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Do you still care about album artwork?
Vince Neilstein of MetalSucks raised that question yesterday. He argued that the singular album cover has become outdated in today’s MP3-fueled, multimedia world. Visuals will always be important. But their environment has become more dynamic, with moving images and multiple interfaces (see here for a good discussion of visually enhanced digital albums), so the static image doesn’t cut it anymore. One of his arguments is especially cogent: album artwork is no longer a retail draw because record stores are disappearing.
I agree to an extent. Fine artists who once solely made album covers are having to become graphic designers for websites and package layouts. But one powerful image still trumps many lesser ones. If an album cover is strong enough, it will hold up in any environment. For example, imagine marketing Master of Puppets today. The cover has several elements — grassy field, rows of crosses, burnt sky, ominous hands — that could easily skin a MySpace or Twitter page. Album covers haven’t become obsolete so much as impotent. In this age of Photoshop horrors, album artwork often barely suffices for its original purpose, much less multiple ones. Derek Riggs’ classic art for Iron Maiden — it looks good anywhere, anytime.
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| Sodom – M-16 gatefold |
The artwork question ties into the issues of media formats and the listening experience. So many people say that they uphold the traditional model and buy CD’s for the artwork. (Vinyl would be better for that.) But how many actually do that? Who actually sits down and listens to music with a focus so uninterrupted that the only thing in one’s hands is liner notes? People now listen to music in the background or on the go. I don’t know a single person who sets aside dedicated, drop-everything-else time for music listening. This is unfortunate, but it’s the way of industrialized society. The only place I look at album artwork is on a computer screen — which, ironically, often offers better visuals than a CD, at least in terms of size.
I’m curious how you experience album artwork now. Do you still physically touch it? Do you even look at it, or care about it anymore?
I think the teitanblood album is a good case for the "YES IT BLOODY WELL IS IMPORTANT" argument.
It is undeniably awesome seeing high-res images of the old seagrave covers and the like, but i still love holding an lp in hand and pouring over the artwork and sleeves.
I thought the hommage to this habbit in last years brutal legend was fantastic, the way the menu was constructed from every part of the lp packaging just hit this feeling perfectly.
Album artwork is still very important to me. When browsing blogs for new music, more often than not the cover is a major factor in my decision to skip or look into an album. Especially since people, when describing a band's sound, tend to name-drop and draw comparisons to a lot of other bands even when it doesn't make sense.
Artwork often speaks volume about the album's content. Obviously it's not perfect, and you can waste time checking out a shitty album because of a great artwork, or miss out on a good band whose covers look like crap, but at the end of the day there's so music out there that you have to make decisions and, for me, artwork, as well as band names, album titles, all of which are part of the general aesthetics of a band, play a great part.
A great artwork/packaging can also be the reason why I'll buy something on vinyl rather than CD, or CD rather than digital.
I admit I rarely listen to music with the artwork in my hands, however I still do it once in a while, especially with vinyl records and/or when it's my first listening experience with an album.
"Who actually sits down and listens to music with a focus so uninterrupted that the only thing in one's hands is liner notes? People now listen to music in the background or on the go. I don't know a single person who sets aside dedicated, drop-everything-else time for music listening."
I do. We haven't met but take my word for it. I can think of 5 other people I know who also do. Not often because life is hard but we try to set aside time to experience some Heavy Metal as it was intended to. Undisturbed, lyrics and artwork at hand. No fun, no scene, no mosh, no core, no friends, no girlfriends, no job, no obligations, for as long as the record (or CD) spins.
Covers are not just covers: they are an aesthetic encapsulation of what dwells inside. Their purpose as draws to buy original cd or vinyls is secondary to their purpose of imbibing sounds with meaning, like lyrics do, like interviews, liner notes and other things around the sound do.
Sound in itself is not Heavy Metal.
This form of listening to music is not outmoded or obsolete. It is like saying that a meaningful life is outmoded or obsolete under capitalism. It isn't the case, it's just harder, takes more effort to organise such a life. Instead of saying 'this is unfortunate but it's the way of industrialized society' say 'this is unfortunate and I will fight back'. Much more Heavy Metal
It's important to me, but I think you're going to get a majority of responses that say that just by nature of the fact that most people reading invisibleoranges are people who care about this sort of thing. Hell, I just bought Razor's "Shotgun Justice" vinyl reissue so I could have that ridiculous cover in a 12" square format (well, that and I can't find the cassette of it that I used to have…) But yeah, I think the aesthetic of a release sort of sets the tone for it before you even hear a note of it.
I'm with you guys. Artwork, as an artist and musician is very important. Attention to detail and the product as a whole, for me, shows an artist/band that has a grasp on the big picture. Though it is subjective, I look at the big picture as a sum of the parts (logo, photos, artwork, music, etc…).
I'm not put off by a great recording that has shitty artwork by any means. It is about the product that the parts make. Some great albums are arguably immortal because they were recorded on a shit budget and the artwork was made on a shit budget….
The contents of the disk trumps all. When it comes to artwork I want the t-shirt. I buy cd/vinyl, exclusively – for the tunes. Posters and what not are secondary.
I agree, artwork is important, and part of what I miss about today's digitized music culture. But for me it's more than just the art, it's the package as a whole.
Packaging will make or break a release for me. If you don't care about how your (audio) art is presented visually, why would I think you care about any other aspect of your art? Why should I?
Liner notes and packaging has helped me find friends (old and new), discover new bands, and even shape my beliefs and ethics.
It's too bad I can't carry around an LP jacket in my pocket…
I care about artwork, but it is becoming less and less of a priority for me. Now when I buy a CD I'll take a look at the artwork and liner notes when I first get it, but then I'll rip it and listen to it on my computer or on my mp3 player. I used to care a lot more about this sort of stuff–for example, I'd spend nights just listening to music, looking at record covers, reading along with the lyrics, etc–but a lot has changed in my life since then (ie being single then vs. being married now, being a student then vs. full-time work now, buying all my music then and therefore feeling more invested in it than something I downloaded off of an mp3 blog, as is the case more often than not now, etc) and I don't give music the time I used to. I listen to music less attentively as a result.
I sit down with CD's and read the lyrics, digest the art, and read the stories if there are any (like the new Nile or the latest from Hull). It's all part of experiencing the music for me.
I'll say it: Nope.
I'm an artist, even but I pretty much don't pay attention to album artwork these days. I do appreciate bands that incorporate audio and visual and lyrical/thematic elements into one cohesive whole but I rarely get a chance to experience that outside of live shows. I'm one of those people that's usually doing something else while listening to music. I get a couple hours a day to just sit and listen to music on my headphones, but that's on the subway so album artwork isn't very accessible to me then.
I also feel like the whole concept of an "album" as a 60 minute-ish collection of songs is outdated and on the way out. It made sense when you had to press vinyl or CDs to collect enough material to fill a disc before releasing anything. Now you might as well release a track as soon as it's ready. Hour long albums are arbitrary and anachronistic.
I personally do set aside dedicated, drop-everything-else time for music listening. It's my meditation; me, the CD,the stereo and some badass Boston Acoustic speakers. I don't feel like I can absorb or relate to an album until I've sat on the couch, sat with the booklet, read the lyrics (if there are any), and listen to the whole thing on the home stereo. That's how I make connect between the music, album art and lyrics. The art is a part of that experience that I always appreciate.
I absolutely sit down and dedicate uninterrupted time to listening to LP's with just the jacket and liner notes in my hand. I don't get to do it as much as I'd like but its one of my favorite pastimes.
what HELM said!
Album art is, not unlike lyrics, a nice bonus if it's good, but not something I'm going to judge an album for. Still, I do buy CDs exclusively and listen to music online for previewing purposes only. You won't see any illegal mp3s in my iTunes, no sir.
This is why I buy vinyl instead of cds. I don't even need a turntable that can rip vinyl because there are so many places online to download albums if I want to burn a disk for the car. Holding up the cd in one hand and the vinyl in the other, there is a huge gap in quality of presentation. It's an easy choice for me.
I don't set enough time aside for music without distractions. I do have a long drive to work and college (hour up, hour back), however, which is a fairly automated routine by now, and I can zone out and really listen to the music closely. I can't hold the lyrics or album art while I drive, but they aren't far from my mind either.
the whole package is important!, soon as i buy a CD i pop it in and head for the slip.
but the artwork has become a bit stagnant over the past few years.
Great artwork goes a long way–I can't tell you how many times I've taken a chance on an album because the artwork grabbed me–or how many times I sat in my room as a twelve year old drawing Eddie pictures while listening to Maiden. Artwork is essential! Nowadays, though, it seems as if every metal release has some godawful computer generated beast/demon/whathaveyou doing something equally godawful. What happened? I think the 70's and 80's were the golden age of album artwork–great work by guys like Hipgnosis for example. It's just so much computer generated crapola now. It's a sad state of affairs.
To me it is not only important, it is essential. I refuse to buy mp3s and use "illegal downloading" only as a way to test an album. If I like it I buy it, if not, I toss the files.
This may sound ridiculous but there is something sacred about the printed format for music for me. Especially when it comes to vinyl. Listening to the music, holding the packaging in my hands. When it is clearly something special I think about the thought and care that went into making it and feel lucky that I am able to have something so thoughtfully crafted.
Then again, I am a graphic artist and am desperately trying to defend printed matter. I feel like digital media is cheap, transient, and disposable. Though I don't deny that it is useful.
206-Grind had it right: the music will trump everything else.
As for the importance of artwork to me, great artwork will always pull me in while shitty artwork will never completely push me away. It may take me a little bit to check out a specific band when the artwork is absolute garbage, but I will never completely write off a band or album because of its artwork. I appreciate it when a band takes the time to create a theme with its whole package – the Obssequiae demo comes to mind for its medieval melodies a foreign sort of regal, tapestry cover artwork.
I am also the type of person who sets aside time to strictly listen to music. I usually do this on my stereo right before I go to bed at night. It helps me relax.
What's left to ask? Do you still care about Heavy Metal? Try to save that one until Friday at least. I can't wait to see what Phil Freeman has to say about it.
I did album artwork, design, layout…everything. The artwork is still important in Metal. It's losing its appeal in other genres, I'd say. Nothing beats a LP for the matter: you get it all bigger and better. I especially like to buy an album on LP to have the whole packaging and then download it or encode it from CD for the convenience. Combining formats is a winning formula.
Without artwork bands can't do merch and suffer from a lack of visual identity. it,s still valuable but no longer limited to cover art.
Imagine what the future album 'cover' will be with OLED paper!
The future, although very different from now, sounds promising for music, visually.
Blogspots, baby. Blogspots. JUst gimme the sounds…
It's great when it's awesome, but I can't say I actually care.
The last frickin' awesome album cover I can recall (cf. post image) is the cover to Powerslave.
I wouldn't mind seeing, for example, the Black One cover larger, but paying maybe $20 for fragile vinyl I'll never play, to get it?
Yeah, no.
I think it's a cliche, but I got into graphic design and being an art fag in general because I wanted to design album artwork. I've done that, albeit crudely, with mix tapes and cd's, but I've also gotten lucky with scoring a few gigs designing shirts, posters and other merch.
I do love labels like Southern Lord and Nuclear War Now! who go the extra steps to meticulously package their lp's/cd's. When a label invests money in different stocks of paper, that means they do care about the quality of the product. I've come to admire artists like Justin Bartlett, Away, Chris Moyen, Putrid, Pushead, and Aaron Turner because of how their artwork integrates the visual aspect of the music, and how they translate on paper and on cloth. In the past 10 years or so, there's just been a glut of really badly photoshopped album covers (I'm looking at you, technical death metal and brutal death metal bands!), and that really diluted the quality of metal album covers.
And I still do listen to music without any distractions, I put the cd on, sit on the couch, dim the lights, and snuggle with my pets.
artwork is still very important in my opinion. when done correctly it should be a visual representation of the music (from the musicians point of view of course).
If you dont care about album artwork, you are a goddamn poseur.
I think a good argument that it is still important (and that I still love it!) is the recent Relapse vinyl reissue of Remission. I bought that shit IMMEDIATELY. Yes, I love that record, but I was really excited about having that art in the vinyl format, which is probably one of the reasons for it being repressed.
I love album art and sitting down with the whole package. But I rarely do have the time/oppertunity to do so. The last couple records I did that with would Axe To Fall, Ox, and Mammoth Grinder. Unfortunately I can't afford to buy as much music as I consume, but I love sit down with the whole package when I can.
I find both the album art and liner notes to be very important. I love a great record, but if the art sucks I'm definitely disappointed. The art sometimes helps me get lost in the music (ie.Cynic's Traced in Air) As "The Path Less Traveled Records" said, it's all apart of experiencing the music. Also for myself, the lyrics are very important because by purchasing a record I feel like I shouldn't oppose what the lyrics are written about. Since I'm a Christian, although I listen to black metal you'll never find me buying a Marduk or Watain record. Not because I doubt their musical ability, but because I can't conscientiously say I agree with what they say through their lyrics.
I think some artists/labels are adhering to the idea that people care less about the packaging of an album. With some notable exceptions over the past few years, (the new Behemoth and Clutch come to mind), I've been disappointed by some releases that come packaged with a two-page album insert or otherwise underwhelming art. Last year's Blue Record and Crack the Skye are examples of records that had awesome front covers with otherwise boring packaging. I'm not an art snob or anything, nor do I think art is a particularly important aspect of a metal band's music. I just think a band that claims a strong visual element should package their product accordingly. Of course, I'm sure labels' financial woes have played a role in this.
Savage is right on the money.
I own a lot of eye candy vinyl, and that standard for music packaging has had a big influence on me, but I'm not really into it these days. I'd like to see more underground metal missives put out with hand-assembled packaging and homemade art. Budget limitations have to be crazy for this, but hey…quality over quantity.
No talk of the "so bad it's good" principle yet eh? It covers a lot of my favorite covers. Savage Grace-Master of Disguise cover art rules all!
What's also important to remember is that cover art is what visually identifies an album. People have to look for albums/tracks visually before they can hear them. Yes, you can browse through your iTunes playlist, but iTunes also has a coverflow for a reason.
Without some distinct artwork, an album whether on the web or in a shop, would be hard to identify. It's a form of branding in that respect. Not only does it cast a tone for the album – set the scene if you will – but it's vital to enable people to select your album from among others.
So you heard about the new Manowar album, but you can't remember the name, you will remember that it's the one with the buxom chick on the cover.
I also think many metal heads will select an album from a crowd purely on the strength of the artwork. There's a reason why BM and DM covers are usually pretty similar. You know, just by looking at the artwork, that it's from one of those genres. This is vitally important for advertising. The you probably didn't even notice the prog metal advert next to it.
It's because of this that I don't think that album artwork will die. We need that visual association and branding, and the bands/labels need it even more.
i think that artwork its 50% of an album itself, not talking about the music inside that album but the album as a hole package, as a hole 8 to 20 something songs written with the same mood or musical style ind the mind of the band or person, the artwork gives the record a physical image at least in my head, it can be like colors or atmospheres and surroundings.
Even though I’m a chronic music downloader, I have the artwork for everything if I can help it. I just hate looking at that blank background with the music note, so I have to put the album artwork there and waste battery looking at it.
I still buy albums and vinyls.. I don’t understand the attitude people have today. “Why pay if I can get it for free online?”
I mean, yes, I understand the saving money part but isn’t owning it what it’s all about?
Reminds me of my friend the other day, saying he heard that soon all xbox video games would be downloaded through their network, not bought as a disc with case in booklet.
I would prefer to own something physically, not just data on a hard drive.
Maybe it’s just the collector in me.
Holy Diver,rose infront of my t.v. about 6 months ago. The album cover, interior collage sleve, with thumbnails of Dio playing guitar, and black vinyl has drowned my hbo love. It radiates inverted provocations to me whenever I enter its midnight sea. This copy was purchased used, with lawn mowing money. Bent mountian peaks echo devil horns. I’ve seen those bent mountain peaks echo’d on fishing trips to Mount Whitney. The art echos my life experience and visa vesra. I got it at Wild Rags on Whittier Blvd, Montebello, CA, a while ago. It beckons me to swim in the midnight sea often.