cover

[Lothar]

Hi all,

What is your opinion about the cover of the new CD in general ?

What do you think - is this cover a good illustration of the title "Odyssey" ?

What do you think about the photo of Hayley?

Regards, Lothar

[roger]

Hi Lothar,

Personally I thoroughly approve of the overall look of the album cover. I'm not sure it is particularly representative of the story of Odysseus's epic journey but I doubt if many people will dwell too much of the meaning of the title anyway.

I think the picture of Hayley is lovely. Several people have commented that she looks like a mermaid! Yes, I can see that. She certainly appears far more mature than she does on the Pure cover, and rightly so.

As for the title itself, I think it's brevity will make it memorable and it seems to have some punch; perhaps even an air of mystery. But I'm not convinced that shop assistants who wish to look it up on their computers will be able to spell it!

Roger

[Richard]

Hello Lothar and Roger!

I think the title has a slightly mystical feel to it, as does the song "May It Be" which should be on the album, and the picture of Hayley is beautiful. It makes her look young but mature, just as she is in real life! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

I agree that one or two people in record stores may have a few problems spelling "Odyssey" on their computers, but hopefully entering "Hayley Westenra" should bring up the title in her discography! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Only 3 months, 1 week and 1 day to wait. The day is nearly over, the week won't be long, but then it's still another 3 months...

I shall probably see you again before the new album is released! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Richard

[Lothar]

Hi all,

The reason why I started this thread is I’m not absolutely happy with the picture of this cover.

In general I think it is o.k. but in some details not.
The idea of the picture to illustrate the subject “Odyssey” is very good but not the realisation.

The picture of Hayley appears artificial putted in the picture of the sea and the riff.
That this cover is made with software tools to put Hayley’s picture into the background of the sea, this normal today, but in a better quality.

Especially you can see these mistakes by the following aspects.
The lighting of Hayley’s face and body come from an other direction as the light for the riff. You can see the shadows of the stones. The light of the riff comes from behind left and the light for Hayley from the front right. You can see the shadow of Hayley’s body on her left arm. (all positions, I describe from the point of view of the observer, not of Hayley’s real body) Sorry, but this is a mistake of absolute beginners to combine such different shadows in one picture.

I would make the shadow of Hayley’s left arm (inside) a little bit more bright, because now you see a dark line from the strap of her T-shirt to her left arm. By this way the viewer looks to this point of the picture, but this is not advantageous.

And I think it is very spoiled of Hayley’s body to see the green straps of the bra or bikini top, she used. This brings some unrest in the picture.

The white points of Hayley’s skirt – are these splashes from the sea water or little stones of glass (or diamonds) which are sewed at her skit?

And my last dissatisfaction is the font of the title. Why they used such a font? I think it looks not very well. My first impression of the fonts of “Hayley Westenra”-CD and “My gift to you”-CD was very good. There are the fonts of Hayley’a name at both CD’s the same. Pure is different and now an other version of fonts again – why? The fonts are very important for the identification of a person, CD etc. Sometimes a font is a trademark. When somebody use the name of the artist on a cover then you can not every time change the fonts of it.


I think the title of the CD “Odyssey” is very interesting, expectant and mystical.
The title “Odyssey” gives me two possibilities of interpretation:
First: Osyssey – way with a lot travel to and fro.
Second: I’m thinking to the God Odysseus from the ancient time. I have no knowledge about the history but I believe it was so: Odysseus was a sailor. His crew chain him at the mast of the ship so that he could listen the voices of the sirens, but they couldn’t carry him away …
By this interpretation my question is: Is Hayley a siren??? Is this interpretation permissible, desired …

I want to underline, I like the picture of the cover very much. It is much better as at “Pure” or the poster of her tour last year. But it is not good enough for Hayley!!!
Lenin said. Content and style must be one unit. )
I hope for all of us that the music at “Odyssey”-CD is much better as the cover of it …

Have a good night and don’t be worry about my opinion.
Greetings, Lothar

[roger]

Hi Lothar,

In airing your opinion, you make many valid points. When I first saw the cover, I considered it's overall effect and was immediately very happy with it. Certainly it is a superimposed image. When the photo of Hayley was taken, she was probably in a studio with a wind machine in front of her to blow her hair back.

Again your observations about the direction of the lighting, shadows etc., are correct. Regardless of the background, the lighting just on Hayley looks odd. For example, her face is well lit yet her left arm and left side of her body (the right as we see it) is not. So, when you analyse it critically in this way, it doesn't look natural. But will the average customer do that? The overall effect looks artistic and striking. That's what matters. Hayley really stands out from the background, so perhaps these points were considered and that the result was deliberate.

Alas, we will probably never know.

Roger

[HWI]

And, of course, the title of the album - Odyssey - was chosen to reflect the amazing journey Hayley has experienced since the first release of Pure.

The title is even more prophetic as, we have also been on an amazing journey. Some may say more of a whirlwind rollercoaster ride.

How fortunate we have been to witness the things we have. And to have got to know Hayley so well is beyond the wildest dreams. What a privilege. What an honour.

Keith.

[Joe]

Hello Lothar,

I realized upon first looking at the cover that the lighting illuminating Hayley was a bit 'off' compared to the bright sun glints in the sea and the rocks, both in full sunlight.

Also her top right shoulder appears a bit out of focus. Plus the sea on the horizon in the distance is very much in focus. Too much emphasis is on the background and not on Hayley.

It appears also that Hayley is sitting down with her legs crossed. Is she sitting on the rocks? From this perspective, Hayley is quite high above the ground; perhaps 50 feet. One could imagine that she is sitting atop a pier railing at the seaside. I know that her mum Jill is a brilliant photographer and must have some more realistic pics of Hayley than allow a GC pic.

I agree, Lothar, about the font usage. Charlotte Church's albums all used the same font. It would have been nice for the designer to continue the Pure font as it was also used on the tour programs. I like this font for Odyssey though.

Still you must admit the pic is very creative and lovely. Ooooh, I know the pics in the CD booklet will be lovely too.

[portia]

I question the use of just "Odyssey". It's a word that's been used many many times that its become a cliche. then again, it happens with a lot of one word titles too - simply because one word titles are too general to point to a specific meaning.

[Lothar]

Hi all,
thank you for your reflexions,

I think we agree in some aspects and nonetheless everybody has his own point of view.

I think the most importent aspect is: the cover is an eye catcher for everybody who is walking in the rows of a CD-shop and stopped when he see this interesting cover.

Greetings, Lothar

[Richard]

Hello again everybody!

I think nearly all album cover pictures are digitally enhanced these days (i.e. tampered with), but at least the cover shows Hayley with brown hair, which looks much more natural and suits her better than the black hair on the cover of "Pure". I like the cover, however the picture was taken.

I'm wondering where the background scene was photographed. It certainly looks like somewhere a bit more exotic than Camber Sands, as featured on "Pure"! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Gosh, with all this discussion about the cover, the Forum's going to be very busy when the album is released in just over 3 months time!

I can't wait, but we're all going to have to!

Bye for now,

Richard

[roger]

richnorri said:

Hello again everybody!

I'm wondering where the background scene was photographed. It certainly looks like somewhere a bit more exotic than Camber Sands, as featured on "Pure"! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif


Bye for now,

Richard

Oi! There's nothing wrong with Camber Sands! It makes me the only member of the HWI team who can boast that a photo from Pure was taken in my own home county.

Don't listen to them, Hayley. You come back here any time you like!

Roger

[Dave]

portia said:

I question the use of just "Odyssey". It's a word that's been used many many times that its become a cliche. then again, it happens with a lot of one word titles too - simply because one word titles are too general to point to a specific meaning.

Yes, the title does seem to be a bit of an oddity at first sight. But we don't know Decca's marketing strategy yet - and you can bet your bottom dollar that the title was chosen with the publicity campaign in mind.

The name Odyssey lets Decca's publicists refer back to "Pure" and everything "Hayley" before and since, including parts of the Pure campaign if they want to use it. They will obviously include lots of things that have happened since "Pure" and my guess is that the title gives us a big clue about how the publicity campaign will develop - very much along the lines of how Hayley herself has developed during her amazing journey over the last few years. It will be aimed at the general public, not at diehard Hayley fans like us - they already know we will buy anything from one to 6 copies of Odyssey each!

So if the campaign does indeed match the album title and the album cover (warts and all!) - and especially if it works - they will both have been... perfect. We shall soon find out! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

[portia]

But isn't a title to an album supposed to represent MORE than just a publicity campaign?

[Dave]

Oh yes portia, I agree with that. But it has to be consistent with the publicity campaign, so the range of possible titles is limited. And if someone "high up" decided it must be a one word title, the possibilities are very limited!

I don't mean to defend the title, as I'm unsure about it; it may or may not be the best possible. What I mean, I guess, is that we won't really know how good it is until the publicity campaign is underway.

[Richard]

roger said:

Oi! There's nothing wrong with Camber Sands! It makes me the only member of the HWI team who can boast that a photo from Pure was taken in my own home county.
Don't listen to them, Hayley. You come back here any time you like!

Sorry Roger!

If Hayley returns to Camber Sands, I suggest we go and meet her and have an ice cream together. I could certainly do with one in this hot weather! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Bye for now,

Richard