{"id":19080,"date":"2013-07-02T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2013-07-02T14:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/?p=19080"},"modified":"2013-07-02T10:15:16","modified_gmt":"2013-07-02T14:15:16","slug":"truth-in-packaging-for-better-and-for-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rocktownhall.com\/blogs\/truth-in-packaging-for-better-and-for-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"Truth in Packaging (For Better and For Worse)"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Package.\"<\/a>

Package.<\/p><\/div>\n

You may recall this series that Mr. Moderator<\/strong> has run in the past. He posts an album cover and then says:<\/p>\n

In 50 words or less, please describe how the album cover for Album Title<\/em>, by Artist<\/strong> says all that there is to say, for better and<\/em> for worse, about the music contained within.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It’s gotten to the point where I have trouble listening to new music; too often it’s a letdown. More often than that, the new release lives down to my expectations, expectations based primarily on the album cover art. I know that’s not right; I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I do. As Paula Deen recently said, “I is what I is.” See if you don’t find yourself weeping in my strong embrace after you find yourself in the same boat with your reactions to the following relatively new releases. After the jump<\/em>…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"WTF?!?!\"<\/a>

WTF?!?!<\/p><\/div>\n

When David Bowie<\/strong>‘s latest Greatest Album Since Whatever the Last of the “Berlin Trilogy” Albums was came out and I saw the cover art image above I figured it was a placeholder image while the folks at Amazon and iTunes and eMusic scanned in and uploaded the actual album cover. I listened to a streaming version of the album a couple of times, concluded “Meh<\/em>…,” and thought nothing more of it. Then, a few weeks ago, while standing in the checkout line at my local Wegman’s, I looked to my right and saw this actual CD loaded in a rack. WTF?!?!<\/em>, I thought. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a big fan of WTF?!?! imagery, but this one knocked my socks off. I’m not sure if knowing the was the album’s true cover when I first listened to it would have helped matters. Perhaps it would have. Maybe I should try this album again while looking at Bowie’s hilarious cover art.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Yeezus!\"<\/a>

Yeezus!<\/p><\/div>\n

Here’s another WTF cover. This one is even less appealing that Bowie’s cover. Kanye West<\/strong> tends to annoy the crap out of me, and once again he has succeeded. I don’t care that he’s comparing himself to Jesus or spouting off words Paula Deen couldn’t admit to saying 30 years ago (not that I have anything invested in that joke of a story) or threatening to upset our cocktail party with his mob of black skinheads. The guy hogs a ton of media attention, yet I don’t believe I’ve ever heard a single measure of music out of him that is in any way interesting to my ears. To be honest, I couldn’t muster up a bad attitude over the latest Kanye West album based on this album cover. I already had a bad attitude the second I heard he was dropping a new release. This album cover displays too much “F” without enough “WT.” Pass.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Legendary?\"<\/a>

Legendary?<\/p><\/div>\n

I’d heard of<\/em> Daft Punk<\/strong> for years without, as far as I know, ever actually hearing their music. When I first saw this album cover and some images for a video for the album’s first single, I thought I should give these guys a try. Then I was reminded of this album cover for what turned out to be a DOA release that I had been salivating over based on the artist’s previous album:<\/p>\n

\"...in<\/a>

…in which Lou puts saltpeter in Quine’s food.<\/p><\/div>\n

I listened to that Daft Punk album, and it sounded like a bunch of Euro-disco crap that those of us in North America (Canadians like northvancoveman<\/strong> included) used to spend a few minutes listening to solely to build feelings of superiority. Vocoders are, for the most part, stupid. Robots and dudes in Darth Vader motorcycle helmets don’t move me.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"No<\/a>

No Johnny Winter, no Edgar.<\/p><\/div>\n

A few weeks ago, when I logged into eMusic, I was bombarded with images of the new Laura Marling<\/strong> album cover. As much as I would welcome flipping over the album cover to see the front side of the artist, I was pretty sure the music was going to suck of the precious, folky, lone-teardrop-rolling-down-cheek-of-dying-mother-as-her-newborn-suckles-on-her-breast variety.<\/p>\n

Marling actually has a smokier voice than I would have figured. This method of judging a record by it’s album cover is not 100% accurate. Nevertheless, enjoy what will most likely be the most precious 18 minutes and 38 seconds of music video you are likely to watch today:<\/p>\n