NLOTH: Cover discussion thread

Originally posted by MickUF:after listening to the U2.com session vids i recorded a clip of what i hope makes it on the new album..The u2.com vid was labeled Dallas and had Dallas walking around writing settings down as Edge Danny and Eno were playing this awesome etheral ebow type thing. I gave it a go here. I didnt know what to have on the vid portion so i just recorded some of my Edge gear

[YouTube Video]

Mick

Originally posted by Ali709:[..]

Did he change his mind or did they shut him up by either force or payment?

Originally posted by Xayide29:[..]

From what I heard and read he "backed" with his accusations about U2 "snatching" his idea
And also added that using that exact term might been a bit too "strong"
Saying that he didnt think it was their intention to "steal" the idea
Funny thing is he said he wudnt press charges against U2 for this when it first came out
Of course not! lol, coz he knew that the photograph didnt belong to him
It belongs to the Japanese photographer, they both got permission to use it
15 min of fame guy

Originally posted by yeah:[..]
He never ever said that he would take legal action. That idea came from some U2 fans dissing the guy.
All he was pissed off about in his original blog post was that people were saying how great and creative the U2 cover was while he had the same idea 3 years ago.
Everything that blew it up afterwards came from U2 "fans" and haters.

Originally posted by yeah:Yep, everyone was making a big story about it.

I'm just wondering why many U2 fans imply that he had bad intentions or even insults the guy. I for one would be puzzled if another band would use the same cover I used and gets praised for that creativity all over the web...

Originally posted by yeah:Yep, credits for the picture go to the photographer of course. Using that picture as a cover for an album is not that creative, I agree.
I just don't see why the poor guy is "looking for 15 minutes of fame" is an "attention whore", "should shut the fuck up",etc. when he just points out that U2's idea to use that picture was not that unique...

Originally posted by yeah:Yep, credits for the picture go to the photographer of course. Using that picture as a cover for an album is not that creative, I agree.
I just don't see why the poor guy is "looking for 15 minutes of fame" is an "attention whore", "should shut the fuck up",etc. when he just points out that U2's idea to use that picture was not that unique...

Originally posted by dash_x:What with all the attacks on the ATYCLB cover? - It's great! :


1) Basic visual composition of the image is strong - all lines lead to the band - the lightest part (the centre) is contrasted with the darkest part (the band dressed in black)

[image]

2) Wearing black is a direct reference to the Joshua Tree cover - which itself was a reference to Elliot Landy's cover for The Band - The Band (1969)

3) Shot by Anton and Steve Averil - part of a long standing continuity

4) lots of detail that reveals itself after immediate viewing - inclusion of the mother and child brings in life into the modernist forms of the architecture, the title fits into the the ceiling space left in the crop, the typeface 'Eurostile' was designed to echo modern european architecture, the black desk on the right side is assymetrically balanced by the sign on the left etc.

5) Theres a hidden message on the sign - Bible verse Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known."

[image]

6) Released in 2000, the graceful black and white design is a clean break with the Post-Modern explosion of images from their 90s work

7) Everything left behind / return to the "classic u2 sound " is signified by the travel, the locale of an airport

8) Charles de Gaulle airport - France - links with the recording of the album done in France, Achtung Baby had images shot in Berlin on its cover, Unforgettable Fire- Ireland

9) Nick DeVille selected it for inclusion in his book 'Album'


HTDAAB was a comparative dissapointment, it's wasn't much more than a shot of the band - however that can't be said for ATYCLB which is good stuff. Now although we only have a low-res publicity jpeg of NLOTH, and i like Hiroshi Sugimoto's photos - if there is a immediate problem its that it is a symmetrical image in a square frame. Regardless of what it symbolises, the first thing that you learn about composition in an art or graphic design class is to avoid that kind of mirrored symmetry it makes images look dead.
But i want to handle the actual thing before i criticise too much.