I don't know - it was in this month's Jazzwise in a news item about the new album and it just dropped these in as coming in mid-late October.
I also really liked River Silver. Was looking forward to another one with that lineup. I will have to hear this one.
Thanks for the tip on the Dominik Wania. I love solo piano and judging by the sample this sounds like a great one.
I wonder what percentage of ECM releases over the years have the "traditional" ECM style covers. I'm not sure I could put into words what those covers are like but maybe you understand what I mean.
I know what you mean. And what's interesting is whatever that "style" is has gone through a of lot changes over the years and yet maintained it's own internal consistency.
To begin with the covers were quite diverse, but in the late 90s they converged on a dark blurry photo style. Recently the album art has become less homogeneous again. I just hope we never see a return of those folksy Eberhard Weber covers of the 70s.
OK, listening now. Sounds good. But...I wish they'd cut down on the packaging - jewel case and a cardboard surround which simply repeats what is on front and back is excessive these days. Touchstone are simply gatefold card - they could have a booklet insert if necessary. Other labels are increasingly moving away from jewel cases so it can be done.
Could not disagree more. I dislike the Touchstones packaging enough to have passed on several releases because I think those cheap digi-sleeve things are junk and are impossible to store or display. The jewel cases with o-cards are a thing of beauty and I wish every CD was packaged similarly.
They're the same height and they sit quite happily on my shelves together with jewel-cases. And because they're thinner they take up far less room. Can you not at least accept that the cardboard surround that they seem to stick on new releases is an utter waste?
I like the cardboard covers and I am sorry the old ECM CDs from the late 80s and early 90s do not have them. If you don't like them I think you are allowed to throw them away and we are all happy
I like my jewel boxes, but I own a few of the Touchstones, and I have to say, some of the covers look especially beautiful when they’re not covered in plastic... For the same reason, I try to get the cardboard surround versions if I can get them....
You can't read the spine, there is no protection for the disc, and they show wear almost immediately. To your second point, I guess I can concede; the o-card wraparound thing does seem unnecessary, though it does give the entire package some heft and some class, not to mention making it very easy to spot ECM CDs in the racks at the store (likely the reason they use them). If they stopped including them, however, I wouldn't complain.
Touchstone? Of course you can - I looked at my CD rack and I can see artist and title for Eberhard Weber, John Surman/Peter Warren, Kenny Wheeler. What ECM need is something between the two because, you're right the Touchstone packaging is pretty basic. As I said other labels manage this now. It's not difficult.
I'd love Japanese-style "Mini-LP" sleeves. But I don't mind the Touchstone sleeves. The series is nicely priced.
I've considered making some wall art using all my o-cards, but never got around to it. Anyone do anything creative with them?
That's right. And as such they were much imitated in later years. Either she nicked somebody elses style (which I doubt) or she inaugurated it. But, interestingly, those covers were unique in being the only covers that were not designed by Barbara Wojirsch, and later, Dieter Rehm. I think they sit pretty well beside theirs ones, despite being completely different. Manfred must have liked them a lot to have allowed them to infiltrate his carefully crafted visual aesthetic.
I add mines to the much wider recycling effort, so in away, yes I do. But seriously, I never appreciated them. They increase the bulk of what they contain while I'm trying desperately to slim my collection down so it doesn't overspill into the attic. I wonder what the point of them is? Is it to give the hopelessly industrial feel of a traditional jewel case some degree of warmth and a chance to grow some patina (a la LPs), or is it a desperate marketing attempt to add some value to the aged product? I tend to think it's the former. If so, I don't think it quite works. Much better, in my opinion, is what Winter & Winter did with their all cardboard cases. Quite original. I've only got a few od their cds and they are still like new. So I don't know how they will age. But they are beautifully concieved and feel great to touch. They are definitely worth having over downloads and the option to stream. I'm not sure ECMs are in that category. The slipcase just ain't enough. I wish they focused more on what's inside the jewel case (if they have to keep it). I know, the price would go up considerably if they did. I don't know if anyone agrees with these musings, but that's how I see it.
I suppose some artists negotiate their choice of covers as part of their contracts with ECM. That's the only explanation I have for those Jack DeJohnette's covers (or Charles Lloyd's ones). Some of them are ugly and completely at odds with the ECM brand. Joe Lovano too had a horrible one a couple of years ago.
I like all the covers of my ECM albums, but I only have vinyl editions, no CDs. Oh, except I do have Ralph Towner's "My Foolish Heart" on CD. I think that's the last CD i ever bought, when it came out and I had tickets for his concert featuring it,
I rarely have an issue with an album cover, I mean, it's the music right? But the cover from Dominik Wania's recently released solo piano record, Lonely Shadows, which is a really wonderful recording, super-brilliant improvised piano, I mean WTF is that cover? It looks like some kind of spider or a very abstract hand (playing a keyboard?) or...lonely shadow?? Why couldn't it just be some November trees/rain drops on a windshield with a glowering skyline photo? Something more fittingly impressionistic. It was recorded in November after all. These abstract art covers of the past few years, they are just not appealing to me personally.
