12 Oct 2011

Imagery

Looked into some imagery relating to the three songs i have chosen for each album. Ideally i have chosen images that are suitable not only for each song title itself, but aswell as being able to vector the images in illustrator.

Billie Holliday - Rattle and Hum

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Statue of Liberty - The Joshua Tree

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Bad - Wide Awake in America

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10 Oct 2011

Refining Idea

So i have decided to pick a song from each album that represents a scenario or experience within the band's trip/tour of America between 1985-1989. With this in mind, i am going with a vector style approach with the American flag being a counter part for each of the song selections. Have done some research on each song below and highlighted what could be incorpated into each poster

Bad - Wide Awake in America

 

Bad is a song about heroin addiction, it is considered a fan favourite, and is one of U2's most frequently performed songs in concert. A performance of the song at 1985's Live Aid was a career breakthrough for the band. The version included as the opening track of the Wide Awake in America EP and is frequently chosen for airplay by radio DJsahead of the studio version. The EP’s centerpiece, Bad – a song about heroin addiction whose lyric inspired the collection’s title – would become a staple of their live set, particularly after a remarkable extended performance at Live Aid in 1985. The EP’s title is inspired by the chorus of Bad, with its refrain, “I’m wide awake, wide awake, I’m not sleeping”. Bono had mentioned at a 1987 concert in Chicago that Bad is about a friend of his who died of a heroin overdose and also about the conditions that make such events likely to repeat themselves.

Angel Of Harlem - Rattle and Hum

 

Inspiration for the material on Rattle And Hum was drawn largely from U2’s fascination with the USA. As kids growing up in Dublin, America seemed a world away - a country where anything was possible. Years later U2 would see another side to American life where poverty, crime and despair were all too common. During the Joshua Tree tour of the US in 1987 the band became increasingly inspired by the raw intensity and emotion of these musical genres, which contrasted sharply with the bland manufactured sound of many of current bands at that time. Angel of Harlem is the second single from U2’s 1988 album, Rattle and Hum. The lyrical content of the song refers to various New York landmarks, such as Harlem. It also refers to jazz-related history including Billie Holiday herself “Lady Day” which is where Bono heard Holliday on WBLS at the beginning of their 86’ tour in NYC and was inspired. 

In God's Country - The Joshua Tree

 

The Joshua Tree is the fifth studio album by the famous U2, and was released on 9 March 1987. Originally the album was to be called ‘The Enduring Chill’, but the name ‘The Joshua Tree’ was chosen after the band took a trip to the Death Valley area of California where Joshua trees are common. The whole desert image was consciously chosen for its spiritual and mysterious qualities, which it was felt would complement the album perfectly. Bono actually compared the desert landscape to many European town centres which are becoming ghost-towns in the present day. The album is influenced by American and Irish roots music and depicts the band’s love-hate relationship with the United States, with socially and politically conscious lyrics embellished with spiritual imagery. Inspired by their American tour experiences, U2 had released their fourth single In Gods Country from the album in Novemeber 1987 for North America only. Bono has stated that he originally didn’t know whether the song was about Ireland or America, but eventually dedicated it to the Statue of Liberty. The song characterises the United States as a desert rose, a siren whose dress is torn in “ribbons and bows”. The lyric speaks of a lack of political ideas in The West which Bono later contrasted to the revolution in Nicaragua where he had travelled during the recording of The Joshua Tree. In God’s Country had  “cinematic” lyrics and sound reference to the desert in accordance with the band’s wish for The Joshua Tree to have a sense of location.

 

 

 

10 Oct 2011

Mockups

Have started to play around within photoshop and illustrator. The following images are along the lines from the first initial sketches that i had shown - although i think i am leaning towards a more vector style approach as shown in the second lot of skecthes. 

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10 Oct 2011

American Flag Tutorial

Just looked at a American flag tutorial using Photoshop, although i made my American flag in illustrator first before editing it in photoshop. 

http://www.devwebpro.com/realistic-three-dimensional-american-flag/

(download)

8 Oct 2011

Initial Ideas

Have also thought about another style but using the same aesthetic. Looking at more vector based posters, i have thought about picking an important song from each album that relates to an experience they have had within America. If i was going to go with this style, the 3 posters would become the American flag being blue, red, and white. 

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8 Oct 2011

Initial Ideas

These are my initial sketches. From researching other related American flag posters, i had thought about incorporating the american flag across 3 posters - hence the 3 albulms. On top of this would be some related imagery to the band U2.

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8 Oct 2011

Research

With my idea involving an American theme, i would like to implement the American flag into my posters/booklet/packaging etc. Have started to look at some other related american flag posters to get some inspiration. I found some that could be used in terms of a background style with imagery over top. 

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8 Oct 2011

U2 Related Posters

Some other U2 posters recognizing their band.

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7 Oct 2011

Album Covers

Thought i would post the exisitng album covers for Wide Awake in America, The Joshua Tree, and Rattle and Hum. 

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4 Oct 2011

Rattle and Hum (1989)

Rattle and Hum is the name of U2's sixth album and a companion documentary. Both were released in 1988. Both the film and the album contain live recordings, covers, and new songs. To a greater extent than on their previous album, The Joshua Tree, the band explores American roots music, and incorporates elements of blues-rock, folk rock, and gospel in their sound. The motion picture was filmed primarily in the United States in late 1987 during the Joshua Tree Tour and it features their experiences with American music. Although Rattle and Hum was intended to represent the band paying tribute to rock legends, some critics accused U2 of trying to place themselves amongst the ranks of these artists. While critical reception was mixed, the album was a commercial success, reaching the No. 1 spot in several countries with multiplatinum sales.