Band / Album artist relationships

As an aside, sometimes these relationships don't work out. Severed Heads records in North America (via Nettwerk) were commissioned to have S R Gilmore (Skinny Puppy album cover artist) do the artwork. Tom Ellard apparently HATED the art. "Literal", "boring", and "mockingly gothic" were words I heard were used to describe it, which is why from "Rotund For Success" and on, the band did their own album art for all worldwide releases.

What, no Yes and Roger Dean?

the art on the Australian editions of Severed Heads releases is far, far superior.

No mention of Factory & Peter Saville?

Sorry, Kim and Jim. Obviously, the only relationships that ever existed were the ones I mentioned.

(hint: contribute, don't question me, you rascals)

awwww... but I like being a lazy bite in the ass!

the art doesn't change the listening experience, BUT it can definitely make a difference if it's something I haven't heard of before.. a sleeve in keeping with a label or performer aesthetic might make me want to take a chance on an unknown quantity..

WHAT, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT BLUE NOTE AND REID MILES??!!??

sorry

I guess what I'm hoping we'd talk about is...

well, say, Led Zeppelin never used Hipgnosis for their album covers, but instead just started using some scratchy guy's "deep" psychedelic drawings or paintings. Do you think that would have made a difference? To you? To their legion of fans?

If, say, Lou Reed or the Beach Boys had hired a consistent, critically acclaimed artist or collective to do their record covers, would they have been received better?

I know the immediate, impulsive thing to say is "no". But, I don't know, the more I think about it, the more album art does mean more to a band than most think. I think this is far more prominent in record label / artist relationships, surely... as collector impulses, and imaginary associations with labelmates get drawn, which makes a difference.

I do have to say that I have less interest (not sure why) in the Factory releases that weren't done by Saville than the ones that were. They seem, well, not as good (?!)

Mmm, the one thing I can say is that if I'm flipping through the used bins, say, and I come across a band that I don't know that uses the same design style on all their album covers, I'm more likely to remember that band -- especially if the design is good (or at least striking). That's how I first noticed the Descendants and Galaxie 500, for example.

Well ok, (go brain go!) I think it definitely can make a difference to me. If you're not a sonic 'purist' (and I'm not - I'm an assimilator) you're pretty easily engaged with the music via all of its attendant images and footnotes as well. Things remind of other things and once an association has been drawn, and reinforced - yeah, it becomes part and parcel. So in truth I may acually feel that there's been some material alteration if it's suddenly withdrawn and replaced with something 'incompatible' - even if the music is relatively consistent. Some may say that kind of approach is irrational, but really, it's just not a straightforward one (I'm very COMPLEX you see).

The relationship this thread reminds me of most of all is the kind of backwards one between the films of Tim Burton and Danny Elfman's everpresent soundtracks. I mean, just how much of the style and mood that people often attribute to Burton is *actually* Elfman? The two are almost is inextricably linked at this point. I think of that, and I see your point.

For much of the record-buying public, especially young listeners who aren't familiar with much/don't aspire to be aficionados, I think the album cover art can have very much to do with whether an artist will be considered for purchase. People unfamiliar with wine often buy bottles based on the label design; it seems to me that the same logic should apply to music to an extent. Around the time I first started paying attention to music and purchasing records, I was drawn to certain albums by artists I had not heard much because of the artwork (e.g. Duran Duran-Rio, Def Leppard-Pyromania).

Malcolm Garrett's artwork surely seemed integral to the Buzzcocks' early iMaGe. The sounds and visuals seemed well matched - fun, fresh, cheekily moderne.

I'd say that the Zep/Hipgnosis pairing was inspired and that Zeppelin's profile wouldn't have gotten nearly so high without it. The overall design of "Presence" -- that shit still freaks me out. I'm kind of a radical on this question as I don't believe that albums are separable from their sleeves -- great album with shitty cover design = so-so album never-to-be-redeemed, as far as I'm concerned. If Pavement had ever spent five minutes thinking over their overall design aesthetic instead of just throwing up their hands and saying "whatever," I'd probably be ranting about them right now instead of complaining about their failure to please my trainspotting ass.

Amon Tobin : openmind (well, lots of Ninja Tune really, but i like how all of the Tobin sleeves are kind of variations on a theme)

Iron Maiden : Derek Riggs

Artwork totally got me into the band. I am Mr Shallow.

Zappa and Cal Schenkel

I was going to mention Zappa but I couldn't remember the artist!

How about Pink Floyd and Hipgnosis? Wish You Were Here, Animals, etc. (and the Storm Thurgeson album covers as well)...

Malcolm Garrett did an awful lot for Duran Duran!

Also: Bjork and Paul White.

Radiohead and Stanley Donwood.
I like that the music and artwork are done at the same time. Stanley and Thom in one room scribbling, the rest of the band in another room working on keyboards or whatever. So the artwork is part of the same process as the album.

The 4AD example is a good one because it worked in a negative way for me. After a while I got very bored with 23 Envelope graphics and the artists (especially the new or less well known ones) tended to get tarred with the same brush. Until, eventually you start thinking: "oh it's on 4AD and it's got an enigmatic arty cover, I can guess what that sounds like". Equally, whenever any 4AD record had a cover which was strikingly different from the usual thing, I was immediately more interested.

Counter argument to above:
For one reason or another I dislike the artwork on every single one of Stereolab's LPs. It has never affected my love for the music, however.

("artists" in my last post = recording artists, not graphic artists, to avoid any poss. confusion)

Talk Talk and James Marsh

Marsh's art really accentuates the surreal and out-of-timeness feeling of those albums. Gives it that Museum Of Jurassic Technology quality.

Which Duran covers are by Garrett? I always thought the Rio one by Nagel was the most memorable one.

Ace call on Marsh/Talk Talk there...

John D., this is actually the thread for you in ways, since you've obviously done both series style designs (thus the three disc collection of rarities) and been part of a larger aesthetic thanks to you now being on 4AD. So you could give some insight -- what input if any did you have into the Tallahassee cover and what did you think of it? And do you think that its style suggests the music well, etc.

(BTW, got that single -- thanks VERY much! :-))

Warp and Designers Republic fucking created this terrible thing that has turned into IDM's answer to those fat unreadable letters from 60s/70s psych band covers and concert posters. Thoroughly sickening in its ubiquity, especially how so many other labels and designers consistently follow them like drugged sheep from one tortured sans serif wasteland to the next.

Yes, I'm boring and like my printed information well-indexed/readable without promoting my myopia.