Album covers (art), and a damned AVOCADO?!

JonnyPistachio

I have been working on designing CD case artwork lately a little bit and I realized how hard it is. I'm not that good at graphic arts though. I'm more of a painter and cartoony art kind of guy.

But I realized it can be really hard to put visual art to something music related.

This made me think back to all of PJs different album covers and designs. I can honestly say they are all quite different in a good way... except avocado. Its not that I dislike it, i just have no real stance on it. It feels just thrown on there like an afterthough. And now, especially after Backspacer and looking back over the artwork, I REALLY appreciate some of their artwork (except avocado). I also love that there are hardly ever any pics of them in the album art (especially not the front covers.

It makes me sad to think vinyl and CDs are slipping away and one day album artwork might be extinct.

Anyways, just some thoughts on what inspired the artwork:

1.Ten -- They barely knew each other at this point and its pretty obvious that this reflected the ‘grunge’ times. The foldout is pretty cool though. 5/10

2.Vs. -- Sheep? I don’t really know, other than for some reason the colors and art really seemed to fit well with the 1-2 punch of Go and Animal. Anybody know the story of the sheep?? 7/10

3.Vitalogy –- Also kinda dark and punky sounding, the art kinda reflects the tone of the album. I remember falling asleep fifty million times with that album booklet opened up on my chest. In fact, their #3-5 albums did this to me a lot. 8/10

4.No Code –- This album was so damn all over the place (but my 2nd favorite of all time), and the photos and randomness met that musical tone. Did different CDs of No Code have different pics? 9/10

5.Yield –- You just have to watch Jeffs definition in Single Video Theory to understand this one. This artwork is so perfect for the music. Maybe its because I see this as their best roadtrip CD. I know 90 percent of you think of an album before you think about traffic when you see a yield sigh out on the street. 10/10

6.Binaural –- Defintely a spacey record. I listen to Of the Girl or Nothing As it Seems with Headphones and I really do think of outerspace. Did they want to brainwash us into thinking about space while listening to their tunes? Cause it really works. Oh shit, Sleight of Hand is one spacey motherfucker, and I aint talking about Kevin. 8/10

7.Riot Act –- I just don’t get the artwork that much for this one. It seemed like TOOL took over for the cover. IT kinda has a bad connotation for me because I used to really dislike riot act. I appreciate it now, but artwork and album go togther so much in the beginning because that’s when I mostly read the lyrics or listen with headphones. 4/10

8.Avocado –- If you’ve read this far, all I can guess is that Ed was on an avocado kick for a bit. I got nuthin - -the inside artwork felt kind TOOL-ish here too. Weird. But then again, as much as I love this record, I feel it is the least coherent, possibly making it hard to make artwork.

9.Backspacer –- I love backspacers art. But I guess they hired Tom Tomoorw to do most of it, and I’m not sure how much of it was his ideas or the bands. Definitely got Johhny Guitar in there – nice! I just dig the colorful feel. Its also kinda chaotic to me, just like the songs. I think Backspacer is also very incoherent in style (musically)…

10.gotta wonder what this is going to be! But if you put a damn papaya on there, I’m done.


what are your thoughts on correlation to album art and music???

FrankieG

JonnyPistachio wrote:

8.Avocado –- If you’ve read this far, all I can guess is that Ed was on an avocado kick for a bit. I got nuthin - -the inside artwork felt kind TOOL-ish here too. Weird. But then again, as much as I love this record, I feel it is the least coherent, possibly making it hard to make artwork.


what are your thoughts on correlation to album art and music???

I talked to Eddie himself and asked him this. He said that the avocado has no significance, no meaning, no connotation. Therefore, the perfect cover. Just pure random.

RKCNDY

I'm really into album art...I especially love buying Tool albums...Maynard really puts a lot of thought into them. I really don't read into 'meaning' for album art....artists always have 'tangents' and what you feel about a song could be totally different from what the artist was thinking. When I draw, I don't have any kind of direction that I want to follow...I just draw whatever flows from my thoughts...same with taking photos..

Pearl Drummer

4and20 wrote:

I'm really into album art...I especially love buying Tool albums...Maynard really puts a lot of thought into them. I really don't read into 'meaning' for album art....artists always have 'tangents' and what you feel about a song could be totally different from what the artist was thinking. When I draw, I don't have any kind of direction that I want to follow...I just draw whatever flows from my thoughts...same with taking photos..

You know that adam jones does all the artwork for all the TOOL albums

RKCNDY

Pearl Drummer wrote:

4and20 wrote:

I'm really into album art...I especially love buying Tool albums...Maynard really puts a lot of thought into them. I really don't read into 'meaning' for album art....artists always have 'tangents' and what you feel about a song could be totally different from what the artist was thinking. When I draw, I don't have any kind of direction that I want to follow...I just draw whatever flows from my thoughts...same with taking photos..

You know that adam jones does all the artwork for all the TOOL albums

:oops: I thought Maynard did it all...or is it just the videos? Swear I read 'artwork by Maynard James Keenan' on the 10,000 days album.....?

soldier.of.love

I like all the hidden Yield signs in each picture of the booklet.

Pearl Drummer

4and20 wrote:

Pearl Drummer wrote:

4and20 wrote:

I'm really into album art...I especially love buying Tool albums...Maynard really puts a lot of thought into them. I really don't read into 'meaning' for album art....artists always have 'tangents' and what you feel about a song could be totally different from what the artist was thinking. When I draw, I don't have any kind of direction that I want to follow...I just draw whatever flows from my thoughts...same with taking photos..

You know that adam jones does all the artwork for all the TOOL albums

:oops: I thought Maynard did it all...or is it just the videos? Swear I read 'artwork by Maynard James Keenan' on the 10,000 days album.....?

Nope adam jones does all that too

JonnyPistachio

Pearl Drummer wrote:

4and20 wrote:

Pearl Drummer wrote:

You know that adam jones does all the artwork for all the TOOL albums

:oops: I thought Maynard did it all...or is it just the videos? Swear I read 'artwork by Maynard James Keenan' on the 10,000 days album.....?

Nope adam jones does all that too

Yeah, Maynards job is jus to sell wine...of course so that Ed will have something to drink on tour.

Empty Glass

I always thought the next album cover should be a bedroom w/ concert posters on the wall, unmade bed, little bit of a mess, alarm clock on a night stand with the time 10:10 (get it? 10 after 10...ok maybe not)

ADogNamedPilate

The band should've had Fernando Apodaca do the cover. Fernando Apodaca did the artwork within the CD case (and I'm guessing the vinyl has it too). But they were going for something else.

PilateOfTheStorm

i know most of you'll have seen this but i thought i'd share it again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2gEq_O29ug

explains a bit about the Avacado cover.

the sheep was from Jeff's house/farm?I read about it somewhere. can't remember much. But it fits the music perfectly, like you said. Go, Animal, Blood, Leash - perfect for it

I like all of the album artwork.
I don't get images from the artwork, I get them from the music. But I appreciate the artwork. Interesting to see how the band visually want to represent their music, just like when bands do music videos I guess.
Ten is one of the best IMO. Just seeing those hands, the unity, the friendship, very uplifting and hopeful to me.

anyway I could go on and on

but as to the avacado
I like it. Simple. Yet so many interpretations can be deriven from it. Very cool.
And I like calling the album "Avacado" sounds better than self titled

Pearl Drummer

Best part of the interview:

Jools: Is that a fruit or a vegetable ?
Eddie : I dont care

thefixer9

Pearl Drummer wrote:

Best part of the interview:

Jools: Is that a fruit or a vegetable ?
Eddie : I dont care

PilateOfTheStorm

thefixer9 wrote:

Pearl Drummer wrote:

Best part of the interview:

Jools: Is that a fruit or a vegetable ?
Eddie : I dont care

loved when they showed the clip of alive as well
their faces

haha

gecko

Re: sheep on vs, here is an interview with the band: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/spin801.shtml
AMENT: The picture of the sheep on the cover of Vs. was from a farmer down by Hamilton, Montana. That picture at least semi-represented how we felt at the time. As Prince would put it, we were slaves.

I think I read somewhere an interview with Danny Clinch in which he says he was with Ament in Montana when they saw that sheep, but I can't find it. Now I am nitpicking, I guess.

I like Avocado cover. And love Riot Act.
Didn't like Backspacer cover at first, but then I liked the singles, so I think it worked out great.

goldrush

soldier.of.love wrote:

I like all the hidden Yield signs in each picture of the booklet.

That's what makes it my favourite PJ artwork, closely followed by No Code

Light of Stars

JonnyPistachio wrote:

3.Vitalogy –- Also kinda dark and punky sounding, the art kinda reflects the tone of the album. I remember falling asleep fifty million times with that album booklet opened up on my chest. In fact, their #3-5 albums did this to me a lot. 8/10


7.Riot Act –- I just don’t get the artwork that much for this one. It seemed like TOOL took over for the cover. IT kinda has a bad connotation for me because I used to really dislike riot act. I appreciate it now, but artwork and album go togther so much in the beginning because that’s when I mostly read the lyrics or listen with headphones. 4/10

I bought a reprint of the original Vitalogy book they based this on at the Mutter Museum. It's really interesting and funny. It's just a small paperback, the original is a full hardcover textbook and looks even cooler. If you can track one down, I recommend buying it.

Riot Act reminds me of Tool too!! And those sort of figures scare me

JonnyPistachio

gecko wrote:

Re: sheep on vs, here is an interview with the band: http://www.fivehorizons.com/archive/articles/spin801.shtml
AMENT: The picture of the sheep on the cover of Vs. was from a farmer down by Hamilton, Montana. That picture at least semi-represented how we felt at the time. As Prince would put it, we were slaves.

I think I read somewhere an interview with Danny Clinch in which he says he was with Ament in Montana when they saw that sheep, but I can't find it. Now I am nitpicking, I guess.

I like Avocado cover. And love Riot Act.
Didn't like Backspacer cover at first, but then I liked the singles, so I think it worked out great.

cool thanks Gecko!

JonnyPistachio

Light of Stars wrote:

JonnyPistachio wrote:

3.Vitalogy –- Also kinda dark and punky sounding, the art kinda reflects the tone of the album. I remember falling asleep fifty million times with that album booklet opened up on my chest. In fact, their #3-5 albums did this to me a lot. 8/10


7.Riot Act –- I just don’t get the artwork that much for this one. It seemed like TOOL took over for the cover. IT kinda has a bad connotation for me because I used to really dislike riot act. I appreciate it now, but artwork and album go togther so much in the beginning because that’s when I mostly read the lyrics or listen with headphones. 4/10

I bought a reprint of the original Vitalogy book they based this on at the Mutter Museum. It's really interesting and funny. It's just a small paperback, the original is a full hardcover textbook and looks even cooler. If you can track one down, I recommend buying it.

Riot Act reminds me of Tool too!! And those sort of figures scare me

haha, I just found the paperback on Amazon for $1.49 Cant wait to read it!

dreamcode

Does anyone have a link to where I can see the hidden Yield signs? Or are people referring to the obvious Yield signs in the booklet?