Unusually packaged music?

[HollisBrown]

The LP for Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" had a fold out newspaper complete with cover page stories, classifieds, and so on. I wish I had a picture, it's a lot cooler than it sounds.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HollisBrown The LP for Jethro Tull's "Thick As A Brick" had a fold out newspaper complete with cover page stories, classifieds, and so on. I wish I had a picture, it's a lot cooler than it sounds.

Didn't the newspaper contain names that were hidden in the articles, as a way to give credit to those who didn't have a first-rate impact on the album's creation? Seem to remember reading that somewhere.

 

[Dusty Chalk]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cyclone ....ANY hooo... back on to something that other people are actually interested in. Tool's Lateralus has some interesting packaging. Its hard to describe the pagaging but they made very good use of translucent plastics and flip books. Very cool packaging and even better artwork. Well done.

I love that picture of the cow that's hidden behind the spindle on ... what is it, their first album? Undertow?

 

[adhoc]

imo, i think the special edition of aimee mann's lost in space is quite purty.

the picture's small, but it's a 1cm thick 'book' with 2 cds, and lots of art.

completely OT: my fav cover art of all time has to be joy divisions' unknown pleasures.

 

[Wmcmanus]

I've just spent about 20 minutes cleaning up this thread and will be sending PM's to those who were involved in the personal attacks, responses to those attacks, etc. Quite frankly, I don't really care who is "right" or "wrong" or who knows the most, or can thump their chest the loudest.

The point is that if you see an offensive post in this or any thread, report it by clicking on the "Report Bad Post" icon in the lower left-hand corner of that post, and let us do our jobs. Joining into the frey just makes it worse.

 

[Cyclone]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alu Alex Grey is one hell of an artist. BTW, there is a hidden word in the artwork on the second last page.

*Runs downstairs to find Lateralus*

...where? and what? Do I have to be stoned for this to work?

 

[immtbiker]

"Coleman Hawkins Encounters Ben Webster" has a nice 3-fold cardboard jewel case with a rounded edge on the front cover.

Pearl Jam's "Vitalogy" is nice because it is a carboard book with all of the insert pages bound to the cover with a sleeve for the CD to sit in. The only problem is that the case only fits into a standard CD bookshelf or holder, sideways, and you can't read the spine when looking through your collection.

 

[s m @]

Too many to remember, but thanks for reminding me of that Massive Attack singles box! I would've forgotten it probably, but it's my favourite.

Lots of odd coloured jewel cases: The entire recent Boredoms one is blue, with the writing/art screened onto the front. The Japanese version is done on a brownish case, I believe. A couple Theivery Corp, as mentioned, a Spiritualised live one was done in an all red case (inside a cardboard sleeve, though), and Fantomas' 'Delirium Cordia' is in a translucent black/grey case, almost like a tinted window to see the words inside.

Speaking of Fantomas, their last album is done as a CD sized, fold-down calendar of the month of April 2005 (the month it came out), Japanese themed, with art for each day of the month done by Yo****omo Nara (?). The Fantomas label on the front you see is actually a sticker that you can take off to see more of the artwork. This picture doesn't really do it justice since you can't see any of the pictures for the individual days, but:

I would say that their label, Ipecac, along with John Zorn's Tzadik, and Alien 8, probably put out the most consistently great and unusual CD packaging that I know of.

Also, speaking of Spiritualized above, almost every one of their CDs have come out it some sort of crazy special edition. I remember that for either 'Pure Phase' or 'LAGWAFIS' it was a pillbox on the outside, with a separate mini disc for each track, each contained in a... pop-out-of-tin-tray sort of package like pills come in. The only one of theirs I actually have is 'Let It Come Down', with a concave carving of the girl on the regular cover which is really cool:

One of the best is Jazzanova's 'In Between', which is hard to describe. It's a book of 7 pieces of bound cardboard each with art on them and progressively smaller, concentric shapes cut into them. And the shapes work with each other, as does the art, so it's a very cool effect. The CD slides into an envelope at the back.

For box sets, I think the recent Miles ones have to take the prize, but someone else can describe them since this is already long. Some of the Coltrane ones on Impulse are pretty nice, too.

 

[White Fox]

Maybe not too unusual, but the current Freddie Hubbard Straight Life CD comes in this glossy digi-pack that is supposed to, I think, resemble the classic CTI record covers of old. I really love this album now.

They have this 'The CTI catalogue re-launch series' list of other albums that were re-issued printed inside. I don't think more current CTI re-issues have this same type of presentation as Red Clay & Stanley Turrentine Sugar come in standard jewel cases. Too bad, as the Straight Life re-issue doesn't cost more (I think).

 

[Dusty Chalk]

And I wish i could find an image of Spiritualized's Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space -- it came in a limited "pill" package.

I like this one -- caught my eye:

It comes in a Constellation-like (Constellation is a record label that hand-makes their packaging) construction paper with foil-like ink writing package.

 

[Dorfmeister]

Public Image Limited's Metal Box

Three 12" 45's in a metal film can.

Link to a Review of Metal Box

 

[xixco]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hardbop Radiohead's Kid A has an interesting insert. All sorts of fold outs and different paper materials, some translucent. Lots of visual abstractions and no words.

was this the vinyl release or have i just not really looked at my "book" for Kid A? *sits back feeling foolish*

 

[eyeteeth]

x

 

[kane]

The Merzbox - 50 Merzbow CD's in a black fetish bag.

 

[kampfy]

Peace Orchestra's first album, also known as the non-remix album, also known as the one that didn't suck, had a bandaid on the outside of the case. And the CD insert was actually a relatively huge poster (24" x 36" ish) printed on very, very thin paper that could fold up into the size of the CD case, and still slide into a normal CD insert slot.