#1st press

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Visit Original Link

Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal

[alienorchids]

Dir en grey - Withering to death.

SFCD-0035

2005

[chrisgoesrock]

The album cover for Some Girls was conceived and designed by Peter Corriston, who designed the next three album covers, with illustrations by Hubert Kretzschmar. An elaborate die-cut design, with the colours on the sleeves varying in different markets, it featured the Rolling Stones' faces alongside those of select female celebrities inserted into a copy of an old Valmor Products Corporation advertisement. The cover design was challenged legally when Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Liza Minnelli (representing her mother Judy Garland), Raquel Welch, and the estate of Marilyn Monroe threatened to sue for the use of their likenesses without permission. Similarly, Valmor did take legal action and were given a monetary award for the use of their design.

The album was quickly reissued with a redesigned cover that removed all the celebrities, whether they had complained or not. The celebrity images were replaced with black and punk-style garish colours with the phrase "Pardon our appearance – cover under reconstruction". Jagger later apologised to Minnelli when he encountered her during a party at the famous discothèque Studio 54. The only celebrity whose face was not removed was ex-Beatle George Harrison. As with the original design, the colour schemes on the redesigned sleeves varied in different markets.

A third version of the album cover with the hand-drawn faces from the original Valmor ad was used on the 1986 CD reissue.

[plus-low-overthrow]

Visit Original Link

Pokus - Pokus Five (STAC LP)

From Members of ‘ILL Considered’ & ‘Wildflower’, 2020, limited 300 press.

[catharticexperience]

Sunday morning

[drkreviews]

Dictator

Here I am with the third part of this month’s themed week in “Throwback Thursday”! Today’s subject is always related to the visual band Diaura, but this time we go back in time, to their first mini-album, entitled Dictator and released for the first time on 10th August 2011. This release is fundamental, as it encores the essence of this band’s concept, based on the figure of the dictator. And now... let’s review!

-Naraku no hana (Flower of the hell) [presence of death]: the mini-album starts with a track, featuring an obscure and piercing sound, driven by Kei’s guitar, building up a solid rock melody; Yo-ka’s voice is flowing inside a well balanced rhythm, for a good impact and quite unpredictable song. ---> 9/10

-Dictator [image of dictator ---> core of the band concept]: the lead-track emphasizes the dark feature of this band’s sound, kicking off with furious riffs and aggressive vocals, accompained by a subtle beat; for the whole song, Yo-ka stays on the dark range, alternating vibrant and harsh vocals, where his screamos are not the best element. ---> 8.5/10

-Master [oppression]: a fast and steady rhythm opens another song, remaining in the obscure and aggressive style heard previously, with a really incisive guitar, the best element of the melody; the vocals are rapid and a bit metallic, alternating screamos and limpid notes, for a catchy rock theme. ---> 9/10

-Infinite [continuining to live and to love forever]: the mini-album ends with a song started by a strong drumming, driving a soft but relevant melody, with clear and flowing vocals, for a simple but engaging rock ballad, typical of this band’s early times. ---> 9/10

Final Vote ---> 9/10

On 2010 Yo-ka and Kei, two former members of the known indie visual band Valluna, already disbanded, decided to found the band we know as Diaura, joined by a bassist and a drummer in about one year. They released some singles, where notable hits came out such as Shitsuyoku no seiiki and Beautiful Creature, and after one year they released their first mini-album, or better the first press of this one. In these four songs, Diaura show off all their best shades, going from piercing dark melodies to clear ballads, with an unique versatility invading them, especially in the vocals, which always fit the sound around them, well built by the instruments, especially the guitar, preparing the ground for the great success they would have received, making it a sure listen for who doesn’t know this awesome band. A mini-album for who doesn’t know Diaura’s origins and early style.

That’s all folks! See you on Sunday 2nd July for the last part of this themed week in “Focusing on”!

Thanks for the reading!

[alienorchids]

MEJIBRAY - THE "420" THEATRICAL ROSES

WSG-55

2014

[chrisgoesrock]

The Seeds - The Seeds (1st Press Mono Debut Album) No print 'Including the Hit Single ‘Pushing to hard' on Front Cover