beef on digital downloads, and invisible creature, and everything else...

[Keithy Huntington]

is it me, or has invisible creature really been slacking the past couple years? i mean... the past 3 joy e booklets have been 3 pages, past several starflyer booklets have been 3 pages. Ghosts of the past... was a joke. the insert to this album... is a joke.

back in the day, i used to hail Asterik as holding down the greatest booklets and packaging... but anymore everything just seems "done to do it" they're artwork doesnt seem as thought provoking anymore...

i blame itunes. why spend so much time on an insert, and packaging if everyone is going to just go buy the digital album with a 200x200 pix thumbnail :-/

now i'm not saying they can't make cool cover's, cause dial M was an awesome cover art... but the inserts as a whole just don't draw me in like... say.... demon hunter's "dummer of darkness" did. THAT was an album insert.

anyone else as equally ticked off at the same thing as of late?

[cyclone]

It's one (of very many) reasons that I now buy almost exclusively vinyl if I'm buying the physical product.  If liner notes are on their way to a slow death much like the CD industry itself, I can at least enjoy having the 12" cover art of a vinyl record in my collection.  The artwork has always been one of my favorite aspects to the whole album experience.  Unfortunately, I gave up on booklets/liner notes a while ago because as you said, it doesn't seem like the artist/label/designer really seems to care anymore.

[grandeped]

I can look back in my music collection and find many CDs from every year since CDs were invented that have no packaging. I don't think that is anything new. Most of the first CDs that came out were just one square with the album art on one side and song list on the back.

From what I heard, T&N will have 3-4 booklet designs / layouts and the band will approve the one they like the most.  That may have changed.

Personally, I don't care that much if there is extensive booklets or just something simple.  I have seen huge, elaborate booklets in the past that still don't give you lyrics or much info at all. I just care if it gives me all the details I like to read.

Some of those covers you hate actually probably took a lot longer to create than you realize.  Minimalism is harder to accomplish that most people think.

[shadymugs]

yes, Keithy i totally agree. granted, Jason likes his stuff simple. Invisible Creature even said he just "gets it" when they posted the new art on their blog. maybe what they meant was "we do the bare minimum now since we're T&N's resident album artists and to hell with making a superior package for them. oh but we'll do it for The Foo Fighters, no problem."


i feel like in every way they've let down the fans with this release. except for the music. this is to me, by far one of the better albums SF59 has put out.  that being said, the album art is hit or miss. and i agree with you. that Garamond Pro typeface they used for Ghosts of the Past was just piss poor and this one while i haven't seen it in person yet, is fairly unimpressive.

anyway, whatever. i think My Grandfather the Cubist and Dial M were both the last hurrah for Invisible Creature's/Tooth & Nail's (creative/financial) budget

now it's just - "oh. album is coming out in 2 weeks. what can you guys throw together? oh. some mirrored line art and a 1920's looking typeface? ok makes sense. yeah the album is acoustic and sounds kind of western influenced, but a 1920's/Atlantic City vibe cover art is a good choice. really. OK NOW LET'S PUSH FOR THE DIGITAL DOWNLOAD! (the day of release and not a minute sooner!)"

seriously the first thing i thought when i saw Changing of the Guard's album was - oh, is this a concept album about the Great Gatsby?  i'd expect something a little more earthy/cowboy.

LET ME DO THE CRAP FOR FREE. because i would.

sigh.

[stevoman]

I haven't seen this one yet, mine's in the mail but I'm not expecting much. I decided to get the physical mainly because I find it impressive to see all of my SF59's up on the shelf.
Booklets like CD's are going the way of the dinosaur and it is too bad. However, some bands still give you more. I love it when bands release a CD/DVD combo and so for 20 dollars you get a whole lot more. I did this for Switchfoot's latest, Stavesacre's, The Crucified. In my opinion, this is the only real draw for buying the physical CD. If you just give the music and cheap out on the packaging, its way less hassle to get it from Itunes and the only reason why SF59 has me buying their CD's is because I always have. They've had pretty poor packaging for the majority of the releases.

[Keithy Huntington]

my biggest beef is, i love jason martin to death. and when i purchase a new SF record, i wanna see how hes looking. what hes wearing now a days. the mustache at dial-m blew me away! but it wasnt in teh book. boo hiss. its just fun to see what hes pulling off. but starting with IATPB, there are no more jason pics. even Gold had a small lil thumbnail. i LOVED the booklet for old. it was a great lay-out. and LHAS was great too! even gold was great in its stark minimalism (as minimal as a 15 page booklet can be anyway ) so it just bums me. an even like... Joe Christmas - North To The Future was a 2 page booklet, and had full lyrics. i dont have to have lyrics. but give me a fat book with pictures and eye candy. Dial M was a great layout... i just wish it had had the picture of them sitting on those rocking chairs or whatever in it somewhere.

*whines more*

[dreamover]

the cover art is as big as the label wants to pay for. 15 page booklets are expensive and not cost effective at all these days. a cd with a two panel insert will sell for just as much, so why spend more on it? especially days like today when the record industry is moving away from cds altogether. i say go with the vinyl. the new record will be very nice gatefold packaging.