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News
Best & Worst Sleeve Art Of 2009!
12:45 PM GMT 08/01/2010
VINYL IS BACK and with it the art of the record sleeve. Or so say ArtVinyl, a company who turn records into wall art for record freaks. To publicise their concern and generally big up vinyl and its inimitable 12"x12" art canvas, they've picked and ranked the 50 best album sleeve designs of the last 12 months.
While we must congratulate them for their commitment to vinyl and the art of the record - two things MOJO holds dear - we can only protest at the choice of Muse's The Resistance as the sleeve of the year. While it's easily the best ever Muse cover, that's not saying much. In fact, La Boca's design plumbs such depths of store-bought, sophomore pseudery (see also, The Mars Volta) we are forced to name it among our Top 10 worst album covers of the year.
Cue MOJO's 10 Worst Record sleeves of the year, in reverse order...
10. Stereophonics - Keep Calm And Carry On
Prove your underrated (ie. microscopic) sense of humour by nicking current (ie. already old-hat) buzz phrase and have dinner in the sea. Snore!
9. Snow Patrol - Up To Now
Who gives a toss about Lightbody and co's greatest bleats collection? Not the sleeve designer, that's for sure.
8. Neil Diamond - A Cherry Cherry Christmas
That's more like it. Because nothing says Christmas like the card your insurance company sent you last year with Mr Sweet Caroline photoshopped on top.
7. Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl
Besmirch the poetry and mysticism of a timeless work with some crappy typography and Van's new teeth.
6. Muse - The Resistance
Because nothing says you're a Forbidden Planet-frequenting conspiracy-orc like the silhouette of a man against a groovy Time Tunnel-type vortex thing.
5. R.E.M. - 39 Songs Live At The Olympia In Dublin
A magical evening shared with the people who love you the most, or just another live album, knocked out as a contractual obligation? The sleeve art says the latter, only to the power of can't-be-f***ed.
4. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
Oh so nonchalant non-presentation from a band who teeter between admirable self-effacement and too-cool-for-school, finger-to-the-fans smugness.
3. Norah Jones - The Fall
"So have I got this right? This is NJ's Blood On The Tracks, sonically adventurous and riven with loss? I'm thinking... a top hat! And cute dogs!"
2. Chris Moyles - The Parody Album
On one level, as useless as its creator is hateful. On another, a useful and thoroughly authentic indicator of the contents. Meanwhile, recoil at his stubby, foreshortened fingers! And the feet! Ewwwww!
1. The Soundtrack Of Our Lives - Communion
Now, bless them - we kind of know what they're getting at here. It's a satire on modern, conformist consumer mores, like this or even this. But who would buy a record that looks as horrible as this? You're right - someone who bought this...
A personal view by Danny Eccleston
Posted by Ross_Bennett at 12:45 PM GMT 08/01/2010
Previous News
-
MOJO @ SXSW: Day 2!
Our man in Austin referees folk throwdown, watches Seymour Stein take a nap.
10:34 AM GMT 19/03/2010
-
Farewell, Charlie Gillett
A personal appreciation of the groundbreaking DJ/writer by MOJO's David Hutcheon...
10:15 AM GMT 19/03/2010
-
Alex Chilton 1950-2010
A personal tribute to the reluctant Big Star legend, by MOJO's Martin Aston.
6:07 PM GMT 18/03/2010
-
Peter Gabriel Top 10
MOJO office types had a fight over the art-pop egghead's greatest tunes. The results are in!
5:13 PM GMT 18/03/2010
-
Ian Hunter Q&A
The rock'n'roll lifer on his May tour and that astounding Mott reunion.
12:00 PM GMT 18/03/2010
-
SXSW Mourns Alex Chilton
Big Star maverick casts shadow over Day 1 of Austin music fest.
10:22 AM GMT 18/03/2010
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I like the Muse cover! I must also disagree with The Stereophonics choice as number 10 - it's bloody awful and should be higher.
Posted by Isaac at 3:36 PM GMT 08/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Yes, MOJO have consistently failed to place the Stereophonics in their rightful place in rock history. They are number one all the way when it comes to top tens of anything shite.
Posted by Canny Duck at 3:45 PM GMT 08/01/2010 Report Abuse
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The Soundtrack Of Our Lives album cover was great! The Blur concept is close but not as good and the Zeppelin one is not similar AT ALL. I bought it, and it's 2 CDs worth of greatness. One of the years best.
Posted by Anonymous at 3:01 AM GMT 09/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Enjoyed this, the Snow Patrol one in particular is a 'will this do?' eye-sore.
Posted by royaltenebaum at 4:43 PM GMT 09/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Enjoyed this post, the Snow Patrol one in particular is a 'will this do?' eye-sore!
Posted by royaltenenbaum at 4:45 PM GMT 09/01/2010 Report Abuse
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sorry, but I gotta desagree with Muse and Arctic Monkeys choices. I really like them. and there are so much worse covers!
Posted by livia. at 5:01 PM GMT 09/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Yea, along with everyone else i have to disagree with the muse cover. i thinks its an amazing cover. you could have picked something a lot worse.
Posted by Joe at 4:24 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
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How did anyone miss the Flaming Lips "Embryonic?" Was that the face of a five year old boy passing through the birth canal? Great band, awful cover.
Posted by Papagaja at 6:22 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
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How could anyone overlook The Flaming Lips' "Embryonic?" A small boy's face emerging through the birth canal? Not a head trip, just poorly conceived.
Posted by Kyle at 6:28 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
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How could anyone overlook The Flaming Lips' "Embryonic?" A small boy's face emerging through the birth canal? Not a head trip, just poorly conceived.
Posted by Kyle at 6:28 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
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How could anyone overlook The Flaming Lips' "Embryonic?" A small boy's face emerging through the birth canal? Not a head trip, just poorly conceived.
Posted by Kyle at 6:29 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
How could anyone overlook The Flaming Lips' "Embryonic?" A small boy's face emerging through the birth canal? Not a head trip, just poorly conceived.
Posted by Kyle at 6:29 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
Reply to this post
How could anyone overlook The Flaming Lips' "Embryonic?" A small boy's face emerging through the birth canal? Not a head trip, just poorly conceived.
Posted by Kyle at 6:29 AM GMT 10/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Muse's cover is amazing. It totally connects to the lyrics. Maybe you should listen to the album before calling it a "time-tunnel-like vortex thing." Ignorance...
Posted by Anonymous at 2:27 AM GMT 12/01/2010 Report Abuse
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are you kidding me?muse cover is great and it totally connects with their songs...i suggest you to listen the album first...!!!!arctic monkeys cover is pretty good too.....and there are so many worse covers out there....please....this top ten sucks!
Posted by eleni at 7:15 PM GMT 12/01/2010 Report Abuse
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are you kidding me?muse cover is great and it totally conects to their songs....i suggest you to listen the album first!!!and arctic monkeys is pretty good to and there are so many worse out there....please...this top ten sucks!!
Posted by eleni at 7:21 PM GMT 12/01/2010 Report Abuse
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are you kidding me?muse cover ROCKS....i suggest you to listen the album first....
Posted by Anonymous at 7:23 PM GMT 12/01/2010 Report Abuse
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RE: Anonymous
I Agree. It does totally connect to the lyrics. Overblown pretentious pseudo-prog rock posturing of the worst kind. A band with absolutely nothing to say. They remind of U2 with their rallying call to arms before nipping off back to his Italian castle to find some more science fiction to plagerise.
Posted by white rabbi at 8:44 PM GMT 12/01/2010 Report Abuse
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Totally agree with all these choices. Muse are an annoying bunch of pompous whingers. NIce work Mojo!
Posted by Gronk at 3:49 PM GMT 15/01/2010 Report Abuse
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You're missing such as obvious one - the Susan Boyle album - I mean, really - she's on the cover - how much worse could it be than that?
Posted by DDB9000 at 4:25 AM GMT 16/01/2010 Report Abuse
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RE: Anonymous
Muse' album cover is crap as is the lyrics & music they suit each other.
Posted by Anonymous at 11:44 AM GMT 16/01/2010 Report Abuse
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