FragileUndertow said:

I dont care for the cover. But i will say the title is absolutely fitting
Artificial as in cheap ass cover. Maybe its suposed to look like crap as in a joke or play on words

But Prince is supposed to be the voice enlighening us so it makes no sense to portray himself as Art ificial.

The 3rd eyeglass on this album is a mistake, imo.

[Edited 8/28/14 10:11am]

tobydavies said:

novabrkr said:

No, it's not an unreasonable assumption. There's a sky in the background and the 4 records do make up a "cloud" with four bumps (they're made to look blurry and are hovering in the sky with some other clouds). Them not being asymmetrical could simply be the choice of the artist to make the album cover look more balanced (or Prince's own choice, for that matter).

It's too much of a coincidence otherwise.

Too much of a coincidence that there are vinyl albums on the cover of AOA and they don't really look at all like the "universal icon for cloud storage" so therefore there must be a connection?

Believe what you like, but I don't think so.

They're made to look like a cloud. I don't know whether or not the artist's or Prince's intention was to refer to the idea of "cloud storage". However, the aspect that the records hover in the sky among clouds and are made to look like a cloud themselves, combined with the album's title, does not make it unreasonable to assume that it has something to do with the Internet or current technology in general. It's a whole different question how "deep" or "meaningful" this connection is, or is it just Prince being very vague (as he often is).

Your counterargument using Hitler's and Chaplin's moustache style as an example is not valid. If the records in the background are supposed to symbolize something then you can't simply compare it to two individuals sharing the same moustache style. As far as I know, Hitler didn't attempt to "refer to" Chaplin, the film industry or anything else by having that moustache. The whole idea of symbolic representation is that something stands for something else. The records quite likely "stand for" a cloud / clouds on the cover, although we can't tell for sure if we're supposed to make further assumptions based on that.

If you find Se7en's use of the words "clearly" and "obvious" too strong then read them as "most likely" or "I'm convinced this is what is meant by" etc. You're being unreasonably rude towards him / her.

The shape of the records resemble a cloud. They're set against a sky blue background. There's a song called Clouds. Why are we discussing this?

I LOVE IT!

I thinks its beautiful! And the first thing I notice was the Sky blue background & the glasses.

This very much so will not be hard to find!

If I like it I'll buy it! <3

Just something I noticed that may or may not be intentional: this album cover seems to incorporate most of Prince's album covers leading up to Purple Rain.

.

- Afro from For You

- Blue background/partial stance from Prince

- (nothing from Dirty Mind)

- Stance/face from Controversy

- Glossy outfit akin to the 1999 era's glossy purple trenchcoat

- Purple Rain records in the background

Se7en said:

^ I agree the Prince art covers since Emancipation and on.... terrible.

However Mr Sausage... your choice of words, I can't agree with that.. not even funny.

Se7en said:

Just something I noticed that may or may not be intentional: this album cover seems to incorporate most of Prince's album covers leading up to Purple Rain.

.

- Afro from For You

- Blue background/partial stance from Prince

- (nothing from Dirty Mind)

- Stance/face from Controversy

- Glossy outfit akin to the 1999 era's glossy purple trenchcoat

- Purple Rain records in the background

I like your observation..!

thedance said:

chriss said:

thedance said:

KingSausage said:

Se7en said:

Just something I noticed that may or may not be intentional: this album cover seems to incorporate most of Prince's album covers leading up to Purple Rain.

.

- Afro from For You

- Blue background/partial stance from Prince

- (nothing from Dirty Mind)

- Stance/face from Controversy

- Glossy outfit akin to the 1999 era's glossy purple trenchcoat

- Purple Rain records in the background

It also incorporates elements of most of his album covers since Emancipation: - It sucks ass - It sucks balls - It's fucking terrible - It's cheap - It's laughable - It sucks ass - It sucks balls

GOOD GAWD!

why do you even bother?

your comments are so NEGATIVE!

GO AWAY!!!

chriss said:

KingSausage said:

Se7en said: It also incorporates elements of most of his album covers since Emancipation: - It sucks ass - It sucks balls - It's fucking terrible - It's cheap - It's laughable - It sucks ass - It sucks balls

GOOD GAWD!

why do you even bother?

your comments are so NEGATIVE!

GO AWAY!!!

His user name says it all , maybe he loves only Bacon

Lockwood88 said:

chriss said:

GOOD GAWD!

why do you even bother?

your comments are so NEGATIVE!

GO AWAY!!!

His user name says it all , maybe he loves only Bacon

KingSausage said:

I've been on the Org since 1999. You people are just weak and apparently very sensitive. Just settle down. And complaining about harsh language? Really?! Are you handing out copies of the Watchtower?

I've missed you

3NineteeN04 said:

I agree, he could have done a much better job. 4-5 years and this is what he comes up with. Wow. I just think we deserve more than two discs this year.

we don't 'deserve' a damn thing

chriss said:

KingSausage said:

Se7en said: It also incorporates elements of most of his album covers since Emancipation: - It sucks ass - It sucks balls - It's fucking terrible - It's cheap - It's laughable - It sucks ass - It sucks balls

GOOD GAWD!

why do you even bother?

your comments are so NEGATIVE!

GO AWAY!!!

I really enjoy these negative comments .. they are fun .. I like em as much as I like KoolMusiq and his "masterpiece" cloud art things. Both are a gas. Why you tell people to go away? Everybody should be welcome here .. isn't that what P is all about .. uniting everyone .. not uniting everyone as long as they are robot drones who all think the same way .. but just letting people all exist as they are .. no harm done here .. some aspects of that album cover do suck balls .. particular the third lense on his forhead .. p is really off his rocker this time .. but u can like the cover .. thats all good too

I guess Trevor has a point...

but at least it is expressed with

words that have MEANING...

chriss said:

Se7en said:

Just something I noticed that may or may not be intentional: this album cover seems to incorporate most of Prince's album covers leading up to Purple Rain.

.

- Afro from For You

- Blue background/partial stance from Prince

- (nothing from Dirty Mind)

- Stance/face from Controversy

- Glossy outfit akin to the 1999 era's glossy purple trenchcoat

- Purple Rain records in the background

Circles. Lots of circles.

i think the cover art matches the concept in that its all artifice....

the purple rain platinum discs are a little nod to

'let's not forget wtf i did here'...and i'm still at it

it's got a jesus - halo thing going on as well...if you just zoom out
and look it its got a church window stained glass kinda feeling to it

I don't mind the cover.

Prince's strong suit has never been his album covers, minus a few good ones.

That cover is freaky deeky and I fucking love it. All my firends do too and a lot of them don't even like Prince. It turns heads and shows that Prince can still turn up the weirdness factor. Then again, in the digital download age, who gives a fuck about art and graphics anymore? I do, but I went into art school partly because I wanted to design album jackets. 12 inch ones with gate folds, die cuts and liner notes and inserts.

.

That used to be part of the fun of buying a new record. You could listen to the album and read the lyrics, look at the pix, hang the poster up, put the stickers on your car and all sorts of shit. Alice Cooper, KISS, Parlaiment/Funkadelic, Hendrix, Stones, Zeppelin, Pink Floyd...Bowie, Elton John...Jethro Tull...

.

Bad enough that the graphics got shrunk with CD's and cassettes, the toys and stickers went bye-bye but now it's virtually ALL gone away. Same with (what do they call those things?)....BOOKS! And Magazines.

.

Sorry for the rant, but I guess my point is that we're arguing about somethig that doesn't even matter anymore. "Albums". "Covers" What's the last "Iconic Album Cover" you can name? Now excuse me while I go feel old and post a 'greatest album cover thread in GD.

.

Also, having said that, boy oh boy, the Plectrum Electrum cover is the real turd here.

Who really cares about the cover as long as the music is good. Arguing about album artwork makes almost as much sense as arguing about his hair.

Bambi82 said:

Who really cares about the cover as long as the music is good. Arguing about album artwork makes almost as much sense as arguing about his hair.

This is a discussion about the album cover not the music. The music has nothing to do with it
There is a thread around "Top Ten Album Covers" Should this not be discussed either?
As you can see some people like it! Should there voice be silenced?
Some dont seem to like it and that makes it wrong?

Im guessing you have no say on the cover. So why even bother posting in this thread?

this takes the cake as worst album coupled with worst album cover too!

NPS had a butt-ugly album cover (seriously, I would go to extreme lengths so my friends wouldn't see that cover) but the music was pretty good

this is a terrible album cover with terrible music. The 3rd eye possibly makes it worse.

thedance said:

^ I agree the Prince art covers since Emancipation and on.... terrible.

However Mr Sausage... your choice of words, I can't agree with that.. not even funny.

It's horrid. And yes, starting with Emancipation, all the covers have been amateur hour. I mean several have been blurry or in low definition! Art isn't always subjective -- this cover sucks ass.

The 'Breakfast Can Wait' viral success has convinced *somebody* they're onto something.
Kind of reminds me of the Terry Wogan response to David Icke in 1992.
'They're no laughing WITH you, Dave'.

I dunno. In a way, I can see some strategy in it and the BCW sleeve...trying to puncture the perceived self-inflicted wound of 'Symbol'.
But the thing is that Prince is catching up with a public/media perception that's twenty years old (in BFW's case, more like 30) and basically that stuff is now, if anything, cool.
I mean, so much of the symbol period has connected by now...the esoteric, the weirdness is Gagatastic etc...
And sadly, I think he's just blown it in the same way as Gaga did.
But I am prepared to be wrong cos I haven't seen this image, as others are reporting, blown up into street ads etc.

Definitely not destined to join the 'cool album under arm at school' canon though.