FEATURE:
A Thousand Words
IN THIS IMAGE: Focus, 2022-24 by Jenny Saville/PHOTO CREDIT: Prudence Cuming
Refreshing and Revitalising the Album Cover
__________
THIS is a subject that…
IN THIS IMAGE: Drift, 2020-22 by Jenny Saville
I explore now and then. The best and boldest album covers of any given year. I am still of the opinion that it is a pretty hit-and-miss affair when it comes to album covers. Whether many artists do not consider it important to put that much effort in, I would say that maybe a quarter of new albums have covers I would deem impressive or memorable. In terms of those that truly stand out and astonish, there is a very small selection each year. One feels there is so much potential and possibility. I have included a fabulous Jenny Saville painting at the top of this feature. I hope I gave credited it sufficiently and want to state this is an editorial feature so I will not be making money from this. I would hate to run afoul of an extraordinary artist! Back in 2009, a Jenny Saville painting was used as a cover by Manic Street Preachers (she was also responsible for the cover art of their 1994 album, The Holy Bible). It was banned. Or at least it was deemed inappropriate and it was censored by supermarkets. The stunning and unforgettable image for Journal for Plague Lovers shows what power a painting of this type could have. I feel, with so many (musical) artists favouring a basic portrait or some truly unimaginative compositions, artists like Jenny Saville could help revitalise the album cover. I was thinking of an album cover for a hypothetical album where a woman in 1950s-style clothing is pushing a pram in the U.S. and women coo over it. Inside is either a sonogram on fire or a newborn who is still attached to the umbilical chord but is about to be killed. It is a reaction to America banning abortions. In the background there are all kinds of images that contrast traditional values, political insanity, women’s body rights being removed and this dark new America. It would be a painting very much influenced by Jenny Saville. I would recommend anyone who can go and see Jenny Saville: The Anatomy of Painting at London’s National Portrait Gallery go and see it. It runs until September. It has won rave reviews.
IN THIS IMAGE: The album cover for Megan Thee Stallion’s 2024 album, MEGAN
You really do need to experience these paintings in the flesh to get the full experience and impact. However, artists like Jenny Saville create images that linger long in the mind. That is sort of what you want from an album cover. Not to say artists need to connect with artists (as in painters) every time. I mean there is so much more potential beyond what is currently out there. There were some notable album covers from last year but, if you look at the examples from this feature, how many do you instantly get stunned by or strain your eyes, amazed by the detail and striking image? Maybe four from the list of forty from that feature. Given the number of albums released every year, that is not a good proportion! There is that possibility that there will be censorship. It is amazing that we have taken a massive step back from the 1990s or 2000s. So many covers banned or censored for something deemed a bit sexual or risky. How sensitive they were! Now, given the political censorship and the fact the U.K. government is pretty much a fascist organisation, you can imagine the most innocuous album covers coming under scrutiny. Anything that related to conflicts and violence around the world would be met with huge condemnation. Think about the cover for Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend. That upcoming album has sparked more debate around its cover – where Carpenter is subservient and almost animal-like as her hair is pulled by a man whose face we do not see – has garnered more attention than the music. If a cover is misinterpreted or it courts any sort of controversy then that is attacked rather than applauded. In Carpenter’s case, it is not a cover that excuses or promotes abuse against women or domestic violence.
IN THIS PHOTO: Sabrina Carpenter/PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images
Contemporary artwork should definitely be used more on album covers. It connects music listeners with different artists and there is that sense of gravity and awe you get from a painting that you cannot get from a photo of the artist. Even so, there is a huge place for photography. An inventive composition or a shot that makes you take a step back. When was the last time you saw an album cover like that? It is about the music I know but, as a phenomenal album cover alone can sell vinyl and do so for years to come, I do wonder whether we have passed a stage when album covers have less stock than they used to. Think about the greatest covers of all times and nearly all of them are from years and decades ago. Seeing these sense-altering paintings from Jenny Saville made me think about album art. People might agree that the art of the album cover is in decline. That artists value it less. I look around at new albums and I often imagine my own versions. I mentioned an idea that I had. I am a very visual thinker and there is so much scope when it comes to creating a seriously standout album cover, and yet, there are few of the modern day out there – unless people point me in the right direction! The album cover is part of the package and links to the music. I feel a boring or missed opportunity of a cover reflects badly on an album and affects my listening experience. There is no denying the fact that the cover is…
PHOTO CREDIT: Andrea Piacquadio/Pexels
AS important as the music!