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Leah
= Cult of Ray =
United Kingdom
314 Posts |
 Posted - 10/03/2002 : 08:14:57
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Forgive me if this has already been covered but I love the artwork on Teenager, anyone else agree?
He looks like I Claudius!
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bazza
* Dog in the Sand *
Ireland
1439 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 09:33:20
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i love the art for the first album.
i always laugh when i look at the pics inside - especially where he is dressed like a farmer.
get im maw!
cheers
stone to the bone
:o) |
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ProverbialCereal
- FB TabMaster -
USA
2953 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 10:03:57
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I like the cheesy graphics (the gun and bullets) in the inside of pistolero.
hmm, i think i like teenager's cover the best. i like them all but i wish there were more pictures of the band in the sleeves. I'd take a photography class just to be able to take pics of frank on tour and in the studio. Heck i'd do it for free.
Derek |
Edited by - ProverbialCereal on 10/03/2002 10:04:31 |
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MikeW
- FB Fan -
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 10:21:48
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| The cover from the first record I like. Its the exact same cover of this California history book I had in the 3rd grade. Hmm? I wonder? |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 11:52:31
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| I like the Cult of Ray face the most. One of the coolest things I own is a "Cult of Ray" mobile, which was used as a promotion in record stores, etc. when the album came out. It's *cool as hell*. God bless eBay. One cool thing about it is that a few months after I bought it, I noticed one hanging up in the record store in the mall, of all places. |
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theonecontender
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
565 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 12:07:50
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I'm gonna have to with Dog in the Sand. It just captures the band and the feel of that record perfectly. Americana is right.
1c |
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Dave Noisy
Minister of Chaos
Canada
4496 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 14:54:39
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I think the 'Teenager' cover is one of the best CD covers of all time. =)
- Dave |
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OliverK
- FB Fan -
43 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 15:28:02
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I like the Teenager of the Year front cover AND the "minimialist" lyrics/credits design.
It's too bad 4AD didn't spring for a gatefold sleeve on the vinyl, though. |
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MIRV
- FB Fan -
178 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 18:09:40
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to be honest, all of the art on the frank cds is pure shit.
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carsonwerner
= Cult of Ray =
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 10/03/2002 : 20:16:49
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| haha Teenager is a funny picture, but probably the best one is the self-titled -- it seems to have the most effort put into it. |
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ProverbialCereal
- FB TabMaster -
USA
2953 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 06:14:19
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quote:
Originally posted by MIRV
to be honest, all of the art on the frank cds is pure shit.
what do you want? Leonardo da Vinci to do the artwork?
it's not THAT bad. I'll admit that it's not amazing but the music makes up for anything lacking on the cover.
Derek |
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Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 08:22:51
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| I'm not a fan of the art work either - but I love the music. I really liked the Pixies art work though - maybe not Bossanova - but the rest was good. |
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Jose Jones
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1758 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 12:40:48
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pixies artwork was amazing.
fb artwork is nothing to write home about, as it were. however, the black letter days photo is great.
-dan |
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FranknWeezer
= Cult of Ray =
USA
356 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 13:47:21
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I love the slanted eyebrows and tilted crown on Teenager. It almost looks like a painting.
Who knew 8 years later we'd still be talking about that cover?
FranknWeezer |
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MIRV
- FB Fan -
178 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 14:21:41
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"what do you want? Leonardo da Vinci to do the artwork?"
yeah.
i really don't care about the artwork either, but it still sucks. dog in the sand is alright, though. much better than the others.
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Visiting Sasquatch
= Cult of Ray =
USA
451 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 16:54:50
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| I love all of Vaughn Oliver's work for the Pixies, and the little he did for Frank Black. I also like the red feathers on Devil's Workshop, and the portrait on Oddballs. |
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El Barto
= Song DB Master =
USA
4020 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2002 : 21:53:07
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| Woah, Devil's Workshop? Seriously? I think that album deserves an award for the worst album art of all time, at least somewhere in the top 10. It looks like they threw it together in 10 minutes in Microsoft Publisher...the font is terrible. Yuck! |
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Ten Percenter
- FB Enquirer -
United Kingdom
1733 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 04:53:31
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| Agreed, El BArto - Devil's Workshop artwork is really crap. Great album though |
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theonecontender
= Cult of Ray =
Canada
565 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 04:59:31
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Art... music... yeah.
they both suck. |
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Jose Jones
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1758 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 08:29:20
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blasphemer!!!
-dan |
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ProverbialCereal
- FB TabMaster -
USA
2953 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 10:06:32
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Devil's Workshop art is a little sappy. I think the inside of the sleeve is fine, but the front cover is boring. A bunch of feathers?
Derek |
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Chip Away Boy
= Cult of Ray =
914 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 10:23:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Jose Jones
pixies artwork was amazing.
fb artwork is nothing to write home about, as it were. however, the black letter days photo is great.
-dan
yeah the BLD photo is great... |
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carsonwerner
= Cult of Ray =
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 13:03:45
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| I do like the BLD photo, but the photos on the inside make it difficult to read the lyrics in parts, although I remember theres a song like that on FB, i think it's parry the wind |
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matto
= Cult of Ray =
USA
954 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 13:26:45
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The best representation of the music thru cover art thusfar is the kiss the stone cover for "The Dream Is Over" - fb just sitting, staring, the one guy. The pertiest real release, imho, the "Headache" singles - continuing with the minimalist look. Wicked good!
Some music consumers do still judge a record by its cover - someone remember -
I am embarassed with/for all the Catholic sleeves (I do not nor endorse abhoring the respective artists) - what is the method to the madness/lackthereof? We're all entitled to our opinions - but how about the truth?: why choose such simple sleeves? Used to be, folk cared about such things...
spem in alium |
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OliverK
- FB Fan -
43 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 15:10:28
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I think the Pistolero sleeve looks a bit better on the vinyl than it does on CD. The whole bullet thing looks clearer.
The inner artwork is black & white though, not color like the CD.
The only cover art I actively dislike is Dog in the Sand. |
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Foucaults Dog
- FB Fan -
Ireland
124 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 20:18:14
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I don't think any album cover (by anyone) will ever beat those of 'Surfer Rosa' and 'Come on pilgrim'. SR has to be the most tastefull and atmospheric cover art of all, without trying to be arty farty about it it's got the qualities of the Scream, the Mona Lisa and Wood's American Gothic all rolled into one. It stands alone as one of my all-time favorite pieces of art. But I suppose it's all subjective...The first thing you see when you come into my house is the Surfer Rosa album framed on the hall wall, and despite my interpretation of the cover, my poor old catholic mother insists on calling it pornographic.
You cant please all of the people all of the time, but then again why would you want to. |
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Chip Away Boy
= Cult of Ray =
914 Posts |
Posted - 10/05/2002 : 20:48:45
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quote:
Originally posted by Foucaults Dog
I don't think any album cover (by anyone) will ever beat those of 'Surfer Rosa' and 'Come on pilgrim'. SR has to be the most tastefull and atmospheric cover art of all, without trying to be arty farty about it it's got the qualities of the Scream, the Mona Lisa and Wood's American Gothic all rolled into one. It stands alone as one of my all-time favorite pieces of art. But I suppose it's all subjective...The first thing you see when you come into my house is the Surfer Rosa album framed on the hall wall, and despite my interpretation of the cover, my poor old catholic mother insists on calling it pornographic.
You cant please all of the people all of the time, but then again why would you want to.
boobies... |
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ProverbialCereal
- FB TabMaster -
USA
2953 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2002 : 10:07:30
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i dunno. Andrew W.K's album cover for "I Get Wet" may be the best album cover of all time!
(joking)
It's funny how they put a black strip over it at best buy and other stores.
Derek |
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Doryphore
- FB Fan -
Belgium
111 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2002 : 14:41:22
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| I love the anatomy schemes and fossiles in the dog in the sand booklet a lot. And the back of the jewel box, good font and all. I hate the cult of ray art work. So cheap. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 10/06/2002 : 19:47:28
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i agree with the sentiment that the Vaghun Oliver artwork was top notch.. that was one of the coolest things about those Pixies albums.. they were complete works of art, through and through.. and the artwork perfectly captured the themes and feel of the music.. (in Doolittle, he took this to the extreme.. making a separate photograph for almost every song.. completely surreal stuff, with the elements of the songs.. i love all that stuff.. the bell and the teeth for I Bleed, and the crab for Wave Of Mutilation.. doesn't get any better than the Doolittle artwork in my opinion)..
Floop |
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vilainde
>> Denizen of the Citizens Band <<
Niue
7443 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 01:07:46
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The vinyl edition of Trompe Le Monde (actually the only Pixies album I have on vinyl) is absolutely gorgeous... Not only the cover but also the inside sleeve, with the lyrics written circularly and the small drawings and all... I like the artwork for BLD too. On a funny note, the Breeders' Son Of Three ep has an inside picture which is very similar to the cover of BLD.
Denis |
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frankusblackus
- No Title Necessary -
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 16:48:35
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Hello.
It's interesting to hear all the different opinions about the artwork on my records. What would you all like to see more of/ less of in the future? To consider: while we try to make the artwork as good as we can, we are limited by a few factors. The main challenge is simply one of budget. In the 4AD days, not only did I have access to a fulltime, highly trained art department, but that art department had access to a considerable budget; that kind of budget just isn't there at the moment. Everything is done on computer in my home. Also, my wife and I just don't have the time to ponder graphics for weeks and weeks; it isn't that we don't care, but we just don't have the time or the expertise to go where even our imaginations go sometimes. The problem with having other people do it for you is that they just don't listen and tend to pursue their own thing, which is understandable, especially if there is virtually no budget. I don't mean to sound as if as I'm complaining. Actually we have a lot of fun putting together the records. Another factor is the lyric. I say "why bother?", but my wife insists that some of the fans really like the lyric sheets so I defer to her judgement. And this brings me to another factor: CD's. They just don't give you much space to play around with, man oh man! This is a very frustrating situation. I have tried to increase the size of the booklets, but the cost sometimes is just too high. At the end of the day, I'm in the business of publishing music, and artwork will always be secondary to that concern, unless of course we have a smash hit, and then I assure you all that we will have a LOT of fun with the record graphics.
yours truly,
FB |
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carsonwerner
= Cult of Ray =
USA
254 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 17:49:17
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| Thanks for taking the time to contribute, If the budget is the problem then by all means continue to do it the way you do. While I do enjoy interesting artwork and photos, I usually look for the lyrics. But I buy the cd for the music, so the artwork doesn't hinder my experience too much. |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 17:53:04
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i can't get over how cool it is that you come on and respond to stuff.. it's too exciting.
(getting a hold of myself)..
first off, i'm not complaining about the artwork..
in light of what you're saying though.. about not having as much time or money as in the 4AD days.. i'm surprised that there aren't people throwing themselves at you wanting to collaborate on something.. i would think there are tons of very talented amateur / mid-level visual artists who would do something on spec. just to be a collaborator and to have it on their "resume"..
if i were more visually inclined, i'd offer to work with you for free.. but i'm sure there are some very talented, worthy artists out there who could offer their time and resources..
just a thought..
but, what would i like to see more of?? i couldn't answer that.. even if you released your CD's on white, recycled paper with default New Times Roman font, i wouldn't care..
but yeah, i did like how the 4AD covers more overtly included images from the songs. they were like visual riddles (like the songs).. but like i said, i'm not complaining..
but i can't get over that you post here!! :)
see you wednesday night at the Troubador..
Floop |
Edited by - floop on 10/07/2002 18:19:55 |
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Thomas
* Dog in the Sand *
USA
1615 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 19:13:08
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we have a stalker, someone track that floopster 
I too was taken a back. I started to read it, and then I'm like "holey shit". It's like he keeps sneaking up on us, in a good way.
Lyrics = always good (keeps us in the dictionary)
Cover = anyfuckingthing
Back and/or inner sleave = Picture of You and the Catholics (nice to see the boys in the band)
quote:
"unless of course we have a smash hit"
What were those 500 other songs you created?
"It's the Nexus of the Crisis"
BÖCswu |
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holzgrafe
- FB Fan -
USA
75 Posts |
Posted - 10/07/2002 : 19:34:53
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I must say that in general I don't have a strong opinion on album art. Most of the time I take it to be part of the statement and, if I already respect the artist, try to understand what the intent might have been. But it is all about the music. I like the design of BLD, very much. I'm all for simple and abstract. Workshop is fine, except for a couple aspects of the font. On the front the apostrophe in "Devil's" overlaps with part of the L, and on the back the horizontal stripe covers part of the lettering. Both of these details seem somewhat arbitrary to me.
I agree with floop that it is freaky good that Frank chimes in. But it does make me feel bad that some people throw out ill-considered opinions to the effect that all of anything sucks. I know Frank is a big boy, and he must be thick-skinned to put himself out there the way he does. And in most cases he would simply "consider the source," much as any of us would. I'm sure all artists of his stature come to terms with reviews and what they represent. But it would seem that Frank might actually care about what we, his true fans, think of his presentation as it relates to aspects other than just the music itself. On balance, I'm glad that Frank & Co. have insisted upon the freedom that finds him designing his own album covers, because it's that same spirit that has provided these two new discs, Oddballs, SSMVGD, DITS, and the first two FB&C discs, all in the past five years, plus all the shows, the singles, the appearances on compilations. It's really pretty amazing when you think about it. Plus there's the new Purple Tapes disc, the BBC disc, all the bootlegs and the online stuff. Man, we've got it so good, and almost all of us here love almost everything he's ever done! Does he ever put on anything other than a great show? I better go .... starting to gnash teeth, rend clothes, .... album art my ass....
Mel |
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