Album covers that rip off U2.

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Johnny Swallow

Johnny Swallow

Bad Daddy Johnny
Joined
Aug 10, 2000
Messages
1,925
Location
NW Arkansas
The Real deal, 1992.
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Bon Jovi ripping off Achtung Baby
00359445.jpg


Bon Jovi ripping off themselves ripping off Achtung Baby.
00395238.jpg


Toad & The Wet Sproket ripping off Achtung Baby
00141345.jpg

Creed ripping off Joshua Tree
00453872.jpg


The Real deal 1987
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DID I FORGET ANY?

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This post brought to you by: Ignorance "It never fails."

AIM: JuanSwallow
 
Originally posted by Se7en:
I don't see the resemblance....
Click to expand...

Not the exact cover per se, but the entire angle of the album. The main focus is a tree, the band are in the wilderness, the title 'Weathered', it looks to be in the desert....it's just too much to be coincidence.

And that other cover is No Code right? I forgot that one, good memory.
 
Oh puh-leeze. You people are too freaking paranoid. Uh-oh, something kinda sorta resembles U2, wait, it is, they copied U2! The bastards...

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Change is the only constant
 
Originally posted by Johnny Swallow:
Fox...

somethings...

can't be denyed.
Click to expand...

Agreed there. That looks much more blatant. But I disgree on the pictures that just happen to be N x N square pictures. I've seen that style used in plenty of other places, from a Mercedes-Benz brochure to an Army recruitment ad. If anything, they're all ripping off Andy Warhol.

As for the Creed one, all of their albums have that "desert" cover, though the tree is a bit suspicious given Stapp's admiration of Bono. Other than that, it's not much. I still don't like Creed, but let's not jump to conclusions here.



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Change is the only constant
 
Didn't U2 get the idea of Achtung Baby from the Rolling Stone's Exile on Main Street? I see a definite similarity.

Did anyone notice that the guy in the Motley Crue cover is definitely missing something that the guy in the Stone's cover has?
 
Originally posted by socalu2fan:
Didn't U2 get the idea of Achtung Baby from the Rolling Stone's Exile on Main Street? I see a definite similarity.
Click to expand...

Exile...
00005454.jpg


I do see a definate link from AB to Exile, but they had that in mind and it was deliberate. It may just be me but I see it as more of homage than plagarism. You see Creed's album is just different enough that the general public will not see the similarity. And Creed knew about it too, it wasn't a coincidence. It especially makes me annoyed since their manager made the whole 'it'll be as groundbreaking as the Joshua Tree' comment. Retard.

[This message has been edited by Johnny Swallow (edited 11-02-2001).]
 
the new creed album cover looks like a 6th grader went crazy in adobe photoshop.

and i am pretty sure the cover of achtung baby isn't an original idea either.

oh and the person that assumed pearl jams no code album was ripping off achtung baby, all those photos on the cover were taken by eddie vedder, and each seperate album had reprints of the photos inside the inside and the lyrics to the songs were written on the back of them. not each cd had the same photos so people got to trade photos with each other.

oh and the no code cd cover was actually 4 sided so when you unfolded the entire cd case all the pictures formed one big picture which turned out to be the no code symbol. the pictures were stratigically placed that way. i'm sure you all seen artists that make pictures of things using magazine covers.

so no, no code was not an achtung baby rip off.

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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.
 
Originally posted by david:
the new creed album cover looks like a 6th grader went crazy in adobe photoshop.
Click to expand...

*lmao*!!

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"I don't know you,
But you don't know the half of it..."
 
here is the no code cd unfolded
nocode01.jpg


here is the inside of the no code cd unfolded with the photos taken out of the photo sleeve to show you the whole marketing idea behind the cd.

nocode02.jpg


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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.

[This message has been edited by david (edited 11-02-2001).]
 
Originally posted by david:
the new creed album cover looks like a 6th grader went crazy in adobe photoshop.

and i am pretty sure the cover of achtung baby isn't an original idea either.

oh and the person that assumed pearl jams no code album was ripping off achtung baby, all those photos on the cover were taken by eddie vedder, and each seperate album had reprints of the photos inside the inside and the lyrics to the songs were written on the back of them. not each cd had the same photos so people got to trade photos with each other.

oh and the no code cd cover was actually 4 sided so when you unfolded the entire cd case all the pictures formed one big picture which turned out to be the no code symbol. the pictures were stratigically placed that way. i'm sure you all seen artists that make pictures of things using magazine covers.

so no, no code was not an achtung baby rip off.
Click to expand...

I just said it looked similar....

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The numeral 7
 
i thought i remember reading that during the achtung baby sessions they were taking a lot of photos trying to decide on which one to use. bono or someone was laying the photos down side by side looking at them trying to decide which one then he realized they all looked great by each other.

that or it was just an anton corbijn concept. i don't really remember.

i think a lot of bands have had an album cover similiar to achtung baby and exile on main street, a lot more than we can name here.

even hootie used a concept similar
00004177.jpg


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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.
 
since we're on the topic of album covers, check this out:


atyclb.jpg

unfin.jpg

aru2.jpg

cover4.jpg

cover5.jpg


Rejected covers from U2.log

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"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on." - Stairway to Heaven, Zoso: Led Zeppelin

[This message has been edited by theSoulfulMofo (edited 11-02-2001).]
 
Here's more:

cover6.jpg

cover7.jpg

cover8.jpg

cover9.gif

Sorry, I can't resist
smile.gif


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"Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on." - Stairway to Heaven, Zoso: Led Zeppelin
 
This whole ripping off AB... Ok, so now U2 has officially patented the whole principle of a collage? I was unaware of this, I thought that it was an artistic method? Evidently noones allowed to do collages as such because they might offend U2 fans... Give me a break. Just because they take a bunch of pictures and stick them together doesnt mean their perposely copying U2. If they think "hey, this is a good idea, lets copy it and force U2 fans to subliminaly think that it looks like achtung so they buy our cd to see what its like..." then obviously theyre on crack, because people who notice things like that and complain about them are just a little too paranoid and overzealous with this whole thing. Let it be. Dont barate the poor record company for recycling an idea. If you dont like them copying, then dont pay attention to them. I like to call it 'selective ignorance'. Just like some people have selective hearing, you just selectively ignore any visual stimuli that might offend you. Problem solved.
 
I don't really think these rip off U2 much at all.

The Creed cover however is just so bad it hurts (from the belly laughs)

good call about the sixth grader in photoshop
 
i turned over my copy of zooropa and got mad because U2 ripped off achtung baby.

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The more of these I drink the more Bono makes sense.. - Bean from the KROQ Breakfast with U2.
 
I opened this thread to read it because I automatically thought "Bon Jovi's got to be mentioned here."

This weekend I am at my in-laws' house and my mother-in-law loves Bon Jovi. I picked up a CD which happened to be Bon Jovi's "Crush" and thought, Hey, this looks a LOT like Achtung Baby. The band logos are even in the same squares. It's got some solo shots, some group pics, and some random item shots. Just like with Creed's manager mentioning the JT, I've heard Richie Sambora gush about how awesome it was when U2 reinvented themselves with AB.

Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief. Just like in literature, there are subtle references to older works to be picked up by the keen observer. Maybe it's done in homage to U2, maybe it's done to boost sales. I still think the similarities are intentional.
 
Originally posted by HeartlandGirl:
I picked up a CD which happened to be Bon Jovi's "Crush" and thought, Hey, this looks a LOT like Achtung Baby. The band logos are even in the same squares. It's got some solo shots, some group pics, and some random item shots.
Click to expand...

That one does look extremely similar, but most of the other one are either as UnforgettableFoxfire said, just collages. Big deal. I made collages in grade 3 art class, was I copying U2 then? No, I didn't even know they existed then! I will give on Bon Jovi though, that does look a little fishy...
 
Originally posted by david:
i turned over my copy of zooropa and got mad because U2 ripped off achtung baby.
Click to expand...

Uncreative bastards!!!!!
biggrin.gif


------------------
"I don't know you,
But you don't know the half of it..."
 
Originally posted by Johnny Swallow:
The Real deal, 1992.
00000029.jpg


Bon Jovi ripping off Achtung Baby
00359445.jpg


Bon Jovi ripping off themselves ripping off Achtung Baby.
00395238.jpg


Toad & The Wet Sproket ripping off Achtung Baby
00141345.jpg

Creed ripping off Joshua Tree
00453872.jpg


The Real deal 1987
00000297.jpg


Click to expand...

Personally, i think the technique of putting pictures together like that is older than AB, so it's not like it isn't to be found in art from the past. (for example: cover of The Beatles' A hard day's night album) So, ripping of U2 doesn't apply, as U2 is not the first to have used this technique.

As for Pearl Jam cover - well done david for elaborating!

I don't see the resemblance between Creed's cover and JT-there are huge amounts of bands using just/or focusing on the members' pics in their CD covers. It is as old and as commonplace as using the band/artist's name to title an album, or using a song's title for the title of the album as well.
So, again, you can't really say anyone is ripping U2 off-since that type of cover has been done way before U2 did it. (for example: Beatles albums covers)

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"It's about finding your way into the music." - Edge

"Something inside said this could be everything in your life." - Bono

"U2 as a band does things nobody one else can. I think that is a very powerful thing." - Larry

"Adam believed in the band before anyone did." - Bono



[This message has been edited by U2girl (edited 11-04-2001).]
 
what about DMB ripping off ATYCLB?

actually, wait, didn't their album come out before U2's?

biggrin.gif


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but for the grace of love I'd will the meaning of heaven from above...
 
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