May 10th marks the second anniversary of Vinyl Connection. Two years of weekly long-form posts with a second mid-week item more often than not. Over 180 posts in all; some 140,000 words.
The statistics page reveals that there have been over 28,000 page views and greater than 1,000 ‘Likes’. So roughly every thirty-or-so ‘looks’ produces a ‘Like’. Many more than I could expect in the real world, without a doubt.
Due to the symbiotic relationship between writing a blog and reading others’ work, most readers will know something of the highs and lows of this odd ‘show and tell’ hobby. It’s tempting to ramble on about the gap between hopes and reality, but I’ll resist. Every post I’ve read in this area has, at best, been layered with the verdigris of disappointment. And anniversaries should be about celebration, so on with the show!
There were elaborate plans for a massive ‘Games for May’ posting schedule to mark the auspicious event, but sanity prevailed and the normal weekly post will continue. But I could not let pass the opportunity to involve the Vinyl Connection readership – a number of whom have been loyal readers and commenters for ages – in something a bit different.
Combining the Vinyl Connection love of cover art with our penchant for actively engaging the blogosphere, we are pleased to announce that next week will see the inaugural
Vinyl Connection Cover Art Portrait Playoff.
Sounds rather grand, don’t you think?
The Vinyl Connection Cover Art Portrait Playoff will not be a quiz – more of a poll, or a tournament if you will. I’ve chosen thirty-two album covers that feature an image of the artist and arranged them in pairs. You, dear reader, will simply choose which cover you prefer from each match-up (based on the cover, not the music!) with the winners going on to the next round… and perhaps ultimate victory. Hurrah!
Here is a teaser, by way of example.
Which cover do you prefer in this match-up?
*
But that is next week.
For now, as a curtain raiser of sorts, I’ve compiled all the newspaper themed album covers that were featured over a thirteen month period in editions of varying size. Here they all are, gathered together in a big newspaper bundle.
Why?
Because recycling is a very good idea.
vinylconnection.com.au 
Congrats Bruce! If every 30th person who saw me on the street liked me I’d be a very happy number! Although as the hottest new search item on my blog is ‘Nazi tits’ I fear I’m disappointing a lot of my visitors.
I’ll take Outrider please.
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Yes, I feel like an Outrider too.
Oh, you meant…
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bottle of brut in the fridge already, waiting for may 😉
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Thanks mate.
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Congrats
Jethro Tull and Tom Waits
I also liked the Tom Paxton one you had on here a few months back.
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Excellent get, daddy-d. Mr Paxton has been restored to his rightful place.
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Definitely Outrider over Telekon! Looking forward to the start of the playoffs!
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Noted, JDB. I’m a tiny bit excited to be trying something different!
(It is possible, just possible, that some of the ‘matches’ might have a little embedded humour.)
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Will points be awarded if readers detect said humorous embedments? 🙂
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Absolutely! And as you known, VC points are redeemable at all good drug stores, worldwide.
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Outsider for me! Cause he’s stationary but there’s bits that make it seem like he’s moving. It’s impressive stuff. And congrats on two years! Jolly good show.
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Congratulations on your second year! Hurrah indeed!
I shall go for Outrider – that’s an ace cover. Looking forward to seeing what others appear!
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As I understand it, the 2nd anniversary is the ‘paper’ anniversary so your post is most apt!
Congrats on the milestone Bruce, looking forward to May’s tournament bracket – I’ll vote Numan, it’s an intriguing cover, what does he see that’s causing such a reaction?
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Ha! But when to we get to the gifts of silver, gold and precious stones???
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I think we’ll have to be blogging for a while yet to reach those!
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Here’s another newspaper one. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTYzWDc1MA==/$(KGrHqF,!nUE63Tf4qzkBPDsmoER3g~~60_35.JPG
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Hi Paul. The link is not working. I know of a few that I’ve never encountered. What was this one?
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Another newspaper themed album here. http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NTYzWDc1MA==/$(KGrHqF,!nUE63Tf4qzkBPDsmoER3g~~60_35.JPG
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[…] 2) Blogger Bruce Jenkins – the super-fan that runs the popular Vinyl Connection site from his base “down under” – has just celebrated the 2nd anniversary of his site’s launch and, as part of the festivities, has introduced a new take on a cover-vs-cover competition that he’s calling the “Cover Art Portrait Playoff”. He’s organized 16 pairs of album covers and is asking fans to pipe in with their “whose better” selections beginning next week. To get folks in the mood today, he’s just posted a nice article on a selection of covers that followed very similar approaches to their covers – in this case, covers that look like they are “ripped from the headlines” – take a look and be sure to check back to cast your votes soon – https://vinylconnection.com.au/2015/04/28/who-wants-yesterdays-papers/ […]
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I’ll try again, the album is Big daddy, released on Rhino Records. allegedly recorded by a bunch of returned Vietnam POWs. http://bigdaddy59.com/history/
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Cool. A colour feature!
There might well be other CD-era newspaper covers out there – analogue nerd that I am, I’ve only ever focussed on Vinyl covers!
Thanks for following up, Paul.
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Very glad to have made your acquaintance and come across this wonderful spot on the blogosphere. I always come away with something new to dig for.
Carry on.
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Thanks!
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[…] I have curated dozens of posts on album cover art (the endless ‘newspaper’ series, for example, or more recently the ‘Hands’ and ‘Cars’ compilations) I have, thus […]
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