Album covers lesson

Revise some Famous Album Covers Quiz here -
http://www.virginmedia.com/music/quizzes/classic-album-covers.php

Album Covers – A History
Definition:
‘An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially released audio recording product, or album’ 


In the 1920’s, collections of music were released as ‘albums’ – these were sold/distributed in blank cases. In 1938, Columbia Records hired Alex Steinweiss as its first art director. He is credited with inventing the concept of album covers and cover art, replacing plain covers used before.


Recent History 
From the 1950s through to the 1980s, the LP record became the major formats for the distribution of popular music. The LP format remains in use for occasional new releases, though other formats have largely supplanted it.
Since the mid-1990s, the CD has become the most common form of physically-distributed music products. Packaging formats vary, including the very common plastic jewel-case, and the popular cardboard and plastic combination commonly known as a Digipak.
What has happened more recently?
Album Covers - Features
• What are the typical features of an album/single cover?
• What do they expect to see?
• Is the artwork as important now that everything is digital or is it more important?
Task 1
Create a new blog post labelled:
‘Album Covers’

Task 1
Write a post describing what album covers are, considering:
• History
• Features
• What you might expect to see
Questions to consider:
How would you categorise the covers?
Are there any other ways of distinguishing between them other than generically?
Album covers serve many different functions. What do you think these are?
http://www.vh1.com/music/tuner/2013-08-15/15-original-versions-iconic-album-covers/
The photograph on the front cover of the album was taken in guitarist Paul 'Bonehead' Arthurs' house (he later claimed to have done all the plastering in the room himself).
A picture of Rodney Marsh (footballer) can be seen on the cover and a television showing a scene from the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly with actors Eli Wallach and Antonio Casale. A still of Gian Maria Volonté from the film A Fistful of Dollars is visible on the television on the back cover. A poster of Burt Bacharach (one of Noel Gallagher's idols) is also shown on the lower-left-hand side of the cover.
Task 2 
Make sure your initial write up of your Album covers task is complete
Then add in an image of your favourite album cover identify the band, name of the album and year it was released. Analyse the cover and discuss:
• The history behind the cover (is there one?)
• Its connotation and denotation – does it fit in with the bands ideology?
• Does it appeal to its target audience?
Summarise why it appeals to you and what it means to you?