Less visual space to worry about than vinyl bootlegs per se, somewhat haphazard uses of early Photoshop, the graininess of photographs and art that were apparently first physically produced on less than perfect printers, information that was not exactly clear per se, sometimes the occasional breakthrough of 'oh this actually looks kinda good' but more often wasn't. Carried over briefly into the CDR days but by default killed by Napster et al. But let's remember when (we were sometimes lucky enough to stumble across them in used CD bins but had no way of listening beforehand to know if they were any good though sometimes you hoped Kiss The Stone releases could be okay). Post some examples!
https://i.discogs.com/KrYYnCkNpVxwyVkW35cANj2L14zi_jL8nTFGobrM1JI/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:598/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTY4NTM5/MzAtMTQyODA0MzM3/Ni05ODY1LmpwZWc.jpeg
https://i.discogs.com/a9j14JMUPRYkVp7fNOB4yzC6r9LkVEZQgxubw1CJnfs/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTMxNjIy/MzkyLTE3MjUxMzc1/ODMtMzUyMS5qcGVn.jpeg
https://i.discogs.com/VfPr4IjuxaSMnmnhr6-3arXx8B5mHmar6Mso-ciPQSg/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:594/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEzNjk5/NTYtMTU1NDA1NDky/NC03MzAyLmpwZWc.jpeg
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 21 August 2025 17:49 (yesterday)
No examples but I remember Kiss the Stone put pull out catalogs in Alternative Press in the 90s.
― Crispy Ambulance Chaser (Boring, Maryland), Thursday, 21 August 2025 17:54 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/yCbrie9lLy8UQnLbXEfeIGlBJdjbFQFWZKfsJ0Iq5nA/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:500/w:495/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ1MjEx/MDMtMTM3MDAzNzAy/MC00MDA1LmpwZWc.jpeg
― sleeve, Thursday, 21 August 2025 17:56 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/_JmXi54n3QUZ8N7u7uI-H_o290ihsliZMTix8yQHLyw/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:200/w:199/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTM0OTI5/NDAtMTMzMjU3Nzc1/Ni5qcGVn.jpeg
https://i.discogs.com/xkJc2RjzeE2EDeCC256wWeFhsF_HC2Kmdvbo3NDHC3o/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:593/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwNDM3/MzgtMTQwNzY3Njcw/Mi0xMTAyLmpwZWc.jpeg
― city worker, Thursday, 21 August 2025 17:58 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/5w4oggnplXDUvkhkPry-Lu2NrcDQc17ubomLjMfqy_8/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:596/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTEwOTky/ODgxLTE1MDc4Mjg5/ODUtODMyOC5qcGVn.jpeg
i remember buying a couple indie rock-ish boot CDs in the mid 90s w/ this design template. sort of boring but inoffensive I guess.
― tylerw, Thursday, 21 August 2025 18:09 (yesterday)
https://img02.shop-pro.jp/PA01124/391/product/26016562.jpg
― brimstead, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:06 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/xaeZPv8jvcbH79hCxTutyf6dQ2-d1gnA5krnBYJJXCQ/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:544/w:544/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTQ5MjEz/MjctMTM3OTUwODgx/MS05MTQzLmpwZWc.jpeg
― tylerw, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:22 (yesterday)
great thread idea. can't believe it took seven posts to get to Aerosmith though.
one interesting thing about Ned's criteria is that these are often indistinguishable from lower-tier legitimate releases, where the art department just doesn't have time or resources to really rise to the potential of modern desktop-publishing software and Photoshop. i'm thinking, like nth-generation greatest hits of legacy artists, or shitty various-artists comps ("Sixties Magic!") destined for Sam's Club and the cheapie rack at Best Buy, with or without shitty 80s re-recordings of everything.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:33 (yesterday)
one giveaway, though it may be typical of bootlegs more generally, is when the cover is dominated by a photo of an artist who generally does not feature in the covers of official releases. like, that Smashing Pumpkins "Drown" is a pretty good-looking cover really, but what's Billy doing here? i think "1979" is the only release that actually foregrounds the Pumpkins like that, and even there, it's with a self-consciously blurry, neon-soaked 'casual' shot, not a pin-up.
― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:38 (yesterday)
I think this was the first I ever bought. Soundboard recording with very little audience. Massive technical faults / silences left in. Utterly lazy lack of effort re: track-splitting. I remember it fondly
https://i.discogs.com/bM-3JhBWK0vurMAJPklvCPBScxPyoDYVtRplZCgvg9A/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:597/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIxOTA0/OTktMTQxNjE2Mzc0/My03OTQ3LmpwZWc.jpeg
https://www.discogs.com/release/2190499-Elvis-Costello-Buddy-Holly-On-Acid
― PaulTMA, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:46 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/8rydXelYkdK9zCz-5EFlqu1wOgK_auXzSW8kOaiDzbo/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:600/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTIxOTE2/NjQtMTM2ODM2MzEx/My0yNTc5LmpwZWc.jpeg
This was a 90s bootleg and then Mark put it out on Cog Sinister legit!
― city worker, Thursday, 21 August 2025 20:55 (yesterday)
https://i.discogs.com/DbH55Z-LepMQF3t2eSIccsaDiK8R62XoRqqSGuFU0w0/rs:fit/g:sm/q:90/h:600/w:593/czM6Ly9kaXNjb2dz/LWRhdGFiYXNlLWlt/YWdlcy9SLTU3MDU3/NTEtMTQwMDQ0MTcz/Ny0yNjM1LmpwZWc.jpeg
https://www.discogs.com/master/689780-The-Cure-USA-1992
― austinato (Austin), Thursday, 21 August 2025 21:44 (yesterday)