Joe Bonamassa: The Cover Story
Published March 18, 2006
People keep telling me not to judge a book by its cover, although those same folks will turn around and spout another phrase about first impressions and how important they can be.
Joe Bonamassa's CD cover art has always been the frosting on the multi-tiered wedding cake inside when it comes to his CDs. At least for me.
A New Day Yesterday gave you the feeling that you might be very young and riding along in your parents' car, looking though the windshield up at passing power poles and telephone wires. A sense of wonder. And adventure.
So It's Like That featured a couple of innocent-looking kids peering through the glass together. A sense of curiosity. And a really warm, friendly vibe!
A New Day Yesterday Live was a great piece of cover art for a live recording, with its well-worn set list. The only thing missing was a beer bottle ring, cigarette burn and a hastily scrawled phone number or two. I have to admit that it did seem a little less inspired because it was a seemingly quick release and cover art had to be different than the studio version, of course.
Had To Cry Today was full of open space and landscape and desert and lone, inanimate objects: gas pumps. The problem was that the old desert-gas-pump theme has been done to death. Green Day even used that theme in one of their videos that year. It's a very common mass media theme, especially out West: Old pick up trucks and Chrissie Hyndes-waitresses waiting inside with a cup of fresh coffee.
Now comes You and Me. Although I don't see "You" anywhere on the cover unless "You" were vaproized by a death ray seconds before.
It's apparently an action photo of Joe, deep in guitar-whacking glory, that's been manipulated and coated with twenty-seven shades of blood-red ink. It reminds me of the 90s' Brad Pitt psycho-shocker Seven with its homemade potato-stamp-dipped-in-ink ragged look and deeply depressed feel. I would imagine that it conveys the general sense you'd get in an alien meat-packing plant or if you were suddenly thrust deep into the bowels of a whale that has some serious gastric problems.
Joe looks like an axe murderer from a scene in The Shining.
This horror-movie poster imagery is the farthest thing from my mind when I think of Joe and his music. It's going to have fans scratching their heads in confusion; not like Bode Miller's failure to win medals in last month's Olympics, but more like if you heard that nice kid next door murdered his parents last night.
I'm hoping and I know that the cover art and the music inside are in no way related. That's kind of a shame anyway, but the canyon of difference bewteen the tunes inside You and Me and the ghoulish cover art is troubling.
It's gonna be tough trying to feel the Blues and seeing so much Red first.
From Bill in Utah, for Bonamassa Blog.
- Joe Bonamassa: The Cover Story
- Published: March 18, 2006
- Type: Opinion
- Section: Music
- Filed Under: Music: Blues, Culture: Arts, Music: Rock
- Writer: Joan Hunt
- Joan Hunt's BC Writer page
- Joan Hunt's personal site
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Comments on this articleComments
Wow. I like it. There's a big "you" right there in print also, not sure how someone could miss that. Joe has said a few times now that I have heard that the cd is called You and Me for the fans, meaning the fans and himself. This cover shows that to me in that its an image of him as he is playing for the fans. I witness this pose at each show I have seen, which are the ultimate concerts for me. I get the feeling from the cover and theme of the cd that pose comes at a moment when he is most connecting with his fans. When I am witnessing Joe get down live like in the pose in the cover I actually get the feeling he's giving his everything for us(his You). I don't see horror imagery there but maybe you have to have had your head in that place to begin with to see it that way. I can't wait to buy the poster of this actually, and the little image doesn't do the art justice. But we all know its a matter of taste.
Peace
Jane
I can't tell you all how great it is to have such candid remarks regarding the cover that I designed for Joe. Oh, and Bill in Utah FYI - That's a painting I did of Joe. There is no photo involved whatsoever. So your comments regarding the 'photo' coated in 27 shades of red ink would be incorrect. But no worries! I welcome all opinions. If you have questions about why Joe and I decided to create the cover this way I'll be more than happy to answer them. Trust me there are plenty of reasons why this was done like this that perhaps some of you aren't getting.
Thanks,
Dennis
p.s. Oh and Jane... if you want a poster of it just let me know and I'll get you one.
Dennis, I can fully appreciate how much work you put into the cover art. I actually think the artwork is rather nice, especially the pattern details seen in larger versions of it. I will say, as a cover...it's just a bit too dark and too "standard" compared to what we normally see on Joe's albums. That's not to say bad...just not at all what anyone was expecting. It's not as personal or deep as what we imagined, I guess. Every other cover seemed to provide a little glimpse into the world of Joe, or at least that's what we told ourselves.
Again, I think the actual artwork is great, but it didn't seem to fit what WE expected. That said, I would love to hear more about how you created this cover, what some of the thoughts were behind some of the choices made. I actually think it would a fascinating story to hear.
Hey Thanks Dennis! I'll send you a note. I'm STILL loving it, the cd and the cover art. and also the HTCT cover...
Peace
Jane
actually Dennis if you don't mind send me a note, I don't see any contact here for you. You can find my email over on Joe's official forum, I post as Jane H. there.
thanks
also I got one of the killer Y+M t-shirts Joe's selling at shows. I have gotten only favorable comments about it.
Joanie when you said this "That's not to say bad...just not at all what anyone was expecting. It's not as personal or deep as what we imagined, I guess. Every other cover seemed to provide a little glimpse into the world of Joe, or at least that's what we told ourselves."
Do you mean you and Bill or do you really mean "anyone"?. I mean how can you speak for anyone?
I had no expectations about the cd cover, I didn't tell myself anything.
I find it quite a stretch to say there isn't anything personal or deep about the cover for You and Me. Standard? For goodness sakes, Bill praises the cover for ANDY Live.
Jane
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Interesting stuff, Joan. I love cover art.
It seems to me though, it's something that has suffered when the media of choice went from Albums to CDs.
I still have crates upon crates of my old albums stored and have long thought of framing them and using them for art in my home office.