The document discusses and analyzes the cover art of 16 different albums. It describes key visual elements of each cover, such as the images featured and colors used. It also interprets what various cover art designs communicate about the artist's music and message. Overall themes discussed include violence, spirituality, partying, industrial themes, celebrity, social and political protest, surrealism, and simplicity.

1. Favourite CD Covers

2. The Prodigy Always outnumbered never outgunned -This image is very colourful and bright, it immediately captures the eye. -It’s a collage which has created this kind of sexy female military character. -Two dangerous/violent German Shepherds are jumping out of these makeshift goggles as if about to attack. What this could say about Prodigy is that they want to be in your face and express a kind of violent repression in their music – really getting the crowd engaged in this rage with an upbeat, bass sound.

3. -On the album cover, there are 5 different images of Mick Jagger overlaying each other. -The way they are laid out on top of each other is very unusual and kind of spiritual in a way, with the blue light behind Jagger in the smoky background. They are legends, why not represent the band in this way. The Rolling Stones Hot Rocks 1964-1971

4. Morcheeba Big Calm -The image Morcheeba have used for the album cover gives off a very relaxed, cosy and sensual atmosphere. This reflects on the mood Morcheeba wants the audience to feel when listening to their music. -The Buddha statue in the background is very significant in the picture as are the prime colours used. It adds to this peaceful attitude that we will feel when listening to the album.

5. Groove Armada Goodbye Country (hello nightclub) -Groove Armada do not feature themselves on the front cover of this album. -I love the way the light illuminates this building with the door wide open inviting you in. -It’s a cool, relaxed atmosphere. The sound system indicates that there will be music and a party inside. -It looks as though it is winter outside, so the light indoors is very homey and welcoming. -The title of the album is ‘Goodbye Country (hello nightclub)’ suggesting that the people who own this house perhaps want to break away from this sense of being in the country and create their own makeshift nightclub from the comfort of their own home.

6. Faithless Outrospective -Faithless are not on the front cover of their album. -The picture they have used is primarily to shock the audience; it’s a very built up industrial area with rubble scattered on the streets and smoke thick as fog choking them. -The person at the front in red looks as though they are throwing something at one of the buildings, they are rebelling. -The image Faithless have used for their front cover was taken in May 1968 during a student uprising in France. -The word outrospective isn’t actually a real word but it could mean the opposite of introspective, which is defined as ‘thoughtfulness about your own situation and feelings’ -The picture Faithless have used is obviously something important to the band, they wanted to shock the audience and also for them to think about their music and the message they’re trying to give.

7. Fear Factory Demanufacture -Fear Factory are not on the front cover of their album. -The picture used for the front cover is of a backbone with part of a ribcage attached to it. What's interesting about the image is the fact that half of the ribcage is a barcode. -The title of the album is ‘Demanufacture’ and the image is kind of dark and cold, this indicates that the bands music is industrial. -From the picture, we might perceive that the band want to show that humans and technology are attached to one another, and with this bone side of the ribcage kind of breaking away from the barcode it could also suggest our disadvantage of being human - not as perfect as technology -The image used for the front cover reminds me a little of the film ‘the Matrix’ where everybody is living a virtual reality without knowing or caring about the truth. Maybe this is what Fear Factory are trying to create by this image, demanufacturing of mankind.

8. The Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band -The Beatles are presented in the centre of the image dressed in bright military uniforms. Behind the Beatles and beside them are pictures of the bands favourite celebrities. -The colours used are very warm, exciting and happy. Some people in the picture look very serious, as if posing for the dreaded school photo - making the picture more comical in a way. -A range of emotion is expressed throughout everyone photographed in this picture which is taken in a kind of dada happy cartoon place. -The name of the album is Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band, which is the name of an imaginary band the Beatles concocted for this album. -The flowers at the front of the album cover on fresh soil is a grave in memory of the Beatles. This contradicts the idea of a happy place considering it is a funeral, however, this also presents for revolution, suggesting this album and its music is for change, a reformed and different Beatles.

9. Rage Against the Machine -This image is no doubt immediately shocking and chilling to the viewer; the way the flame roars out of this man in a brutal hellish way, yet he is sitting placid and peaceful almost as if experiencing no pain. -It is interesting to note that it was in protest this Buddhist monk set alight to himself. -The band have not actually named this album, which is appropriate as the image itself is powerful enough, they may only need put their band name beneath, ‘rage against the machine’, the machine being society and the band’s rage against it.. -All the band’s music is in protest – just as the image used for this album.

10. Pink Floyd Animals -The name of the band is not actually on the front cover of the CD, neither are the band. -The album is called Animals, simply being represented by a flying pig, although pigs cannot fly. -The building in the picture is Battersea Power Station in London, why is the pig floating above a power station? -Animals kind of reminds me of George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’, where the pigs were in charge of the other farm animals and only they could make all the rules and all the decisions. The pigs kept breaking and changing their own rules in their own favour. Unlike George Orwell, Pink Floyd were attacking Capitalism and not Communism. -The band are giving off a grimy, dark atmosphere - they are creating an illusion. The band are not important, their music is. The picture looks as though it was taken at dawn, a dawning of a new era perhaps.

11. The Rolling Stones Let it Bleed -The Rolling Stones are represented on this album cover as figurines on a cake and their faces displayed on the centre of a record. -The name of the album is ‘Let it Bleed’ which sounds very similar to the Beatles album, ‘Let it Be’ -From this image we get a kind of vintage feel and a sense of the 50’s or even possibly the 40’s by the way in which the cake is decorated and also by the record player. -The record is elevating this kind of mechanical cake up into the air in a show sort of mannerism; as if the Rolling Stones figurines were actually up on a stage performing their music. -The image the Rolling Stones are giving off from this album cover is a kind of mockery; perhaps mocking the Beatles with their very similar album title. Or mocking performances as something small.

12. The Beatles Revolver -This album cover is very surreal and entertaining. -The Beatles faces have been drawn and photographs of them are poking out of the drawings in various odd and comical places. -I like how they’ve put the pound sign above the title of the album, ‘Revolver’. It’s as if they are saying that the only way to get good money easily is with a Revolver.

13. Tracy Chapman -This image is very moving, the way Tracy Chapman is looking down to the floor like a child does when they have done something wrong. -No colour other than sepia tone has been used on this cover, it gives the image a kind of old, soft and simple feel. -In relation to the music on the album and the actual album art, Tracy Chapman’s message is simple, ‘I’m here to sing what I care about.’

14. References http://tralfazarchives.com/coverart/P/pfloyd_animals.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animals_(album) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968_in_France http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&defl=en&q=define:introspective&ei=J1aySoG1M9Ch4gbP0vmwDg&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title