Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for January, 2024

Posted January 1, 2024 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Hello and Happy New Year 2024 to all of you – Hope that you all enjoyed your Holidays, however you chose to celebrate them. For those of you who, like me, used the time to think a lot about what’s yet to come this year and beyond, it gave me time to be grateful for the friends and acquaintances I’ve made over the years both here in the U.S. and overseas, as it is was your support that has kept me doing what I do and thinking of all the ways that I might better-deliver the stories that I know those friends and acquaintances would enjoy and most benefit from having ingested.

I also find these times both frightening and exhilarating, thinking about what might effect the quality of our lives (and those of our fellow citizens) going forward and what we might do to make the best of whatever might happen. It’s heavy stuff, I know, but it helps to keep things in perspective and my own thoughts focused on what’s truly important. Good health, peace (and peace of mind), strength of character, truth and justice and the comfort of others less-well-off than myself – those are the things that are truly important. Art and music (and how they’re combined) are important methods by which modern civilizations represent and express their best and worst aspects (and everything between) but, if you’re sick, or unsafe or living in fear and hunger, their importance pales, so it’s up to all of us to do all we can to take care of the basics before we enjoy the benefits of what the arts can deliver.

On that note, let’s start this month’s summary – the first of the New Year – with an overview of the categories featured in our regular updates – album art/artist-related exhibitions, interviews, sales/auctions and other miscellaneous (but still very interesting) bits and, at the end, a brief paragraph on a related topic that I found quite interesting and, therefore, motivated to share with you all.

Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for November, 2023

Posted sometime November 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Hello to all – this month’s summary will be a brief one as I was out on a road trip most of the month and, therefore, have not been able to devote a lot of time to the gathering and sharing of album art/artist-related information. With that said, while I was gone, the work done by these talented individuals continued unabated and, therefore, I’m happy to be able to link you to the most important of these stories and introduce them as best I can under the circumstances.

At the end of this summary, I’m going to give you a glimpse at where I’ve been, who I’ve met, and how album cover artistry reveals itself even when you’re not looking for it! I do really appreciate your patience while I get back into the swing of things and so, without further delay, let’s being this month’s edition of the ACHOF News…

Album Cover Hall of Fame’s News Update and Link Summary for October, 2023

Album Cover Hall of Fame’s News Update and Link Summary for October, 2023

Posted October 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Summer’s gone and its time to start thinking about a) what to do during the day now that kids are back in school (I personally don’t worry about this but suspect that some of you do) b) Holiday season prep and c) what we’re going to do to keep ourselves warm until Spring. With all of those priorities, how in the world should I expect you to pay close attention to what’s going on in the world of album covers, packages and the people that make them for us? I’d surmise that it’s nearly impossible unless, of course, you have a friend – someone like me – who’ll spend countless hours of his own time getting all of the details together for you, which I’ve done again in this month’s summary.

You’re happy, I’m happy.

Seems like there’s a lot to look at and learn about, so let’s get going…in just one second…

I do want to let you know that there are not one but two extended items that include discussions I had with two experts – one, a true fan of anything/everything The Beatles, who had caught an error (unintentional, but still there) in a previous article and wanted to set the record straight and the other, a renowned designer from outside the music business who created some truly impressive images of furniture sporting design influences from album cover imagery using the latest AI tools.

Enjoy both and feel free to share/comment.

Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for September, 2023

Posted September 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Since I know that most of you are eager to get outside to enjoy the waning days of Summer (unless you’re suffering through heat troughs, the floods/flying debris of a hurricane or the smoke and ashes of a local forest fire), I’ll keep this month’s intro short and sweet.

If you haven’t seen it already, I invite you all to read my latest interview, this one with Professor Kenneth FitzGerald, with a focus on what serves as the basis of his new book Progress Music – https://albumcoverhalloffame.wordpress.com/2023/08/22/achofs-wide-ranging-interview-with-prof-kenneth-fitzgerald-author-of-the-book-process-music-songs-stories-and-studies-of-graphic-culture/ In addition, you’ll find new info on several interesting new shows, some fine books on a variety of album art-related topics, some nice new prints from some very talented people and, as always, a bunch of other fascinating things to look into but, for now, let’s get on with this month’s newsletter…

ACHOF’s Wide-Ranging Interview with Prof. Kenneth FitzGerald, author of the book Process Music: songs, stories, and studies of graphic culture

Published August 22, 2023 by Mike Goldstein

Author Kenneth FitzGerald’s latest book – one that looks at the motivations behind the works of graphic designers, with a focus on the connection between design/art and music – hit the shelves in early Summer 2023/ and, based on the many chapters I’ve read, it is a truly scholarly review. Process Music: songs, stories, and studies of graphic culture (published by Onomatopee, Eindhoven, NL) is based primarily on a collection of articles, presentations, critiques and texts from lectures that Mr. FitzGerald – a Professor at Old Dominion university as well as an artist, designer and curator – has presented in publications including Emigre, Eye, Idea, Modes of Criticism and Print and in forums such as the Design Observer, Voice: AIGA Journal of Graphic Design and Speak Up over the past decade or so. As you might figure – for I am known to be a bit curious – I contacted Kenneth to learn more about this new book after reporting about it in my July 2023 newsletter and went on to purchase one as I was eager to read more and get a better understanding of his take on the world of graphic design from his most-unusual vantage point.

Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for August, 2023

Posted August 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

The Summer season is now in full swing and, in many places, it’s a Summer unlike any we’ve ever had weather-wise. Here in Chicagoland, we’ve had a number of days of record heat, with the added bonus of unhealthy air courtesy of the forest fires now burning up large swaths of land in Canada. Will Mankind ever fess up to what it has done to bring us to this point and do what’s needed to reverse this downward spiral, or will we simply do the minimum and hope that we and the rest of the world can adapt and/or come up with a technological solution that precludes us from having to inconvenience ourselves?

What does this have to do with art, you ask? Throughout history, people working in the arts – writers, musicians, painters, poster and comic book artists, etc. – have used their talents to illustrate what’s been on their minds regarding what’s right and wrong with the world. Even in our little corner of the art world, album covers and posters have featured images designed specifically to express an artist’s take on the status quo, with the hopes that these images serve as a wake-up call to those that see them. From Rage Against The Machine’s cover photo on their self-titled debut album of a Buddhist monk who set himself ablaze in protest against corruption in his country (https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/rage-against-the-machine-political-album-cover/) to the apocalyptic cover image of the U.N. in flames found on Megadeth’s Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying and even the simple photo of Marvin Gaye looking up to the skies in the rain while asking “What’s Goin’ On?” (along with many others certainly worth mentioning), musical acts and the art directors they’ve worked with have tried to use their abilities to capture and hold the attention of anyone willing to listen so, if you’re like me, all we can hope is that each of us take the time to review, assess and then act on what we all know must be done to keep everyone alive and thriving. I take the time to do this newsletter since I know that there are several thousands of you that enjoy it, but I know that there are many things more important to our everyday lives, so while I appreciate your ongoing support, if one day everyone decided that, rather than read the newsletter, they’d take the time to clean up a local beach or park, help an elderly person do their shopping or attend a “go green” rally, I’d be very happy with that knowledge and not take it the least bit personally.

For now, for those so inclined, I’ll ask you to spend whatever time you’re willing to devote to reading through the ACHOF monthly newsletter to see what your favorite album cover artists might be doing these days to make the world a bit more beautiful, peaceful and musical. I’ve been making progress on a couple of new articles for you – one, an interview with Kenneth FitzGerald about his career and his new book Progress Music (featured in last month’s newsletter) and the other an article about music industry design education that I hope to post in the near future. While you’re waiting patiently for me to finish this work, I’d once again like to remind you that there are scores of interviews available on the ACHOF site, all which have been neatly categorized and reached via the ACHOF “Interviews” Main page – https://albumcoverhalloffame.wordpress.com/album-cover-hall-of-fame-interviews-main-page/  Why not take a moment to take a look there (there’s a handy search box that will help you find what you need), with interviews going back to 2006 with some of your favorite album art-makers. Also, if you have any suggestions for me – ideas for articles, notices about events or adding/editing sections of the newsletter or web site, please feel free to share those with me. I read every email I get (and reply to them all) and really appreciate the feedback as it’s my hope to make this site/news source as good as it can be. For now, let’s get on with this month’s newsletter…

Album Cover Hall of Fame News Update and Link Summary for July, 2023

Album Cover Hall of Fame’s Latest News Update and Link Summary, posted July 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

The Summer season is now upon us and, if you’re like me, you’re looking for something interesting to do to occupy your free time. If you’re also like me in that you sit in a stupor while trying to figure out just what you really want to take the time to do from the seemingly-limitless list of possibilities – walk into town for a coffee, take a trip to the grocery store, catch the train for a trip into the city, tend to the herb garden, make a spreadsheet of all of the concert tix you’ve saved since the mid-1970s, etc. – maybe it’d simply make more sense to spend a little time reading through your favorite monthly newsletter to see what your favorite album cover artists might be doing to make the world a bit more interesting and beautiful…that’s it!

I’ve done almost nothing in my efforts to launch a newer, cleaner album cover artist-focused web site, as that would take time away from my research and writing (and the aforementioned leisure-time activities), but I have made some headway in adding more bios to the site, so it’s not been a total under-application of my resources (and, I got to see the new Van Gogh exhibit at the Art Institute ON THE SAME DAY that I attended the annual Chicago Blues Fest – see photos, below).

Album Cover Hall of Fame Quickie News Update and Link Summary for June, 2023

Album Cover Hall of Fame’s Quickie News Update and Link Summary for June, 2023

Posted June 1, 2023 by Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Happy post-Memorial Day/early Summer season to you all. I know that I’d told you last month that I’d be skipping the regular monthly newsletter for a month (i.e., June) in order to catch up on a ton of work that I keep having to put off, so much has happened – or is about to happen – that I thought I’d figure out some way to deliver some sort of update so important details and events are now available to you, but with much-truncated introductions. I hope that you still find the info useful.

Interview with 2023 Grammy winner Dave Van Patten on the award-winning work for Rhino Records for the Grateful Dead

ACHOF’s Mike Goldstein’s interview with artist and illustrator Dave Van Patten on his 2023 Grammy Award-winning (for “Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package”) work for Rhino Records on the IN AND OUT OF THE GARDEN: MADISON SQUARE GARDEN ’81 ’82 ’83! package for the Grateful Dead.

Mike G’s screen grab of artist Dave Van Patten, with his co-winners Lisa Glines and Doran Tyson at the 2023 Grammy Awards ceremony

By Mike Goldstein, AlbumCoverHallofFame.com

Posted May 11, 2023

Each year, I look forward to learning more about the talented people who bring their abilities to clients in the music industry, because each year I realize that there are many artists, from all different backgrounds and disciplines, who are asked to contribute to album package projects of all sizes and styles. The past few years, while serving as a judge for some of the better-known packaging awards, I get to see the results of efforts to produce packages that, at least to me, run the gamut from pedestrian (AKA “cookie cutter”) to truly inspired and everything in between. I’m typically most-impressed by artists and design teams that, rather than take the simple path (particularly on projects for clients with a well-establish design guide), try something new and exciting, even at the risk of ticking off the purists who will accept nothing but the status quo.

I personally experienced the wrath of fans for a particular anime series that the company I was working for adapted for an American audience, even BEFORE we showed any of it to the public (“don’t you DARE touch this or change that, or you’ll be sorry” was the typical threat), so when I learned more about how the team behind this year’s Grammy-winning package in the “Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package” category approached the project for their client – i.e., the Grateful Dead, the band with perhaps the most-integrated fan base in the music business – and made the decision to introduce some new graphics to the package, my first reaction was “I wonder if they felt the need to take alternate routes to the office for a while?” (perhaps that was a bit dramatic, but I’m damaged goods). Of course, I also wanted to know more about the coordinated effort to produce such an impressive package, so I took my questions to one of the people responsible for this year’s award-winning project – artist Dave Van Patten – to see what he could do to both illuminate the details of the creative/production effort and also show me proof that he’d survived (and in fact, been fortified by) the reactions of Dead fans to the set he’d help put together.

Interview with Martin Atkins about The Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music

Interview with Martin Atkins about The Museum of Post Punk and Industrial Music (and album covers, naturally!)

An ACHOF Special Report by Mike Goldstein

Martin Atkins (l) and Mike Goldstein (r)

Posted May the Fourth, 2023

Introduction – Why do people collect? It’s a question that has challenged marketing professionals, medical/psychological experts and many, many journalists over the years and, as such, many scientific studies have been done and theories have been proffered, and still there are many questions that remain unanswered, including “does collecting help us document the special moments of our lives?” or “can collecting help us reduce stress and increase our pleasures?”, etc. Scientists will geek out about the production of dopamine (a neurotransmitter that controls the brain’s reward and pleasure response) and a human being’s need to somehow preserve (or conserve) things that solicit fond memories of things we’re passionate about, while marketers and advertising pros in every segment of the product/service promotional world do their best to help us all collect souvenirs, memorabilia, fine art, stamps, sneakers, wine, wristwatches, fond memories of unique experiences and everything else that fulfills our needs in this area.

Where is the fine line between simply gathering a few of these desirable items and obsessively  collecting thousands of them at great cost? Each of us surely has a story…