Brief 1: Reinventing mediocre greatest hits album cover designs.
- Holly Dashwood
- Apr 1, 2018
- 4 min read
Disregarding the idiom “don’t judge a book by it’s cover” as a primarily consumerist society, we have a tendency to make assumptions based on appearance.
Since the invention of the LP in 1948, the recording industry adapted the concept of cover art in order for it to visually represent artists and their music. Music albums internationally are sold inside universal sleeves branded with a particular image allowing the work to be instantly differentiated and recognised amongst all the others. A greatest hits album, sometimes referred to as a “best of” or a catalog album, is a compilation of songs by a particular artist or band. This particular type of album is usually is an accumulation or track list of previously released recordings with a high degree of notability. Within this post, an analysis of three existing greatest hits album covers will be made including what and why changes or complete recreations of the covers were made in order to better suit the bands individual personas.
Foo Fighters
The Foo Fighter’s greatest hits cover art is strikingly recognisable as the logo for this iconic American alternative rock band. The cursive abbreviation encased in a red circle has been for decades the bands artistic interpretation of their identity. The group got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War II, which were known collectively as “foo fighters”. The logo appears to be painted on the side of an aircraft, this is an effort to maintain the original meaning of the bands name. To add deeper significance to the Greatest Hits cover, I have decided to incorporate ancient Chinese philosophical symbolism. Within Chinese taoist philosophy the tiger and dragon correlate with two opposing symbols, ying and yang. The dragon, a mythical animal thought to reign over the heavens, stands for the yang. The tiger, respected in ancient China as the toughest of the wild beasts, stands for yin. Both of the animals are formidable and dominant, fitting symbols for yin and yang. The relation that connect the symbolic tiger and dragon and the American alternative rock band resides within the power to connect and bring people together, whether it be through music or through ancient beliefs. The strength of the dragon and tiger could also symbolise the bands sheer strength and character, as lead vocalist Dave Grohl as well as fellow band members have endured many trying times throughout the duration of Foo Fighters existence. The reason for the finalised remake portraying a woman with the bands recreated logo tattooed on her back resides within the significance of such powerful entities physically becoming embedded into someones skin. The album cover is now multifaceted, transcending just an aesthetically pleasing image.
Blink-182
Blink 182’s persona is primarily punk and they have always managed to successfully portray that edge on their album covers. A good example of this is their 2017 release, California. Their Greatest Hits album cover is essentially a monochrome image of their logo with their band name in stylised typography. Although this album cover is easily recognisable, it lacks originality or character. To keep Blink-182’s persona intact as well as generate a thought provoking album cover I have included in the redesigned album cover, the two characters seen on the cover of California. The woman and the skeleton pose in front of a dark background much like the California album cover.
The Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Portrayed on the cover of the 2003 Greatest Hits album of The Red Hot Chilli Peppers is a contraption known as the “Kissing Machine”. This contraption is a Hollywood relic originating from the cosmetician Max Factor’s collection. Factor's company was a leader in theatrical and movie makeup, its products became favorites with a legion of image-conscious film stars. It is uncertain how the “Kissing Machine” is activated, most likely its purpose was to demonstrate and test the durability of Max Factor lipstick, presumably during a kiss. This was a unique relic both from a historical and pop-culture standpoint, its estimated value is $50,000-$100,000. The Red Hot Chilli Peppers are yet to comment on the significance of the contraption as the cover of their Greatest Hits album. However speculation of its relevance to the tracks can be made. The Kissing Machine may be a reference to the Chilli’s often salacious and underlying sexual references in their lyrics. Even though in some ways the “Kissing Machine” is a fitting match to the Chilli’s persona as a band, personally I think a better portrayal of the band would reside within a more notably "Chilli" looking album cover. For this reason an old photograph was utilised, portraying front man Anthony Keidis with his chin raised to the sky in a convertible. With the band's new album The Getaway having been recently released, this version of Keidis is fitting as the cover of a intriguing album cover art. A free spirited, young, glowing Keidis captured on a grainy, aged photograph. What more could fans ask for?
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