beatles album artwork
Who cares about album artwork?
In an age where the digital download is king and the likes of iTunes are making albums and record collections obsolete, it is important to remember that part of the joy of buying an album is to have the complete package – the music and the artwork that makes up the sleeve, but who cares these days about album artwork?
Over the past couple of years, with the incredible take off of the digital download it appears more and more that bands and labels have been more concerned about getting an album out before anyone can illegally download it. Speed for a time was taking over from quality and care in making a great product. I think, in this period album artwork suffered. Bands and labels were so pre-occupied about getting the music out as fast as possible that they forgot that people wanted a quality product. A good sleeve, interesting artwork, an eye catching band logo that looks as good on your CD rack as it does on the T-shirt or poster that you will buy at a gig. For a time these things were brushed under the carpet while managers and labels were more interested in ensuring albums weren’t leaked months before there release date. Artwork became almost an after thought, a last minute inconvenience to deal with once everything else is done. This is all well and good but a huge proportion of the music buying public couldn’t care less about downloads. They are old school, they want a physical purchase, be it vinyl or CD, they want to open it up and look at the artwork, the lyrics, who played on it, where it was recorded. People like detail.
So, have things changed? Have the people in charge listened to the music buying public? The answer I think is yes, they are starting too. Over the past year I have noticed that when an album is being touted for release, that artwork is issued in advance to create a buzz. This hadn’t happened in a while but I think it is because record labels are again starting to see the benefits of having the “complete package”. Muse’s recent album “The Resistance” returned in some part to the classic artwork approach, with some critics describing it as the best album artwork since Pink Floyds Dark Side of the Moon. Muse did what a lot of bands haven’t done in a long time & that was to release a picture of the artwork at the same time as they previewed the track listing. Websites such as NME picked up on this and the fans loved it. All bands look to the past for inspiration and it seems they have started to remember some of the great LP covers from the past. Maybe the re-mastered Beatles albums has had something to do with this, with the likes of Sgt Peppers being thrust back in to the lime light after many years away, with its iconic Peter Blake designed front cover. As with The Beatles and Blake, the trend of using skilled artists and designers seems to be back in vogue, with both Damien Hirst & Julian House working with The Hours & Oasis over the past 12 months or so.
Here at Way Up There, we have certainly seen a rise in interest in musicians looking at going back to basics and thinking about the whole picture rather than just the music. Bands and artists want to be back in control again and have a say in what there album looks like rather than have some faceless record company exec pick something randomly off Google images. Your music says something about you, so surely the artwork should too?
If you are interested in finding out more about album artwork, Way Up There is an artwork design company based in Leicestershire specialising in working with bands and musicians. Check us out at www.wayupthere.co.uk
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