Here's the cover for SHINE, set for a September 25 release. I like it, but I'd have completely dropped the lettering...


And it apparently will be packaged for some retailers like this...

[Edited 9/6/07 17:30pm]

that album cover looks like ass.

Horrible...She's had such fantastic covers over the years...but this...Is she coping prince in terms of bad taste

Joni's cover makes this seem like a masterpiece:



(photoshop freaks...time 4 some magic...)

I'm surprised you guys don't like it. The lettering is awful -- and the "safe" packaging is downright horrendous -- but you guys don't think the art is interesting???
[Edited 9/6/07 17:21pm]

Lammastide said:

It looks like a recording for a Broadway play. It might be interesting sans the dancers.

JackieBlue said:

But that'd be just the moon... or the cloud circle... or whatever the heck that is.

Lammastide said:

it looks like grace slick solo album cover art circa 1978 or some shit

It's not bad, I like it.
[Edited 9/6/07 19:09pm]

I can't see it. Probably would have been better on a 12" sleeve?

Lammastide said:

Then I'd just reposition the moon and possibly the lettering to create balance. Otherwise I'd just redo the cover with a whole new design.

Does "Shine" refer to the shiny butts?!

It's pretty bad, won't be surprised if people update their Worst Album Cover lists for this one.

MendesCity said:

hence the moon on the cover.

)
[Edited 9/6/07 21:02pm]

looks like the playbill for the san francisco ballet.

It looks good.

Including the lettering.

It's different - for once she's not on the cover. Reminds me of the artwork for "Strays of the World" from the Crystal Ball online booklet.
By the way, I'm certain Joni doesn't care one whit what anyone thinks of the artwork, whether it's in good taste or not. Never did.

How the hell can that be considered "utterly bad" by anyone's standards?
[Edited 9/7/07 9:00am]

That cover design is terrible. Especially the second one with the blue banner across the cover.
At Amazon you can here short clips of all the songs.

Uhm, it's obviously a piece of paper wrapped around a digipak or a big sticker so that the title of the album is more visible at a store shelf.

Again, how the hell is that supposed to be bad? How is that any different from any of the classic album covers of the 70s? What the hell is wrong with this place these days.

Well, I try to explain what I don´t like about the cover.
Joni is one of the most important female artists ever and we all know that she must have a good eye for visuals and design. She considers herself a painter and she is into photography too. This is a very important album for her because it is kind of her comeback album after she announced her retirement.
That is why people expect something stunning from her.
She must know that a group of dancers heading towards something that looks like planet earth is incredibly corny and simplistic for her standards. I expected something more interesting.
Most people on her message board at jonimitchell.com are not thrilled with the cover either.

If that isn't a solid example of good album cover album cover art has no hope.

"Corny" stopped meaning anything that simplistic decades ago when people actually released the potential in double-reading visuals. And no, that's not even a very good example of "corny" either.

at least it's not another one of her van-gough knock offs...

I found this blurb about the album on JoniMitchell.com. I think it helps explain the album cover:

"...The album is part of a series of new work from her, including a ballet based on her music, "The Fiddle and the Drum," and a visual art exhibit that opens in the fall in New York..."

Personally, I don't think it's her best cover, but I don't think it's horrid either.

Besides, since Joni swore years ago that she'd never record another album, I'm so happy that she's releasing new music that I don't care about a sub-par cover.