Customer Reviews

Sleeveface

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was intrigued by what I read in the Vine newsletter, so I stopped by the "sleeveface" website, and was even more intrigued so I decided to order it. I found the images fun, but the book didn't offer more than what the website could. Therefore, I think it's a great gift or "stocking stuffer" to give someone as an introduction to the concept, or it's a "stand-alone" gift if they don't have easy access to a computer, but to purchase for myself after having visited the site, there was nothing really new to offer.

I do applaud the creativity and may try it myself.

The premise for "Sleeveface" is certainly clever: combine real-life poses with those on album covers into a montage. Some of the examples here are quite good, but most will not demand a return visit, and a handful just don't quite gel. The more inventive poses, often used two or more albums covers, show how much thought and effort folks are willing to put into these photos.

Overall, the book is amusing enough to keep handy in my listening area for guests to flip through, but it didn't garner many laughs when I shared my copy with several folks at a local record show yesterday. The humor here does not have long-term staying power.

I don't want to be a killjoy or a Scrooge, but I really expected this book to be a lot more whimsical and/or entertaining. "Sleeveface" is a photo book in which real people reenact their favorite LP cover (the setting, costume, etc.) and then insert said record's sleeve into the appropriate spot (over their faces). Hence, the title "Sleeveface." And while I do think the recreations can be technically well done--the very literal presentations just lacked a certain entertainment factor for me. I smiled at one picture involving a dog, but after a couple of pages--the books starts to lack any sort of surprise or creativity. After glancing through the volume once, it's hard for me to imagine going back to look at this book again.

Now, maybe I'm not the intended market (although I'm old enough to have had a vinyl collection). Maybe avid record enthusiasts will appreciate seeing their favorite LP covers brought back to attention--but, I still don't see them pulling "Sleeveface" out more than as a curiosity. So, enjoy the photos. If it sounds like your "thing"--it might be. I certainly thought it might be my "thing"--but it simply wasn't. A cute novelty idea it is. A must own book (for me) it isn't. KGHarris, 11/08.

I had no idea what a SleeveFace could be, and had never before heard the term until seeing Carl Morris and John Rostron's "Sleeveface Be The Vinyl."

At first flip I was ready to dismiss the book as lame silliness, something to quickly unload on someone else. Then my usually critical wife gave the book and gander, and by her comments and expressions I could tell she was genuinely impressed.

Find an old record album cover, preferably one with a large photo of the artist's head. Hold the album cover or sleeve in front of your face or someone else's. Take a picture. Now you've got a sleeveface. Sounds simple enough, but lining up the sleeve's face to the human body, and coordinating color, clothing, and position require lots of imagination, and trial and error. The results shared in this book are a wonder to behold.
I have more favorites than I can remember, like the one showing Barara Streisand's head attached to a black dog, the Liberace shots, and the Richard Clayderman sleeve transposed over a man holding a plate of food.

The most impressive pictures are those featuring two album sleeves and two or more people. The positioning has to be perfect, and it often is.

This is a fun, nostalgic book, probably a hoot to share with company and a perfect gift for a fan of vinyl or classic music. Want to see some of these gems for yourself? Visit the sleeveface web page.

Can you imagine doing this with a CD insert... or an mp3? I don't even know how you'd do the latter.

Sleeveface, the book, is pretty much Sleeveface, the Web site, in paper form. One might ask why... but just as there's an ineffable quality that comes along with the tangibility of a real LP sleeve, there's something about seeing these in print that makes this a worthwhile experience in addition to that of the Web. Besides, if any of the record companies ever bring down the Sleeveface site, we'll still have the books!

I do think it might have been better for the operators to have delayed publication until they had more submissions, so this really could have been a "best of" collection... there are definitely some photos in here that don't really belong (the Steve Miller Band's 'Joker' and Tom Jones's 'Close Up', to name just two). But that's a minor complaint. I think this would make an excellent gift for the vinyl junkie in your life

This is a really clever idea that I'm surprised took so long to arrive in book form. LPs were displaced by the CDs years ago yet a whole bunch of folk have found the appropriate face-shot sleeve to photograph. Actually they do vary quite a lot I thought. The most successful photos are the ones where someone has taken the trouble to get the same clothing to match the sleeve photo and then framed the image so the background works as well.

Some work really well: Marissa Robles managed to find a harp to go with 'The world of the harp', Decca 1974; a Jo Anne Castle, Pickwick LP covers someone's head and shoulders perfectly; Bonnie Tyler's 1983 CBS sleeve just has added fingers to succeed. Others have the right cover, angled correctly but don't quite work.

Carl Morris and John Rostron, the two Welsh authors, just sort of drifted into the idea while DJing one night and predictable the concept ended up as a website for everyone to join in.

A fun paperback of two hundred photos than will definitely give you a smile and probably an idea for that old LP cover laying around somewhere in the house.

***SEE SOME INSIDE PAGES by clicking `customer images' under the cover.

A quick view of the video that Amazon has provided will give you the gist of this book, as will a visit to the website. Really, the idea behind Sleeveface is pretty darn clever, and it's fun to see the creative ideas brought to life in the book's pages--sometimes they are incredibly realistic completions of the LP sleeve art, and sometimes they're funny because of what's going on outside the sleeve. Regardless, the whole thing is probably funniest as the type of thing that ends up in your email inbox, rather than in a book that you pay money for and add to your library. I don't regret having it, it's just the kind of thing you don't really yearn to look through over and over.

Honestly, overall I wasn't that impressed.

Although the premise behind the book is great, and some of the images were amazing, there were too many that just didn't fit the original at all.

It's a good book to use as a conversation-starter, but it's not something I would have bought on my own.

Sleeveface was one of the strangest books I've ever picked up. I mean, what is this? Grabbing the sleeve cover from a bunch of old vinyl records and then recreating the look of the artist appearing on the front? Some call it brilliant and an expressive way for Carl Morris and John Rostron to create some rather unique looks. Others say it's a great party sight gag borne out of the authors having just a little too much time on their hands. Either way--serious art or hilarious pranksters--there's something for you to enjoy. And don't be surprised if you pull out your own parent's vinyl records and try this yourself! IT'S ADDICTIVE!!!

Sleeveface I was intrigued when I first saw the concept for this book - but it is a little hard to explain in print.

Using vinyl covers, people would create photographs inserting the cover. It has to be cohesive to be part of Sleeveface. These site gags are great. Authors Carl Morris and John Rostron give credit to the picture takers and also give the name and date of the artist cover show.

I love the photos where hairy-chested me are posing with the vinyl cover of a woman over their faces. Too funny. These is no nudity and it is appropriate for most ages.

There is a lot of vintage here, so Boomers will likely appreciate more than new folks. Many of the pictures with the covers will bring back memories to some, who may have owned the albums, or forgot the artists along the way of life.

This 30-something is a vinyl collector, so I really grooved with it. It is a great way to reintroduce an older, but spectacular vintage music to new audiences. (Seriously, there is nothing like listening to music on vinyl.)

This is a great gift idea for Boomers or record collectors.

If you want more info, or to submit your own photos, visit www.sleeveface.com.