Jack Johnson Album Cover

[Kevin]

Login or register to post comments COMMENTS Tommy Bolin Submitted by mtglass on Wed, 2016-06-22 14:06 Jeff Beck was familiar with Tommy Bolin also [Bolin opened for JB on the night of his untimely death.] Bolin played on Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" that also laid the foundation for Beck's fusion phase. Bolin's solo work also had a rock/jazz/funk style.

I've been debating getting a couple of Mofi davis reissues, but the mofi stuff that I've bought has been a mixed bag. Some of it, like the doobie brothers and the cars, are very flat, as in lifeless. I have a couple of Sinatra reissues that sound good, however. Some other reissues I was unhappy with I managed to sell.

Having both of them also, I would say the Classic is a bit "tweaked" somehow, I love it, it's very direct. The MoFi has a more "natural" sound to my ears, but a little more distant.

Both good, but different sounding.

What gets played? Well... both.

The Sony Mono reissue I think is very, very good.

The original mono, to me softer sounding than the Sony.

What gets played? Well... both....

How can you have every LP MoFi has released through all three entities???? That's a LOT of vinyl. And some very expensive vinyl.

I mean, there are a few box sets in there, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Sinatra.... Then just lots of stuff, including some pretty obscure stuff....

I've got quite a lot of MoFi LPs, ranging from the "Wow!!!!" to "What were they thinking??!!"

...massive record collection to begin with. The MOFI's are just a part of it. I was also in the high-end business for 25 years and was a MOFI dealer from the very beginning. The releases weren't that much money when they were new and at dealer cost.

I know this is an old thread, but I wanted to write and say that I bought the album and it just arrived this morning. I listened to it this evening and it was just phenomenal. I'm a Miles fan,but I had never heard this album. Thanks for reviewing it and bringing it to my attention. The sound was excellent as well.

This LP has been a staple in my library for over forty years as well. It's been many years, but I do recall seeing the album sold with two covers. I believe that the version with Miles on the front cover, leaning back with his horn, was the Miles Davis album. The version with the depiction of Jack Johnson in the car on the front cover appeared to be marketed as the movie soundtrack. They had the same content, perhaps directed to different audiences?

Actually, the first version (and cover) was the one with Jack Johnson in the car. After a few months of tepid sales CBS and/or Miles decided to re-release the album with Miles on the cover to make it more obvious that this was indeed a Miles Davis album. (And a damn good one.)

MoFi therefore has used the first edition cover.

Have a ton of Miles vinyl. New of this album, but nothing about it. Now I do, and it sounds right up my alley. It's officially on the hit list. Thanks for the feedback Mike. I love that fusion stuff that was going on. Agreed on the Tommy B comments above. Beck's version of Freeway Jam on the live record with Jan Hammer gives me even bigger goosebumps than the Blow by Blow take. Now can we only imagine if Jimi and Miles ever had gotten together in the studio like they had planned to? That would be seriously ridiculous.

to this lp. I was intrigued by it's advertisement. I found it to exceed all of my expectations musically and sonically! The tonal balance I found to be quite good, excellent for a recent MOFI re-issue. On my meager system, I'd rate it a 9 easily!

The document describes several album covers and their design elements. Key elements included are the artist and album name displayed clearly in a simple font, imagery showing the artist playing guitar to represent the acoustic music genre, and natural colors and imagery relating to themes in the album lyrics, such as trees, the sea, and sky/clouds that connote ideas of joy, relaxation and nature.Read less

As a kid born in the '70s, MTV and the rise of hip-hop shaped not only my taste in music but how I have worked for over 25 years in advertising. I've always been easily distracted. Music has been there to keep me on track. I remember my eldest brother was a huge rock and punk fan. He played the drums. Being seven years younger than him, I kind of just soaked up what he was listening to. I learned to appreciate early U2, the Police, R.E.M., that whole wave of the '80s, what I would call socially conscious rock. The punk, I never really could find joy in. For me, music has always been about two things: finding my focus, or finding my energy. As a creative and someone who got his start as a writer, I think I realize now that telling a story to a beat really is what I loved about the music I spent endless hours pumping through my headphones like I was trying to block out Vecna from Stranger Things. Music, and the artwork involved, continues to inspire me. Here are my top 10 album cover picks.

I think this may have been the very first album I bought with "my own money." I used to nag my mom to play it while driving us all to school. I'm pretty sure she knew back then where my musical tastes were headed. She was a huge fan of the Moody Blues and Boy George, and my sister would always want to play Madonna or Cyndi Lauper. The design of the cover itself is amazing. The art direction feels relevant 40-plus years later. The over-saturation feels like an Instagram filter was used to create it.

Early U2 had such energy. From songs like "Sunday Bloody Sunday" and then "New Year's Day," what a roller coaster ride this album was. I would sneak into my brother's room while he was gone, plop on some headphones and try to play the album on his drums. He knew how to play the drums. I did not. But you couldn't tell me I wasn't killing it. The simple and very powerful imagery, with the super desaturated image and the kid's piercing eyes, screams defiance and rebellion and even a bit of innocence lost.

I distinctly remember this album cover. The splashes of muted colors. The Police had an almost reggae-like vibe to them. Their music was so relaxing. I remember taking two tape decks and recording the album my brother had bought onto my own tape. The original Napster.

I never considered myself a massive Prince fan. However, looking back at it, I must have listened to this album a thousand times while in middle school. He was in heavy rotation for my grades 6-8 soundtrack. This was an album that didn't fit into any one genre. The cover reflected that.

Chuck D, that dude could make you feel every word he was spitting. They were talking about things 30 years ago that white America wasn't comfortable talking about. The cover was iconic. Simple and unapologetic.

This is one of the greatest albums of all time. It really was ahead of its time. I remember bumping this thing all night, every night, my sophomore year in college. The artwork on the cover was so dope. Fluid and fun.

One of my all-time favorite albums. I still listen to this riding to work regularly. Such a smooth lyricist. The jazz elements he created found their way into tons of hip-hop albums moving forward. The typography and photography feel like a twist on Miles Davis/Birth of the Cool with a shot of grit thrown in for good measure.

I'm not sure there has ever been another album where I remember exactly where I was when I heard it for the first time. I was in a 1980 white Ford Taurus with grey cloth seats sitting in my parents' driveway. The album title and artwork. This is a great example of art refusing to be forced into a box. Best album name EVER.

This might be my all-time favorite album cover, and the album ranks up there as well. "You know what the Midwest is. It's young and restless." Not sure anyone captured that time period better than Kanye.

A whole different kind of vibe. When I say that my favorite albums take me to a place, few do so like this one. It's much more reflective than a lot of the stuff I listen to, there is a calming presence that his music possesses. While this might not be the most vibrant album cover, the unassuming type and color palette work well to set the stage for what's to come in a compelling album where no one is the star. My dad used to always listen to Sinatra after work as a way to relax. I think Sinatra did that for him. There is a groundedness to Jack Johnson that does that for me. Take that, Vecna!

Surfer-cum-songwriter Jack Johnson brought a mellow vibe that matched the cooler weather and gentle breeze. There were some empty seats in the middle section, but the lawn in back and area up front were both comfortably crowded.

Backed by a three-piece band, Johnson let his lyrics carry the conversation, intermittently interrupting himself to point out the half moon hanging over the lawn or to read a sign from a fan who had driven 700 miles without sleep to see the show.

Stacked together, the similar tempo and feel of his songs blended together like the gentle sway of the tide washing against the shore. The atmosphere was amplified by a large, curved screen behind the band that projected pictures of swirling water, palm trees, album covers and, occasionally, the action onstage.

(Soundbite of song, "You and Your Heart") GUY RAZ, host: There's an old photograph on the cover of Jack Johnson's new album. It's from the early '60s, and it shows his dad, Jeff, constructing a giant wooden sculpture that looks like a wave. Jeff Johnson died last summer. He was a legendary surfer in Hawaii, and his life revolved around the sea. And it's why his son, Jack Johnson, called his new album "To The Sea." (Soundbite of song, "You and Your Heart") Mr. JACK JOHNSON (Musician): (Singing) But you and your heart shouldn't feel so far apart. RAZ: This is the first single from the album. It's called "You and Your Heart." Jack Johnson's laid-back, sun-drenched style instantly won him a dedicated fan base with his first album in 2001. He sold more than 18 million records since. His latest is maybe his most personal statement ever. This album is a tribute to his father. Jack Johnson joins me from Santa Barbara, California. Jack, welcome. Mr. JOHNSON: Thanks for having me on. RAZ: And I should say, Jack Johnson, you are the second-most famous Hawaiian, is that right? Mr. JOHNSON: Well, Obama definitely takes me out, and in my mind, there's quite a few that are up there above myself, as well. RAZ: Jack Johnson, there's another photo in the liner notes of this record. It's of a sailboat. Now, I'm presuming that was your dad's sailboat? Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah, that was a boat he sailed from California over to Hawaii. RAZ: He took a solo trip from California to Hawaii back in the early '60s. He was a very young man at the time, right? Mr. JOHNSON: He was in his early 20s. I think he might have been 21, 22. I feel really fortunate that he took that journey. But I often, when I fly over at night, look down at the ocean being so dark, you know, during a night flight or something, and think of my dad being out there for weeks. He was definitely a brave, brave human. RAZ: It's a five-hour, five-and-a-half hour flight from California, and as you say, it took him weeks to do it. There's a song on your new record. It's called "Only the Ocean." And I'm wondering if it's about that journey. (Soundbite of song, "Only the Ocean") Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah, it is. It's that song started out, my niece came over and she said she had an assignment for her English class. She had to write a myth. And I suggested what about writing the myth of grandpa, him sailing from California to Hawaii, because to me it always had these mythological proportions in my mind, that journey. I sat down and started working on it as well. I thought it sounded like kind of a fun assignment. (Soundbite of song, "Only the Ocean") Mr. JOHNSON: (Singing) After all this time after all of these seasons, after your one decision to go to the water for reason, it's only the ocean and you... RAZ: You call it a mythological journey, and there really is that element to it, the sort of one man, vast ocean in a small boat. Did your dad ever talk about that journey? Mr. JOHNSON: That was his favorite thing to talk about was either surfing or sailing. And so a couple days out of Hawaii, he ran into this other boat and they pulled up next to each other, and so this guy came on board to help fix something in his engine. He had like it was a sailboat but he also had a little engine for motoring around, and then the boat that pulled up next to him, it took off and they left this guy on his boat. So the last couple of days, he had this guy on his boat and he had to share his food with him. And they ran out of food a couple of days outside of Hawaii. But he said they were lucky because there was a school of fish that was basically living under his boat at that point. He said it was kind of nice. They were just catching fish and all that. But these are the kind of stories that he'll tell as if it was just sort of normal thing and then (unintelligible)... RAZ: Right, right. I mean, can you imagine as a 20-year-old or 22-year-old doing that yourself? Mr. JOHNSON: No, I can't. You know, that's the idea of having to conquer your dragons and any kind of these rite of passages, I feel like our culture is lacking a lot of these type of things. (Soundbite of song, "Only the Ocean") Mr. JOHNSON: (Singing) You just roll over me and you pull me in. RAZ: Jack Johnson, you father, Jeff, was a pretty well-known guy in Hawaii because - obviously because of his surfing. You were also a competitive surfer as a young man, but you ended up obviously pursuing music. What did your dad make of your life as a musician and of your success as a musician? Mr. JOHNSON: He liked the idea of me being a musician, the idea of me being an entertainer. It was definitely a whole different thing. And he never tried to persuade me to go a different direction, but if I came home from a tour, he was much more interested to hear about a day off, where we took a hike or found some new wave on a coast somewhere. And that was more his area. So he wasn't too impressed with the celebrity aspect of what I do and... (Soundbite of laughter) RAZ: It was - was it in a sort of a way, a kind of a reality check? You know, you'd go, you tour, you play to packed stadiums and huge venues, selling millions of records. You'd go home, and your dad was sort of like, asking you about an interesting wave that you caught or something. Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah. It was good to have, you know? And I really had three dads in a way because I'm the youngest. My middle brother is seven years older than me and my older brother is 10 years older. My older brother is often quoted as saying - whenever I start talking about this or that from some show or something, he always says: Wow, sounds like you're pretty proud of yourself. (Soundbite of laughter) Mr. JOHNSON: And I hear that a lot in my life. And so it's good to have these guys that kind of keep me in check. RAZ: I'm speaking with Jack Johnson about his new record. It's called "To the Sea." So many of the tracks on this record are clearly letters to your dad or to your family, including this one I want to hear from. It's the title track, and it's called "To the Sea." (Soundbite of song, "To the Sea") Mr. JOHNSON: Run my dear son, until we get to the trees. Keep on going all the way. We've got to get right down to the sea. We've got to get to the sea. My dear son, we've got to get to the sea. RAZ: That line: Run my dear son, we've got to get to the sea, I wonder if that's you singing as a father or you singing about your father or both? Mr. JOHNSON: You know, I couldn't figure it out, either. As I was writing the song, it was me feeling like a son and a father at the same time. I was it came about I was reading a book called "Iron John" by... RAZ: Oh, yeah. Mr. JOHNSON: ...an author Robert Bly. And then, by chance, I came across this children's version and it had this really beautiful imagery in it, you know, with the wild man sitting at the bottom of this pond, and he was the protector of these animals, and if the hunters came into his forest, they'd be the hunted. And it was beautiful. And I was reading that to my kids quite a bit. And the part I really loved is when the young prince steals the key from his mother's underneath his mother's pillow and he unlocks the wild man from his cage. I always saw my dad as a sort of eccentric character. And so reading this book, it really felt a lot like my dad, this wild man archetype. And so I love this moment where they're running for this pond, and just having read enough Joseph Campbell, to know that any body of water represents the subconscious. And I just love that image of the father leading the son to that place. RAZ: Jack Johnson, you're about to go on a massive tour, just a relentless tour. I was looking at your schedule and I was just thinking, my god, when are you going to sleep? You've announced that 100 percent of your tour profits are going to charity, which is pretty unbelievable. Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah, that's my wife's fault. She makes me do that. RAZ: So you're going to be working for free this summer. Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah, you could say it that way. The way I look at it is I get an all-expense world tour with my family, and we get to see all these neat places. And then we also get to do fundraisers almost every night, you know, for all these great local nonprofit groups in every area that we're playing. We just got to a point where we felt really fortunate that we were making a really good living off the CD sales, and that makes it so much more rewarding and so much easier to explain to the kids when I tell them about the community gardens or the instruments we're buying because of these shows. And it's that feeling of bringing people together, playing live music and then seeing the results and how much it was benefitting the kids and the schools. We feel really lucky to have a chance to do it, really. RAZ: That's Jack Johnson. His new album is called "To the Sea." If you'd like to hear a few tracks there at our website, nprmusic.org. Jack Johnson, thank you so much, and congratulations on your now number one album. Mr. JOHNSON: Yeah. Thanks a lot. It's pretty exciting. (Soundbite of song, "Red Wine, Mistakes, Mythology") Mr. JOHNSON: (Singing) ...so that we don't cry. Let's all lift the glasses up to the sky for some red wine, mistakes, apologies (unintelligible). Red wine, headaches, mythology. Red wine, mistakes, mythology.

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