Best and worst Barry album covers?
Steven Goldstein
music quality.
Two criteria, which you can judge together or separately:
1. Best/worst album cover photo
2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
I judge "Swing Street" as the best in both categories and therefore the
overall winner. The only complete Barry package I ever thought Arista did
right by.
Second place for photo alone - 1979's "One Voice." Okay, we can all laugh
at Barry's hair in that pic, as he has in concert. But the hair was fine at
the time and the picture by Victor Skerbneski is fantastic. Shows Barry in
a handsome, mature, even aged way, warts on all. I remember loving that pic
at the time - it screamed out then, "Okay, I'm the most popular entertainer
in America but this realistic pic shows I'm a real person and mature
artist." What a refreshing and radical departure from the 1978 Greatest
Hits album, where Barry looks like an overmade-up, airbrushed plastic Ken
doll... evoked 22 years later by the picture of Barry on the cover of HATM,
which we've all discussed and on which there should have been a pic of Barry
from the other, much, much better pics of the HATM publicity photo shoot, ie
the new pics on the BarryNet.
BMeskunas
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
>
I'm not especially fond of cover photos. I prefer actual artwork, or something
that tries to be creative, so my favorite would have to be the pastel portrait
on "If I Should Love Again." And I know a lot of folks don't like the cover
art for HATM, but I really do, so that would have to be another one of my
favorites. I also really like "Barry Manilow II" (the first purple album) and
"Tryin' To Get The Feeling" (how can you not like the photo of Barry and the
cute puppy on the back?)
Least favorite? While I'm not at all fond of the cover from "One Voice" (too
black) or the cover from the "Live" album (Barry Manilow aka: Gumby), I have to
say that pretty-boy cover from the first Arista greatest hits double album
(Barry's "white" album) is a real bow-wow, right up there with the white Barry
Manilow I album (original Bell release, where Barry looked like Veronica Lake
mated with somebody's English Setter).
Next?
CookieGVB
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
>
My two favorite album covers are Even Now and Here Comes the Night.
Worst is One Voice - way too dark, and the cold sore had to go!
PButler111
>From: "Steven Goldstein" Gold...@usa.net
>Date: 1/9/2002 7:10 PM Central Standard Time
>Message-id: <0S5%7.1272$cZ5...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net>
>
>Just to open a new thread. Strictly judge on the covers and not on the
>music quality.
>
>Two criteria, which you can judge together or separately:
>
>1. Best/worst album cover photo
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
Don't know about worst, but I like Lee Gurst's design and photography for "Even
Now."
Barbaraann165062
I must admit you are certainly starting some interesting threads:)
This one was done a while ago but it is still a good one to comment on.
I love and will always say Even Now.
Barry against that New York skyline is one of the best album covers I have ever
seen.
To me, it is perfection:)
Barbara (keep up the good work, Steven.
Amy McC
the interesting camera angle of the concert audience picture, and the great
expression he has in the inset photo. Something about seeing all those
lights in the darkness gives me a warm, fuzzy "One Voice" feeling.
Worst cover photo would be HATM! Not because he looks his age, (actually it
makes him look -older- IMO), but because it is just an odd-looking picture.
Someone wrote that it sort of makes him look like a Vulcan, and I have to
agree. Plus, I know that having it superimposed over the apartment building
is supposed to look artsy and introspective... but to me it just looks
bizarre, like a Macy's parade float or something. I had to flip the CD liner
over to the "Mayflower" side. A better choice would've been the pic where
he's standing outside the building with suitcases -- but maybe this was too
similar to "Swing Street".
I agree with Brenda about the pastel portrait on "If I Should Love Again." I
thought it was perfect for a soft, romantic album, and a nice change from
all the same-old head and shoulder photos. If I remember right, the album
liner had an equally well-done portrait, and lyrics in blue font on the
other side (I'm too tired to get up and go check! please correct me if this
is wrong). Anyway, IISLA is my choice for best album art and design.
My worst in this category would be "Oh Julie," if an EP counts as an album,
that is. It just looks kind of thrown together, like a cartoon collage that
my little girl would make.
Very interesting thread topic, thanks for posting it! :)
~ Amy
"BMeskunas" <bmes...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20020109203415...@mb-cb.aol.com...
Barbaraann165062
That poodle look on the Greatest Hits.
Who is that person?
Makes me think of Leif Garrett ? (I think that is who I am thinking of??)
Barbara
SDRippe1
Worst: GOTTA be "Manilow" -- WAY too heavy on the make-up.
Scott
dgos...@yahoo.com
>Two criteria, which you can judge together or separately:
>
>1. Best/worst album cover photo
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
Best album cover? That's a tough question...I love the cover of "Summer of 78",
even though it is my least favorite album of his. Coming in at a close second
is the cover on "Swing Street". He just looks so relaxed.
Honorable mention: The back covers of "Manilow" and "Tryin' To Get the Feeling"
Worst? "Here at the Mayflower" without a doubt. "Barry" and "Live" (hate the
jumpsuit) are both tied for second.
Am I the only one who likes the 1973 Bell album cover? It's so...so...70's.
Looking at it now, he looks really dorky, but back then, he looked "normal" with
that hairstyle.
Donna G
Patti B
>
> 1. Best/worst album cover photo
> 2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
>
I think my favorite is still the photo on the cover of the Christmas album.
(and inside)
Barry Manilow, relaxed, romantic sitting on the floor in front of the
fireplace, black jeans, white shirt. The photos inside are marvelous too --
sitting in a big black leather chair, wearing a festive red turtleneck sweater,
candles, frosted windowpanes, fireplace. Nice mood shots.
Patti
Heath
that has Please don't be scared.
CSWYGal
>1. Best/worst album cover photo
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
My votes are :
Best: Christmas Album. Although "Even Now" comes in at a close second.
Worst: "One Voice" Ugh! Need I say more.
Melee
the painting.
As for the worst. I'd have to say either "One Voice" or "Manilow" Too
much makeup as someone else put it.
Shadow Man
"Steven Goldstein" <Gold...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:0S5%7.1272$cZ5...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
> Just to open a new thread. Strictly judge on the covers and not on the
> music quality.
For the Best Album cover, it's a three-way tie:
"Barry Manilow" (aka: the "Purple Album")
Because It's Christmas
Here at the Mayflower
For the Worst, again a three-way tie
"One Voice"
"Showstoppers"
"Barry"
DeForest76
<< I think my favorite is still the photo on the cover of the Christmas album.
(and inside)
Barry Manilow, relaxed, romantic sitting on the floor in front of the
fireplace, black jeans, white shirt. The photos inside are marvelous too --
sitting in a big black leather chair, wearing a festive red turtleneck sweater,
candles, frosted windowpanes, fireplace. Nice mood shots.
>>
I absolutely agree with you on that :-)
My vote for the Worst cover is the Greatest Hits cover. Absolutely HORRIBLE!!
Waaaaay too much heavy makeup and his hair looks like it was
over-bleached....and it even looks like it was wet in some areas. Talk about a
"bad hair day" !!
De76
Sadler91500
not been featured in them).
Worst: Mayflower (I dislike the photo of him so much that I actually removed
it!. I don't think his face could have been stretched any tighter! Gave me
the creeps!) All I can say is "Alien".
Laughed my butt off over the Gumby analogy. So true!
I prefer no photos of the artist on album/cd covers. Remember how artsy album
covers used to be?. I always thought that would be a dream job.
Great topic!
Spike
Steven Goldstein
to me the worst album art package of all. The cover photo is okay - I'm not
wild about it but I can see how some might like it. It's not that.
This cover art looks like it took three seconds to do. "Okay, let's get a
picture of Barry against a solid background, put it on the cover, and oops,
there's too much room to the left of his face, so let's create really huge
and really ugly font so long as it's huge, and take up space there, and
while we're at it, let's not even name this album - just put Barry's name
there."
"Steven Goldstein" <Gold...@usa.net> wrote in message
news:0S5%7.1272$cZ5...@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
tina...@worldnet.att.net
<Gold...@usa.net> wrote:
>J
Worst: '78 greatest hits
Best: don't know yet...have to drag them out. I'm not usually into
pictures and what he wears at concerts, etc but I do vividly remember
one picture (maybe an old BMIFC one) with Barry in his pajamas. Now,
mind you, in my wildest fantasy about Barry, I only want to meet him,
talk with him, and sing with him, but that picture made me at least
want to cuddle up to him
Tina B
(who must stop these thoughts and get to work!).
Sarah Williams
site and clicked on the link for albums. My all time favorite has to be the
GHII album..the one with the black onyx ring. I fell into those eyes and
never came out. Second favorite, Here Comes the Night...too sexy. Worst,
hands down, HATM. The older ones can be excused, because, as has been said,
he really, really did look like every one else! Compare the pictures in his
book...he really DID have Veronica Lake hair! But HATM is just awful. If I
didn't KNOW it was him, I never would have recognized the album in the
stores!
<tina...@worldnet.att.net> wrote in message
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april clary
VOICE
http://community.webtv.net/apeclar4/AprilsMannySite
Have A Very Beautiful Day-April
http://community.webtv.net/apeclar4/CHRISTMASTIME
focus
>1. Best/worst album cover photo
>2. Best/worst album art and design work accompanying the photo
A thread close to my heart....
Well, Steven, it looks like we are in the minority (again!) for loving
the "One Voice" cover. However, as a formally trained artist and
photographer, for me "One Voice" wins hands down for best cover photo
and design. The Skrebneski shot is Perfectly lit, sharp as a tack, no
annoying or cutesy angle. The kind of black & white shot that many
photogs only dream of acheiving. The design is nice and clean, as simple
and basic as possible but it has all you need to really make an impact.
Sorry to disagree with so many, but my worst cover is "If I Should Love
Again". I truly hate this cover. As an artist, I certainly love the
idea of an illustration as cover art but..... as an artist there is no
way I can look at this cover and ignore that the "artwork" is terribly
misdrawn. Barry's nose looks like a horrible disfigurement: the top of
the bridge doesn't even meet the rest of the nose. Just plain
"anatomically incorrect". Then there is the hair thing. Barry's head
is turned to his right, but you see lots of hair extending way beyond
his face. On Barry's left side, you see plenty of cheek, but the hair
is much further back. Imagine someone wearing a hat or wig and turning
their head a lot and the head moves
but the wig/hat does not. It is just wrong. Too bad, because this is
definitely one of my favorite albums.
2nd least favorite front cover? "TTGTFA". Ugh. Let's photograph this
really ugly statue and that's it. (back photo is cute tho) The art
on "Classic HIts" is really ugly too.
As for design, I do agree that on the RCA "Manilow" cover Barry has
waaaaaaay too much makeup on but the design itself is rather stylish and
so of its time. LOVE everthing about the packaging for "Showstoppers".
In general, I think Barry's covers have really covered a wide range from
great to lousy and an awful lot in between. Most of the time though I
think Barry's music deserved better than it got.
focus
Jimnixon1
IISLA is beautiful too.
Tom Payne
everyone as I really like the three most hated here:
1. Manilow (I think it's the best cover photo he's taken, despite the
makeup. I even bought that yellow tie at Saks)
2. Here At the Mayflower (very contemporary design)
3. One Voice (just classic black and white and Barry in black. Plus I
loved the Barry profile logo they came up with for that album)
I guess most people don't like close-ups of his face because all these (and
also GHits which also got slammed a lot) feature a close up shot of Barry.
Least favorite is Paradise Cafe because of the awful hair style. I hated
that 80s permed look. Although I like the concept and design of that cover.
The Paradise Cafe logo is very classy and I still wear the pin sometimes. I
tell people it's a jazz club when they ask about it.
I'm also not very fond of the cover for Barry (could those jeans be any
tighter? and again that hair!) or Barry Manilow (what were they thinking
with the scruffy look?).