Let's Just Hope The New Album Has...

[PopFly]

....a new style of album art and liner notes.

I am beyond sick of the moody black-and-white Anton Corbijn photographs that U2 have used to decorate their last three albums. Let's get some colour and personality in the mix; god forbid the band put out a record that visibly stands out on a display case rather than another "four old guys sitting on a bench" cover like HTDAAB.

 

[lazarus]

Agreed. While I liked the Corbijn work for NLOTH a lot more than the previous two albums, some color really is needed.

 

[cobl04]

That Hutdab cover really was fucking awful.

 

[nielsgov]

They almost topped the October cover with that one.

 

[bono_212]

I can get behind this thread.

 

[Galeongirl]

That Hutdab cover really was fucking awful.

/thread.

 

[digitize]

With HTDAAB, they somehow managed to produce a cover even worse than the album itself.

 

[JamietheEdgefan]

I kind of liked the Hutdub cover
But, enough is definitely enough. A more colourful cover would be awesome. That was what i was hoping for for NLOTH, i was disappointed to see the black and white ocean image.

 

[An Cat Gav]

Last really good one was Pop, though NLOTH was certainly an improvement on the previous two efforts.

 

[An Cat Gav]

That Hutdab cover really was fucking awful.

Someone here called it "four paedophiles sitting on a park bench", i haven't looked at that cover the same way since.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Ah, cover design, my field...
I liked the atyclb cover, and didn't mind bomb, although it was one of those "let's make this look like it didn't take any time or thought to set up, eve though it took weeks" photos. NLOTH bugs me a little, though- I do really appreciate simplicity and minimalism and use of white space and all that, it just seemed so barren and unimaginative. I like it better with the equals sign that was on the shrink wrap- at least it was something.

I'm not suggesting a return to Pop (which was on-trend design-wise in the late 90's, BTW), or Zooropa (which I want to love but just seems slightly childish for my taste) or even AB, (which worked well for THAT album at THAT time), but a little color, a little energy, some movement and interest, maybe a little abstraction would be welcome. No more bored-looking band members sitting in chairs. Just my $.02.

 

[LadySpinHead]

Someone here called it "four paedophiles sitting on a park bench", i haven't looked at that cover the same way since.

too true!

 

[Yahweh_OMG]

as long as the music is good, I don t care at all about the cover....

 

[purpleoscar]

Let's Just Hope The New Album Has...

Lots of hits and some colour.

 

[Globo14]

I liked the cover on All That You Can't Leave Behind.
No Line had a decent cover.

The Bomb's cover was and still is dreadful. I'd never heard the "pedophiles on a bench" thing. Now it's all I can see...

As cliche as it may sound, I don't care about the cover as long as the music is good. But it can't hurt to have great music AND an original, nice cover, can it?

 

[ryancoke71]

At this point, the cover could be blank. Just get some music out there!

Pedophiles on a bench. Now that is all I can see too!

 

[Catman]

Okay, slight tangent - but I'd like an album where Bono isn't trying to change the world, but something deeper to what really matters to him - I want something genuine from the band (but of course, that probably does have something to do with changing the world, but still...). For example, Bono clearly cares about staying on top of the charts and providing a meaningful piece of art while U2's career is hitting a downward trajectory (to the masses, not necessarily the fans). I was thinking of possible album titles and thought "White Dwarf" sounded pretty cool - maybe write about the personal crisis of being a fading rock star in today's society; completely abandon all fears and concerns about being "cool" and how he's perceived. While I've pretty much enjoyed U2's output last decade (albeit a little lukewarm with HTDAAB), they haven't felt particularly genuine since ATYCLB (IMO, of course) - granted, there are exceptions here and there since then, but not as a whole.

okay, that's it for now. back to studyyyinggg

 

[God Part III]

ATYCLB and NLOTH had incredible covers.

More colour would be nice, but I want them to stick with Corbijn. Rather black-and-whites by Corbijn than colour by someo else.

 

[doctorwho]

I kind of liked the Hutdub cover
But, enough is definitely enough. A more colourful cover would be awesome. That was what i was hoping for for NLOTH, i was disappointed to see the black and white ocean image.

I liked the picture on HTDAAB quite a bit, but not sure it was cover worthy. Perhaps back cover or liner notes. I still like most of that album, but there are some songs that make me cringe to this day. NLOTH at least had better songs (barring one or two exceptions) and the cover didn't have U2 on front yet again.

I like the idea of U2 not being on the album cover - or if they are, more in the AB sense. And AB was all about color.

At this point, the cover could be blank. Just get some music out there!

U2's "White Album". :

 

[U2DMfan]

They could put a cheese covered turd on the cover for all I care...I just want an album full of music that isn't creatively compromised by the time it gets into our hands.

Lots of hits risk.

That said, the album art is still important to me.
I think more colors is a plus and I think in order to announce they are breaking away from the previous era is to overhaul their ENTIRE image.

 

[mama cass]

They could put a cheese covered turd on the cover for all I care...I just want an album full of music that isn't creatively compromised by the time it gets into our hands.

Lots of hits risk.

That said, the album art is important.
I think more colors is a plus.

ha i was about to say the same thing

well, similar thing

i.e. they could put it in a brown paper bag and i'd just be glad to get some new music haha

 

[The_acrobat]

Honestly, in this day and age of online album purchases, I honestly don't even think about album covers. I only bought NLOTH online, and have never even looked through the booklet/liner notes. The most recent Snow Patrol album is a perfect example of this. Bought it a few months ago, I've been listening to it a lot, know most of the songs pretty well now, but I wouldn't be able to find it in a music store. Not that music stores exist anymore, and even Best Buy, Walmart and Target have a very minimal music selection.

 

[DevilsShoes]

It's a pity U2 don't have more genuinely iconic covers, you can mention JT, AB and maybe War at a push, but after that it's a little more difficult.

NLOTH was obviously trying for that iconic look but the albums lack of impact will no dount see it consigned as an 'also-ran.'

Over the last 10 years, they've been particularly hit and miss, HTDAAB is obviously awful, and although quite interesting in its own way, ATYCLB feels a little too obscure to be truly memorable. It's a shame because I quite liked a lot of the imagery from that time, especially the heart in a suitcase theme, maybe that would have had more lasting effect.

The Beatles were experts at sleeve designs, pretty much every single one has gone down as legendary. How did they do it? Part luck, part intuition would be my guess.

The Abbey Road one has gone onto become perhaps the most famous and it's easy to see why, the symmetry of that zebra crossing along with each member being in step with each other makes for a very arresting image. Amazing really when you consider it was dreamt up by McCartney on a whim when the guys couldn't be bothered to do anything more imaginative.

I suppose that's the thing, you can't rehearse an iconic moment can you? Still, I wish U2 had more of those sleeve designs which have lodged themselves into the public consciousness.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

what new album?

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

 

[theedgeu2]

Zooropa is my favorite in terms of cover art. I even had to get a poster of it. ATYCLB and NLOTH were good covers as well. I happen to "like" the HTDAAB cover but it certainly isn't going to be at the top of any covers list. They could've done worse than what they did with HTDAAB. I really could care less about the cover of the next album. Focus better be on the music.

 

[nielsgov]

I really could care less about the cover of the next album. Focus better be on the music.

What a contradiction.

 

[LemonMelon]

I thought the ATYCLB cover was perfect, but the other two designs of the 00s were uninspired. With HTDAAB they, like, tried to to take the most boring picture that could be captured and then had an intern paste some garish clip art onto the border. NLOTH was just dull, which is fucking embarrassing when you consider the traveling they did.

This time: no Eno, no Lanois, no Anton.

 

[Niceman]

I didn't mind the HTDAAB cover, but didn't love it either.

 

[lemonfly]

Basically, anything that is not in monochrome black and white and/or features them will be a vast improvement. They could show a frackin tortoise on a unicycle and it would be much more fun and interesting than the last three.