"The Best Tull Album Cover"

[rredmond]

Can I split my vote between Stormwatch and Broadsword?
Good stuff!
--Ron--

[Tull50]

This is my first cover favorite for many reasons including the album suffered censorship in Spain, there were many rumors that the designs of the covers had been censored (they commented on the inside and what makes Martin...), is why the album was sought in the original edition, all friends who were traveling outside Spain come back with two or three editions of the original Aqualung commissioned by friends

[flutestobranches]

Dec 8, 2012 14:36:17 GMT -5 @darincody said:

Dec 8, 2012 10:58:06 GMT -5 LJG said:

On a different note... this has always been my least favourite.

Too digital ..... and palm trees? Does not make me think of Tull.

I agree LJG. Aside from being less than attractive, for me, it's one that is the farthest from representing the contents. More acoustic "wooden" versions of great songs live.....not cold digital stark hard edged.
My favorite Tull covers have mostly been illustrated (painted) covers Aqualung, Broadsword, Stand Up!, SFTW even Rock Island.
As bad as ALLM is it is interesting in that you can see what "operational" directions Ian gave Zarkowski to work with.
1. The palm trees, ship and background colors represent the highly deco styled old 30s travel posters. Representing that this music is from their travels around the world.....Just imagine if this had been illustrated LIKE one of those old glorious posters!
2. Its a paired down "acoustic" band that's represented by the four little guys with guitars down front.
3. The cross in the middle are a flute and guitar strings with "sound" emanating.
4. The Ian figure might have been a request for an updated "icon" for Ian/Tull representing the "light and dark" of acoustic and electric
5. Last and almost worst, the musical figures spelling out Jethro Tull. (I hate it when "artists" use musical figures floating out of an instruments or someones head. Trite isn't the word for it) Its just another attempt to find an new icon for PR upcoming purposes.
So all this and the advent of non organic computer design zealotry (less expensive and easier to skip the step of hiring an illustrator) "Hey we could do this ourselves!" leads us to an album cover that didn't do the contents or the sale of said contents any favors.
I think the best "organic" graphically designed Tull album cover was Benefit. I wanted to have those little cut outs on my desk!
I Think Zarkowskis strength is straight package design like the 25 year box or Catfish Rising, That one was a good example of less is more. Mostly the album covers that represented a mythical/historical flavor work best for Tull always.
It would be interesting to see sales figures on albums that had nice illustrations on them as opposed to some of the more sterile graphic ones. (Thick As a Brick doesn't apply, A newspaper is supposed to look stark.)
Okay, my "rant" is done for the day and is again, only my opinion.
My vote, BTW would be Broadsword or Aqualung.
Darin

I enjoyed your evaluation, Darin, but I have always liked the "A Little Light Music" cover. Yes, it was a departure, but a refreshing one, I think.

Not my favorite, but I admit I like it a lot. It looked great on the tour T-shirt, too!

David

[Mothfairy]

Dec 9, 2012 9:19:03 GMT -5 Morthoron said:

Dec 9, 2012 2:15:42 GMT -5 Mothfairy said:

I just realized I like SW because it reminds me of my brother in Alaska.. Its around -35 f right now and he sends pictures of himself with a frosty beard and also of polar bears near his work. The artwork makes it seem such a dark and cold album. Does anyone else feel like the music reflects that? I know my feelings I just wanted to see what everyone else thought.

On another thread regarding Stormwatch, we talked about the album's lack of humor and darkness. It definitely lacks the humor found in its predecessors, like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses. The album deals in a large sense with death and solitude.

I wonder the reason. Anyone know, did something happen around the time of this album to cause this, or just it is what is?

[jtul07]

Dec 10, 2012 16:59:17 GMT -5 @flutestobranches said:

I enjoyed your evaluation, Darin, but I have always liked the "A Little Light Music" cover.
Yes, it was a departure, but a refreshing one, I think.

Not my favorite, but I admit I like it a lot. It looked great on the tour T-shirt, too!
David

This does look very nice on a black t-shirt. ;D

[Deleted]

Dec 11, 2012 14:23:29 GMT -5 jtul07 said:

Dec 10, 2012 16:59:17 GMT -5 @flutestobranches said:

I enjoyed your evaluation, Darin, but I have always liked the "A Little Light Music" cover.
Yes, it was a departure, but a refreshing one, I think.

Not my favorite, but I admit I like it a lot. It looked great on the tour T-shirt, too!
David

This does look very nice on a black t-shirt. ;D

Sorry Jim, but nothing about this design relates to the pleasant recording inside it, to me anyway...to each his own I suppose. I'd be interested to know which Tull cover is your LEAST favorite?
Darin

[jtul07]

Dec 11, 2012 16:19:12 GMT -5 @darincody said:

I'd be interested to know which Tull cover is your LEAST favorite?
Darin

Do you want an honest answer?

No offense to the music, but this cover did not impress me in 1976 after the works of cover art that preceded it.
I understand the reason for the comic strip theme, however the cover seemed a little less artful than others.
I'm sure everyone that loves this album also loves the cover, but I just don't like the cartoon style for Tull.
Apologies to anyone offended. I'm just being honest. Also the Repeat Volume II cover was too predictable.
I know it doesn't count like a regular album but they should have made it a double album of 'M.U.' instead.

[Tullabye]

Grading the album covers (I'm bored):

This Was- B+
Stand Up- A+
Benefit- B-
Aqualung- A
Living in the Past- A-
Thick as a Brick- B+
A Passion Play- A
Warchild- C+
Minstrel in the Gallery- A+
Songs From the Wood- A+
Heavy Horses- A+
Stormwatch- C+
Too Old To Rock and Roll... C-
A- D
Broadsword -A+
Under Wraps -C-
Crest of a Knave- B-
A Little Light Music- C+
Rock Island- D
Roots to Branches-C+
Dot Com- D-
NightCap-B+
20 yr- A
25 yr B+

[Deleted]

Dec 11, 2012 18:15:57 GMT -5 Tullabye said:

Grading the album covers (I'm bored):

This Was- B+
Stand Up- A+
Benefit- B-
Aqualung- A
Living in the Past- A-
Thick as a Brick- B+
A Passion Play- A
Warchild- C+
Minstrel in the Gallery- A+
Songs From the Wood- A+
Heavy Horses- A+
Stormwatch- C+
Too Old To Rock and Roll... C-
A- D
Broadsword -A+
Under Wraps -C-
Crest of a Knave- B-
A Little Light Music- C+
Rock Island- D
Roots to Branches-C+
Dot Com- D-
NightCap-B+
20 yr- A
25 yr B+

What a great idea. Mine to follow.
Darin

[Morthoron]

Dec 11, 2012 0:05:25 GMT -5 Mothfairy said:

Dec 9, 2012 9:19:03 GMT -5 Morthoron said:

On another thread regarding Stormwatch, we talked about the album's lack of humor and darkness. It definitely lacks the humor found in its predecessors, like Songs from the Wood and Heavy Horses. The album deals in a large sense with death and solitude.

I wonder the reason. Anyone know, did something happen around the time of this album to cause this, or just it is what is?

Good question. I don't know the answer. But as far as thematics, the three albums Songs from the Wood, Heavy Horses, and Stormwatch each deal primarily with a specific aspect of the topography of England: forest (Songs from the Wood, obviously), field and farms (Heavy Horses) and sea (Stormwatch).