Album covers can say a thousand words…
April 10th, 2010 § 7 Comments
Anyone who knows me well can tell you that I live for music. Dave Gahan makes me swoon, Yann Tiersen can make me cry, and Kaskade gets my butt moving in the morning. Hearing certain songs can take me back to a moment in my life I will never forget. All of a sudden I get this overwhelming feeling of happiness and the next thing I know I’m smiling. But there are also times I hear a song and I want to shut it down or off or try to forget I ever heard the first note…whichever works the fastest. Oh the quintessential breakup song or you know something along those lines. It’s crazy to me that once a song comes on, my mouth automatically starts to move, and I know all the lyrics. I always wonder how it is I memorized all of that but could never memorize anything in high school?
Anyway, now that iTunes has taken over the music world, does anyone miss the Tower Records on the corner? Walking into the giant store, maybe lurking for a while, listening to something extraordinary out of those germ infested half broken headphones while starring at the album covers. I remember looking at covers thinking now that is some fantastic and thought provoking art. Even some of the photos taken for the covers are quite possibly the best photographs I have ever seen. U2’s War album for example…the angry stare of the young boy. Made you wonder what the next hour of your life was going to sound like. AND it was tangible! You could read who was involved; any sentiments from the band, and the lyrics were at your disposal immediately.
Don’t get me wrong everyone I love my iTunes, but I miss the poignant art and photography that seems to be lacking these days. It’s just not the same looking at it on the computer screen. There are some record stores out there but they are so few and far between and I want to look around and experience, not order on Amazon.
So needless to say, I am waiting for the day I get the call to do makeup for an album cover. I would die! Not only would I get to work with a band that are artists in their own right, but also it would just be so cool! Ahhh to put guy-liner on Dave Gahan. But seriously, to collaborate with a photographer who essentially is trying to tell a story of what your going to hear inside that little jeweled case once you open it. THAT would be awesome. One day….
Awesome read Kim! I am so stoked that you wrote about this because I can truly relate. Keep em coming…
Kim,
I remember sitting in my room listening to my brand new CD, and reading all the lyrics in the booklet along to every single song. From Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” to Live’s self-titled album to Chumba Wumba.
I am sad to see the importance of album art, booklets, and tangible discs themselves be tossed to the wayside. But that is the way it is. We will have to connect with the artist in other ways now. And I am sure we are creative enough to do so.
Boogle macka lim lam! (words i just made up)
I agree with Thomas And Brian. There’s nothing like the sound of a record when the needles drops and there’s those few moments of anticipation just before the first note comes streaming through the speakers. I don’t mind getting up to flip the album. The art on the cover can sometimes make for a really good conversation over a glass of wine. I can’t tell you how many times my style, both personal and photographic has been inspired by a song or an album cover.
All Hail the last Vinyl Lovers!
Kim,
This rocks! As a life long music fan I have never read such an eloquently piece on that simple thing called an album cover and thought “what were they thinking?” But after reading this I went right to my vinyl (yes I still have vinyl – especially the Beatles, Motley Crue and Van Halen) and just started examing the little things. Without a Tower records, Amoeba music or even the old school Licorice Pizza, (yes I did buy Michael Jackson’s Thriller there in 1982) music just doesn’t have that same appeal. I can listen to songs over and over on my iPod, Sirius/XM or even the occassional FM Radio station but there will always be something missing that takes me back to the days of 45′s and Cassette tapes. Who here used to listen to songs on the radio and record them to tape to play on their walkmans later? I know I did!
Cheers -
Danny
I just had that random thought hit me the other day when I drove past the abandon Tower Records on Newport and 17th. Wish I still had a record player!
Totally agree Kim! Music is great these days, but there is so much of it that I can never remember the lyrics. But throw on The Smiths or The Cure and I can recite it all. And I really don’t think it was because I listened to it more back then. You saved up your money, bought a tape, and that was all you had until you could afford the next one (or get your Mom to drive you to the record store). I remember getting The Cult’s Electric and listening to it until my ears fell off with my yellow Sports Walkman. There was nothing like going to the mailbox everyday to see if a tape from Columbia House or BMG was waiting for you. Great post!
-Scott
Yes definitely! Take the Cocteau Twins or even The Cure for that matter, you had no idea what some of the lyrics were. You would have to look at them while the song was playing. I remember the anticipation for the tapes to arrive in the mail and I still have a few laying around. I could never part with Depeche Modes Black Celebration.