Analyzing album covers: Tango in the Night

Villavic · #1 02-12-2013, 03:57 PM

We have discussed about the inspiration of this cover in previous posts. Wikipedia details: The distinctive cover art for the album was a painting by Australian artist Brett-Livingstone Strong which was hanging in Buckingham's home. It is a homage to the 19th Century French painter Henri Rousseau, emulating his colorful jungle theme works such as The Snake Charmer and The Repast of the Lion.

What is not known is how they chose it. Since part of the album was recorded at Lindsey's home, maybe there is a story behind the painting with the band and it's not just Lindsey election. According to Mick:

We then moved production to the studio Lindsey built in the garage of his house, called the Slope, where we would mix and do the overdubs. It wasn't really a proper studio per se; everything was recorded right in the control room. The acoustics were the wooden floor, the bathroom, the carpet, the hallway.

Anyway, it's a nice painting but I'm not fan of paintings as album covers, I would have chosen any of the inner or back pictures with the 5 members as the front cover. The only Fleetwood Mac related thing of this picture is that there is a penguin there. In this case I think it's a Southern Rockhopper penguin. So probably it was John's idea (he is a penguins fan) instead of Lindsey's.

FierySequences · #2 02-12-2013, 04:00 PM

Love it, just like the album!

redbird · #3 02-12-2013, 04:05 PM

I love the cover painting and think it suits a lot of the songs' ideas pretty well, the three Lindsey-sung songs especially always reminded me a little of a Fitzgerald character out on an extravagant "exotic" (for lack of a better word) vacation. It's vivid and brooding the way "Big Love", "Caroline" and the title track are meant to be. Christine's songs written with Lindsey have a same dark thread too. It's a beautiful image and I feel it fits what the album was trying to be (as much as it could be any one cohesive thing, given how it came together).

Villavic · #4 02-12-2013, 04:07 PM

This is the picture from the Tango photo sessions I love the most. It's the only one they look truly happy. Well, almost everybody.. cause Stevie...

bluecalmsea · #5 02-12-2013, 04:27 PM

Love this album!

I dig the cover too. For many of the songs there is a jungle-ish/ safari feeling to me in the drum and bass.

cantgoback · #6 02-12-2013, 04:33 PM

I love the cover, it's pretty unique and it's fits the albums drums and sorta "tribal" if you will feel. It's dark and compelling (like the album?) anyways, it also matches the title well. Overall it's a really great cover. Just out of curiosity, are you going to do these for the older ones as well, cause that would be cool if you did.

Bandon · #7 02-12-2013, 08:49 PM

It's the best album cover that does not show the band. Perfect. To me, the next best cover not showing band members was "Bare Trees." I also love the TITN packaging for this album.

CADreaming · #8 02-12-2013, 09:56 PM

I really like the cover. It's a unique painting. I would like to know why it was significant.

michelej1 · #9 02-12-2013, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

This is the picture from the Tango photo sessions I love the most. It's the only one they look truly happy. Well, almost everybody.. cause Stevie...

To me, they often looked happy in Tango promotional pictures, which made what happened all the more distressing. They did look sad in Little Lies though.

Michele

Villavic · #10 02-12-2013, 11:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by michelej1

To me, they often looked happy in Tango promotional pictures, which made what happened all the more distressing. They did look sad in Little Lies though.

Michele

Yes, well I meant Tango including the singles promo pictures:

I only see Christine happy here.

Who is happy here?? Chris again

And probably yoy meant this picture:

More than sad, they look like bored or scared.

CADreaming · #11 02-12-2013, 11:23 PM

^You can't really judge moods by promotional photos though. They frown or don't smile all the time - no facial lines that way & gives a "moody" feel. Check out any of the publicity pics -it's rare to see an "official" smile - candid, sure.

Villavic · #12 02-12-2013, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CADreaming

^You can't really judge moods by promotional photos though. They frown or don't smile all the time - no facial lines that way & gives a "moody" feel. Check out any of the publicity pics -it's rare to see an "official" smile - candid, sure.

You have a point. Yes we can find no happy faces from the 1975 bathroom picture to the 1997 Rolling Stone magazine pictures.

It is just that after reading the 1987 episodes and knowing the mood they were in, one is kind of contaminated with the info. But it is curious anyway to find Christine smiling in many Tango pictures, and not smiling in most of The Dance moments. Coincidence?

Dragonfly · #13 02-13-2013, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Villavic

This is the picture from the Tango photo sessions I love the most. It's the only one they look truly happy. Well, almost everybody.. cause Stevie...

I adore this photo

I remember going to a record shop in some back street and finding this stuck to the front of one of their singles (in colour too!) I think it was a Japanese promo.

I love the Tango cover. I had the promo poster which was the photo of the band from the 'Little Lies' single cover, with the album cover below it, it was on my bedroom wall for years.