Almost always. Good cover art, in my opinion, suggests that care was taken in all aspects of production. Not always true, but a good barometer. There are, of course, exceptions. I remember picking up "Stealing Fire" by Bruce Cockburn and putting it back a dozen times because the cover art was so bad. I'm glad I eventually got over it. Great, great album.
With classical, I have this prejudice against albums whose cover art features the conductor or soloist looking sexy. Covers that feature the composer or the piece in question (i.e. a pastoral scene for Beethoven's 6th) are much more likely to get my money. As much as I like to look at Hilary Hahn (or Maxim Vengerov for you ladies out there), when I am in the serious process of choosing music, sex appeal has no place.
Am I in the minority here, or are the marketing folk that clueless?
Cheers.
P.S. Records made on a shoestring budget, of course, get an exemption. But Deutsche Gramophon's hot new release or a new album by Green Day have the resources to do it well from start to finish, including cover art.
With classical, I have this prejudice against albums whose cover art features the conductor or soloist looking sexy. Covers that feature the composer or the piece in question (i.e. a pastoral scene for Beethoven's 6th) are much more likely to get my money. As much as I like to look at Hilary Hahn (or Maxim Vengerov for you ladies out there), when I am in the serious process of choosing music, sex appeal has no place.
Am I in the minority here, or are the marketing folk that clueless?
Cheers.
P.S. Records made on a shoestring budget, of course, get an exemption. But Deutsche Gramophon's hot new release or a new album by Green Day have the resources to do it well from start to finish, including cover art.