WFTSC Artwork Revisited

Before the next one is released, I thought I'd revisit the last one. I slagged the artwork for this pretty heavily when it first came out. Called it What The Fuck, Sucky Cover, an' all.

Howard Wakefield was even on here, graciously answering loads of questions, and I felt bad about being so harsh about his work.

Funny thing is, it's grown on me since then, and I actually like it now. Anybody else rethink it? Or do you feel the same-- or stronger-- about it now as you did then?

NO, I always liked it, still do.

I was not really impressed with it at first. I didn't much care for Get Ready's artwork, either. I'd like to see some sort of return to the rehash-tributing artwork that Saville did back pre 93', or someone who has that mindset and gives it a fresh take to do the stuff for the next album.

WFTSC's art has grown on me (more than GR's will, I believe). It's just something new to get used to; the changing of the art.

Though, if I had my ideal cover, it'd be artwork the band made themselves. Something collaborative. Something uniquely them without anyone else projecting their notions onto it. That could be cool. Even if it wound up being a bizarre handwritten typeface and nothing but rips of confetti forming a collage of a sailboat on the open sea.

Or just a rubber duckie. Whatever.

Indifferent to it, personally

The most minimalist work. But, hey, aren't NO album covers minimalist?

melly wrote: Though, if I had my ideal cover, it'd be artwork the band made themselves. Something collaborative. Something uniquely them without anyone else projecting their notions onto it. That could be cool. Even if it wound up being a bizarre handwritten typeface and nothing but rips of confetti forming a collage of a sailboat on the open sea.

Or just a rubber duckie. Whatever.

I was under the impression that Barney had some creative input into the WFTSC sleeve. Doesn't he fancy himself a bit of a graphic designer?

Daver wrote:

I was under the impression that Barney had some creative input into the WFTSC sleeve. Doesn't he fancy himself a bit of a graphic designer?

You've a point there.

But he did more wonders with An Ideal for Living, right? Nice drawing, there.

I like it; it's plain but effective. It's probably my least favourite though.

I always liked the Get Ready artwork and the androgynous nature of the model, and the idea with the video camera pointed back at the viewer.

I quite like it, actually... The Singles and 12x12" sleeves however were lazy... I don't think could ever hate a NO sleeve, they've all been special in their own way... Having said that GR is probably my least favourite...

SHEDi xxx

Daver wrote: I was under the impression that Barney had some creative input into the WFTSC sleeve. Doesn't he fancy himself a bit of a graphic designer?

Saville's original idea for the WFTSC cover was to reconstruct the PC&L cover but with real flowers, as he stated in the April 2005 Mojo: "I wanted to refabricate New Order in a way that's relevant to their music now. But they were flabbergasted about that".

So more nostalgic recycling. But the photos in the WFTSC booklet are nice to look at and are just right both in vinyl and CD size.

i quite like it now. when it first came out i thought it looked a bit childish.

melly wrote:

Daver wrote:

I was under the impression that Barney had some creative input into the WFTSC sleeve. Doesn't he fancy himself a bit of a graphic designer?

You've a point there.

But he did more wonders with An Ideal for Living, right? Nice drawing, there.

I've got the poster on my wall.

It was certainly eyecatching; therefore it served it's purpose very well.

In terms of artistic merit; 6-7/10.

The flower pic, outside a council estate, on the inside was more a 8-9/10 and would have been a much better cover IMHO.

I do really like the inside of the booklet though - nice photos, really simple layout...

SHEDi xxx

On the subject of artwork. Does anyone have a high resolution image of the inside booklet of Republic. I love the pictures on the inside cover for Republic and I would like to use parts of it as a background. My scanner is non-existent and google is no-help whatsoever.

I don't like the orange letters, but I do like the pastel coloured background you see when you take the CD out of it's case.

I'm sorry to slag Howard off (he seemed a top bloke when he posted here...) but, one year later, I still find the sleeve atrociously L-A-Z-Y. And just don't get me started on the Arial/Helvetica business...

The effect is lost on the CD. When you hold the double LP you see a minimalist matte cover with glossed letters. Then you open to the glossy gatefold and you see the explosion of spectrum colors (the picture that the background of the CD behind the clear case) and you realize that this album on the inside is going to be filled with rich and vibrant music.

Then each of the glossy LP dust jackets each have these colorful and various edge to edge pictures continuing the rich impression of the experience of the album as you flip album side to side.

After that experience, you should have a better appreciation of the art and the effect it conveys.

One year on: the "No" [outer] cover / sleeve is still 1000% shite. No [fnaar] wonder not that many people bought the album. I mean, would YOU buy a record that screams "No" from the cover - as if trying to discourage you from actually picking it up and taking it to the checkout? Putting it bluntly, I am sick and tired of seeing uninspired white sleeves for every single New Order release. It is such a cop out. The monotony of this is just astounding.

At least the single came with the originally-intended artwork idea. That was an improvement. But it's fair to say that since 1993, the days of New Order's best record sleeve designs are way behind them.