to me.

― redfez, Monday, 4 October 2004 19:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I like #5 the best.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Monday, 4 October 2004 20:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Roosters. Cause the kids love cocks!

― uselsessretch (latebloomer), Monday, 4 October 2004 20:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Definitely 5. 4 is hideous.

― Cathy (Cathy), Monday, 4 October 2004 20:52 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm with the Anti-4 Contingent.

― Sarah McLusky (coco), Monday, 4 October 2004 20:55 (twenty-one years ago)

1,2, and 5 are contenders. 1 and 2 would need new type treatments - example, the text on 1 needs to be in the upper left (there's a space for it there). 5 is probably the best and reminds me of Pavement and the Pastels.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 4 October 2004 20:57 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi everyone, thanks for the comments, especially Ally. Yeah the typefaces etc will be done by someone who understands graphic design/has taste, but he's at a loss to think of a cover, apart from the bosch one which he came up with.

Hannah, it was me who you met in Stockholm, apologies for completely not recognising you in London last year, I was a little tipsy. Hope you're doing well!

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Monday, 4 October 2004 21:42 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, if anyone has some great ideas lying around, let us know. More (well one more) coming tomorrow, should you be able to take the excitement.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Monday, 4 October 2004 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

We can hardly wait.

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 4 October 2004 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

I can quite imagine.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I'm going to bed, but I won't be sleeping.

― Ally C (Ally C), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:18 (twenty-one years ago)

I like retiring day

― luna (luna.c), Monday, 4 October 2004 22:21 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the one with the chickens.
It has the same quality as Mormon conversion pamphelts, as deployed by Orb fans.

― Orbit (Orbit), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:23 (twenty-one years ago)

the first or second one.

― papa november (papa november), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:47 (twenty-one years ago)

I will toss my hat in with #5. I like sparse, minimal designs.

The artwork on #1 and #2 reminds me too much of "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea".

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Monday, 4 October 2004 23:57 (twenty-one years ago)

my god, how long have you had to think about this!??!?
i like the bosch one best, but he is overused.

― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 01:27 (twenty-one years ago)

roosters are tops!

― Remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 01:55 (twenty-one years ago)

the cocks with a different font.
why don't people like to put pictures of people on records anymore?

― Magic City (ano ano), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 01:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yeah, there are so many cocks who're just begging for a portrait.

― Remy (x Jeremy), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 02:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Well there's a new one there now. 'Spiders' looks like it's winning out so far. I like it, but doesn't it look like somthing Snowpatrol or some similarly tedious band would use?

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 08:21 (twenty-one years ago)

The cocks one reminds me a bit of Pavement's Watery, Domestic ep - BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BAD THING.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 08:41 (twenty-one years ago)

Re. Snowpatrol: A Good cover is a good cover, even if it's on a record by a rubbish band. I bet you can't find a single picture that won't make someone think of a rubbish band. Some people will see the album title and think 'Smashing Pumpkins'... but those people are arseholes.

― not boris johnson, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 10:59 (twenty-one years ago)

bosch bosch bosch bosch bosch

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

spiders is a little boooring

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Anyone got any thoughts on the new (7th) one? I kind of like it, but it is a little um, stolen.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:24 (twenty-one years ago)

thumbs down, espesh the FP logo on the cover (who is more important, the band or the label? they ain't sub pop)

― the surface noise (slight return) (electricsound), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:26 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, but the original had Decca there... We needed to cover it over.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 12:57 (twenty-one years ago)

The Spiders one just screams "yes, alright, we are the Field Mice or at least we want to be them" - really, avoid it.

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Woah, you guys have matching email addresses!

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:16 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, Mark OTM about both Spiders and Chickens if my opinion counts for anything (which I hope it does).

I don't understand the matching email addresses comment tho.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:21 (twenty-one years ago)

Some people will see the album title and think 'Smashing Pumpkins'

hmmm, Tim Burton more like...

― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Joni, did you get a finished copy of the album finally?

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:56 (twenty-one years ago)

yeh ta, miss kawasaki sent one. er, at least i think it was a finished copy.
are you looking forward to the jandek dvd??

― zappi (joni), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 13:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah I certainly am. Is there anywhere in the UK selling it?

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 14:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The one I sent was non-mastered. But aside from that, pretty much finished.

And Steve, we are not using that 7th cover, man. It's one thing struggling to have ideas, and very much another admitting you have none and using someone else's record sleeve. So no.

― emil.y (emil.y), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 14:36 (twenty-one years ago)

Not even if we added meteors made of breadcrumbs?

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 14:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i like 'spiders' and 'coventry'

but i rarely decide to buy music based on the cover art.

― colette (a2lette), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

I don't think The Field Mice ever had a record sleeve like that.

'Spiders' is the one.

― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 14:54 (twenty-one years ago)

The spiders one reminds me of English electronic dancey stuff. Don't know why, but it doesn't look very organic, even though it is!

― Al Anon, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I think you should have this cover:

Just kidding.

Maybe it's just me, but...
The Chemistry Experiment = "I tried drugs once".

― Al Anon, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:07 (twenty-one years ago)

uh, this cover is what I meant to post: http://alexgrey.net/a-gallery/8-24/dying.jpg

― Al Anon, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:08 (twenty-one years ago)

The tower block one for me.

― Matt (Matt), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:12 (twenty-one years ago)

Sorry - I meant usernames, i.e. steve.n and emil.y rather than email addresses.

(I'm glad you agree though, Steven!)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 15:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Ah yeah, emil.y copied me.

My thoughts: Spiders seems to be the most popular, but it's a little plain and stylised for my tastes, though I am slowly coming round to it. I think we'd need to rework the text though.

My favourite is the chickens, the colours are great and it's eyecatching and unexpected, plus when you put it in a clear jewel case, the end of the chicken's tail shows through from the tray underneath on the spine. But I was the one who found that picture so I guess I'm biased.

We're going to attempt to recreate the towerblock one for ourselves in the next day or two I think, so we'll see how that turns out. If there's any ladies who'd like get intimate with me in front of a tower block let me know (hah, worth a try)...

Thanks again for all the comments, it really is most appreciated.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 17:20 (twenty-one years ago)

MOTHERFUCKING CHICKENS THEY BE REPRESENTIING.

― anthony, Tuesday, 5 October 2004 17:27 (twenty-one years ago)

I think they're all rather uninspiring, I must say. Especially typographically. 'Spiders' works with the title, though. And, although I think in a way it's the worst image, I can imagine the spilled flowers painting working with NO TYPE AT ALL. Take all the type off, even the lettering on the wine bottle. Just put the title on the spine. If that makes you anxious, put the title in a simple white sans serif face on a round black sticker and slap it on there.

(Nice to see you've been listening to 'Summerisle', by the way, Emily... I made the sleeve myself!)

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.imomus.com/stepdadmomus.jpg

― Momus (Momus), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:11 (twenty-one years ago)

That looks nice.

― n/a (Nick A.), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:15 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi Momus. Yeah I agree that perhaps none of them are particularly inspiring. As I mentioned earlier, the text is just a placeholder at the moment, we know it can be improved on.

The spilled wine, yeah it does look better with the type removed, I'd stick with your original idea and leave off the title, but still ... meh

Unfortunately we're financially limited to using artwork that people will let us use for free (or near as), and we need to make a decision soon. Bearing that in mind, if you have any other suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the couple best because it's the only one that by any stretch of the imagination seems like it bears some relation to the title. I'm rather tired of the "random but cool-looking image" approach.

― Hurting (Hurting), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:34 (twenty-one years ago)

I like the tower block one. And the red wine one. And can someone please tell me what the spider one reminds me of, because it is annoying me greatly?

― ailsa (ailsa), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

I dunno ailsa, it's kind of generic?

And BTW if any of the artists are reading this, none of my comments are aimed at the images themselves, just how well they work in the context of the cover. I think that goes without saying, but I thought I'd better qualify myself.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 18:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Did I miss the post where you guys describe the music, the feel of the album, and the sort of look you're hoping for?

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 19:23 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi Chris, yes and no. Emily valguely described the music above : prog-pop-disco Tindersticks is probably the least misleading. The album title I hope goes somewhere to describing the feel of the album. As for the look, as you can probably see from the choices, we've got no strong direction.

I realise the purpose of the thread is rather nebulous, but the comments we've recieved so far are helping us to focus our opinions. Unless you mean that you may have something in mind, in which case an email would be much appreciated!

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey, come on - what about indie-jazz Bananarama? I was quite pleased with that one... hmph.

― emil.y (emil.y), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:01 (twenty-one years ago)

But now I think maybe we're a trance-boogie Jethro Tull.

― emil.y (emil.y), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:02 (twenty-one years ago)

I think they all have some element of truth in them. I like the Jethro Tull one best so far though. Except the trance part.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Well, when I've been stuck trying to figure out album covers in the past, I've found that talking about the, uh, the "point" of the album and what you want the experience of someone first seeing the album to be helps.

Also looking at what assumptions you've been making can help. Like, all your choices so far have a single image with some discrete text. Only the most recent image, which was a rip off someone else's cover, contains a frame around the image. Momus made a very good point by pointing out that one of those images went much better without the text. None of the images are particularly bold or particularly muted -- the chickens one is the most bold because, well, it's chickens, and #2 & 3 are the most muted, because the shapes are simple, but they're also a bit mysterious ("what are those things?").

So that might be the tone you're looking for, or you might want something more bold or more minimal or something with a frame or larger text or no text or whatnot.

― Casuistry (Chris P), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Emily, yesterday.

http://www.venco.com.pl/~jethro/ian5maly.jpg

― Ally C (Ally C), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:14 (twenty-one years ago)

Okay thanks Chris, I'm not sure I have the answers to your questions but with your tips in mind, I'm going to get in touch with the guy who usually helps us out with sleeves and see if he can... um, help us out.

PS: We don't let emily near the flute.

― Steve.n. (sjkirk), Tuesday, 5 October 2004 20:27 (twenty-one years ago)

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