Album Artwork & The User Experience

[Brody]

Longtime LP enthusiasts bemoan the decline of the album artwork and liner notes, and it's hard not to take the point seriously. Especially when so many albums these days consist of a second-rate photograph with a free font slapped on--particularly one called Bleeding Cowboys (Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C and Exhibit D).

With that in mind, what are some of your favorite album covers? Or what are some recent albums you have purchased that provided a good user experience?

I've read good things about the new Darrell Scott album as far as liner notes goes, and from what I've listened to on Rhapsody it sounds like one I'll probably pick up on my next trip to the store.

[Razor X]

As far as packaging is concerned, the nicest CDs that I've purchased in a long time are the reissues of Crystal Gayle's Columbia and Warner Brothers albums on the UK's Edsel label. There are four volumes, with two albums per disc, the recordings are all digitally remastered, and the original photos are included in the booklets. There's even a picture of what the label on each original LP looked like. The liner notes are extensive and very well written, though they get a little redundant since the same background information is presented with each volume, before more the notes get specific to each album.

It seems like a lot of classic country albums that are unavailable in the US have been released on CD by European and Australian labels. They generally do a very nice job and are good value for the money.

Here's some more info on the Crystal Gayle CDs:

http://www.amazon.com/Miss-Mississippi- ... 027&sr=1-7

http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Tenness ... 027&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Cage-Songbird-Nob ... 027&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Straight-Heart-No ... 027&sr=1-5

[Sam G]

I bought the new Fleet Foxes CD, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it, but the credits just list the names of the 5 or 6 guys in the band. With no pictures, no songwriter credits, no lyrics and no indication of who sang what or played which instrument. I love the album cover, but the liner notes are completely user unfriendly. I don't need the CD booklet to be an entire photo shoot, but the ability to put names with the faces is nice. Having the lyrics nicely printed out is always a plus, too. On the positive side, I like notes where the artist breaks out of his/her "I'd like to thank God and my family" schtick and actually shows some personality. Hayes Carll on his first two records wrote a little intro to each song, and some were completely hilarious.

As far as album covers, I think Jim Lauderdale has released some of the prettiest and ugliest CD's in recent memory. The Country Super Hits is atrocious, but I have to give him credit for making it atrocious on purpose.

[Matt B]

Brody,

Maybe because we're 'design guys' we find that kind of thing offensive. The "bleeding cowboy' font is terrible and I would bet that the same yay-hoo (as my grandpa would call 'em) designed all of those covers. I never really noticed the Eric Durrance cover before but that font is quite annoying. I actually first started noticing it when I saw it on myspace with a label (http://www.myspace.com/ssmackrecords) using it. They used it for their band SingleTree as well. It's quite crazy.

I think exhibit A: in the "Don't give a damn about artwork" category should be Mark Chesnutt's latest album. That design is horrible.

Some of the better design lately comes from an artist like Sugarland and their CD.

[Peter Durward Harris]

My favorite LP for artwork (by far) was "Statler Brothers rides again Best of volume 2", but when I saw the CD it was a pale shadow of its former self. In fact, I didn't buy the CD version as I opted for the 30th anniversary boxed set instead. Boxed sets are the one area where CD packaging can get interesting. Of the boxed sets I have, the best packaged set isn't a country set, it's the "Peggy Lee singles collection". That one opens out like a book with the CD's on the inside front and back covers. My boxed sets of Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, John Denver, Tanya Tucker and the aforementioned Statler box follow that basic layout too. The recent "Dolly Parton tour collection" is interesting. It's set up as a gift box. The packaging is cheaper than it looks (very clever, that) but I quite like it though I know that opinion is not universal. But for packaging, I'd say the Statler box is the best packaged of my country boxed sets. I have some Bear Family boxes but they take up far more space than they need to, coming in boxes the size of 12-inch LP's.

In all the cases mentioned, the music is of the quality I expected and that's what really counts.

[Chris D]

Do they have to be country albums? I really like the artwork for Radio Head's In Rainbows album, personally.

For country:

Taking the Long Way by the Dixie Chicks- I like the semi black and white, it just looks really cool.

There's More Where That Came From by Lee Ann Womack- This looks like the album Carrie Underwood was trying to copy off of for her Carnival Ride album (which looks good in its own right), this cover just looks pretty, and I like the song titles in the corner as well.

A Place to Land by Little Big Town- the font on their name is possibly the coolest font I have ever seen, I love this cover.

This Side by Nickel Creek- I have no idea what the little girl is for but it looks cool to me.

Why Should the Fire Die? by Nickel Creek- Yet again I have no idea what it is on the cover, but it looks sweet.

Enjoy the Ride by Sugarland- The lights look interesting, and it's different than most covers.

Love on the Inside by Sugarland- I like the idea of it coming from Jennifer's tattoo, it's creative and it looks cool too! (but I usually hate tattoos)

[Brady]

Love on the Inside by Sugarland- I like the idea of it coming from Jennifer's tattoo, it's creative and it looks cool too! (but I usually hate tattoos)

Paula Nelson did the same thing on her album Lucky 13, although it doesn't look as cool.

Guy Clark makes guitars, but he doesn't sell them; he gives them to his friends. But for each guitar that he makes, he signs his name and stamps his thumbprint in blood. That's where the idea for the artwork on his album The Dark came from. That one's pretty tough to beat.

[Razor X]

While we're on the topic of packaging, does anyone else dislike the current trend toward packaging CDs in digipaks as much as I do? I still have mixed feelings sometimes as to whether I should buy a CD or download the digital version from Amazon or iTunes. Nice packaging is one of the huge advantages of buying the CD, but honestly, I can get a nicer package printing out the artwork from iTunes using my HP940c printer and inserting it into a slim jewel case. When I got the new Emmylou Harris album, I deliberated about CD vs MP3 and went with MP3 because it was cheaper and I didn't have to go shopping for it. When I finally saw the CD in a store and realized it was in a digipak, I was glad I went with the download.

[Rainbow]

I LOVE digipaks, but they've got to have the booklet with lyrics and such. Backwoods Barbie by Dolly and Sugarland's Love On The Inside are great digipaks. I think I even perfer digipaks to jewel cases, because I tend to drop them, and then they crack.

[Peter Durward Harris]

I don't care for digipaks generally, although I think they work well in Dolly's "Tour collection". When it comes to single CD's, if they come in a jewel case, I discard the case and just keep the booklet. If the track listing isn't in the booklet, I keep the paper backing too. With a digipak, I normally have to keep the whole thing, though some come with a booklet insert. In that case, I'm able to throw away the digipak. Then it doesn't matter whether the CD came in a jewel case or a digipak. With boxed sets, I keep them intact so then I assess the packaging on other factors.

[Chris D]

The best digipack I've seen was Little Big Town's A Place To Land.

It was a trifold, the left was a panel of pictures, the middle had the booklet attached to the panel, and the right was a pocket for the CD. It was very neat and I wasn't worried about losing the booklet.

[Razor X]

I wasn't worried about losing the booklet.

Has that been a problem in the past?

[Chris D]

I wasn't worried about losing the booklet.

Has that been a problem in the past?

I guess not. xD

But if I took my CDs places, which I don't, It would be.

[Brody]

Bleeding Cowboys Exhibit 176253:

[Sam G]

^^^
It looks like someone Photoshopped Hal's picture on top of Dwight Yoakam's "This Time" CD. Well, bad font or not, I'll still buy it.

[Matt B]

Wow,

I am guessing that "Fresh Design" isn't used by Curb for any of their releases any more. They always had decent designs. I just hope that font maker is making some good money for his work.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

I love the album covers for:

Some Hearts (Carrie Underwood) - I love the field of flowers and her black dress.
Greatest Hits and Restless (Sara Evans) - Sara Evans looks beautiful in them. <3
Taylor Swift and Fearless (Taylor Swift) - She's got absolutely beautiful covers!
Kellie Pickler (Kellie Pickler) - I'm not sure if what I've seen is the official thing... but if it is, I love it!!! I'm a sucker for black & white.

EDIT: Ok, I was right - here is Kellie's new cover http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E2 ... d_i=507846

Oh my God it is soooo pretty!!

[Brody]

There's nothing particularly insulting about the Kellie Pickler cover, but it comes off as rather bland. I've mentioned it elsewhere, but it looks like a five-minute photoshop job.

[indulgedcountrymusic]

I love the contrast of black and white w/ the hot pink letters (and the font is cool too), and her pose is gorgeous - its really beautiful

It may look simple to some ppl, but I think its very creative

[Rainbow]

Creative? I think it looks like all the other gazillion headshots floating around. And her eyebrow is missing!