how important is the packaging...?
 

on your record, cd's, tapes etc?

this is inspired by the no neck thread because i remember the packaging to sticks and stones was amazing, wood and glass which had been hand made.

so what makes you pick one record over another? have you ever bought something on the cover alone?

I can't remember anything that I've bought purely on the strength of its cover, but I do like it when as much thought is put into the aesthetics of a release as the sound of it. A label that comes quickly to mind is Table Of The Elements, whose artwork is almost unfailingly beautiful and gives you an immediate good feeling about the quality of the contents.

just looking at prefuse 73's uprock narratives made me want to buy it. i checked out the music in the shop and got it straight away.

Many times. There are many records that i love that have uninteresting covers but there are many more that have great covers and the music matches it. It might not be their greatest record but the packaging for this is so good that i have a copy that i listen to and one that is unopened:

Packaging is usually important for about the first 20 minutes.

packaging is what makes me buy a cd/lp/cassette instead of downloading it. to me, it's very important, but i'd never buy music based on packaging alone. i've seen so many bad albums come in neat packages, it's insane.

my favorite packaging would have to be boris' "soundtrack for film: mabuta no ura" (the brazilian box version). it came in a hand sculpted wooden box, filled with dead flower petals, a bunch of really nice album art cards, the cd itself, and string to tie it all together. it was limited to 199 copies and was worth every penny.

i've bought cheap stuff (i.e. second hand) based on the cover art, what annoys me though is when the packaging pushes up the price, like with mirror records, or 7" singles that cost like £8.99 or whatever.

I like nice packages, but they don't affect my shopping habits :)
lately I was really surprised (positively) by the new EITS cd packaging. I love that poster (sort of) than "inglobes" the cover.
I like shellac records' packaging.
I loved kid-a booklet (nyah nyah nyah!)
Never had a turntable, so I can't comment on super picture discs and stuff.
The one and only time I wanted to buy a record for its cover was when I saw Queen Adreena "taxidermy" in a supermarket. Never heard anything about them (I did not have internet at the time, go figure....), came back to the store with some money the next day and the cd was gone. I asked the "cds guy" for it and he said he never heard that name, but suggested me to buy "greatest hits 2" by Queen. Yeah right. Good job, man.

it's important to get the first impression when you know nothing about the band/release.

Anyways, all the Constellation artists have really beautiful record packagings (remember GYBE!'s "F#A# Infinity" with a crushed coin inside?)

Oh, hang on, I did buy this for the packaging:



DS012
ARTIST: THE ANGELIC PROCESS
ALBUM: 'WE ALL DIE LAUGHING' LIMITED EDITION BOX
FORMAT: CD LIMITED TO 333 COPIES, PRESENTED IN A HAND DECORATED WOODEN BOX, WITH LITTLE EXTRAS TO MAKE EACH ONE DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE. SIGNED AND HAND NUMBERED BY THE ANGELIC PROCESS.
RELEASE DATE: 10/17/06
PRICE: $17.00 + SHIPPING

It was worth every penny.

i love so much of the volcanic tongue stuff and other indie labels/bands. i love it when things are hand made and ahow a degree of creativity.

both you and _slavo_ are right in my opinion, when I see an appealing cover / packaging I always take note of the band's name and check their music. Something I probably would not do if the cover wasn't interesting.

ye si have done that, saw the cover and checked them out then gone back and bought it.

Does anyone remember those guys who used to send people a mass of vinyl that you were meant to throw into a pan and press it into a round shape and make your own record under their name in the 80's ? That was a genius idea.

Ah yes, I've done that several times. But I wouldn't buy without trying first.

no, my copy didn't have that? was that a limited first pressing thing or something?

not really important; in fact, i hate really annoyingly-packaged music... i prefer stuff like refused - the shape of punk to come which came with an essay on every song. i'd rather it be packaged with cool art or stuff to read than ridiculous gimmicky shit. though the ridiculous gimmicky shit is what will get you noticed, so...

http://www.cstrecords.com/cst003_artwork.html

it was him!

its personality that counts!

I thought this too, but more focused:

I read that on some italian music magazine a few years ago and, yes, it mentioned that they'd sell 'this thing', and expensive it was too. The same article mentioned also these 'musicians' (i think conceptual artists is more the name for these sort of people) who would sell these records that fucked up your turntable when you played them, but they came with a warning on the sleeve. The magazine is 'Rumore' but i can't think of which issue it was.

The Feederz had that LP with the sandpaper sleeve that would fuck up your other records if you put it in your collection.

I've seen Aphex Twin playing a whole gig with a sandpaper 'record'. Atrocious noise.

And, of course, Christian Marclay did his "Record Without a Sleeve", which is a brilliant piece of packaging.

Can I mention Project Dark again?

EDIT - No, it's okay, that's another thread altogether.

that's such a good album....it would be worth having two even if it wasn't packaged like a prescription.

Let it come down also has an alternate package with a vacuum formed Yoko who's closed eyes seem follow you no matter where you are.

I don't give a fuck about packaging. In my hands it'll end up ripped, cracked, partially lost and grubby regardless. Music might as well come in a brown paper bag as far as I'm concerned (or, hey, no packaging at all. just downloaded straight to my stereo. Great.)

If I want to look at pretty pictures I'll go to a gallery. Or the artists website.

Oh.. but, that said, I do prefer digipack-style CD packaging. Just because it reminds me of gatefold vinyl and smells a bit like books. But that's my only preference. And it's not a big thing.

I don't know who the Feederz are, but I assume they got the idea from Guy Debord, or am I wrong?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Debord

"Debord's first book, Memoires, was bound with a sandpaper cover so that it would destroy other books placed next to it."

Or did someone else had this idea - that I quite like - before?

This isn't the most helpful resonse, I know, but I'm sure I remember, many mnay years ago, having an LP with a scratch 'n' sniff sleeve. I can't remember who by though.

Was Spinal Tap's "Smell The Glove" supposed to be scratch 'n' sniff? (I know that sounds like a facetious question, but it's not meant to be)

the cover of add (n) to x's "add insult to injury" was perfumed... but the smell faded after a while...

ok so whats the most eqsuisitally packaged cd/record you ever saw?

have you ever noticed how all second hand record shops somehow smell the same. like second had clothes shops?

The packaging of the vinyl of the "Harmony of the Spheres" compilation is rather nice.

One of the recent Merzbow CDs is in a marble box isn't it? That sounds nice too.


^
Merzbow - Metamorphism

yes i got the plastic sleeves. wish i had used them on some of records i played a lot because they look like the pages of old books now, all dog eared and faded.

damn!!!!

most of my vinyl is in sleeves. and there it will stay until RAGNAROK because I don't have a turntable to play records on....

oh well! did you manage to get any? any good ones?

How important? Extremely. I'm serious.

Have I ever bought a record or CD based on the cover alone? Yes, I have. Many times. I love album cover art.

It would be hard to pick a favorite. I like so many for many different reasons. The best ones are the ones that match the music perfectly--I'm thinking of Patti Smith's Horses and the Stones' Sticky Fingers (probably my favorite cover of all). I also really admire Metal Box for its design--genius.

yeah! it's called "metamorphism" and i was able to snag a copy of it. it was preeeetty impressive...and heavy.

Mine has all sorts of cap in it. a train-smushed coin, photos, printouts, all sorts of goodies in an envelope.