About the Melvins art direction lately...

Started by Sludgebaby, October 19, 2015, 12:31:05 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Sludgebaby

Am I the only one who isn't super impressed by the visual side of the Melvins lately?

Narrowing it down to studio album covers, the last cover I really liked was Electroretard, and I've never been a huge fan of Mackie's style but the last cover she designed that wasn't "meh" to me were the individual covers for the trilogy.

CoD, HAT, Senile Animal, Nude With Boots, Bride, Sausage, Tres Cabrones, and Hold It In are all really boring album covers in my opinion, and I wouldn't buy any of them if I didn't know who the Melvins were.
I like a lot of the singles and the idea of repeating the same artwork but with slight variations, and some of the other artwork and even art on the inside of the albums are cool, but when it comes down to it I really don't like Melvins album covers lately. Obviously a huge part of liking a band and collecting their output is enjoying the artwork, but it has come to a point where I don't collect much Melvins stuff because the (most, certainly not all) of Mackie's artwork isn't interesting to me. One band I collect a lot of stuff from is Alien Sex Fiend because I really like the art and enjoy looking at it while I listen. But I don't feel like sitting around looking at a picture of some heads in some spoons.

I understand that the Melvins have never had album covers that directly reflect the music. Like you'd never guess Bullhead (one of my absolute favourite album covers) would be as sludgey as it is, but I'm bored by recent artwork and was just wondering if any other fans feel the same way. It just feels formulaic at this point; I've had enough typography and animals :lol:
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life

shits and gigs


Sludgebaby

What does America's Next Top Model have to do with what I said?? :-s
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life

ZILLA

Their albums for the most part do have a minimalist aspect to the covers, I never really thought about that before now.
########################################################################################################

Chief Ten Beers

 Yep, you're the only one.
C.O.D. & H.A.T. are two of their best albums for artwork. Hold It In seemed like not much thought put into it, but everything else is great.

Bro Hammer

I think Honkey is my favorite cover. I agree that the Hold It In cover isn't that great but I like everything else. I also really like Mackies stuff too and love the minimalism in her art.
As far as inserts, like the inside covers, H.A.T., POTRE, C.O.D. The vinyl version of the Trilogy and Electroretard for the win cover and insert.

Sludgebaby

I take back CoD but I still feel the same way about pretty much everything else :?
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life

bUTTHOLEmAN

What was the first Mackie designed album cover?  Who did the art for the previous melvins albums?

if you CALL ME ON MY CELLY
i'll LET YOU RUB ME BELLY!


"I can push over twelve year old girls easy." - Fart
kill yr idols
emperors wear no clothes
"We don't have alot of information right now, but for all we know monkeys might fly out of my butt"- rictus

Sludgebaby

Quote from: bUTTHOLEmAN on October 19, 2015, 07:31:21 PM
What was the first Mackie designed album cover?  Who did the art for the previous melvins albums?

Stoner Witch was the first Mackie cover as far as I know
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life

goldennuggetrecordings

eh im with you. the artwork isnt too important to me since im usually at work or in the car when i have time to listen, but ive never cared for the whole "graphic designer" style of mackies.

i do really like stoner witch a lot though. that cover is flawless. and most of the others are fine... just not my style.

i think they like the idea of not being able to predict what your getting based on the cover, and in that they succeed.

hold it in... well i think its a fitting cover.. i havent warmed up to that album much.

Captain CoryCory

Hold It In made me love and hate Waffle House all over again.

I think of the recent albums with Mackie art my favorites have got to be Everybody Loves Sausages (Really whimsical, kind of like the album), Freak Puke (Really cool style) and Colossus of Destiny (For the laffs.) HAT, POTRE and Mangled Demos are pretty solid too.

black stallion

Charmicarmicat:Bastards

Sludgebaby

Quote from: ))))(((( on October 20, 2015, 04:09:18 PM
As a student of Fine Art i am perfectly placed to assess the visual qualities and sensibilities of the Melvins cover art, ha! No but in all seriousness i think many of their album covers are pretty great for what they are. As regards Mackie's involvement there is a definite, distinctive aesthetic there. One which i don't always feel complements what it represents perfectly, yet no less still sits well within the grandeur scheme of things. I will mention that it always boggles my mind that so many love the cover to Electroretard. I actually think that is one of the worst.

My top 6...

Ozma
Lysol
Never Breathe What You Cant See
(A) Senile Animal
Nude With Boots
Freak Puke


My disliked 6...

Eggnog
Your Choice Live
Bullhead
Houdini
Stag
Electroretard

I guess we're not the same, contrary to what I said in the What Are You Doing thread.
Your most disliked are some of my favourites :lol:
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life

danimal

I really love Mackie's art and design. (A) Senile Animal is my favorite, and I had them sign the 4xLP gatefold when I met everyone a few years back. Also love Sugar Daddy CDs and 12"s. I was a little disappointed by Hold It In and Machine, but I generally don't like covers w/band photos.

I've also been disappointed w/the changeover to ecopacks, but understand people aren't buying CDs and they need to make money. Stills bums me out though.

Sludgebaby

Quote from: danimal on October 20, 2015, 05:04:01 PM
I really love Mackie's art and design. (A) Senile Animal is my favorite, and I had them sign the 4xLP gatefold when I met everyone a few years back. Also love Sugar Daddy CDs and 12"s. I was a little disappointed by Hold It In and Machine, but I generally don't like covers w/band photos.

I've also been disappointed w/the changeover to ecopacks, but understand people aren't buying CDs and they need to make money. Stills bums me out though.

I like eco packs. They're usually impossible to break (especially the centre piece that holds the CD in) and you don't have to fumble for 10 minutes just to take out/put back the booklet :D
My favorite thing about Melvins is the goofy personality | These guys suck and Buzz is a pretentious hipster dork | This sounds nothing like Metallica. | Dales Dad was a drum, its in his blood. | King Buzzo's hair probably holds a lotta secrets | what the fuck is a stee? | Melvins as a way of life