CD/DVD Digipack Analysis

Ben Howard
A2
Media Level Coursework
 Jackson Jackson

Tools For Survival

Jackson Jackson are a hip-hop group from Melbourne,
Australia. I feel that from their album ‘Tools for Survival’,
their target audience is targeted towards young people
(age 8-18) and adults because the cover is so artistic,
bright and vibrant. Because if young people are looking
through Itunes or a shop, they will be attracted by the
bright colours, as this would mean that this is a happy
album and will be fun to listen too. And how I feel this is
suited towards adults is, that this piece of art could
supposedly mean something such as a representation of
Africa, the bands favourite colours and that this could be a
concept album. As if there is an attractive topic to an
adult, they will be intrigued by what the colours mean, or
is there a hidden message behind the cover.

I feel that the iconography for the album promoting the artist is
very successful because the album can have several
meanings due to the colours and hand. Because the hand
could represent that this artists is reaching out worldwide
for people to listen to the bands music and the colours
could mean the many countries around the world. Even
though there is not a picture of the band on the album, it
promotes the artists well because people will get to find
out who they are when they listen to the CD due to the
attractive front cover. Also because people might not
know who they are, they can judge on the front cover and
say because it looks nice they brought. Even though the
CD may not be good, fans/people can buy it is a collectors
item and list it as an attractive CD. Overall, I feel the
artwork does well in promoting the group because it gives
an indication that it could be an experimental and colourful
album.
I believe there are many connotations and symbols behind the image for
the album artwork. For instance, there is a star painted on the hand,
this could symbolise that the group Jackson Jackson are reaching
for stardom and want to make it worldwide in the music business
and becomes stars. As this what the star could represent, all about
being famous. Also I previously mentioned the hand ,as this
meaning the group reaching out worldwide to get recognised by
major labels. Another connotation/symbol for the album artwork is
the hand linking in with the name of the album ‘Tools for Survival’.
As our hands are tools and are surviving in what we do with our
hands, as the hands represent survival and living. As this is a clever
idea because not noticeable at first, as the title and picture creates a
synopsis for the audience to use.

Also which is very clever with the album cover is, it gives people many
questions to themselves such as – are they African ? (due to the
reminiscent colours of Africa), what sort of music they play ? (bright
colours, pop/hip-hip/electro).

The back cover of the album is very similar to the front cover, but
instead features a foot instead of a hand, and a love heart instead of
the star. The feet also represent that they are the tools of our
survival, as without our feet, we wouldn’t be able to walk and do
much. And the love heart can represent the bands love for music
and love for having feet and hands for survival tools and are very
grateful. Lastly, the hand and feet can be seen as a flag
representing themselves as artists and there music, as there are
links between the front cover and back cover, and if you put the feet
and hand together they would make a flag and is a symbol to the
duo.
 Muse

The Resistance
Muse are an English Rock band from Devon. From their album
‘The Resistance’ Cover (shown right), my Initial reaction is
that the bands style is different and abstract because the
setting is in out of space and there is a person on a bridge
type item suggesting there music could be out of this world,
but because there is a range of colours on the album cover it
suggests the style will be all over the place mixing music
genres. This artwork can suggest that the bands music will be
dark and happy because at the end of the bridge it is dark but
compared to the lighting near Earth it is bright, as this could
show the different sides of the band. So I think the target
audience will be of an older generation but also a younger
audience of the ages 15-18 because the album looks like a
journey from space to Earth and the band are inviting the
audience to come into the journey with them by purchasing
there album.

The image that is seen on the album artwork is like a portal from
space to Earth or the band is from space as the man in the
picture could be one of the band members, as this is
suggesting the band are unique and one of a kind. I feel that
this image promotes the band perfectly but can make the
band look quite bad at the same time as for instance. What
makes it perfect is, they are saying there music is a range of
things, as the different range of colours can mean this but at
the same time, because there is the man in this picture it can
mean that the band are so good, that there should be no
other bands competing with them as they are the only
musicians Earth or the universe has to offer and they should
only be acknowledged. Overall, I do feel that the image does
present the band well because of the unique style the artwork
it also say that the sound on this album is different and
nothing we have heard on Earth before.
I believe in this album artwork there are has connotations and symbols behind the image
because of so how abstract and different this artwork is and does sometimes confuse me
on what the real meaning is behind this artwork. And I feel that this album will confuse
people looking at it, but I think that is the point of this image because it leaves it open on
what it could be about, such as the end of the earth because there is a bridge between
Earth and Space, the band are trying to help its fans and go on this journey with them.
Also what this album could symbol is the huge gulf between Earth and space, as the band
could be suggesting there is something out there and we should all go along with them to
see what is out there such as new technology, which could symbolise the bands music
direction for this particular album. Another point to consider from this album cover is that
maybe we are all living in a world that we are not proud of and the band is pointing out that
we could all start new by leaving Earth behind us for a better place.

Another suggestion in what this image could be is because the name of the album is called
‘The Resistance’ which means the act or an instance of resisting or the capacity to resist.
This could mean that the band have done a concept album about this certain topic and all
the songs relate to this in some sort of manner. Lastly, because there is only one person
featured on this album cover, we are led to think that they are resisting Earth and want to
start a new adventure and the wide range of colours we see is the persons tunnel to
freedom.

Lastly, I feel that the overall message of this album cover is to confuse people and the band
have left it to their audience to figure out the album cover, as there are many solutions to
what it could be. And it could be the bands ‘Resistance’ (referring to the albums title) to tell
people what it is about and you have to listen to the album to get a clear picture.
 Linkin Park

The Catalyst
Linkin Park are an American rock band from California. From
this CD cover, my initial reaction to this cover is quite
confused because I don’t have a clue on what the cover is
about but it is very different because of the different effects
used on the cover. But my quick suggestions on what genre
this CD cover would be, has a rock and electro feel to it, as
this means the target audience will be for a young
generation/teenagers and adults. How I can tell this from the
album cover is, it could be suited towards adults because of
the colours it is. Because it is black and white this could be
a representation of old people and that this single will be
suited towards adults. But because the idea of this cover is
original it will intrigue many younger people to know what
the sound the music will be.

I feel that the iconography on this album does not present the
artists very well because it looks very plain with the black
and white colour effects, and does not reach out to me that
much. I do applaud it for being very different though and it
shows that the band producing this cover have gone into a
different direction as compared to other CD covers of
there’s. As by doing a different CD cover, this shows the
band are changing and that the people it attracts will love it
or hate it but that’s the risk of change by doing a different
album artwork. And would say that this is the only thing that
sells the band well, as the cover is a mystery and the band
may want people to be confused as so they can buy it and
see what direction they have gone in.
There are very few symbols and connotations behind this album cover, because it is very
confusing and quite plain. The image on the album cover could represent that the bands
music is very different because of the black colours representing olden times such as the
1950/60s. As the band has gained influence from that time period and have made a
dedication to it by using these certain colours, to get the point across that they are doing
something different.
Another symbol behind the album cover could be, the band are going less mainstream as there
are many scribbled waves, its black and white and that the black hole in the middle of the
picture could represent them getting rid of there old image and music, to become something
new.
Also the meaning of the black hole and scribbled waves, could mean that this specific record
wont be played on the radio, as the scribbled waves could mean a frequency of a radio and
a black hole is like a button to play the record. So this could suggest the band, so this can
suggest the band wont be playing this on the record.
Lastly, I feel that this image could mean the band are looking into space, as they are searching
for ‘A Thousand Suns’ (which is the name of the album), as this is suggesting again they are
searching for a new sound, and that there sound is quite futuristic due to the colour effects
and different album cover. And also they are inviting it’s fans into this album, as the black
hole could be a portal to enter there album and join the band.