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The relation between album artwork and music?
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moshkito View Drop Down
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Points: 18635 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote moshkito Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2023 at 14:04
Originally posted by rik wilson rik wilson wrote:

 
...
slowly changing the album cover images away from pictures of the group toward line, shape, and color ( much like 50's and 60's jazz art ).More esoteric graphics emerged as the "experimentation and cosmic consciousness " of the musical artist was reflected in their covers. Art nouveau, art deco, constructivism of Russia, dada, surrealism, were all employed to create enjoyable covers from various musical periods. Minimalism, pastoral, and space were utilized a few years later. 

  Since album covers became the starting point for our musical  adventures; like many of you mentioned; I would always study the covers while it played to understand their relationship with the band. So, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.
...

Hi,

As I mentioned in a previous post, I have always liked HIPGNOSIS because for many years, their covers had a slight "editorial" as to what the music was about, and it fit ... I don't think it was just a frilly, fun thing, it was serious and a lot of it was thought out well, and they describe it in the couple of books, on Hipgnosis and the Album Cover book.

Since the 90's, I think the commercialization of music might have decided that more money would be made without all the fancy art ... and instead have a symbol, or something about the band for the cover, but in the end, the "art" in many of them was ... a sort of Andi Warhol ... so what? Like you get excited about a can of soup, or a picture of dearest Marilyn! It wasn't "art" per se ... it was a "show" a lot more, and I think that too many of us "fans" lost sight of the art in it all, and became more enthused by the BIG NUMBERS that they were putting out and many websites started showing about many bands ... and the end result is that the state of the art, these days, is almost ... no art at all, since many folks are now doing far out covers for music that has little if any originality that matched the art itself. This might have happened 50 years ago, but I think that the desire was to make sure that the artistic design and thought about the cover matched the work of the band. And by the time that 10CC's members work with Hipgnosis, it becomes insane and amazing, and technologically challenging.

I do not see a whole lot of covers these days, that are a good indication of the music, and even the latest YES cover is weak, as if different colors were making a show about the band again ... and the nature of the music ... just songs ... did not necessarily match the images that the covers showed in my book.

I like to think that we lost our "father" (as it is said), in that we don't know what is right or wrong, or fits with this or that ... and that too many things are just thrown together as if to suggest there is a meaning there, only to find in the music and lyrics ... not much ... just another copy!

I think a lot of this is an issue with people not having any idea or relationship to the arts, at all ... they were brought up in a time of corporations and money, and art was never important and in fact, a lot of it is laughed at and disregarded, as if there was nothing for us to learn from it whatsoever ... and unless you are a well tuned person, I sincerely doubt your music will be attuned to an artistic concept and design at all ... because it is not your interest ... you're more focused on the riff or the song. Not the art it can have!
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David_D View Drop Down
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Very interesting this post of yours, Rik. Thumbs Up
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rik wilson View Drop Down
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Points: 727 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote rik wilson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 30 2023 at 12:10
Hi, I've got to say that art work is an acquired acceptance of a visual image and its aesthetic qualities. I managed record stores from 1970-1981; I then did advertising art commercially; graphic art for an instrument company; and then taught middle school art for twenty years. This period of my life was tempered by my love for music. Mersybeat era directed its visual appeal of imagery primarily through photos of '' the latest new teen sensation "-direct from England. ( 1963- 1966) ; slowly changing the album cover images away from pictures of the group toward line, shape, and color ( much like 50's and 60's jazz art ).More esoteric graphics emerged as the "experimentation and cosmic consciousness " of the musical artist was reflected in their covers. Art nouveau, art deco, constructivism of Russia, dada, surrealism, were all employed to create enjoyable covers from various musical periods. Minimalism, pastoral, and space were utilized a few years later. 
  Since album covers became the starting point for our musical  adventures; like many of you mentioned; I would always study the covers while it played to understand their relationship with the band. So, sometimes you can judge a book by its cover.
  In the 1980's ( as I did in the psychedelic era ); I created posters and flyers for the various bands I was in and distributed these hand colored, spray painted graphics (30-90) a weekly. This type of lo-fi advertising really helped establish a band identity in Houston and got us a record deal in England.
  So, to wrap it up I'll leave you with this dada statement: Art is for arting; Fart is for farting! Do music,do art.
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To me is very important. Ok the music goes first but when the art work and music is going hand in hand the extra plus is there. One example

Genesis  - Trick of the tail, perfect art work for me that is like glove on hand with the music and examples are many in prog music, so to me the relasion between music and art is essential.
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Points: 6 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote marcobrusa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 17 2023 at 19:39
There's definitley a relation. Most albums that have some digital space-nature or whatever artwork full of every possible colour are not of my taste.
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Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Gerinski Gerinski wrote:

And in a similar vein, the cover of "Escenes" by the Spanish band G̣tic does also fit the pastoral and Prog-Folk feel of the album

And the surreal landscape depicts well the more experimenting and complex character of the music, but I think of it as as much Symphonic as Folk.


Yes I agree, it is perhaps more Symphonic than Folk. Great album undoubtedly!
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Points: 15805 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 12 2023 at 00:35
Originally posted by Gerinski Gerinski wrote:

And in a similar vein, the cover of "Escenes" by the Spanish band G̣tic does also fit the pastoral and Prog-Folk feel of the album

And the surreal landscape depicts well the more experimenting and complex character of the music, but I think of it as as much Symphonic as Folk.




Edited by David_D - May 12 2023 at 01:27
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David_D View Drop Down
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Points: 15805 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2023 at 15:28

^ I agree very much concerning the both of them.
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Gerinski View Drop Down
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Points: 5160 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gerinski Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 10 2023 at 13:49
I always thought that the artwork of Harmonium's "Si on avait besoin d'une cinquieme saison" fits very well the music style of the album




And in a similar vein, the cover of "Escenes" by the Spanish band G̣tic does also fit the pastoral and Prog-Folk feel of the album
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Points: 1288 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jacob Schoolcraft Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 09 2023 at 19:19
It's true that a good percentage of bad album covers contain brilliant music. I've been exposed to that aspect of the subject at hand the whole of my life and its hilarious.

An example would be Jan Hammer. First Seven Days has an interesting cover. Jerry Goodman And Jan Hammer Like Children has a spiritual meaning in some ways and is captivating to me. The contrast in the imagery of the two children and the Grand Canyon exists because of the choice of colors . The image of the children is strangely reminiscent of Peanuts..as in a Charlie Brown affect..however standing in front of the Canyon brings other thoughts to your mind and it produces a kind of ethereal affect. I mean..sometimes it just looks silly yet it lures me in.

The Jan Hammer album Oh Yeah? is horrible and laughable. Definitely an ugly cover. The album contains some amazing pieces which are Classical and Jazz Rock. All three Jan Hammer albums cross into Progressive Rock territory, but he took a different direction musically and I don't know if he ever returned to that style of writing...I doubt it.

There are different angles to take when you are ready to design your cover. Not every Progressive Rock album cover has an obvious connection to the lyricism or concept of the album at hand. In some cases the cover is subtle in attracting the listener's interest. It's definitely not going to reach you logically or spiritually at first. It may be confusing and you may misinterprete its meaning. There may be a connection between the concept of the album and the painting on the cover, but you don't see it.

Some of my favorite album covers are from Popol Vuh, Jade Warrior, David Bedford, , White Willow, Can, The Residents, Hawkwind, Greenslade/Woodruff, Art Zoyd, Mort Garson, Beaver And Krause, Wendy Carlos, Neuronium, Jose Luis Fernandez Ledesma, Alquimia, and Jorge Reyes. Beautiful covers!! Absolutely stunning..
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Points: 15805 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 08 2023 at 04:16
Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

My favourite example for brilliant artwork that fits extremely well the music on the album, or let's say some of the "idea" of the music.

I'd love to hear a bit more about it. Smile
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Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Btw, Edward Macan's Rocking the Classics is a great read about the whole English Progressive Rock culture in the '70s.

And not so little about the hippie counterculture, which Macan sees as the basis of Progressive Rock.
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Perhaps that's why I like Tales From Topographic Oceans so much, I love the cover so much, I also think the music is amazing, but the first thing you see is the cover, not the music. That's why an album cover is so important, it's the first thing you see, the image that goes along with whatever you're listening too.
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Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

This is how to do it:

?

My favourite example for brilliant artwork that fits extremely well the music on the album, or let's say some of the "idea" of the music.


Edited by Lewian - May 07 2023 at 17:55
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Originally posted by Lewian Lewian wrote:

This is how to do it:

?
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Lewian View Drop Down
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This is how to do it:
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Btw, Edward Macan's Rocking the Classics is a great read about the whole English Progressive Rock culture in the '70s.
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Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

...
My reason has maybe no objection to Hinten's artwork, it's my aestethics and feelings that do. LOL


Hi,

Put yourself in Mani's shoes, when they had put together material for 3 albums, and were playing it live, and it was some spectacular "space rock", done in a rock style that only Jimi had ever given us a hint of at that time. Ax's excursions on his guitar were exceptional and created some far out stuff that was appreciated in concert (and still is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) but to release an album he had to make a statement, and like the Edgar Broughton Band's "meat" cover (a kind of satire on the Beatles, btw!!!), it had to show a side of the music and the personalities that made the music ... and ... I find this really silly ... we might as well tell Flea and his band that they are the crap because they have performed naked many times!

For me, aesthetics are nice to have a cup of tea with ... nothing more. Same with "ideas" and "concepts" that we tend to think they should rule the world. I guess you can call me an anarchist, though my words are mostly standing up for the artists and their work ... it matters not to me if LZ was showing off their this or that ... according to my girlfriend at the time LZ was very sensual and sexual ... but here we are, and all we can be commenting on is the crap from folks that really do not have a whole lot to say about the music anyway, because otherwise, there would be some appreciation around it.

I do not think that "nudity" in the rock context, is out of place, any more than I do a model student sitting in an art class. That we "sexualize" a lot of it, is another story ... and has less to do with the art itself, or the model and artist ... it has to do with the observer, the one who would not stand up for their own art and music, and sadly, instead, makes comments on it. Reminds me of one saying we find in schools ... those who "can't" teach, and those who can "are doing it".
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
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Points: 20633 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Sean Trane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2023 at 13:52
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Rush was sometimes a bit fem.  But heck, so was Zep... at least to the fem/macho extent where Plant's penis in TSRtS was enough already .
Androgyny, the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics, was a part of the hippie counterculture, and it became in more figurative meaning and important ways a part of Progressive Rock music and the whole culture, which can be seen in artwork too.


Indeed, I see it in Punk quite a bit as well.



In Glam, much more than prog IMHO
And of course in the 80's electro-pop (Communards, Culture Club, Wham, etc...)

Not so sure about punk, though
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Points: 15805 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote David_D Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 07 2023 at 13:48
Originally posted by Atavachron Atavachron wrote:

Originally posted by David_D David_D wrote:

Androgyny, the possession of both masculine and feminine characteristics, was a part of the hippie counterculture, and it became in more figurative meaning and important ways a part of Progressive Rock music and the whole culture, which can be seen in artwork too.
Indeed, I see it in Punk quite a bit as well.

For not to talk about Glam Rock. 


Edited by David_D - May 07 2023 at 13:48
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