four calendar cover

[mmmender]

many people have said that out of all the cocteau twins album covers that four calendar cafe stands out and doesn't fit with the rest of their album covers. do you agree?

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/fcc.jpg

[Phil Lawton]

Lees

There's no space to cast a vote for "It's shite".

[zed]

you call that monstrosity a COVER???!!:mad:

makes a better toilet seat.
Z:rolleyes:

[mattadore]

I agree, it's crap. Is it a Walter Wick image? I forget. Usually I like Wick's work, but this one is shite... (IMHO)

[zed]

matt...........no need to be humble about it man......

shit, is shit.roflmao

Z.

[watchlar]

i guess i vehemently disagree about this album cover...i think it's amazing. perhaps some people just see a bunch of junk on the cover...random items from everyday life that get thrown in a junk drawer....in that sense...i think it fits the album perfectly...sort of tangible everday images that, to me, are visual representations of fleeting and random thoughts and emotions that move in and out of the conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious states...each of which, collectively, fit together as an emotional gestalt.

On the surface...to me the items are reminescent of childhood, and the fascination with the inane...those items we treasured and collected and NO ONE could take from us. Do you remember that special marble that was unlike any other, that you carried in your pocket or hid in your drawer...it was your magical talisman....

Makes sense to me...Liz appears to have been doing some deep emotional work on herself personally at the time as reflected in the lyrics.

FCC is my favorite CT album...and always will be. It penetrates through the everday mechanisms of defense and touches the core...the grief...the loneliness...the hurt and the disparity...the joy...the uncertainty...trust...and distrust. I think it's an amazing and rare piece of work and I'm so thankful that they shared it with the world

[dprid]

If that's what they decided they wanted on the cover for the music they had produced then who are we to criticise. If they felt it matched their mood at the time then it's part of their art. The fact that we may not think it matches 10+ years after the event is neither here nor there.

[E-Lo]

Why they ended working with v23 is beyond me, I mean other non-4AD artists had fantastic v23 covers, e.g., David Sylvian. That font in particular is really bad!

But, the cover does not do justice to the music which I love :)

[Brett]

4CC is quite poor IMO.

I see a correlation between the music and the sleeve art. Certainly with the albums. I'll have a think about the singles.

I'm guessing you guys had a poll on the best cover art, yes? So what won?

[Adam]

i like it. it's very cool design

[Lucibelle]

Originally posted by zed
you call that monstrosity a COVER???!!:mad:

makes a better toilet seat.
Z:rolleyes:
roflmao

Lololol!!!

Ok, now that I've caught my breath...

I like the cover! It IS unusual from other sleeves, that's for sure, but it can be a fine line between signature syle and growing stale. A hard line to toe, and I think they toed it pretty well, IMHO! :) Besides if not for FCC, we wouldn't have this!---->ballerina


of course, on the other hand, it COULD just be all the things they picked up around the house too small for babie's hands, and put them in a pile....

[ScottL]

Originally posted by watchlar
i guess i vehemently disagree about this album cover...i think it's amazing. perhaps some people just see a bunch of junk on the cover...random items from everyday life that get thrown in a junk drawer....in that sense...i think it fits the album perfectly...sort of tangible everday images that, to me, are visual representations of fleeting and random thoughts and emotions that move in and out of the conscious, pre-conscious, and unconscious states...each of which, collectively, fit together as an emotional gestalt.

.....

FCC is my favorite CT album...and always will be. It penetrates through the everday mechanisms of defense and touches the core...the grief...the loneliness...the hurt and the disparity...the joy...the uncertainty...trust...and distrust. I think it's an amazing and rare piece of work and I'm so thankful that they shared it with the world

Nicely said, really touching, and I hadn't thought about the symbolic aspects of the cover, but all you said makes alot of sense. I love the album but never thought much about the cover...
I personally always like the abstract forms of the v23, but I prefer abstract covers in general...BBK is my fav post v23 cover..that is post v23 right?

[multymfoiled]

Watchy's insight is well taken, but I can't get passed how it stands out from the rest of the designs from their catalogue....The general "untangible" designs of the other albums stand together as a collective of work and a unified vision.

But, I do tend to find myself often staring at FCC. I seem to discover a new "trinket" every time I look!

[Brien]

I totally agree with Watchlar! Liz is certainly getting in touch with her "inner child".

[ezzydynamine]

I must say i like the whole FCC era sleeves. Thought they look lovely when you set them all together. Maybe abit out of Cocteau stuff, but then 23envelope/v23 don't always work either....

I thought that the sleeve for Aikea-Guinea and the sleeve for Green Violaine was shit, but then the Green violaine sleeve completes the range of colours in the M&K collection....

but hey that's my opinion...


LOVE THAT FCC font..... posibly my favourite ever....

[Baddy2shoos]

makes me wanna puke awful colours...too in your face and also doesnt reflect the music whatsoever, something more subtle would have been appropriate

[zed]

.....ok, i understand the signifigance of the cover,...and it did give us the lovely ballerina ,...but this does not make a great design.

that's a seperate issue.,......as an album cover it is plainly just, bad......they should have stuck with the ballirina. there is a lot to work with there that is perfect for the symbolism of the album and great visuals to sell it with........for merchendizing, it's a gold mine.

oh, erinn,........in the edit funtion,.....there is a delete button.
you could go back and erase them if you like.

Z:cool:

[watchlar]

Originally posted by by the sea





the cocteaus saved my life.

you're all thinking :rolleyes: but it's true.
yeah i was afraid to say this...but it's really true in so many ways...my life was pure hell 92-94...this album definitely helped me heal

[someotherian]

well i think it's a nice piece of design work.
not the best cover for a ct album.. but hey, we all have bad days, right?

i could get all spinal tap on you and start on about 'the lack of musical invention within', but that's not the issue here.

[Colin]

It's that 45-record insert thingy that blows it for me. The dancing girl is nice, and the concept is interesting and may have worked, but my eye always goes right to the blasted yellow insert--ick, ick ,uck!!! There is no mystery to it, and for me no emotion or sentiment.

Might I have had a traumatic childhood experience involving a 45rpm?? Back to therapy. . . .

[MCocteau]

I love this cover...I would love to have a wallpaper in these colours...and the toilet seat, too...I remember having been shocked by the Milk and Kisses cover...so white...so simple...so naked :)

[watchlar]

Originally posted by MCocteau
I love this cover...I would love to have a wallpaper in these colours...and the toilet seat, too...I remember having been shocked by the Milk and Kisses cover...so white...so simple...so naked :)

I always wanted FCC wallpaper too...LOL

[Angel]

Wow, I didn't realize that an album cover could cause so much debate. Maybe I should pay more attention the covers instead of running to my CD holder like a crack addict to the pipe when I need to hear them.

[Angel]

Another bad side effect of drinking a little too much, you forget whole words in the middle of sentences. Watch out when you get us mothers out on the town after being dry for months on end...

[Maria Jose]

I was just thinking of how "fragmented" the Cocteaus lives,
musically and personally must have been at the time FCC was released,
as if they were trying to put all the pieces together,on both fronts.
You have a cover with a myriad of the most unconnected tiny things,
then they also produced a kaleidoscope,for greater insight and
if that wasn't enough,then they came up with the idea of a jigsaw puzzle !!!!!
http://www.mcilwaine12.utvinternet.co.uk/ctuk/agraphix/fccpuzz.jpg

Still much better than the white version of the French promo for Bluebeard!

How much were the Twins involved with all these ideas?
:confused:

[Colin]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
How much were the Twins involved with all these ideas?
:confused:

Taken from Vaughn Oliver: visceral pleasures, by Rick Poynor, a beautiful catalog and "history" of Vaughn and his work with photographer Nigel Grierson as 23envelope:

"Working with the two reticent Scots was never easy. Singer Elizabeth Fraser and her partner Robin Guthrie -- who constructed the Cocteaus' sound with guitar, tape loops, echo boxes and drum machines -- were absolutely clear about what they did not want on their sleeves, and this included most forms of representational imagery. They were less certain about what they did want to see. The songs had lyrics, but Fraser's whispers, whoops, chants and cries translated the words into abstract sounds and most were indecipherable. "That's when we first started to talk about trying to recreate the atmosphere of the record," says Oliver. "Natrually, you want to put some kind of focal point to an otherwise abstract image, even if it's very indistinct. Robin and Elizabeth would deny us that. Whatever we tried to use -- a detail of sycamore seed or a feather -- they would say, 'Our music isn't about that.' It would be pinning it down too much for them."

...it goes on quite a bit from there. So at 4AD they had a lot of input . . .but their attitude must have changed by the time FCC came along. As I complained in an earlier post, that 45-insert thingy is far too much a "representational image" not abstract enough, etc. .

A good book if you love v23 art.

[Maria Jose]

Colin , thanks for the quote !

Watchlar,have you been cleaning up the drawers where you keep all your childhood photos?
Your new avatar is SOOOO cute !
ballerina

[mmmender]

Originally posted by Colin
...it goes on quite a bit from there. So at 4AD they had a lot of input . . .but their attitude must have changed by the time FCC came along. As I complained in an earlier post, that 45-insert thingy is far too much a "representational image" not abstract enough, etc. .

we can't really apply this quote to FCC thouogh because it wasn't a 4AD release so v23 had nothing to do with the cover design. perhaps this was the main problem?

[zed]

mmm..........absolutely!!! as soon as they lost v23 the covers really suffered in my opinion.........and YES!! that fucking yellow insert......i've loathed the thing from the moment i set eyes on it.

it's,......so, so, ......YELLOW!!!:mad: :eek: :mad:

Z.

[mmmender]

i think that some of the FCC images were quite lovely when isolated on certain releases.....summerhead is of course my all-time favourite ct cover!

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/summerhead1.jpg

then there's other beautiful images from this era like the ballerina

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/bluebeard_1trk.jpg

and the spring image....

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/blue_45.jpg

perhaps the most beautiful of this series is the bluebeard cassette single which has the seahorse on the cover....unfortunately i haven't scanned my copy of this but i can upon request if anyone is interested in seeing it.

[mmmender]

i also think that i would have perhaps been a better idea to use the "negative" or white version taht was used on the insert and on the bluebeard promo instead, it's much more fitting than its darker counterpart.

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/blue_paris.jpg

[Adam]

http://iceblink.republika.pl/23blue-mc.jpg

[mmmender]

yeah that's the one, thanks adam!

i paid a fortune for that cassette but i couldn't resist it because i thought it was so lovely. i wish they would've made a cocteau twins tshirt with that blue seahorse on it.

that version of the cassette is also much nicer than the capitol records promo version of it........yawn

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/blue_cass.jpg

[mmmender]

yeah but that looks exactly the same as the regular evangeline, minus the french 'strip' along the side.....kinda like the french card sleeve of bluebeard.....i think that most of the french releases are all kinda boring with the exception of the deux albums originaux and the bluebeard promo, don't you think?

[zed]

.............it's definatly the blue background and that damn yellow thing...........mmm.......yeah, that image was (is) beautiful.

Z.avant!!:cool:

[mmmender]

in dreams........

[Maria Jose]

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/blue_paris.jpg

A white CD is always nice to look at but remove it and take a look,
nice wrapping paper . . .
I'm still not too sure this is much better than the blue one .
And the green one? My least favourite .
I remember being somehow disappointed when I first saw FCC but then again it went to reflect many things in the music.

[mmmender]

at least in canada (and several other countries) the cd portion of the release wasn't the boring blue one like in the US.

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/FCC_canada.jpg

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/FCC_usa.jpg

[mmmender]

then there's the japanese edition.....PHCR-65 which has a lyrics insert......

http://eil.com/newgallery/Cocteau_Twins_Four-Calender_Caf_208078.jpg

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/japfcc_disc.jpg

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/japfcc_lyrics.jpg

[mmmender]

by far the absolute WEIRDEST version of FCC that i've seen is the taiwan bootleg edtion.....it's also full of spelling errors. i really should get around to posting some scans of this next week becuase it's something i've been asked about a billion times.

[Maria Jose]

http://www.cocteautwins.org/~leesa/cocteautwins/cgraphix/discog/japfcc_lyrics.jpg

This is not a lyrics insert , Leesa .
It's a comment by some music journalist,with the band' s history.
I think it was with BBK that the Cocteaus enclosed a statement regarding
the lyrics that up to then had been enclosed in the Japanese releases,distancing themselves from any interpretation.
I have it somewhere . . .
Now , a secret , my Japanese FCC is obi-less . . .
I have no shame , where the hell has it gone ???:rolleyes:

[watchlar]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
.
Now , a secret , my Japanese FCC is obi-less . . .
I have no shame , where the hell has it gone ???:rolleyes:


GASP....OBI-WAN COCTEAUBIE will have something to say about this....

roflmao roflmao roflmao

[mmmender]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
This is not a lyrics insert , Leesa .
It's a comment by some music journalist,with the band' s history.

thanks for clearing that up mj, i was uncertain and unable to clairfy as i obviously cannot speak japanese.

Originally posted by Maria Jose
Now , a secret , my Japanese FCC is obi-less . . .
I have no shame , where the hell has it gone ???:rolleyes:

:eek: :eek: :eek:
i'd throw the whole thing away if i were you!!!!!
oh the horror and the shame of it!!

;)

[Maria Jose]

All this FCC artwork has made me really curious about the photographer,so I looked for a homepage and , alas , he' s a famous American photographer.
His main works are Children's Books!!!
His "I spy" picture riddles books are best-sellers .
This is some of his early work

http://www.walterwick.com/bio/pics/pins.jpg
and this other one

http://www.walterwick.com/bio/pics/zipper.jpg

Or this one in which he recreates one of his specialities : objects suspended in midair
http://www.walterwick.com/books/ispy/pics/fan_yikes_sample.jpg


So,can it be possible that this was Liz 's idea for daughter Lucibelle at the time,considering some of the lyrics ??
That would have been such a luvvely thought !!

[Maria Jose]

Though he also has some very "Pink Opaque " looking stuff . . .

http://www.walterwick.com/features/slideshow/pics/slide_04.jpg
http://www.walterwick.com/features/slideshow/pics/slide_02.jpg
http://www.walterwick.com/features/slideshow/pics/slide_03.jpg

[Maria Jose]

Oh , the photographer's name . . .
Walter Wick .

Re: Obi
Yes , I'm totally irresponsible but just today I got the original Garlands
vinyl edition WITH obi,also the OBIED vinyl HOH and Treasure,with gorgeous
band pic inside !
Plizzz !
Forgive me !!!!!!!!!
:o

[mmmender]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
I think it was with BBK that the Cocteaus enclosed a statement regarding the lyrics that up to then had been enclosed in the Japanese releases,distancing themselves from any interpretation.
I have it somewhere . . .

it's actually the insert that comes with the japanese tiny dynamine it says.....

"In countries, outside of Japan, we are constantly asked to include elizabeth's lyrics in our releases. Though we are sympathetic to this request we feel it is an unnecessary inclusion preferring that the words be interpreted individually by the listener. Occasionally, with previous releases, lyrics have been included in Japanese pressings of our records. These lyrics are almost 100 percent completely inaccurate. We apologise for this error but hope that some of you will have already "seen through" this inaccuracy. We woulde also like to point out that, contrary to suggestions in the "Treasure" sleeve notes, Robin does not contribute any vocals. Elizabeth is totally responsible for all vocal parts whilst Robin and Simon provide all of the music. Perhaps these clarifications will help us to understand each other a little better"

[mmmender]

Originally posted by Maria Jose
All this FCC artwork has made me really curious about the photographer,so I looked for a homepage and , alas , he' s a famous American photographer.
His main works are Children's Books!!!
His "I spy" picture riddles books are best-sellers .


i'm not sure how famous walter wick "i spy" books are in japan but they are HUGELY FAMOUS in north american households - mine included! my son liam (5) spends hours searching for specific items.....like mother like son. :)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0439454018.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

[Maria Jose]

Yes,that must be the statement.
It just kills me with laughter to try and figure out WHICH song from Treasure
could Robin possibly sing !!!

[Maria Jose]

Originally posted by mmmender
i'm not sure how famous walter wick "i spy" books are in japan but they are HUGELY FAMOUS in north american households - mine included! my son liam (5) spends hours searching for specific items.....like mother like son. :)

Does he ever peek into your Cocteau collection and check FCC ?:D
His books might be famous in Japan but I have no idea !

[mmmender]

Originally posted by Maria Jose


Does he ever peek into your Cocteau collection and check FCC ?:D

he'd have his (carolyn's) fingers cut off!!!!!!!!

roflmao

[Maria Jose]

Originally posted by mmmender


he'd have his (carolyn's) fingers cut off!!!!!!!!

roflmao

I should have thought so . . .;)

[Maria Jose]

This is not bad at all
http://www.mcilwaine12.utvinternet.co.uk/ctuk/agraphix/black94.jpg

Though this one is simply stunning
http://www.mcilwaine12.utvinternet.co.uk/ctuk/agraphix/black2.jpg

[mmmender]

i don't like the first one very much, it looks too bootleggy....if that's a word. but you know that most bootlegs look shabby and that one does - especially because they've got one of the tracklistings wrong #9 Ella Megalast......where's the rest of the title??

the second bootleg cover is nice though!

[Colin]

Originally posted by mmmender


we can't really apply this quote to FCC thouogh because it wasn't a 4AD release so v23 had nothing to do with the cover design. perhaps this was the main problem?

I know this is buried way back in the thread by now. . . step away for a few hours & you're in the weeds!

Clearly they lost v23 post-4ad, but I thought the quote was relevant as it demonstrates that CT were very concerned about the art -- they wouldn't allow just any visual to be slapped on their cover. I would guess this preference came with them to fontana (though they may not have had as much sway??).

Note also their preferences changed over time. The CT passage in the book later reveals that the band insisted on a hand-written logo for the band name (I love the logos!!) They must have given up on this by the time Spanglemaker & A-G came along. FCC font -- uggg. Maybe this cover reflects their dislike for the whole "e-word" reputation. not very eth***** at all, is it?

[watchlar]

from a MONDO2000 article during the FCC era:



Robin proudly flourished his pre-release copy of their latest Four-Calendar Cafe and saluted Walter Wick's photocollage as being "like the inside of me 'ead!"


you can read the entire article here:http://www.cocteautwins.com/html/media/print/mondo_fall93.html

[zed]

.........ok, that's it. mr. watchlar just shut the thread down......
no more to say,.......lets all go home. he nailed it.

nice digging there dude.......pimp

Z.:D :D

[simon raymonde]

i personally think that the venezeulan limited edition 8 track tape with scratch and sniff cover (smells of plastic and children) and the free whoopee cushion that made the noise of Robin wheezing when you sat on it was the best item of FCC stuff I have seen...and i must say that the Albanian 78rpm version of Loves Easy Tears has to be seen to be believed, it comes wrapped in this communist newspaper like a bag of fish and chips and when you play the vinyl the world instantly seems like a safer place....

weird huh?

[zed]

gawd,........i've been trying to get my hands on a those 78's for years!
they're quite rare. or so one hears.

Z.:cool:

[someotherian]

Originally posted by zed
.............it's definatly the blue background and that damn yellow thing
what's everyone's problem with the single insert graphic? i think it's a very nice part of the total image idea. why not complain about the litle dancer.. or the seahorse.. or the spring? because they all form important parts of this nice image.
i admit i've said before that it's not my favourite ct album cover but i still think it's a nice piece of design.. so why single (no pun intended) out individual pieces of it to complain about?

[Colin]

Originally posted by someotherian
.. so why single (no pun intended) out individual pieces of it to complain about?

1) Who can explain a vsiceral, gut reaction, esp. to "art"? The piece does serve as a focal point -- it nearly dominates the composition. You need to strain to make out most other shapes, but that one smacks you in the head.

Originally posted by someotherian

why not complain about the litle dancer.. or the seahorse.. or the spring?

2) The little dancer and seahorse (or little tiger/lion) are less utilitarian. These & some others are playful/emotive, associated with childhood play, etc. I always just considered searching the drawer for those damn single inserts a pain-in-the-*** which held you up from enjoying your music. Yes, there are other little tools & utilitarian pieces in the mix, but they are silhouetted or more muted.

But boy, who cares. It strikes you as it does. I think basically if you don't go for the whole design, you can hang your angst on the insert.

Watchlar--very revealing quote, indeed. Thanks for nailing it.

[Maria Jose]

Originally posted by simon raymonde
i personally think that the venezeulan limited edition 8 track tape with scratch and sniff cover (smells of plastic and children) and the free whoopee cushion that made the noise of Robin wheezing when you sat on it was the best item of FCC stuff I have seen...and i must say that the Albanian 78rpm version of Loves Easy Tears has to be seen to be believed, it comes wrapped in this communist newspaper like a bag of fish and chips and when you play the vinyl the world instantly seems like a safer place....

weird huh?

You don't say YOU POSSESS those items ? Blast !!!
I remember seeing the *Colombian* limited edition with scratch and sniff cover in e-bay but was worried about the consequences of it being shipped here to Japan.Police are very picky and wasn 't too sure about the cocaine
though apparently there was little left of it ...
The Albanian edition was OK but horribly ruined by the oil stains!
Also it came with this odd-looking lace ribbon tying up the paper.
As you may be aware,I have extreme difficulties
keeping my obis in place,not too mention ribbons !

Now,seriously , Mr Raymonde, you can be SO bloody funny !
roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao roflmao

[ezzydynamine]

firstly..... I can not believe anyone actually liked my stupid bootleg covers for the black sessions.... I made those about 2-3 years ago.... bored one day... I also tried to do more for all my copied CD-R bootlegs... I also did one or two for SteveG(an elan).... do you remember them steve? I was revamping the black sessions one the other day, as i have still got to send out some bootlegs to Dynamine... busy doing work so i should really message him soon. My bad.

anyway... i'll post some other one soon, of the subterrania club and the albert hall gig, the avalon theatre.... i always try to keep them close to the originals.... like i wouldn't use a FCC logo and style on a bootleg of a 1991 concert of the HOLV logo on a concert from the Milk & Kisses tour....



SECONDLY.... I always thought that Snow was a lovely simple cover.... and leesa yes i agree the Summerhead cover is pur brilliance and delight.

[Maria Jose]

So,Erinn this is yours,then ?
http://www.mcilwaine12.utvinternet.co.uk/ctuk/agraphix/subterraniaclub1.jpg

I really like the black " Black Sessions"!

ballerina

[ezzydynamine]

it is.... it based on the September sound logo.... notice the leave in the background.... i have changed the subterrania cover... as i am the only one who has it... i'll repost soon some more covers i have done.

[etherspeak]

the old cliche is true - never judge a book by it's cover. One of my all time favorites - Pur is from the album !!

[stratton]

first off...i have to say i'm in the camp that loves the 4cc artwork. always have. i have been a fan of walter wick since before the album came out so i may be biased in that respect. blue is my favorite color so that's another plus. all the little children's items just send me into a nostalgic reel. i had tons of those little yellow 45 inserts as a kid so that is probably my favorite aspect. i have heard some people complain about the simple white font but i think it's perfectly suited. to me it represents the lyrics and their naked, open quality. all in all, a gorgeous album.

secondly...i like your subterrania artwork erinn. i would dig a copy of it if you are still making this. the black session stuff is nice too, however there is one thing that always bugs me about this bootleg. the title of this set is 'black session'. it is often misprinted as 'black sessions'. call me a stickler but i guess it's like saying 'four calendar cafes'...or 'blue bell knolls'. 'black session' is the generic title given to any set performed live by a band on the program. bernard lenoir is the host; his program is actually called C'EST LENOIR and it's broadcast on france inter, which is part of radio france. you can check out the official site here:

http://www.radiofrance.fr/chaines/france-inter01/emissions/lenoir/index.php

it looks like goldfrapp are playing live on monday night. anyone with access going to tape this?


stratton

[Maria Jose]

I had no idea the original was "session", no plural.
We should all stand corrected from today!

ballerina

[iceblink555]

Originally posted by someotherian

what's everyone's problem with the single insert graphic? i think it's a very nice part of the total image idea.


I've always thought those single insert things had a kinda cool, wicked look to them! And I've never had any problem with the FCC artwork in general. I think it suits the mood of the album. BTW, Erinn, I really like your bootleg covers! __Alan

[andylama]

Originally posted by simon raymonde
i personally think that the venezeulan limited edition 8 track tape with scratch and sniff cover (smells of plastic and children) and the free whoopee cushion that made the noise of Robin wheezing when you sat on it was the best item of FCC stuff I have seen...and i must say that the Albanian 78rpm version of Loves Easy Tears has to be seen to be believed, it comes wrapped in this communist newspaper like a bag of fish and chips and when you play the vinyl the world instantly seems like a safer place....

weird huh?


Simon! Hilarious! :D
It is such a treat that you bother to read and reply humorously to threads such as this, let alone participate in this board at all.

You do realize, of course, that now, dozens of starry-eyed CT fanatics will have anxiety dreams about surfing eBay and finding that elusive Albanian CT 78...and realizing that their turntable doesn't have the 78 speed setting! Oh, the horror!

Fond regards,

Andy in Arizona
(where the music scene sucks really bad)

[andylama]

p.s. Sorry to say, I am one of those who really rather dislikes the FCC artwork. :(

I'm a fan of Vaughan Oliver, so I really dig the 23 Envelope-era artwork. The artwork for Dynamine & Echoes fit the music perfectly in my universe.

...For what it's worth (which is nothing)

[chaco75]

CT covers I hate:

Four Calendar Cafe
Aikea-Guines
Spangle Maker/Pearly

CT covers I love

Love's Easy Tears
Echoes/Tiny
Heaven or Las Vegas

[watchlar]

bump

[zed]

..i can't stand the regular cover.:angry: :2puke: :toilet:
i went back and re-thought the cover and it's variants.......
i'm willing to admit that certain variations are kinda nice.

best i can do.:rolleyes:

Z.ballerina

[NPrinciple]

Dunno about shite but heres an album cover thats sick !
http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre700/e761/e76140r6f67.jpg

lol

[seeker]

i love the 4CC-ish covers. everytime i saw it, i always think of "Alice In Wonderland".... very childish,innocent but also a little psychedelic at the same time, a kind of floating peaceful sense ...
i love it !
in fact,4CC is the first CT album i've heard, with a little surprise and puzzle. 'cause i've readed some reviews described their music as some dark and melancholy beauties. but my first experience is this brighter or the brightest work of them, totally confused me... a little disappionted at that moment (for that age), both with music and cover, but i still like it. and the years passed, now it becomes my second fav of them (Treasure is 1st) !
the cover also becomes one of my favs too, gorgeous, really!

[bLeafminer]

hahaha. i just started a reply to shift attention off of the FCC cover and onto the M&K 'white' cover and here the silly thing is in the reply field....

I don't care for the M&K cover at all. WAAAY too literal for the music. I'd argue FCC, while literally in focus, is at least somewhat esoteric, M&K scares me in that Sarah McLachlan/perfume advertisment sort of way.

Thankfully enough , I've got the magnet clasp - red digipack version gracing my shelf.;) It's such a nice set with the singles from that record....

[REPLICESS]

I listened to this album again, in an attempt to like it !! .....

Nope, sorry - only 'Summerhead' sits well with me :eek:

[Tinspur]

**MERGED THREADS**

I'm sure this subject has been broached before, but after a little research, which included spending time with my nephew, I've discovered where the album cover comes from. A pair of photographers named Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo have developed a series of children's books to help kids develop their spatial/identification skills:

http://www.scholastic.com/ispy/books/images/coverispy.jpg

"The classic debut title in the national best-selling series! Each rhyming riddle in this bright collection of photographic challenges invites children to find objects hidden throughout thematic pages. "This is a true eye-opener," raved the Los Angeles Times about this California Children's Media Award winner. "

The significance of the album cover in relation to the rest of the album came to me when I was playing/reading the book with my nephew: the whole of Four Calendar Cafe is about relevation and discovery. I never made this connection before, even with such looming titles as Know who you are at every age, Theft, and wandering around lost, My Truth, and Essence staring me in the face.

I'm guessing that Liz either bought the book for her daughter or was introduced to it through her experiences as a mother. My nephew is 4 yrs old and Lucy was of a similar age when FCC was released in '93.

[iceblink555]

Some interesting observations there, Spur. I'd never made that (seemingly) obvious connection before either, altho I wasn't familiar with Wick's work until it came up here on ct.org.

There was an extensive discussion of the FCC cover about six months ago. I'll go revive that thread from the Archives and attach your post to it.

--Alan

[Tinspur]

Thanks Alan, hopefully others will give their input on the matter............

[petroldarling]

Originally posted by Tinspur
**MERGED THREADS**

I'm sure this subject has been broached before, but after a little research, which included spending time with my nephew, I've discovered where the album cover comes from. A pair of photographers named Walter Wick and Jean Marzollo have developed a series of children's books to help kids develop their spatial/identification skills:

http://www.scholastic.com/ispy/books/images/coverispy.jpg


yes, i was going to say that it looks loads like those books, but you beat me to it :D i loved those when i was little. i dont much like the typeset and things but the little mess of objects i rather like, even if it doesnt fit all that well with the rest of the ct albumcovers.

[willy]

Originally posted by MCocteau
I love this cover...


I wouldn't even wipe my arse with it.

[fredofla]

Originally posted by REPLICESS
I listened to this album again, in an attempt to like it !! .....

Nope, sorry - only 'Summerhead' sits well with me :eek:


i gave 4CC another go over the weekend (it's been ages since....) and came away with a brand new respect for the album.

as with M&K, there are at least 4 or 5 tracks that now seem absolutely essential.

is it still the weakest of the later albums?

probably.....but, even then, it does has plenty of riches to offer.



FoLA

[mmmender]

squeeze wax is brilliant, so is summerhead.

let's not forget the great b-sides that we were given from the FCC era!!!

[Tinspur]

ICE-PULSE!!!!!!

http://iceblink.republika.pl/23blue-fr.jpg

[Pale Clouded]

I like Mud and Dark. It makes me cry, the last part she repeats in the song...

"Is anyone here, here, here?
Come, come
I will die
Before I give you power over me
I give you power over me"

...I try to tell myself that too.....

[iceblink555]

Originally posted by mmmender
let's not forget the great b-sides that we were given from the FCC era!!!

I'm afraid you'll have to remind me. :-/

Besides the Snow tracks, the FCC b-sides are some of the few CT songs that still haven't really grown on me over time. The M&K b-sides used to fall into the same category, but now I've really gotten into some of those, esp. Circling Girl and Primitive Heart. Guess it's time to break out the FCC singles again and give 'em another spin.

Fred, interesting what you say about (re)discovering FCC. Same thing happened to me when I gave it another try a few years ago, after not listening to it for quite awhile. Def. are several essential tracks on there. Like you, I still rank it pretty close to the bottom, but not as distantly as before.

--Alan

[Tinspur]

Alan.........


ICE-PULSE!!!

http://iceblink.republika.pl/23blue-fr.jpg

[iceblink555]

Yeah, Spur, I know, I saw it the first time you posted it!

Also noticed that it's the French one, not that I'm after the French version.... Need to dig up my US version and give it another listen.

Wait a minute! Looks like Spur's tryin' to pull a fast one on us: Ice-Pulse isn't even on that disc! Looks like the French one only has Bluebeard and Three-Swept. :rolleyes: ;-)

--Alan

[Phil Lawton]

Originally posted by iceblink555
Wait a minute! Looks like Spur's tryin' to pull a fast one on us: Ice-Pulse isn't even on that disc! Looks like the French one only has Bluebeard and Three-Swept. :rolleyes: ;-)

--Alan

Al

Have you been reading some old Sexton Blake novels?

[iceblink555]

Phil, I don't even know who Sexton Blake is! A writer of detective stories, perhaps?

--Alan
np: Rosin Dimitry - Dream Baby (cover)

[Phil Lawton]

Originally posted by iceblink555
Phil, I don't even know who Sexton Blake is! A writer of detective stories, perhaps?

--Alan
np: Rosin Dimitry - Dream Baby (cover)

Close - Sexton Blake was the character, not the author (the name of whom I cannot be arsed to look up). Although I've never read any of them myself, they were firmly entrenched in the mid-20th century ideal of fair play and justice, much as the tales of Biggles did.

In other words, a total work of fiction.

[iceblink555]

Ah, OK. Thanks for philling me in.

Biggles?

--Alan
np: Liz - at last i am free :sleep:

[Phil Lawton]

Originally posted by iceblink555
Biggles?

--Alan
np: Liz - at last i am free :sleep:

Al

Biggles was a fictional RAF pilot who was an all-round good egg. Killed Nazis, defended Mother England and generally inspired a generation of British schoolboys, aided and abetted by his colleagues Algie and Ginger.

You'll be telling me you've never read the exploits of Jennings and Derbyshire next.

[iceblink555]

Never did particularly care for algae. Nor ginger for that matter.

Jennings? Doesn't he do the news for ABC? Er, guess you guys don't get that on yer side o' the pond, eh? (ABC, that is.)

--Alan

[iceblink555]

Oh wait, that was Ginger, with a capital "g", wasn't it?

http://crm114.tripod.com/tina/images/ginger75.jpg

[Phil Lawton]

Al

Those citizens with access to satellite TV may see it. Unfortunately, I'm not one of them.

Jennings was a fictional public schoolboy (for "Public" read "private"....it's complicated, Al), the trials and tribulations of whom were chronicled in a series of books.

Anachronistic and terribly middle-class, but I enjoyed reading them as a kid. Derbyshire was the son of a vicar and Jennings' weedy, bespectacled friend who scored the winning run for the house in one cricket match.

Let's see....have you ever read any of the "Thomas The Tank Engine" books?

[iceblink555]

How 'bout the Hardy Boys?

Hmmm, "Thomas The Tank Engine"? The little train that could--close enuff?

--Alan

[willy]

Originally posted by iceblink555
How 'bout the Hardy Boys?


Wasn't it The Nancy Boys and Hardy Drew? Or am I thinking of a video I have somewhere?

[iceblink555]

Pretty sure it was The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. But maybe they switched it around for the porno. :dunno:

--Alan

[willy]

Originally posted by iceblink555
Pretty sure it was The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. But maybe they switched it around for the porno. :dunno:


It wasn't porno as such. It was a self-help video for practising homosexuals, in that practise makes perfect.

Belonged to the ex- of the ex-missus I think.