1) Maroon 5 - Songs about Jane
Description:
Maroon 5 are a five-piece indie/funk/pop band from Los Angeles. Their 2002 album cover for ‘Songs About Jane’ correlates with their title, with a brown theme (Maroon). The artist has conveyed a feeling of ambience and tranquillity that fits in with the laid-back, jazz-influenced album. Many of song’s albums are quite melancholy, so it immediately sets an easy-going tone.
Analysing Connotation:
The viewer can assume that the female of the front cover is ‘Jane’, the protagonist in each song. She is nude, yet her long, flowing, ‘hippy like’ hair covers up her private parts. This encourages us to believe that a lot of the songs are about lusting after Jane. The theme of swirls (especially Jane’s hair) is consistent in the front cover. This adds to the cohesive, ambient, trippy feeling of the album.
Advertisement - Similarities/Difference:
The brown theme, with white text ‘MAROON5’ is still consistent in the advertisement. This makes sense, as it is their trademark and can be recognized world-wide. However, a difference that occurs is the use of all five band members in this advertisement – rather than the iconic animation of ‘Jane’. The front cover has an indie feel to it, whereas this advertisement feels more cliché, which seems to be a main convention in pop music. This advertisement fits into the pop category rather than the jazz/soul vibe the album emits. Maroon5 are a global sensation, this is a Japanese advertisement, and therefore, this photo shoot could’ve been used so the band members are recognizable in foreign countries.
2) Nirvana - Nevermind
Description:
‘Nevermind’ is the second studio album from Rockers ‘Nirvana’. It received extremely positive reviews for breaking the niche rock barriers of the 90’s. The cover shows a baby floating in water, trying to grasp a dollar bill. This can be be interpreted in various ways. Kurt Cobain and the band, may be trying to say that humans love for money stems from an early age. Or this could be an extremely abstract, non-related element in their front cover.
Analysing Connations:
A baby boy is the centre of the album cover. The floating money is also a key element in the front cover, as it may be seen as a representation of America, by the use of the dollar bill. It could be interpreted that the Nirvana cover is satirical, as it pokes fun at America’s priorities – money. However, they may’ve just liked this image and viewers may be reading too much into it.
Advertisement - Similarities/Differences:
Here, Cobain seems to be the focus of ‘Nevermind’, not the baby. The eery photograph of the guitar and the positioning works well with the eery text ‘NEVER MIND’. The text has remained consistent but white, instead of black to be visible. This sort of darkness correlates with the darkness of the album. We cannot see the other members of the band, as he is lead vocalist he seems to be the most important. This advertisement doesn’t seem to appeal to everyone as much as the album cover does, there is no hidden message or abstract feeling to it.
3) The Fugees - The Score:
Description:
"The Score", is the American hip-hop group, The Fugee's second album. The front cover shows a medium shot of the three musicians, with female vocalist Lauryn Hill in the middle. It's a simple cover, the background is black with yellow text across it. There is not much use of mise-en-scene apart from the positioning of the musicians. You cannot see their clothes or making any judgement of them from what they're wearing. A main convention of 90's hip-hop was simplicity, and raw edge - many 90's rappers' lyrics would be about the struggles in America, rather than modern day rappers like today who are scrutinized for rapping about money, "bling" and women in many derogatory ways. Maybe the simplicity of the cover, is a reflection of the simplicity of the album.
Analysing Connation:
We seen three Black Musicians, each with different facial expressions. It looks as though photos of them were taken at different times and overlap eachother on the front cover. The yellow writing is bold and stands out from the black background.
Advertisement - Similarities/Difference:
Alot like the front cover of 'The Score', the position of the female vocalist, Lauryn Hill is still used. There is a similarity, with the use of yellow text, this may be their trademark. This advert seems to be alot more posed than the front cover, maybe this new image was done for promotional purposes but it doesn't feel as natural and independent as the front cover does.
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