Thursday 10 April 2014

Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash


Michael Nesmith is an incredibly interesting and talented bloke, and this is a great album, but this post is focused not on the content but the sheer beauty of the presentation.

Anyone who knows me is aware that I shot myself in the financial foot long ago by falling in love with every musical medium (bar the minidisc... obviously.....), and in some cases have the same album on tape, mp3, vinyl AND cd.

This said, it is widely documented that vinyl just has that tactile advantage. Its a work of art. Or it can be, hence the point I'm making. There is so much potential with the size and layout of vinyl record that some just seem a bit wasted, from the visual point of view. Yes its almost all about the music, but no music fan can deny that they have fallen for a record on sight, with the desperate hope that the listening experience will match. It doesn't always work however, i.e. intriguing cover, sub-par sounds (Billy Swan, ahem). My friend Ed recently bought a trumpet based comp with a cover that implied life changing potential. Mild disappointment was the theme of that afternoon, and lives did not change, needless to say.

Anyway, in terms of vinyl presentation, I think this one might be perfection. It is in keeping (but not in a themey way) with the music and it very much suits the man and his humour.

Life size portrait of Mike on the cover. Ideal kissing size (not essential, but in this case helps). B+W Avedon-style photo, very honest. Clear text supports dry title.


Charming cheeky note.

Back of sleeve is rainbow fade..... 


Gatefold inner picture shows Michael looking like some Waylon styled badass cowboy in a lake surrounded by Pre-Raphaelite red headed sirens and lilies. 


The gatefold text is a glorious stream of consciousness musing from Nesmith about the making of records, the artistic process and the industry generally, rounding off with: 

Well, what the heck, if there's no reason and it doesn't make any difference, then just don't do it... get a job, make something of yourself... as if yourself weren't something...why go through the thousands of dollars and aggravation of making a record to sell. I've thought about that a lot... I'm sure there's an answer, but it beats me. At least I'm prepared to accept anything...waxed fruit, tree surgery, whatever. And if I don't come to a fork in the round, I don't panic anymore, I just assume that one is the road and the other is a road off to the side.



With one final disclaimer, if you catch it

After two or three months this album may lose potency although some aroma may linger.



Now that's how you do album design.












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