Which Cover? 👄

[NUTELLA 15,681]

One album.

One photo. 

Two very different ways of using it.

[NUTELLA 15,681]

When BTW is brought up on this website & a photo is used, people will often opt for the standard artwork.

In my mind, however… that version does not even exist. 

I forget about it & then I’m startled when I see it.

The special edition, however? 

Perfection.

[TheFrenchGuy 1,974]

The bike is so iconic and camp 

[NUTELLA 15,681]

The original (un-edited/un-reversed) photo from the photoshoot:

Edited Friday at 10:43 PM by NUTELLA

[princedeeblebleble 2,339]

I mean the concept is fab, but the execution was horrendous from an anatomical perspective. Also I really dislike the typography  wish the BTW single cover or the remixes were the actual cover.

So yea, I prefer the special version, its much more visually pleasing.

Edited Friday at 10:48 PM by princedeeblebleble

[TimotheeChalamet 6,320]

I must be the only one who never had problems with the bike cover and immediately thought it was cool 

[elijahfan 26,799]

To me, the standard version is the true, fully committed representation of that record. It's just bonkers.

25 minutes ago, princedeeblebleble said:

I mean the concept is fab, but the execution was horrendous from an anatomical perspective.

And it was absolutely meant to look that way. It's funny to me that some people are still not grasping the fact that the whole point was for it to look the most camp and batshit crazy as possible. It's your absolute right not to like it, but you shouldn't assume it looks the way it does because of an accident or a lack of artistic ability.

In that regard, I'm not sure you would tell Picasso that his execution is horrendous from an anatomical perspective 

[elijahfan 26,799]

36 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

The original (un-edited/un-reversed) photo from the photoshoot:

It really is crazy that out of the thousands of pictures taken during this shoot, they ended up choosing for the album cover what anyone else in their right mind would have left on the cutting room floor. Just a spur-of-the-moment, unframed, almost accidental shot of her getting back up from posing on the floor.

And yet, her facial expression totally encapsulates the raw energy, passion and craziness of the album. It's not posed, it's taken halfway through a movement, which makes it so dynamic and exciting. That's one hell of a face expression, and I totally get why they disregarded the numerous technical flaws of the shot and got out of their way in postproduction to make it work.

[dynamite 62,182]

The bike has become iconic over time but at the time... Jesus Christ 

[elijahfan 26,799]

7 minutes ago, dynamite said:

The bike has become iconic over time but at the time... Jesus Christ 

I think it took everyone by surprise, and that pretty much was the point. Slapping a camp, over-the-top image with cheap Photoshop work and kitschy chromed letters on what she'd been calling the record of the decade. At a time when she had become the biggest new pop star on the planet.

As a concept, it's totally in a Marcel Duchamp vein, which in hindsight makes sense for someone like Gaga.

Edited Friday at 11:34 PM by elijahfan

[River 120,558]

Bike

Face makes it looks like she inhaling her own hair and choking from it

[NUTELLA 15,681]

14 minutes ago, elijahfan said:

It really is crazy that out of the thousands of pictures taken during this shoot, they ended up choosing for the album cover what anyone else in their right mind would have left on the cutting room floor. Just a spur-of-the-moment, unframed, almost accidental shot of her getting back up from posing on the floor.

And yet, her facial expression totally encapsulates the raw energy, passion and craziness of the album. It's not posed, it's taken halfway through a movement, which makes it so dynamic and exciting. That's one hell of a face expression, and I totally get why they disregarded the numerous technical flaws of the shot and got out of their way in postproduction to make it work.

I agree completely. Sifting through a batch of memorable photos after the shoot, that one arguably wouldn't stand out right away. But they were genius to select it. 

There’s *movement & urgency to it: she’s looking right at you, hair flying toward the camera. In my head, I hear the “ow!” yelp from Scheisse when I look at it.

I’m learning to appreciate the bike cover (more in concept than in execution, which I think looks a tad rudimentary... even if camp, ridiculousness & cheap-looking absurdity was the goal, as you point out)…

but I think the special edition art WITHOUT any text would have been THEE perfect visual.

You knew who it was, you knew what it was… without needing it to be spelled out for you.

Just her face.

Edited Friday at 11:40 PM by NUTELLA

[elijahfan 26,799]

2 minutes ago, NUTELLA said:

I agree completely. Sifting through a batch of memorable photos after the shoot, that one arguably wouldn't stand out right away. But they were genius to select it. 

There’s an inertia & energy to it: she’s looking right at you, hair flying toward the camera. In my head, I hear the “ow!” yelp from Scheisse when I look at it.

I’m learning to appreciate the bike cover (more in concept than in execution, which I think looks a tad rudimentary... even if camp, ridiculousness & cheap-looking absurdity was the goal, as you point out)…

but I think the special edition art WITHOUT any text would have been THEE perfect visual.

You knew who it was, you know what it was… without needing it to be spelled out for you.

Just her face.

Exactly, it's a picture you can literally hear.

I do think the closeup version is a very strong image as well and is totally working, but at the end of the day, it's just a closeup on the face of the artist... which is a more expected image as the cover of a pop record. Something a label would've been more comfortable with, which makes me think that this might have been a compromise they made: you get to release your crazy Gagabike cover if you agree to give us a more straightforward image for the deluxe. Just my personal 2 cents here.

[Bronco 15,118]

I remember being like 14 and buying the deluxe purely because I hated the bike 😂

[dynamite 62,182]

Does anyone remember the multicoloured version of the cover they did by unveiling it piece by piece? Can't remember exactly but I adored the colours