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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 8, 2023 23:58:09 GMT
GOOD:
Surfin' Safari - gets the job done Surfer Girl - iconic cover but works better on Surfin' U.S.A. Shut Down Volume 2 - cars AND the guys; a good combination; this is what Little Deuce Couple should've looked like
Beach Boys Concert - the instruments are key The Beach Boys Today! - nice portrait; the guys were getting handsome, milk it Pet Sounds - good photograph and color but overrated through the years; not once did I ever consider goats at a zoo as pets Smile Smile - OK, I'll buy it, the mysterious cabin and the smoke Surf's Up - a good one
Love You - I like it but I don't know why; I think it hurt the album; maybe should be in the MEH column
Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour - it took them 50 years to really nail one
BAD:
Surfin' U.S.A. - you gotta show the guys, not a generic picture, I can get that anywhere Little Deuce Coupe - I wanna see the car AND the group Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) - unforgivable to omit Al, and what's with a boat...and the clothing? Friends - an embarrassment for a major group like The Beach Boys; a 7th grader could do a better painting or whatever it is 20/20 - no Brian, no deal. Just why? (and yes, I know he appears solo with an eye chart) Carl & The Passions - "So Tough" - they just had no clue; gotta introduce Blondie and Ricky w/ photo
In Concert - the cover features Dennis who you can barely make out and who basically isn't even on the album 15 Big Ones - I like the Olympics' insignia, but then they chose the worst possible photos; no quality control M.I.U. - - nice photo which happens to have absolutely nothing to do with the music on the album L.A. (Light Album) - Ugh...those...pictures...ugh Still Cruisin' - the guys were still looking pretty good in 1989; show 'em! Summer In Paradise - I'm STILL trying to figure out how that artwork corresponds to a summer in paradise
MEH:
All Summer Long - the cover looks...cold The Beach Boys' Christmas Album - it could be better; I prefer the shots with the guys holding Christmas presents Beach Boys' Party! - meh...doesn't look much like a party to me Wild Honey - it's OK; the bee bothers me Live In London - they look a little laid back don't they Sunflower - this almost made the GOOD list; I just don't think of children when I think of Sunflower Holland - too drab; look at the Sail On, Sailor boxed set; that's what coulda/shoulda been Keepin' The Summer Alive - the concept of the album cover is fine, but they didn't quite pull it off The Beach Boys - boring; they didn't release an album in five years; show the (good) up-to-date group photo on the front Stars & Stripes - not bad; underrated like the album itself
That's Why God Made The Radio - disappointing; there were some nice group photos floating around; use 'em on the front
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Post by kds on May 9, 2023 12:22:38 GMT
I have a few thoughts on recent posts. (I have not voted yet.) - I like the cover of That's Why God Made the Radio! Or at least--and maybe this is damning praise-- I was afraid for what it could have been, but wasn't. As is the case with the bulk of that marketing campaign, I thought they more or less nailed it. Cover, clothes, talking points, music, it was pleasantly nostalgic without being pathetic or creepy. - I've been debating myself about the cover of Love You. Do I like the cover, or do I like the association of an oddball cover with an oddball album that I happen to love? I'm still not sure who's winning that aforementioned argument, me or me. I do agree with this point. It could've been way worse, like another generic picture of a hot rod or something. But, it also could've been much better. I realize that's a certain irony of being quite critical of the album cover I use as my avatar.
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Post by Kapitan on May 9, 2023 21:02:24 GMT
OK, I am really needing to get my thoughts together for a vote. Without taking stock in a more organized way, I can't even say right now whether I like 6, 10, 15 albums... Will it be like openers, where there are plenty to rank, or closers, where I'd rather just toss half of them without even considering them? (I think I'll get a solid 10, though.)
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 9, 2023 23:08:26 GMT
- I like the cover of That's Why God Made the Radio! Or at least--and maybe this is damning praise-- I was afraid for what it could have been, but wasn't. As is the case with the bulk of that marketing campaign, I thought they more or less nailed it. Cover, clothes, talking points, music, it was pleasantly nostalgic without being pathetic or creepy. I do agree with this point. It could've been way worse, like another generic picture of a hot rod or something. But, it also could've been much better. I realize that's a certain irony of being quite critical of the album cover I use as my avatar. Being a little bit anal here, but the way the Beach Boys' logo or name is off-center always bothered me.
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Post by kds on May 10, 2023 12:49:35 GMT
I do agree with this point. It could've been way worse, like another generic picture of a hot rod or something. But, it also could've been much better. I realize that's a certain irony of being quite critical of the album cover I use as my avatar. Being a little bit anal here, but the way the Beach Boys' logo or name is off-center always bothered me.
The logo on the right never really bothered me. It's probably the one part of the album cover I kinda like.
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Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2023 14:01:45 GMT
I like the offset logo. (Most logos are usually offset, actually. It is very rare to see any corporate logo in the center.) Besides, if you consider the title and the logo, there is similar border space on the left and right, so the text as a whole is centered, even if in two distinct parts. I actually think the title and logo almost resemble a big wave cresting.
No, I have no qualms at all with this cover. I like it.
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Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2023 16:05:09 GMT
OK, I am not ranking my choices (at least not here and now), but these are the 10 albums I selected. And yes, I did have more than 10 I liked. In fact, my first stab at it showed 15, and there were even a few others I could have considered, but I just knew they wouldn't make the top 10, so I didn't bother listing them among my initial choices.
Chronological order: - All Summer Long - Today - Party - Pet Sounds - Wild Honey - Surf's Up - Holland - In Concert - MIU - TWGMTR
The final three cuts were Surfin USA, CATP, and Love You. Also, I would have had to include Smile and Stack-o-Tracks if they were options.
Please note, my choices were purely based on my judgment of the covers' aesthetic appeal. I don't care much whether I like the album. For example, I think MIU is a cool cover despite it being one of their half-dozen worst albums.
I waffled back and forth on whether a cover should visually resemble that album's music or band situation at the time. I was probably inconsistent from choice to choice. For example, I defended TWGMTR partly on the grounds that it was a nice representation of a mature version of a former surf band; but again picking on MIU, I like that cover despite not thinking it resembles the music much at all.
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Post by B.E. on May 10, 2023 21:50:02 GMT
- In Concert - MIU - TWGMTR First votes for each! As far as TWGMTR goes, I think it's a nice cover. Classy, even. But I do consider it just a bit too "generic" for top 10 consideration. I've got no issue with the logo or placement of it. I like it like that. And I'll admit it, I'm glad they didn't use a group shot. I just don't think it's a good idea for most aging artists to do so. Some can pull it off, but I don't the Beach Boys are one of them. Back cover is fine, booklet is encouraged, but front cover is a pretty big risk. And going by the presentation of the photo on the back cover (CD), I feel even more confident in my position. They have a nice photo in the booklet (although David could be standing closer to Mike), but that's where they really could done a better job. And I considered the overall packaging with my votes. Some albums had a lot of photos either on the back cover or inner gatefold or booklets.
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Post by B.E. on May 10, 2023 22:02:53 GMT
Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour - it took them 50 years to really nail one That comment surprised me! It's a fine cover, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's perfect. The fact that there's the five in the middle but two other people cut-off (one on each side), really isn't ideal. Similarly, if on Surfer Girl the guys were holding the surfboard with more equal distance between them, it would have been MUCH harder for me to keep that out of my top 10. Presentation!
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Post by Kapitan on May 10, 2023 22:47:04 GMT
Live: The 50th Anniversary Tour - it took them 50 years to really nail one That comment surprised me! It's a fine cover, don't get me wrong, but I don't think it's perfect. The fact that there's the five in the middle but two other people cut-off (one on each side), really isn't ideal. I think that's a TERRIBLE cover! If I were being sassy, I'd note that the logo isn't centered... But more than that, a shot of them from behind? I remember my older brother's female friend, back in the '80s when our families would often get together, saying that the cover of Born in the USA was chosen because when choosing between Springsteen's face and his heinie, the latter was the prettier picture. Somehow I don't think that was the idea for these septuagenarians. It's a cadre of old guys, from behind, with other guys cut off from the pic (but not entirely) ... it just seems more like an "action shot" from the moment than a good cover.
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Post by lonelysummer on May 11, 2023 2:39:56 GMT
I like most of of the band's 80's output, but the album covers were really bad! KTSA is an interesting concept - but Carl's guitar has no cord coming from it...and why is Mike the only one with a microphone? And I should I understand from this cover that only bikini clad girls and polar bears like the Beach Boys music in 1980? The Beach Boys (1985) has a very generic cover that makes no impact; it would be so easy to just walk past that one on the display wall; ditto for Still Cruisin'. In both cases, a current shot of the group would have been nice. Our guys still looked pretty good in the 80's, Brian especially. It was okay to put fat, sweaty Brian on the cover of 15BO in 1976, but not slimmed down, athletic looking Brian in 1985? Generally, the Boys had better album covers during the hitmaking years. Some of the comps have been nice, though. I like the group shot on the 1982 comp Be True to Your School. And I've always liked this one. Attachments:
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Post by B.E. on May 11, 2023 2:56:09 GMT
That’s not you in the red shirt, is it?
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Barco
Denny's Drums
Posts: 41
Likes: 72
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Post by Barco on May 11, 2023 5:22:48 GMT
The cover art is an important part of the album experience for me. I genuinely can't give an album a 10 if I think the album cover is bad. The Beach Boys, luckily, have some good ones. Here's my list in chronological order:
Surfin' Safari Surfin USA All Summer Long Beach Boys Concert Today! Summer Days (And Summer Nights!!) Pet Sounds Smiley Smile Wild Honey Surf's Up
There were a few that I left out but are worth mentioning: Surfer Girl, Shut Down, and Holland.
I don't think Friends is as hideous as it's made out to be. I actually like the colours, the boys in the middle and the landscape behind them. It's completely compatible with the album's peaceful, light sound. It would be a LOT better, though, if the clouds and bushes weren't made out of faces (this looks a bit creepy) and the sky was blue instead of that darkish green.
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Post by Sheriff John Stone on May 11, 2023 11:42:40 GMT
I see a lot of votes for All Summer Long. Not from me. It should've been a slam dunk, but I have a lot of questions. The album cover gives me a "cold" vibe. Keep in mind - it's all SUMMER long. Why are Brian, Carl, and Mike wearing jackets and Dennis a sweater? The girl in pink looks like she's freezing with a jacket and bandana! Maybe nitpicking (but not a lot) but what's with the football (in two pictures), a fall sport? Two hot dog pictures? A couple of photos of guys just looking at girls? And, you know, when I think of summer fun, right away my thoughts go to burying my brother in the sand - while wearing a sweater. I don't know...maybe it's just me, but if I was planning and paying for a summer album cover for the most popular group in the U.S., I think I would come up with something better.
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Post by Kapitan on May 11, 2023 12:14:51 GMT
Maybe nitpicking (but not a lot) but what's with the football (in two pictures), a fall sport? Two hot dog pictures? A couple of photos of guys just looking at girls? And, you know, when I think of summer fun, right away my thoughts go to burying my brother in the sand - while wearing a sweater. I don't know...maybe it's just me, but if I was planning and paying for a summer album cover for the most popular group in the U.S., I think I would come up with something better. I would say that is quite a lot of nitpicking, actually. You've never seen people playing football out of season? Just because the school and pro leagues don't happen in summer doesn't mean people don't throw around a football at the beach in summer! Guys looking at girls? (That might be the #1 beach activity of all time.) Counting hot dogs? Focusing on whether people are over-dressed? I think you're a bit too literal about all this, honestly. Not that you don't have a point: there is more of a non-summer impression than one might think if you really focus on what each picture shows ... but is it that big a deal? I think that, as with specific lyrics in song sequencing, perhaps you take this stuff much more literally than I do. I think it's a great cover, but I admit it's because I don't care that much whether it's summer-specific. And in fact, I'd say the color palette is a little more autumnal, with softer light and those gold/orange shades (though I think those are just very much of the times, along with olive greens and whatnot). But now, if I may contradict the whole premise by taking a page out of your book, I'd say "All Summer Long" is an autumn song, not a summer song. Or at least a back-to-school kind of song. The summer they're remembering is over (or ending). They HAVE been having fun all summer long, it won't be long til summer time is through, remember when... etc. So maybe it's chilly!
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