From the ashes...is a spine? Ew.
Two articles I liked was the long article on the band Ash's album covers, http://sqwink.com/news/2007/05/13/new-2007-ash-album-twilight-of-the-inn...
and the short post about "why album artwork no longer has backbone!"
http://sqwink.com/news/2008/02/04/why-album-artwork-no-longer-has-backbo...
In the Ash review, there are interesting changes in the album art. As Andrew Kelsall (the reviewer) notes, the use of actual images of the band communicates the addition, or absence, of a band member. So not only is the cover art communicating what music it contains, but it tells the buyer who is in the band these days. I suppose that in a way, this could more than just inform the buyer, it could also influence. Supposing the new band member was well liked or hated, some may pass on buying the album if they disliked the new contributions, and some may buy if they like the new direction the band is going in. Going into the actual critique of the album art, Andrew makes an interesting point. For one with no knowledge of Ash, the cover with the band seems run of the mill, and bland. Yet for fans of Ash, it is fitting as it shows the changes the band goes through.
For the short article on album spines, I realized I never regarded them much at all. Yet when a stack of cd's is placed so only the spines are visible, suddenly these simple spines command an enormous amount of power. With the increase in online music sharing, it is sad to see these simple parts of an album cover disapearing from the digital booklets, and being simplified in the actual physical booklets.
I thought it was intersting viewing this cover art from the role of a graphic designer and a fan. I also thought his article was easy to read and I appreciated the rhetoric--I felt as though I was reading a letter from a friend.
Anyway. I thought it was intersting how the article made comparisons of the band's albums over the ages. As a designer, one should take into consideration the past messages and art of the band. When I first saw the CD I was not that impressed, but after having read what he had to say I realized there was more to it. Sometimes one has to decide if they want to risk communicating only to their small audinece or use something safe to speak to a wider audience.
Submitted by Girl on Tue, 02/12/2008 - 20:22.I would definitely agree with the statement made in the first article where the author says that if they hadn't been an Ash fan in the first place they would have given the album cover a 5/10. It IS just a band photo with some minor filters applied and it doesn't stand out in my opinion. But that's okay considering the intended audience. The author happens to be a member of that audience and thus provides valid reasoning why the album cover is effective. Looking through the other 5 album designs it became clear to me that perhaps now, making their 6th album, they are already satisfied with their current fan base and aren't looking to create eye catching album art that doesn't necessarily reflect what the band is all about. As a matter of face I think that the 1st album's cover design is very interesting compared to the others.
Submitted by glmaster on Tue, 02/12/2008 - 21:38.