Comments on: Kurt Vonnegut ain't no Andie Airfix

Kurt Vonnegut ain't no Andie Airfix

riffola — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 11:23:13 -0800

One hundred established graphic and fine artists were approached to create the definitive album cover of their favorite recording artist. Each chose an iconic musical subject from the 1940s to the present and from the genres of rock, blues, jazz, country and soul music. The result is an original and highly creative collection of contemporary art. The Greatest Album Covers That Never Were.

By: BentPenguin

BentPenguin — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 11:31:42 -0800

Kurt Vonnegut listens to Phish? Hi-ho

By: muckster

muckster — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 11:48:10 -0800

that makes perfect sense, in fact

By: wsg

wsg — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 12:03:24 -0800

Great link! I wish there was more from the artists about the creation works. Like, did Alan Shaffer get David Byrne himself to pose for this shot? Did Elvis pose in this shot specifically for this project or was that a picture that he had or found or what? I am curious.

By: wsg

wsg — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 12:05:31 -0800

I meant "creation OF THE works" above.

By: 4easypayments

4easypayments — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 12:11:41 -0800

Phil Collins meets Snoop Dogg? Most of these designs are quite dated. Tell me you haven't seen this one or this one in the bargain bin at a record store.

By: mischief

mischief — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 12:23:44 -0800

A sentence or two connecting the artist to choice of musician would have gone a long way.

By: dobbs

dobbs — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 12:59:56 -0800

Excellent link, riffola! Thanks!

By: George_Spiggott

George_Spiggott — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:31:17 -0800

It's an idea that sounds really good when it's described to you, but in execution it sort of requires that the graphic artist actually have the ability to interpret and express the nature or "essence" (if you like a nice pretentious word) of the musician. I'm not sure that's the case in many of these; what you end up with, with a few exceptions, is a lot of very, very ordinary album cover designs.

By: billsaysthis

billsaysthis — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:35:39 -0800

I had a problem understanding for which albums most of the covers were intended. Otherwise pretty. Not much snark though.

By: zpousman

zpousman — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 13:36:53 -0800

AlbumCoverFilter. Seriously, sheesh.

By: rollerball

rollerball — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 14:11:35 -0800

yeah i agree with George_Spiggott, doesn't seem like many of the artists 'got' the artist they were designing for. The Velvet Underground cover, for example, doesn't look like their music or style at all and the Hank Williams cover is cool looking, but is way too modern and cutesy for him--doesn't work at all. the Beck cover artist seems to do the best job of getting the feel of the musician's music and personality across.

By: jpoulos

jpoulos — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 15:25:23 -0800

This one strikes me as closest in style to the musician represented.

By: litlnemo

litlnemo — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 16:10:42 -0800

That David Byrne picture could be from a True Stories still -- there's that music video sequence in there for "Love For Sale" in which, IIRC, they all get covered with chocolate.

By: c

Sun, 16 Nov 2003 16:51:49 -0800

what is this graphic artist phrase everyone seems to be tossing about? i found most of those "covers" to be pretty standard illustrative portraiture with horrendous type as opposed to a more evocative and designed whole. aka: illustrators try and design album covers.

By: anastasiav

anastasiav — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 16:55:47 -0800

The John Lennon cover fails on all counts. Poor idea, poor design, poor execution, and, additionally, if the cartoon is supposed to look like Lennon, poor likeness. I'm with wsg - why did the artists pick the artists? Or were they just randomly assigned?

By: arto

arto — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 22:07:45 -0800

Granted, I agree with what most of you are saying re: the average-to-poor quality of most of these, and some--David Schrier for the Clash and William Claxton for Elvin Jones in particular--seem to be a waste of a great photo on a lousy layout/type treatment. But there's definitely a few gems in there: this one would be wicked if produced as intended with the fold-out plastic transparencies, this one captures some of Bird's essence while referencing an earlier era of jazz, and this, this and this do a good job of recalling the best of the artists' original eras, with the Zappa one being not only suitably psychedelic, but tweaked out and ugly enough to repell yr average hippie flower child.

By: Item

Item — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 22:45:55 -0800

Kurt Vonnegut listens to Phish? Hi-ho, ho-hi! I highly doubt it. What a fucking insult.

By: vacapinta

vacapinta — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 23:23:54 -0800

anastasiav:...were they just randomly assigned? item:Kurt Vonnegut listens to Phish? Hi-ho, ho-hi! I highly doubt it. What a fucking insult. From vonnegut's site: Mr. Vonnegut has participated in a project in which one hundred established graphic and fine artists were approached to create the definitive album cover of their favorite recording artist. Mr. Vonnegut chose to create an album cover for Phish, entitled "Hook, Line and Sinker." the bolding is mine.

By: LeLiLo

LeLiLo — Sun, 16 Nov 2003 23:46:23 -0800

Thanks for this link, riffola. I enjoyed going through the covers. Obviously some are good, some are pretty terrible, but I think the idea in general is a nice one. (The Eagles on tour made me laugh.) I'm surprised no one picked John Coltrane, but this photo would be hard to beat. A sentence or two connecting the artist to choice of musician would have gone a long way. I agree, mischief. I also think that art is too important to leave to the graphic designers. Who says they even know anything about music — at least, compared to somebody like our own bluedaniel or, to name someone at random, Albert Murray. Let's have covers designed by the likes of them.

By: mikeh

mikeh — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 06:37:26 -0800

One of the recent issues of XLR8R magazine had a feature where artists were given the task of designing album covers for albums that don't exist. Basically, they came up with a cool design that could fit an album. It looks like the article isn't online, but it had some good entries.

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:28:47 -0800

The Beck one is excellent at pegging Beck as of Odelay and Mutations. But from Midnite Vultures on, he's matured from that early reliance on dryness, death and bones, so it's now not as perfect an encapsulation. Also, I gotta say: Yes? No.

By: muckster

muckster — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 08:50:51 -0800

Kurt Vonnegut listens to Phish? Hi-ho, ho-hi! I highly doubt it. What a fucking insult. To Vonnegut, or to Phish?

By: Item

Item — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 09:21:52 -0800

Well, as far as I know, Vonnegut's not a hippie pedo, unlike a certain member of a certain band.

By: muckster

muckster — Mon, 17 Nov 2003 10:54:40 -0800

Well, as far as I know, Mike Gordon is not a "pedo." But it's the "hippie" that the real insult anyway, isn't it?

By: squirrel

squirrel — Wed, 26 Nov 2003 10:56:35 -0800

Great find, riffola!