Mirrorball - the Art Direction

This beautiful painted typographic art work for the album made by Neil Young and Pearl Jam together (Wow!) is in the style of Rick Griffin and was created by a young LA artist named Emek. It is as good as anything created by any artist of “the day”. Emek idolized Rick’s artwork and that was how I met him.

For many reasons this exact version of the art did not wind up on the front cover. Columbia Records was very uptight about the name of their premier act, Pearl Jam, showing up on an album cover put out by their competitor Warner Brothers Records. They wouldn’t allow it. So, I came up with what was meant to be a clever way around them by making the central motif of the letters NY and then backwards (mirrored) letters of PJ so as not to be obviously Pearl Jam. I also have the names of Neil Young and Pearl Jam subtly repeated in the flames surrounding the central motif. It didn’t work! I had to change the artwork to be NY and mirrored (backwards) type NY in the central motif and I made the name Neil Young by itself repeating in the flames. What became the cover was a beautiful old photo of a dance hall mirror ball (it is on the back of the typographic art image). Such is the way of things at the intersection of art and commerce. I was able to utilize this art in making large high quality Giclee print fine art posters on Arches paper and as a sticker on the package. I was nominated for a Grammy for this cover and so was Neil for the record. I can tell you that we hit every party in town that night. We didn’t win but as they say: “Being nominated...”

- Gary Burden (Art Director)