Alright...want your opinions regarding CD Artwork, Etc.
 

Alrighty, here we go! I got this stuff from the company today. I don't have a scanner, so I took digital photos of everything. So far, I only have one strong opinion of something that needs to be changed, but I'd sure appreciate any other input.

Back Cover:

INSIDE TEXT

FRONT COVER:

OPEN THE CD AND YOU'LL SEE...

I love the cover, but who the heck is that ugly dude on the back? He kinda looks like my coach in Tournament Dreams. ;)

Seriously, I like it a lot.

OK. That's it. The poster looks pretty much exactly like the front cover of the CD, with the picture of me playing guitar added at the bottom of the poster. Feel free to rip it apart, as this isn't my work, it is the artwork provided by the company I've hired.

lookin good

dola:

just gave it another look... the front looks like it was just thrown together. It's not very cohesive... and i think you should use the shot of you playing guitar sitting in the trunk on the front cover

Oh...the one thing that I definitely want to change: I think that the guitar on the cover looks cheap. I like having an acoustic guitar, but not THAT one. I talked to them about it already, and they've said they can replace it at no charge with a picture of my guitar that I will provide.

Skydog, I like the cover, love the book pages, and like the CD. I think a different picture of you on the back would be better.

One thing about the cover, it makes me think of sea songs.

dola

you cover reminded me of


http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc900/c905/c9057017lyf.jpg

I did request some sort of water-oriented cover--three of the songs have water themes.

yeah the pogues! they're f'in awesome! thing is, i think skydog has better teeth than shane macgowan does ;)

maybe its the map. I am not saying there is anything wrong with it, just telling you what I think when I see it.

edit: I like the picture of you sitting in the trunk of a car.

i hear ya...i'll need to think about that

Looking at it again, I tend to agree with Fritz about the photo on the back. There's too much white in the photo, while the rest of the back is kind of dark. It makes the photo jump out too much.

I like the front cover, but a different guitar might be a good idea.

I think the photo on back needs to be cut down in size a little bit and more focused on your mug.

Otherwise it looks great! Love the water on it.

I don't see a thanks for FOFC in there...and is that first name under "Thanks to" Dave Dial?

;) :D

Ksyrup:

Funny you should mention that. That is another change that I had already planned on making, adding a thanks "to all the boyz at FOFC."

And no, that's Dave DAULT! Dave Dault is a guy I knew back in high school. I ran back into him here in Atlanta recently and he helped me get a few gigs at some places around town.

Cool! An inside joke on a real CD that I'm in on!

I think you should list us individually. :D

hehehehe...can't you just picture it? I've got all those normal-sounding names as acknowledgements, then I add a bunch of names like: Ksyrup, Bee, wignasty, QuikSand, SkyDick Is An Asshole*, Solecismic, primelord, etc. etc. etc.






*--Hey, I'd hate to leave wignifty off. :D

Do you have MP3's where I can hear your stuff?
I see you live in Tucker. I am from Atlanta, in Seattle now. Are you playing in the Atlanta area?

Neel:

This thread has links to three MP3's.

I play some in the Atlanta area, but a limited amount. Music is not my full-time vocation, nor do I have any intention of making it so.


--Ben

I think the cover would look interesting if you just left the ocean, and the off-set title. Drop both the guitar and the map.


I'm an music-artwork snob though, owning roughly 1,000 albums.

I was thinking something more personal for each of us like:

Much love to my man Horns Maniac (though we all know he doesn't need it),


:D

I'm going to agree with what some of the others said. While overall it looks very nice, the picture on the back just doesn't look like it fits in with the rest of the artwork. Maybe if you had another picture which isn't so white. Or have it focus in your face.

Neuqua

Agree with everything here; back photo is perhaps a bit too casual, but everything else is very, very nice.

As a part-time writer and musician myself :eek:, I think your package looks very professional and crisp, and reflects your style of music (from the three tunes I've heard), without appearing pretentious or over-packaged.

So that's my take. Now, back to my techno remix of "Daddy."

:D

JMS

ROFLMBAO!!! I can only imagine!

quote of the moment.

:D

:eek:

funny, that's the first thing I noticed as well

My reaction is to put the front artwork on the back (which matches the inside artwork) and put the car photo one on the front. "Things I Know For Sure" has nothing to do with a guitar and the ocean, which are best relegated as a secondary theme. The primary theme is "I" which would suggest an artistic/musical picture of you.

What's up the "Ben E Lou"? Something the matter with Ben Lewis??

I really like the rough seas look. Maybe just use the water and centering Ben E Lou/Things I Know For Sure on that and remove the guitar and map completely from the cover?

It is my nickname since back in high school, and the nickname VERY much followed me into youth ministry. The CD will be at Young Life camps across the country, where more people know "Ben E Lou" than Ben Lewis.

Great input guys. Keep it coming. She Who Must Be Obeyed and I will sit down in a day or two and make some final decisions.

Maybe a little late for suggestions such as this, but perhaps it might make your second album (Things 2 know for sure).

When I think of the title "Things I know for Sure", it invokes the following thought - a chalkboard with 2+2=4 and E=mc2 and even perhaps "The sky is blue and the grass is green" and finally, since it sounds as if this is aimed primarily at a YoungLife or religious audience, "Jesus Loves Me".

Those would be things that I know for sure.

$0.02

However, regarding the current artwork, front cover (with new guitar) looks pretty cool. I agree with those who suggest a reworked or different back cover photo. I vote for the Titanic picture myself. Would work very nicely with the nautical theme. :D :D :D

I'm with that suggestion, but think the text would look best off-center.

Note to self: talk to Buzzbee before I get the ball rolling on artwork for CD#2.

Geez. That is a GREAT suggestion. It would cost me pretty handsomely at this point to complete re-work the thing though. I sent Disc Makers a letter with some general thoughts to get them going on the design. This was the pertinent section: So, that's what it is supposed to mean, but I must admit it is a lot more abstract than the great idea you just had. Hmmmmmm......

Incidentally, it is intentional that I don't have overt spiritual references anywhere on the outside of the CD. Despite most of the songs being Christ-themed, much of my typical audience is not heavily "churched."

OK, look guys. I have some comments.

1) This is a freakin MUSIC CD people!
2) The front cover should be plain white, with artists name, and album title printed in black (preferably, Arial font).
3) inside flap, no need to print anything.
4) back cover, list the song titles. That's it.
5) CD label, hmm. That's a toughie. My preference would be to have a plain CD, but if you want to get fancy, go ahead and print the song names, even though you have already duplicated that information on the back, and thus it is redundant.
6) None of this "Ben E Lou" stuff. Come on. "Mr. Ben Lewis" is more than sufficient.
7) Ben, a constructive critical comment. Instead of spending all this time on the CD artwork, why not go back and double check the compression settings on your vocals on the song "Daddy?"

Wallah - you now have the perfect text-based music CD.

:^)

Harumph! Using my CD to make a point, huh???? FOUL! FOUL! FOUL!!!!

;)

Oh, wait...is this one them thar metefers?

Then you could have simply replaced "Jesus Loves Me" with "Roses are Red" or "I'm your father, Luke". :) But alas, BenELou chose to proceed without the benefit of my wisdom. Oh the pain. :rolleyes:

What'd you think of that other song I sent you?

Where'd you send it? I haven't seen anything come through on either my work email addy or my home email addy.

[email protected]

Hasn't come through yet. #$(*& email system. I'll let you know once I get it.

OK. I just sent it to your other address

Got it. Let you know once I've listened.

Ahh...just kidding of course. :) Days of beta testing OOTP 5 and patching TDCB have made me loopy.

:)

Just a couple of words. Chills. Touching.

Oh, and the vocals weren't TOOO bad. :D


"It's got great lyrics and the guitar is sharp, but I just can't dance to it. I'd give it a 74, Dick."

Seriously, I like it a lot. It's one of those songs where you lay down on the bed, close your eyes, and just immerse.

Back of CD looks a little to plan. You look like the average Joe. Your big smile is prolly becasue your so happy you just put out a CD. Here is the loo kyou should go for : This is IMO one of the coolest album covers of all time.

i've always liked this album cover:

The John Lee Hooker cover is indeed very nice !

My 0.02$ comments (hope this helps)

Back Cover :I don't like the picture on the back cover. Your left shoulder looks a bit strange, and the smile...

Front Cover : Album and artist name should stay like that. I like the way they are. As for the map, if you want to stick with the map idea, I would try to look for a more "modern" look map, and try to match the color of the map and the see. They differ too much right now. I also agree that the front guitar looks "cheap". I really like the picture of the sea ! I'll try to make a copy of what I'd suggest for changes (hard to explain with my limited english skills as it's already difficult for me to formulate that in French !)

Inside : no particular comment, looks pro to me. The trunk picture is fine.

FYI, I've uploaded one more MP3. It is in the "link to the songs" thread.

bump

Shouldn't that be SHAMELESS bump?:D

absolutely, 100% shameless bump

Thats a good song.

Skydog -

After spending the night STARING at your CD images and listening to your music I arrived at startling conclusion.

Both the music and the artwork could use more cowbell.

Wrong Bulldogs. Georgia, not Mississippi State.

Well, I think the shot in the trunk of the car makes you look HOT! ;)

uh oh. This could be trouble.... Doing an IP check to see if that's really her.

Breach! Breach! Breach! Everybody back to your original places!

Doubtful. Just called her at work. She's not there right now. Some prankster. Whew!

{wipes sweat from face}

Ruh-Roh Raggy! :eek:

Hmmmm....actually it almost certainly IS her. She leaves the office early on Wednesdays, and the IP is from our DSL provider. She's probably just messing with me then, and I know she won't be online long right now. She has a Bible Study at 5:00pm, so I'm guessing she's gone already.

so, do we have to be on our best behaviour now?
no more comments on her legs?
no more "king of the world" jokes?

Wives are NICE!!!

I just want to know when we're going to hear the Joe Stallings/Ben E Lou duet of "Don't Go Breaking My Heart".

Since y'all are both in Atlanta and whatnot.

sorry... no valid excuse for being loopy like Joe.

Speaking of Joe... you never write me anymore, Joe. *sniff sniff*

I feel like I've been dumped. :)

Actually the more I think about it, the more I think she'll never come back here on her own. She has read several threads in the past when I've told her that something was in them that she'd find interesting. (She actually has a link at work to the "confessions of a porn store clerk" thing....) Knowing her personality, she'd much rather just be informed when something interesting is around than actually checking it for herself on a regular basis.

Hey, maybe you could have them as featured guests on your show. I'm sure your listeners would love a little live concert put on just for their benefit.

Careful SkyDog. She has access now. Anything you say CAN and WILL be held against you in a court of law, or an argument. Whichever comes first.

I have found that "Knowing her personality..." ALWAYS gets me in trouble with SWMBO.

I've printed out threads for my wife to read but if it doesn't involve shopping for clothes from Coldwater Creek or LLBean, she won't go there on her own.

My daughter (Solenn) was also born on April 8 !

Her title shouldn't be 'Mascot'. Just don't seem right. :)

"Queen Of All She Surveys?"

Your wife has more posts per day than I do.

Im sad and I know it
*clap clap*

I'm thinking H.W.I.C.

Head Wife In Charge

or

Head Woman In Charge

Skydog looks like Michael Boatman.

And where are you getting this done at. My dads getting a "Christian" blue grass CD made pretty soon, one of his parishoners just opened a recording studio.

Congrats

That or "Her Highness".

An old friend of mine named Ed Cash is producing it. I've known Ed through Young Life circles for over 10 years now. He's from Charlotte, but he moved his wife and family to Nashville about 3 years gao, and he's beginning to get a nice reputation. The home they bought had an in-law suite off to the side of the house, which he has converted into a full-fledged digital recording studio, and he also has an office in that building. Its a great setup that allows him to be right there with his wife and three little ones (all three are 4 and under). Ed has recently produced albums for Kathy Mattea, Bebo Norman and Phil Keaggy. (His most recent album that he did for Bebo is up for seven Dove Awards.) The fun "claim-to-fame" of my CD is that the bass player did several tracks on the Dixie Chicks most recent album.

Here's a picture from the studio, taken right after the last day of recording. Ed's the one on the far right:

I downloaded that song out of curiosity and it has to be one of the better songs I've heard lately.


TLK

yeah i'd suggest buying that album, it is truly excellent. If you ever get the chance, go see flogging molly live, they are by far one of the best bands i have ever seen live.

"what's left of the flag" is a great song too

What do they sound like? The Pogues?

yeah you can compare them to the pogues, but they have their own sound.

Then I'll look for them...