The Artwork is out (oh no)

[Steve Mayo]

to me it kind of looks like john tobler's beach boy book, but on acid

[Zach95]

Hate to be a schmuck and gush about everything, but this cover is really "hip" and indie. I REALLY love it. I can totally see this on the front page of Pitchfork with a "best new music" tag next to it  coming from a member of the younger crowd, this artwork has been done very tastefully and with a very clear purpose: the band IS trying to come across as indie and artistic, and I think this is very telling of what the album will sound like.

[Ron]

You may have a point.  If the album had too much cheeze, the cover certainly would too. 

[stack-o-tracks]

I don't like the artwork allllmost as much as I don't like that name for the title of the album. I don't mind them recording a song they didn't write, but to name their first album in some decades after a song they didn't write? Nahhh.

[AndrewHickey]

I don't like the artwork allllmost as much as I don't like that name for the title of the album. I don't mind them recording a song they didn't write, but to name their first album in some decades after a song they didn't write? Nahhh.

To me, that makes sense, for much the same reason as having it be the single makes sense (even though I'm not a fan of the song) -- it takes ego out of the question. No "Hey, why don't we name it 'A Celebration Of 50 Years Of Excitation Across The Surfin' USA?'", "Why don't we do my new song as the single? It's totally original, I call it 'Help Me Wanda'", or anything like that. The single comes from outside the group, the album's named after the single, no-one's ego gets squashed. Not ideal, but probably necessary.

[Dave in KC]

Now that it's official, I was hoping it wasn't, I think the title is a poor choice.

[Ron]

What I like about the title and them not writing it (completely).... is that it's like they're all acting like they never broke up.  This is just the next album.  No big deal.  I wonder if that attitude is to keep Brian calm about it, so he doesn't feel pressured?  Remember, on his board he talked about how he doesn't think it's a reunion, it's a celebration.  Reunion carries weight, especially without Carl and Dennis.  

[Summertime Blooz]

That would look just a little bit better with the Cooper Black font.

But it's a cool design - reminds me of the Gershwin cover, which is a great piece of art.

While making this I noticed that the font used for the title is almost the same as the font used on the Pet Sounds cover. I think that's a cool homage.

[Justin]

Niiiiice!
I kinda wish that was the cover.

[Zach95]

I think the purple font in the same size print in the top right of the cover would have been ideal, but oh well 

[Summertime Blooz]

Niiiiice!
I kinda wish that was the cover.

Yup! I think hypehat had a good idea there. To tie it Pet Sounds would have made the cover cooler with those who are more "in the know" about the Beach Boys. What they went with is cool too though. Very Peter Max-ish.

[Wirestone]

Hate to be a schmuck and gush about everything, but this cover is really "hip" and indie. I REALLY love it. I can totally see this on the front page of Pitchfork with a "best new music" tag next to it  coming from a member of the younger crowd, this artwork has been done very tastefully and with a very clear purpose: the band IS trying to come across as indie and artistic, and I think this is very telling of what the album will sound like.

Yes. Hopefully.

Of course, there was the cool alterna-Imagination cover that they never used. That looked indie too.

[EgoHanger1966]

That would look just a little bit better with the Cooper Black font.

But it's a cool design - reminds me of the Gershwin cover, which is a great piece of art.

While making this I noticed that the font used for the title is almost the same as the font used on the Pet Sounds cover. I think that's a cool homage.

Now, that's more like it. Good job!

[Ebb and Flow]

It doesn't completely wow me but it's better than what they could have come up with.  I was dreading some sort of modern reshoot of the Surfer Girl cover with all of the wrinkles smoothed over in photoshop and Carl and Dennis' faces peering down from the clouds.

It is a shame that they feel anchored to that neon beer sign of a logo.  I don't hate it by itself, but it just doesn't work with that artwork.

[urbanite]

I like the revised cover better than the one with 1970's logo.  Maybe you could e-mail Captiol Records your version, it is an improvement?  Maybe someone could put the two versions side by side.

[monicker]

You guys are nuts, this is amazing. This is probably going to be the single best thing about the new album. It’s at least 10x better than TWGMTR if such a comparison could ever make any sense at all. It’s so unexpected, so subtle and tasteful. Who in the world saw this coming? I can’t believe they could do something this good in 2012, even though i’m sure no one in the band had anything to do with this decision. I would guess that there are some people behind the scenes fighting hard to prevent the group from seeming uncool this time around. I agree with whoever said it’s one of their best album covers ever.

[Autotune]

The cover breathes classic all over the place. It's great, funky, is not obvious. There's no photo. It appeals to the cool and the square, the young and old. It rules.

[Amy B.]

That would look just a little bit better with the Cooper Black font.

But it's a cool design - reminds me of the Gershwin cover, which is a great piece of art.

While making this I noticed that the font used for the title is almost the same as the font used on the Pet Sounds cover. I think that's a cool homage.

Much better. Much, much better. Now it's really cool.

[Justin]

I have no idea why there's a sense of satisfaction in me when I read that most people on the "bloo" board hate the cover and we love it over here.  I would kinda expect them to hate it for some reason.

[monicker]

I keep looking at this and i am seriously stunned. I have no idea how this got through all the way to be the final cover but it’s remarkable that it happened, that this is the face of a BEACH BOYS product in the year 2012. I predict that the cover will be the biggest risk regarding the album and reunion, the unsafest thing they do (though i hope to be proven wrong with the 7 minute suite, which is the only thing to which i am looking forward). Hell, this is probably the biggest risk they’ve taken since 1977. It’s so reminiscent of the old, classic Beach Boys, when they were a relevant, artistic act! I gotta say, this cover alone has piqued my first real interest in this whole Beach Boys reunion thing, wow.

[Autotune]

That would look just a little bit better with the Cooper Black font.

But it's a cool design - reminds me of the Gershwin cover, which is a great piece of art.

While making this I noticed that the font used for the title is almost the same as the font used on the Pet Sounds cover. I think that's a cool homage.

Much better. Much, much better. Now it's really cool.

Nah. The logo makes it a little awkward, just as it should be

[Justin]

Much better. Much, much better. Now it's really cool.

kabklaw did a wonderful job with that mockup but let's all remember that it isn't the official one!  Let's not all fall in love with the wrong cover, now

[Mikie]

Is/was that alternate cover for real, Wirestone, or did you make that up?  Never saw it before.

[Runaways]

I loooove this.  It's not in your face "hey reunion!". It doesn't look old fashioned to me either. I'd wager this is gonna be a paper album case. Looks great

[Wirestone]

Is/was that alternate cover for real, Wirestone, or did you make that up?  Never saw it before.

It's very real. It was used as the cover of the official promo copy that was sent out to reviewers, etc. I have one at home.

That art shows up in the general-release Imagination liner notes, too. See if you can spot it: