Cover of GATS, what's all that about?

[taxexile]

No, seriously....

[Son of Stopped]

Male body (?)
Definitely male arm with the ring on the top of head. You can see the hairs.
This means I'm going to have to get up and go over to look at the CD myself now.
Sigh...urgh fucking hell got up too quick. Urgh! Why did I have to pack them so tightly together...
OK got it now. Uncredited album cover. Looked at the credits. Even looked over the top of my glasses. Did Mitch Ikeda photograph the cover?
The head doesn't match up with the heads of the band in the booklet.
Maybe the ringed hand represents the Father, the arm under the head represents the Mother and the torso and head belong to an offspring that offers flowers that are rejected?
Or the flowers could represent the three piece band they'd become and the arms are wrestling them to stay as a four piece?

One thing's for sure, don't try and imitate the arm positions on the back of the CD booklet.
Ow.

[rosetree]

I don't think there is egocentricity in the artwork. I think the body signifies the band and the rose is a symbol of life, truth and balance and the thorn stem is defense. I also think the GATS art is clear in the songs.

[Automatik]

Very much of its time, is what it's about.

I doubt the photo of the band on the insert is one they're particularly enamoured of. Which is a shame, because they were all in fine physical form when it was taken. Richey's haircut was peculiar and I'm not sure Nicky's red leather goth doll phase worked, though.

[Glyn]

There may be no connection at all but I've always seen it as a 'moodier' update to the GT cover. It has the rose and the male body but not that awful salmon pink. Always assumed it was Mitch Ikeda too, is it really uncredited ?
The Holy Bible imagery (both band and record) was a real step up from this and, to be fair, it had to be!

[rosetree]

Originally Posted by Glyn

There may be no connection at all but I've always seen it as a 'moodier' update to the GT cover. It has the rose and the male body but not that awful salmon pink. Always assumed it was Mitch Ikeda too, is it really uncredited ?
The Holy Bible imagery (both band and record) was a real step up from this and, to be fair, it had to be!

I love the album and how the vintage look photos go with the lyrics and the central colour photo on the sofa with richey's jacket on the floor on the inside page before James, it says all photographs by Mitch Ikeda.

[everlasting]

Never thought about it much, always just thought it was something a bit different and artsy. I like the pics of the band at this time, they all look so different and trying out different bold looks

[cherrybomb]

The cover was designed by Mitch Ikeda and inspired by Bareki (Killed By Roses) by Yukio Mishima.

[Automatik]

As I look at it now it reminds me more and more of a Dave McKean-like Vertigo Comics cover of that era - particularly the reverse.

Not a complaint, you must understand: I loved all that and still do.