Nocturnal Butterfly: If I Were A Record Sleeve Designer

When the Compact Disc began to spell the end of the idea of the LP or Single sleeve as an intriguing piece of artwork that offered a glimpse into the world of the band and the music that the cover contained within, little did I know that even CD artwork would be rendered increasingly irrelevant by downloading. I think this is a great cultural tragedy, as a huge part of the pleasure and excitement is removed from our experience of popular music because of this. I mean, imagine listening to a new Roxy Music album without having had the tantalising covers working their magic on you before you even put the needle on the record? As with so much about our current culture, I am glad I was young during a time before the likes of Facebook and Twitter, a time when bands often meant the world to people and when they had the power to change lives, and when people made the time to listen to music properly. But having said all that, despite missing vinyl - and even Cds in truth - one aspect of having an i-pod that I actually adore is the fact that I can actually choose my own album/single covers. Here are a few examples where I think my album/single covers would be/are! a huge improvement on the official releases.

Original cover first, then my alternative...

Brian Eno: Neroli (Thinking Music)