This thread makes me wonder: Can this new A.I. make album covers from the Moodys (or any band, for that matter) LOOK like they were created by Hipgnosis?
Well they were seen as recycling the same concepts and ideas over and over. Not only that, but their approach to music never strayed far from their formula. Hey.....if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That is what the critics thought at least. I remember reading the Rolling Stone review of LDV, and they said that their approach to making music was so reliable that it should be included in the Joy Of Cooking cookbook.
I think that the quote from Rolling Stone was much harsher than just the “in joke” thing. If I remember correctly it was something like: “No other band has so relentlessly pursued nonsense quite like The Moody Blues have. If people didn’t know any better, they would assume that it was all an inside joke carried on for far too long.” They didn’t like them......and that is putting it nicely.
Can't have bands recycling the same concepts - boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy breaks up with girl. Is that what they mean? Excuse the sarcasm, but I've had it up to here with rock critics whose definition of rock does not allow for ambition to go beyond standard themes and standard chores and rhythms. Then again, I don't read Rolling Stone.
I was making a point about critics and such not taking them seriously. Rush had the same problems, but got a bit more respect eventually. Critics, especially Rolling Stone, don’t like any acts that they can’t pigeonhole and who achieve wide success without their “approval”.
band had meditators and acid heads and an Evangelical, a good balancing act with the eyes of a child, you will seeeeeeeeeeee....
That cover is kinda freaky. I always thought that their Threshold Records logo was a bit spooky also. You know, the disembodied head that was flying around at high speed.
I like their album covers. They may not have been as ‘sophisticated’ as the Hipgnosis covers, but that’s no bad thing, imo. And they DO perfectly ‘describe’ the music.
I did these using different AI image generator websites. You be the judge: Using prompt text "Record album cover in the style of Roger Dean for the Yes album "Tales From Topographic Oceans": Using prompt text "Record cover for Pink Floyd's Greatest Hits": Using the art from To Our Children's Children's Children as base images with text prompts for album cover and gatefold:
I looked at them and thought they were trying too hard to seem heavy, which probably meant they weren't really.
The guy clearly wasn't close to Magritte in many ways, putting paint on canvas was his biggest problem. Giving some of the painting a cheap look, but some of them look fine, and they are the Moodie's albums! Unlike those art directors.....
I thought this was an "ironic" post. The Moodies had some of the best rock album covers in history! Seventh Sojourn being the ultimate "rock" album cover.
Going to stick up for the latter-day album covers - I felt the Moodies' album covers were always tasteful & visually appealing. And it likely has something to do with the era the fan is from. I wasn't around in the 60s, but got into the band in the 80s/90s. I really like the cover art of The Other Side of Life, and The Present is my very favorite of all their album covers. I recently acquired a 24" x 36" poster of the gatefold cover, originally sent to record shops for promotion in 1983.
The Other Side of Life album cover is pretty bad... besides it includes a picture of non-member, Patrick Moraz!
I have to take issue with the OP's premise. Okay, Seventh Sojourn is pretty bleak, but the other 6 of the original 7 are pretty fine.
Pretty obvious really. You have to declare your distaste for anything involving male nudity, so as to affirm your heterosexuality. Otherwise you risk the horror of being suspected as gay.