Deviations from Select Albums 2: 59. Prince & The Revolution

Friday, November 27, 2015

59. Prince & The Revolution - Purple Rain

There are a thousand and one ways a square album cover art design can be manipulated in order to fit a screen with an aspect ratio of 18 x 10 without losing its essential parts and, most importantly
(and hopefully, too), its original meaning. On this work, the flowery designs on the sides of the original album cover art were deleted as well as the title on its top. The remaining image was
pasted on the leftmost side of the canvass. It occupies exactly two-thirds of it.

Next, the lady standing at the top of the stairs was cut producing a second image and this was pasted at top right which covered 40 percent of the remaining space. It was then copied and
flipped producing a third image and this was pasted on the space below the second image. The remaining space was then covered with a black rectangle which was pasted over with
the title of the album. The whole image was then texturized and the name of the artist was finally added by typing it in a text box.

Here's the original album cover art design.

No. 2, Entertainment Weekly, 100 Greatest Albums Ever; No. 35, Rate Your Music, The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time;
No. 61, Billboard, The 100 Greatest Selling Albums of All Time; No. 72, The Virgin All-Time Album Top 1000;
No. 76, Rolling Stone, The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Original album cover art design credits: Art direction by Laura LiPuma, photography by Ed Thrasher & Associates/Ron Slenzak.
Album produced by Prince & The Revolution. Warner Bros. 1984.

The soundtrack to the film of the same name, Purple Rain is regarded by many as one of the greatest albums ever.

The LP recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, and to this day earns its place in music's figurative hall of fame with a total of 20+ million sales. Prince's
timeless blend of rock, pop, R&B, funk, balladry, and breathtaking arrangements were showcased exquisitely on tracks like “When Doves Cry,”
“I Would Die 4 U,” and “Let's Go Crazy.” Purple Rain was the first album to formally credit The Revolution on the album's sleeve, and
more importantly, it was Prince's first proper foray into film.

This was the moment “Prince” became a household name. The cover has Prince boldly on a motorbike, wearing purple and on
a purple bike, surrounded by fog and a floral cover. Only Prince could pull it off. More

(A) Let's Go Crazy - Take Me with U - The Beautiful Ones - Computer Blue - Darling Nikki

(B) When Doves Cry - I Would Die 4 U - Baby I'm a Star - Purple Rain