Re: DT16 Timeline Thread - John finished recording guitar parts

[gzarruk]

Better than a Syme cover

[bosk1]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP USING CHEAP PHOTOSHOPPING OF STANDARD STOCK IMAGES?!

[MoraWintersoul]

Looks like James and JP are back in their brown dye era, good for them! Everyone looking great and comfy

[ReaperKK]

Better than a Syme cover

Almost anything is better than a Syme cover.

[Wim Kruithof]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP USING CHEAP PHOTOSHOPPING OF STANDARD STOCK IMAGES?!

Bosk, is this you being frustrated or do I miss what's obvious for anyone else?

[porcacultor]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP USING CHEAP PHOTOSHOPPING OF STANDARD STOCK IMAGES?!

Bosk, is this you being frustrated or do I miss what's obvious for anyone else?

I believe it's a reference to complaints about Hugh Syme's artwork (taking stock images and then photoshopping them).

[The Letter M]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP USING CHEAP PHOTOSHOPPING OF STANDARD STOCK IMAGES?!

Bosk, is this you being frustrated or do I miss what's obvious for anyone else?

I believe it's a reference to complaints about Hugh Syme's artwork (taking stock images and then photoshopping them).

Given JR'S affinity and support for AI-generated art and fx apps, I wouldn't put it past them to use that kind of software for the album art, or at the very least, a music video.

-Marc.

[ReaperKK]

I would take AI art over Syme's work, at least with AI art you have to use your imagination when writing the prompt.

[hefdaddy42]

I would take AI art over Syme's work, at least with AI art you have to use your imagination when writing the prompt.

Same

[porcacultor]

I've kind of transcended into a "so bad it's good" appreciation of Hugh's work. For better or worse, there hasn't been a cover he's made for DT that didn't make an impression on me (even if that impression is "something's clearly off here..."). That being said, he's not irreplaceable, but I'm not sure DT would be the band to rock the boat and go full AI on an album cover, given the backlash that could ensue -- then again, that'd be free publicity.

[gzarruk]

No need to get an AI cover, just hire someone else to do it. Shake things up a little bit.

Whatever opinions people might have about the music on The Astonishing, the art cover was amazing and a nice change of pace.

[ReaperKK]

No need to get an AI cover, just hire someone else to do it. Shake things up a little bit.

Whatever opinions people might have about the music on The Astonishing, the art cover was amazing and a nice change of pace.

Same with Six Degrees, I love that cover art.

[TAC]

No need to get an AI cover, just hire someone else to do it. Shake things up a little bit.

Whatever opinions people might have about the music on The Astonishing, the art cover was amazing and a nice change of pace.

Same with Six Degrees, I love that cover art.

Great album cover!

[fadetoblackdude7]

They should hire Travis Smith to do this one 👌

[HOF]

I always thought the SDOIT cover was one of their worst. "Let's make a cover that looks like a cross between Downward Spiral and OK Computer for some reason!" It's fine in that it is neutral enough to not really stick out as dated or anything. But it seemed really forced to me at the time.

They ought to try Dave McKeon again since SFAM worked out so well (though some of his stuff is pretty weird). Or find a new artist with some new ideas because I bet there are tons of good ones out there who they could employ.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

[Wim Kruithof]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

[nikatapi]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

Both were not done by Syme but by Storm Thorgerson (hence why also there is a different font)

[Sycsa]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

A lot of criticism was targeted against the apparent sloppiness of Syme's work. Notable examples include the far right ball not lining up with the rest on Octavarium (the ball is too high, so it wouldn't be on the same level with the other balls if it were released), the black artifacts on DT12 when the artwork was initially released (later fixed), and the ADTOE clown being "nabbed" from a Circus Maximus cover (they used the same stock photo).

I'm sure there are other examples as well which could have been easily avoided / corrected with a bit of extra care and effort.

[Wim Kruithof]

A lot of criticism was targeted against the apparent sloppiness of Syme's work. Notable examples include the far right ball not lining up with the rest on Octavarium (the ball is too high, so it wouldn't be on the same level with the other balls if it were released), the black artifacts on DT12 when the artwork was initially released (later fixed), and the ADTOE clown being "nabbed" from a Circus Maximus cover (they used the same stock photo).

Ok, you've surely got a point there. Didn't know about this.

To me, as mentioned, except the Storm Thorgerson-drama (not using the same font is cruel), I like each artwork on the albums. Evenmore I like the photo's of latest albums in the artbooks and boxsets, like The Barstool Warrior or Sleeping Giant. Are these from Syme as well?

Black Clouds' probably my favorite album cover of all. Might be build up with borrowed / stolen pics, but I love the themes and hope they stick to this habit.

[gborland]

No album cover will ever be better than the WDADU hairy armpit. Hugh Syme can only dream of coming up with something that awesome.

[Stadler]

I think that counts as a smile from JM

 

No. 

Are you kidding?  That's actually "ROTFLMFAO" for John Myung.  Someone ought to tell him to cool his jets in that photo. 

[Stadler]

No need to get an AI cover, just hire someone else to do it. Shake things up a little bit.

Whatever opinions people might have about the music on The Astonishing, the art cover was amazing and a nice change of pace.

Same with Six Degrees, I love that cover art.

Great album cover!

Have we done an "album art" ranging, yet? 

1   Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence
2   Scenes from a Memory
3   Train of Thought
4   Images and Words
5   Octavarium
6   Awake
7   Black Clouds and Silver Linings
8   A Dramatic Turn of Events
9   A View from the Top of the World
10   Distance over Time
11   The Astonishing
12   Systematic Chaos
13   Falling Into Infinity
14   Dream Theater
15   When Dream and Day Unite

[Stadler]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

I don't follow it either.   He's done some amazing work (the Grace Under Pressure cover, unlike the album itself, is one of my favorites of all time. I also love the Power Windows cover.)

[hefdaddy42]

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

I don't follow it either.   He's done some amazing work (the Grace Under Pressure cover, unlike the album itself, is one of my favorites of all time. I also love the Power Windows cover.)

Well, no one is complaining about THOSE covers.  He did good work for THEM. 

But his work for DT is, at the very least, mailed in.

[Zydar]

And then there was the thing with Distance Over Time and the cover of a New York Times magazine.

https://blabbermouth.net/news/dream-theater-members-were-shocked-by-similarites-between-distance-over-time-artwork-and-new-york-times-magazine-cover

[Setlist Scotty]

Black Clouds' probably my favorite album cover of all. Might be build up with borrowed / stolen pics, but I love the themes and hope they stick to this habit.

Funny that you should pick that one out because there is a lot wrong with it, although I tried to fix those issues when I did the Black Clouds and Silver Anniversary artwork.
 
 

I think that counts as a smile from JM

 

No. 

Are you kidding?  That's actually "ROTFLMFAO" for John Myung.  Someone ought to tell him to cool his jets in that photo. 

 
 

hugh syme is my great uncle, be nice.

Honestly, I can't follow a thing about the hate towards Syme. I like each album art very much, with the only awfull exceptions of Falling Into Infinity and Once In a Livetime. All others are in the spectrum of nice to very beautiful. Really, what an unfear treatment to a mans work I would say.

I don't follow it either.   He's done some amazing work (the Grace Under Pressure cover, unlike the album itself, is one of my favorites of all time. I also love the Power Windows cover.)

Well, no one is complaining about THOSE covers.  He did good work for THEM. 

But his work for DT is, at the very least, mailed in.

I agree with hef. I think the big problem is that in more recent times he's gotten a bit sloppy because of Photoshop and the availability of stock photography. Plus if you look at his website, he's also done a lot of commercial work. So part of it could also be that at times he might bite off more than he can chew and is up against several tight deadlines at the same time, and so therefore doesn't put the care/effort into the artwork that he used to. Plus being well established and recognized by many bands/artists, he may not feel he has to exert himself to the same degree that he used to back in the day.

[Sycsa]

Black Clouds' probably my favorite album cover of all. Might be build up with borrowed / stolen pics, but I love the themes and hope they stick to this habit.

Funny that you should pick that one out because there is a lot wrong with it, although I tried to fix those issues when I did the Black Clouds and Silver Anniversary artwork.

Could you elaborate? Both the issues and how you remedied them. With pictures, if you can.

[bosk1]

CAN WE PLEASE STOP USING CHEAP PHOTOSHOPPING OF STANDARD STOCK IMAGES?!

Bosk, is this you being frustrated or do I miss what's obvious for anyone else?

I was just playfully mocking the Hugh Syme critics.

[Glasser]

No album cover will ever be better than the WDADU hairy armpit. Hugh Syme can only dream of coming up with something that awesome.

100% 

[Glasser]

It happens!!

[Mladen]

I was thinking about that Evergrey thing just the other day and couldn't remember what the other band was. 

[The Letter M]

More famously, there's the fifth studio albums by Spock's Beard and Symphony X, both with V in the title and VERY similar artwork elements.

-Marc.

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

wrong thread

[PMSummer]

My son showed me some album covers designed by AI, and honestly, they're pretty impressive. As someone who's seen a lot of album art over the years, these robot-made ones are surprisingly good at times.