All the pretty coversBy
David Share:
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Given the shrinkage of music formats (does anyone know if albums on USB flash drives even come with artwork?), what is the future of album art? Some albums now, digital or not, have their liner notes available only as an unromantic PDF file. Have you ever purchased an album because you were enamored by the album art? Ever bow down to the “limited edition package”… double the price, same music, but a much more tactile & covet-able object? With budgets, creative staff and time frames shrinking for the release of albums (the shareholders demand the new X album in the fourth quarter!), is the age of glorious album art over? Albums listed from the JamsBio database (from left to right): Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures - 1979
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COMMENTS (5)
Craig said:
Album art as we know it will make a pretty huge jump forward. Technology is already in place. Art will always be around, the classic approaches will continue, however there will be alternatives. Soon, packaging that can hold relatively cheap and basic images will be developed to actual provided digital images and moving images in place of classic art. Donmothra said:
In a word “YES” … album art goes hand in hand with the artist and the music. There was real thought and craft involved in the creation of those album jackets, even with CDs who can forget the brilliant work of Designer’s Republic and Me Company or the photography of Mark Seliger and Anton Corbijn. There is an intangible psychological connection one gets when one holds a printed jacket that just isn’t there with a digital file. Staring at a 200×200 pixel image on an iPod doesn’t have the same power as a fold out one-sheet liner note or a limited edition booklet. I just wish I grabbed that “Tokyo Ghetto P*ssy” poster designed by Designer’s Republic from David’s office before it was turned into a closet. Matt said:
What’s this about David and a closet? Marc said:
This is an interesting approach to the disappearing album art Steve said:
My kids do not listen to “albums” any more. They tend to listen to a discrete selection of one or many artists. Back in the dark ages I would bring home an LP, put it on (recording to cassette on the first pass) and sit back to read the liner notes and lyric sheet and stare at the cover for a while. If digitally dispersed music does not have a screen large enough to make artwork visually interesting, it is a waste of time. Heck, I thought it was all going downhill once the covers were shrunk to the size of CD’s. |
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