Interesting!
There is a lot going on here... a bit too much for my liking.
At first glance I don't see any connection with the album content so maybe it was a right decision. I wonder if a designer has a chance to listen to the album before coming up with the artwork?
Exactly.
Shangri-La cover is full with songs hints, so... I think the goal was exactly not to have any obvious connection with songs. But I really like it, because Mark's album covers are so simple... With Privateering we've got a side view of trailer with a dog and lots and lots of filters. Ok, it worked! Next go Tracker with a guy (Mark) barely visible and standing on a huge field looking at the sky. What this is all about? And then "Down The Road Wherever" with a road... I mean, you can't get any more obvious than that, that's where it's at. Or Get Lucky — and a shot of a casino in Vegas. Ouch!
I don't say simplicity is so important, but I really like unusuall covers like Shangri-La, an iconic photo of Elliot Erwitt works great, too. But for the most part, the contents of Mark's albums is waaaaay better than their cover. I don't want to hang "Down The Road Wherever" album cover on the wall if you know what I mean. Nor I want to go all the way to Nevada to make a tribute to it, just too boring.
