Which 2005 Williams album cover do you like best?

[Sandor 459]

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Geisha, by far. It's just an incredible picture and I saw it in the poster format yesterday on Goblet of Fire premiere here and I was amazed. I would have just bought the score for the photo alone! While Angelas Ashes was voted the ugliest, I want to hope that Geisha will become the exact opposite of it.

[AC1 3,565]

Munich.

[Sandor 459]

Angela's Ashes is the only album is history which has TWO of the ugliest covers in history. Remember that the US and European covers are NOT the same. Both ugly as hell though.

THE US COVER:

THE EUROPEAN COVER:

And the booklet is full of beautiful photo's from the film!!! Any of those would have made a GREAT cover. Sigh.

At least Michael Jackson seems to like both covers very much...

[John McClane 1]

RotS is the classic Star Wars art, not the best IMO, thought.

Memoirs is fascinating, Munich is interesting, and my favourite one is WotW.

BUT, I think this one, featuring the original poster art, was even cooler. Justin did that, so forget Zimmer's name.

EDIT: AA's European cover? :? I never saw that, I always saw the first one, along with the no narration version. The one you posted is really bad.

[Olivier 5]

All of them are good.

As Tommy said, SW,E3:RotS is vintage modern SW.

Münich is intriguing, mysterious, simple.

WotW is pretty classy too; rather simple (no fancy effects everywhere, a single image in the center, no collection of heads, ...); beautiful.

Geisha is my favorite: a splendid portrait, she's ravinshingly beautiful, especially with those false clear blue eyes.

[AC1 3,565]

Angela's Ashes is the only album is history which has TWO of the ugliest covers in history. Remember that the US and European covers are NOT the same. Both ugly as hell though.  

THE US COVER:

THE EUROPEAN COVER:

And the booklet is full of beautiful photo's from the film!!! Any of those would have made a GREAT cover. Sigh.

At least Michael Jackson seems to like both covers very much...

[Alec Guinness' voice] Roald, ugly can be beautiful too. [/Alec Guinness' voice]

I do prefer the European cover though, which is the first one, not the second.

[Sandor 459]

I do prefer the European cover though, which is the first one, not the second.

Not true, although there IS a European cover BASED on the US cover.

[AC1 3,565]

I do prefer the European cover though, which is the first one, not the second.

Not true, although there IS a European cover BASED on the US cover.

Well, I prefer the first one. The second one is ugly indeed.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,765]

I don't get it, you've got the Munich cover there, but we can't vote for it. Anyway, I picked WOTW.

[Sandor 459]

The first one is even uglier... It's like some kind of freak constantly watching you. It gives me the creeps.

[AC1 3,565]

The first one is even uglier... It's like some kind of freak constantly watching you. It gives me the creeps.

OK, but you don't see why the first one is a better photograph? I mean, if you turned in the second photo for your photography class, you would flunk the course. The first one is a better photo (and a better cover too).

[Hitch 55]

Are you saying Irish kids are ugly????

[John McClane 1]

Not to going off-topic, but I live in Europe, and I've been in America last year, but in both continents I've seen only the first cover for Angela Ashes.

Anyways, I agree with Olivier, Geisha's cover has a splendid portrait. I might add "wonderful colours" to your definition. Those blue eyes and the red lips create a great contrast with the white face.

[AC1 3,565]

Not to going off-topic, but I live in Europe, and I've been in America last year, but in both continents I've seen only the first cover for Angela Ashes.

Second one looks like a bootleg.

[Sandor 459]

Second one looks like a bootleg.

It's not a bootleg. Search www.amazon.co.uk for example (the UK Amazon site). The first cover IS also available in Europe (although a slightly edited version of it - mostly more "brownish" tainted).

Whether the "kid" is ugly or not is besides the point; as an album cover it's damn ugly.

Put Zhang Ziyi on a cover and it's immediatly gorgeous!

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

And the booklet is full of beautiful photo's from the film!!! Any of those would have made a GREAT cover. Sigh.

True. Well, I never had anything against the cover of Angela's Ashes soundtrack despite it being quite too non-representative of the film at all. Which is what many covers lack nowadays, anyway. And there were much better photos from Angela's Ashes on the official website as well, one of those made it to my avatar long ago. I don't know why they picked the one they did. The classroom-taken picture I have not seen on the cover so far. But it's really nothing of collectibles status.

But the movie and the score are great, in my opinion.

And Irish kids are not ugly I think. The lives they lived back then may have made them look poor in pictures, but they suffered a lot.

Roman.-)

[John McClane 1]

It's not a bootleg. Search www.amazon.co.uk for example (the UK Amazon site). The first cover IS also available in Europe (although a slightly edited version of it - mostly more "brownish" tainted).

The "brownish" version, as I said previously in this thread, in the version without the narrations. You can see the difference in Marcus Hable's website.

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

I noticed there's something slightly reminding of "The Color Purple" over the "Munich" cover. I hope the movies will be a lot different, though. At least we're getting Williams' score this time :-)

[AC1 3,565]

Second one looks like a bootleg.

It's not a bootleg. Search www.amazon.co.uk for example (the UK Amazon site). The first cover IS also available in Europe (although a slightly edited version of it - mostly more "brownish" tainted).

Whether the "kid" is ugly or not is besides the point; as an album cover it's damn ugly.

Put Zhang Ziyi on a cover and it's immediatly gorgeous!

Again, ugly can be beautiful.

[John McClane 1]

It's like some kind of freak constantly watching you. It gives me the creeps.

I'm not joking, the first time i saw that cover The Exorcist's Regan came to my mind.

[Sandor 459]

Again, ugly can be beautiful.

Examples? It surely does not apply to the Angela's Ashes album covers.

[Sandor 459]

I'm not joking, the first time i saw that cover The Exorcist's Regan came to my mind.

The first time I saw it I thought: "I will order this soundtrack on Amazon, because the embarrassment will be too much for me to handle if I have to show it to some guy or gal at the counter of the local CD store”.

The only time I had that feeling was buying the Stepmom CD.

[John McClane 1]

Well I think Julia and Susan are way better than that kid, althought it's still one of the worst covers. IMO a good cover must have the original movie poster art.

If it's a great drawing like the Indy's scores, it's even better.

[QMM 4]

Munich

[Sandor 459]

Well I think Julia and Susan are way better than that kid, althought it's still one of the worst covers.

Of course they're better than the kids! But something about the cover makes it so syrupy, so "this is a film for and about women". Though not really the case, the cover surely gives that impression.

(Already awaiting a smart-ass remark about the word "case")

[AC1 3,565]

Again, ugly can be beautiful.

Examples?

It's not the subject matter or location that makes a good photo, it is the photographer.

[Sandor 459]

It's not the subject matter or location that makes a good photo, it is the photographer.

You're shifting the attention of what I said. I said the album cover is ugly. I never said anything about the photograph. But you must be confused about the following sentence I wrote:

And the booklet is full of beautiful photo's from the film!!! Any of those would have made a GREAT cover. Sigh.

From a technical viewpoint the photo is undoubtly good. But the same photographer could have photographed Steef's butt for all I care using the most artistic techniques known to man, but that would not mean I would like to have it on the cover of my CD.

So to sum it up: photo = brilliant, but as album cover = ugly.

[AC1 3,565]

At least it's a good photo (the first one only).

To me, all the Star Wars collage style CD covers are ugly, both artistically and aesthetically.

---------------

Alex cremers

[Yoda Longbottom 0]

Stepmom has, in my opinion, a fairly standard cover. It says nothing about the film, yet it's not any distracting. The result would be the same with, say, sun rising over the morning sky.

I vaguely remember somewhere I said that the ugliest CD cover to Williams' soundtrack is the "Patriot". It's like a pose for a stamp without perforation.

I like album covers of "E.T." and "Schindler's List", both of which have something similar. Is it the hands? Maybe. But my very favorite is CE3K

[Sandor 459]

To me, all the Star Wars collage style CD covers are ugly, both artistically and aesthetically.

Ah, it's just what one would expect; the film posters, either original or restyled. There are countless more artistic possibilities. I agree. They opted for the simplest, yet most logical one.

And why can so many boardmembers only "prove" their point by putting down Star Wars???

[Sandor 459]

Thanks Neil. That's appreciated. We can vote Munich now. It's what I did!

[robthehand 3]

Munich, then WOTW.

[ChrisAfonso 159]

Münich is intriguing

As is your spelling

[ChrisAfonso 159]

BTW, one poster/cd cover I find brilliant is JP. How often do you see this, a major movie promoted not by photoshopped actors faces, or some sweeping background, or some distinguished piece of art, but by a simple yet absolutely to-the-point 3-color logo on a black background? Yes, WotW is comparable, but it doesn't have that absolute brilliant simplicity to it.

That's one thing I don't like about the DVD covers for the JPs... they destroyed thatsimple brilliance by clogging up the image with ugly pictures of dinosaurs (What's with the strange colors?)

[Mr. Breathmask 480]

How often do you see this, a major movie promoted not by photoshopped actors faces, or some sweeping background, or some distinguished piece of art, but by a simple yet absolutely to-the-point 3-color logo on a black background?

They did it with Ghostbusters in 1984.

But yes, the JP covers were unnecessarily redesigned. The old logos (particularly the JP1) were fine.

[Lurker 5]

BTW, one poster/cd cover I find brilliant is JP. How often do you see this, a major movie promoted not by photoshopped actors faces, or some sweeping background, or some distinguished piece of art, but by a simple yet absolutely to-the-point 3-color logo on a black background?

Neil

[MSM 85]

My fav Williams album covers are those for Williams on Williams, Summon the Heroes, Cinema Serenade and Sabrina. Hmmm....maybe I'm a bit influenced my the music on the corresponding cds...

Of those, I choose RotS. Drew Struzan rules.

[Jeshopk 8]

I voted Munich for its hauntingly wonderful photography, while technically, I always love a Drew Struzan poster better than any photo.

[Lurker 5]

I always love a Drew Struzan poster better than any photo.

Even when it is clearly based off of photos?

Neil

[Hitch 55]

And Irish kids are not ugly I think. The lives they lived back then may have made them look poor in pictures, but they suffered a lot.  Roman.-)

They sure did. I should know.

[Elmo Lewis 6]

To me, all the Star Wars collage style CD covers are ugly, both artistically and aesthetically.

And I wholeheartedly agree, although they somewhat iconic now. They draw much more attention than your average photoshopped poster, although plenty of photoshop posters are better.

I voted for Munich of course, with Geisha a close second. Minimalism works wonder in music CD's covers.

-Ross, who wishes Catch Me if you Can had the original poster in the album cover.

[Jeshopk 8]

Even when it is clearly based off of photos?  

Neil

As if there is no difference between Drew artwork and the source photos! As IF!

But I didn't like the Portman dreadlock hairdo in the poster, so Munich is better.

[Lurker 5]

Even when it is clearly based off of photos?  

Neil

As if there is no difference between Drew artwork and the source photos! As IF!

I'm sure the source photo Drew used had Obi-Wan's hair parted on the correct side.

Plus, we all know that the ROTS poster is really 2 different Drew posters sandwiched together, so it's more of a Drew hybrid. He did the artwork but not the layout.

Neil

[Jeshopk 8]

Your point? You do not value Drew posters in the least? You've never liked a painting or drawing with photos used as reference for the qualities of the painting? You have never seen the value in painted posters which use photos as a reference at all?

[Lurker 5]

Oh I certainly have. My favorite poster, Star Trek - The Motion Picture, was based off of photo references. But in doing that, Bob Peak still let his own artistry come through. It looks like a Bob Peak poster. Compare:

Whereas ROTS looks like a poster made via committee. There's no real artistry to it. It's a marketing department arranging photos and then saying, "Paint that". So sure, it resembles a Drew poster, but it's really not.

Neil

[Jeshopk 8]

The ROTS poster is better than a photo collage. But again, I voted for Munich, so your point is moot. My favorite Drew poster is probably the Temple of Doom one.

[Justin 2]

I can hardly stand looking at the ROTS poster. It's so obviously photoshoped.

WOTW has a great cover. It's a shame I rarely touch the score.

Memoirs has a wonderful cover. I really love this one. It's probably my favorite cover of a Williams score since Minority Report or A.I.

Munich looks good except that they cut the poster off at the top. That seems amateurish to me.

Justin

[RomanticStrings 9]

For me it's ROTS because of its association to the day of my last high school choral concert when we had my choir director over for dinner, as well as its association to general end of my senior year/graduation events. None of these are my favorite covers, though I like them all, but this one has the most profound effect upon me based on the memories. Even though WOTW came out on my birthday, I didn't have the CD until a few days later, so it doesn't effect me as much, and I simply haven't looked at the covers of the others as much as ROTS.

~Conor

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Memoirs, for sure. It's quite stunning, and very simple. Then comes Munich, then WotW, then RotS.

Ray Barnsbury