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- Keechdesign News (29)
- Design Classics (8)
- Opinion (25)
- Creative Report (36)
- In The Know (14)
- Inspiration (18)
- Design Top Five (10)
Perfect Packaging
Posted by: Keech on 7th Sep 2009 in Design Top 5
Five of the best 1980s album covers.
1. Power Corruption and Lies
2. Rain Dogs
3. Meat Is Murder
4. Off The Bone
5. Uprising
1.
New Order, Power Corruption And Lies
1983 - Factory Records
Sleeve design: Peter Saville.
Just when you think you are looking at an old master (Fantin-Latour, 1890 to be precise) you notice the irreverantly technical print colour coding top right. But there's more to the coding than that as the owners of this album will know.
2.
Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
1985 - Island Records
Sleeve photo: Anders Petersen
About as iconic as album covers get, the image sitting beautifully with its gritty, street-level and utterly human contents. And no, that's not Tom Waits in the photo.
3.
The Smiths, Meat Is Murder
1985 - Rough Trade Records
Sleeve design: Morrisey
Like it or love it, an album that symbolizes an entire era. And a good example of early Photoshop genius as the original Emile de Antonio image says "Make War Not Love" on the soldier's helmet.
4.
The Cramps, Off The Bone
1883 - Illegal Records
Sleeve design: Dead Jaw/ Graham Humphreys
In all its 3-D, kitch, psycho-billy, high camp horror. And if that's not enough, listen to the exeedingly bad drum groove to end them all on Good Taste.
5.
Bod Marley And The Wailers, Uprising
1980 - Island Records
Artwork - Neville Garrick
I've included this one as it was the first album that I ever bought. As a fledgling musician I spent many hours listensing to the musically and politically deep grooves, and also, as a fledgling designer, spent many hours trying to trace/ draw that superb image.
Posted by: Keech on 7th Sep 2009 in Design Top 5
Five of the best 1980s album covers.
1. Power Corruption and Lies
2. Rain Dogs
3. Meat Is Murder
4. Off The Bone
5. Uprising
1.
New Order, Power Corruption And Lies
1983 - Factory Records
Sleeve design: Peter Saville.
Just when you think you are looking at an old master (Fantin-Latour, 1890 to be precise) you notice the irreverantly technical print colour coding top right. But there's more to the coding than that as the owners of this album will know.
2.
Tom Waits, Rain Dogs
1985 - Island Records
Sleeve photo: Anders Petersen
About as iconic as album covers get, the image sitting beautifully with its gritty, street-level and utterly human contents. And no, that's not Tom Waits in the photo.
3.
The Smiths, Meat Is Murder
1985 - Rough Trade Records
Sleeve design: Morrisey
Like it or love it, an album that symbolizes an entire era. And a good example of early Photoshop genius as the original Emile de Antonio image says "Make War Not Love" on the soldier's helmet.
4.
The Cramps, Off The Bone
1883 - Illegal Records
Sleeve design: Dead Jaw/ Graham Humphreys
In all its 3-D, kitch, psycho-billy, high camp horror. And if that's not enough, listen to the exeedingly bad drum groove to end them all on Good Taste.
5.
Bod Marley And The Wailers, Uprising
1980 - Island Records
Artwork - Neville Garrick
I've included this one as it was the first album that I ever bought. As a fledgling musician I spent many hours listensing to the musically and politically deep grooves, and also, as a fledgling designer, spent many hours trying to trace/ draw that superb image.
Comments
Posted by TelStar on 8th Sep 2009 09:33 AM
Thanks for the posting. Great design and equally great music inside.
Thanks for the posting. Great design and equally great music inside.
Posted by Emma on 8th Sep 2009 11:22 AM
I always thought that WAS Tom Waits...
I always thought that WAS Tom Waits...
Posted by Keech on 8th Sep 2009 11:24 AM
Tom Waits for no man.
Tom Waits for no man.
Posted by Andrew Collins on 8th Sep 2009 12:16 PM
I sold all my vinyl a few years ago before yet another house move. Now I wish I hadn't. (I kept all my seven inches, though - they're like a photo album.) You are wise in your choices. Let us namecheck Graham Humphreys, who drew the Cramps illustration, and whom we commissioned a number of times when I worked in the design room of the NME in the late 80s. A brilliant draftsman.
I sold all my vinyl a few years ago before yet another house move. Now I wish I hadn't. (I kept all my seven inches, though - they're like a photo album.) You are wise in your choices. Let us namecheck Graham Humphreys, who drew the Cramps illustration, and whom we commissioned a number of times when I worked in the design room of the NME in the late 80s. A brilliant draftsman.
Posted by Keech on 8th Sep 2009 01:02 PM
Thank you and noted Andrew. Link to Graham's superb site added.
Thank you and noted Andrew. Link to Graham's superb site added.
Posted by Chris Mennie on 8th Sep 2009 07:59 PM
I always liked The Joshua Tree, and it was a gate fold on the original lp, also first issues came with a large panoramic photo/poster, all Anton Corbijn, just pulled it out of the vinyl cupboard, smells divine!
Dave you didn't mention early Soft Cell, why!!?
I always liked The Joshua Tree, and it was a gate fold on the original lp, also first issues came with a large panoramic photo/poster, all Anton Corbijn, just pulled it out of the vinyl cupboard, smells divine!
Dave you didn't mention early Soft Cell, why!!?
Posted by Graham Humphreys on 8th Sep 2009 09:46 PM
It is (Dead) Jaw droppingly flattering to be included in such a short list. The reason I assumed the name 'Dead Jaw' was simply to avoid the expected personal vitriol from the band whom had already expressed displeasure at the UK sleeve for 'The Crusher', designed by the delightful Vermilion Sands of Illegal Records. Apparently a curse had been issued! I thought that I would avoid such a fate with my design.
It is the only time I've ever used a pseudonym.
It is (Dead) Jaw droppingly flattering to be included in such a short list. The reason I assumed the name 'Dead Jaw' was simply to avoid the expected personal vitriol from the band whom had already expressed displeasure at the UK sleeve for 'The Crusher', designed by the delightful Vermilion Sands of Illegal Records. Apparently a curse had been issued! I thought that I would avoid such a fate with my design.
It is the only time I've ever used a pseudonym.
Posted by Keech on 9th Sep 2009 09:35 AM
Chris - thanks, but I'll leave the Soft Cell territory to the experts - you!
Never forget seeing Anton Corbijn's portrait of Miles for the first time. That and other great works are here:
http://www.corbijn.co.uk
Chris - thanks, but I'll leave the Soft Cell territory to the experts - you!
Never forget seeing Anton Corbijn's portrait of Miles for the first time. That and other great works are here:
http://www.corbijn.co.uk
Posted by Keech on 9th Sep 2009 09:47 AM
For those of you who missed the link above to Graham Humphreys's superb website, it's here:
http://www.grahamhumphreys.com
For those of you who missed the link above to Graham Humphreys's superb website, it's here:
http://www.grahamhumphreys.com
