THPGU single Promo Sleeve: Don't say I never give you anything...

Re: THPGU: Don't say I never give you anything...

Explain this sentence to me. Really, I have no idea what any of this means. :D

Kerning refers to the distance between letters in typesetting. You can't actually space letters equally, because of their different shapes and relative widths. Some letters require more space, some require more, to look as through they are equally spaced. Look at his name in these two ads:

Roundhouse ad: http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=07/11/22/175213

LA Palladium ad: http://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=07/08/24/1634231

Looks like crap, huh? Compare to the smooth visual flow of the name on the promo CD. That's what kerning will do for you. Most software makes at least a decent stab at it automatically, which makes me wonder on what software the ads were created, and what trained monkey did the layout.
 
Re: THPGU: Don't say I never give you anything...

Looks like crap, huh? Compare to the smooth visual flow of the name on the promo CD. That's what kerning will do for you. Most software makes at least a decent stab at it automatically, which makes me wonder on what software the ads were created, and what trained monkey did the layout.

Actually, the letters in "MORRISSEY" are about as kerned as much as they can be; look at the "MO." The problem is the typeface; the 'R''s tail should descend below the line.
 
Re: THPGU: Don't say I never give you anything...

Actually, the letters in "MORRISSEY" are about as kerned as much as they can be; look at the "MO." The problem is the typeface; the 'R''s tail should descend below the line.

Ok, I'll take that point. Shall I define glyphset too?

No, back when the LA/NY ads first came out, Mel Torment and I had a discussion about it, and we were each easily able to get a very, very similar font to kern smoothly in Photoshop on auto settings. We had a little "redesign the ad" competition, it was fun and very sporting.
 
In looking at the two ads I think it's possible the second 'R' was supposed to stand out. Maybe it's just my over-fatigued eyes but they draw my sight right to the middle.

The quality of the promo art doesn't necessarily indicate authenticity. I have a couple of promo CDs festooned with horrendous 'artwork' slapped together by the record company. Also, let's face it, Morrissey has his lapses. Based on the cover art and font, if I didn't know "Southpaw Grammar" existed and came across it in a record store I'd probably assume it was a bootleg.
 
Ok, I'll take that point. Shall I define glyphset too?

No, back when the LA/NY ads first came out, Mel Torment and I had a discussion about it, and we were each easily able to get a very, very similar font to kern smoothly in Photoshop on auto settings. We had a little "redesign the ad" competition, it was fun and very sporting.

Wow, do I finally get a chance to call someone else a nerd here? O frabjous day!

Also, let's face it, Morrissey has his lapses. Based on the cover art and font, if I didn't know "Southpaw Grammar" existed and came across it in a record store I'd probably assume it was a bootleg.

Exactly. When I opened the booklet to read the lyrics and found that there were cut off after just a couple verses of "Teachers," I thought that I had a misprint and took it back to the store.
 
Exactly. When I opened the booklet to read the lyrics and found that there were cut off after just a couple verses of "Teachers," I thought that I had a misprint and took it back to the store.

You're joking! You really returned it?

I almost returned my copy of Joy Division's "Still". I found a CD version in Seattle, back when the album was hard to find, and when I got it home and played the thing I was practically in tears because "Ceremony" was cut off. In the end I decided I wouldn't bother, as it was an official Factory CD and I vowed never to sell or return Peter Saville's artwork. Never. Ever.

I once had a pal who shoplifted CDs and sold them to me cheap for $5 each. We would agree on the titles and he would do his thing at the local malls. He was good, too. At the time CDs were in long boxes so he had to remove the CD from the box before he could even swipe it. Makes the crime of downloading MP3s pale in comparison.

Anyway, I only had New Order's "Substance" on cassette and wanted the CD. He said he'd steal it, but I said I would only pay if he stole the longbox as well-- I wanted to hang it on my wall. The son of a gun stole it intact, longbox and all, and thereafter I had the "Substance" artwork on my wall. I never stopped to reflect that the box was probably smeared with light amounts of his crotch and navel sweat and I shall not begin now.
 
You're joking! You really returned it?

Yes, I'm joking. I'm far too lazy to have gone to the trouble.

I once had a pal who shoplifted CDs and sold them to me cheap for $5 each. We would agree on the titles and he would do his thing at the local malls. He was good, too. At the time CDs were in long boxes so he had to remove the CD from the box before he could even swipe it. Makes the crime of downloading MP3s pale in comparison.

Anyway, I only had New Order's "Substance" on cassette and wanted the CD. He said he'd steal it, but I said I would only pay if he stole the longbox as well-- I wanted to hang it on my wall. The son of a gun stole it intact, longbox and all, and thereafter I had the "Substance" artwork on my wall. I never stopped to reflect that the box was probably smeared with light amounts of his crotch and navel sweat and I shall not begin now.

Ha! You didn't go to school with my wayward brother, did you?!? He ran a CD-thieving ring like this for his college dorm buddies. I think that it was a couple years after the demise of the longbox, though; IIRC, he sewed about 2 dozen CD-sized pockets into the lining of his trenchcoat.

And isn't Substance a singularly boring cover to have on display? Or did the longbox have the inner-sleeve art on the outside?
 
Ha! You didn't go to school with my wayward brother, did you?!? He ran a CD-thieving ring like this for his college dorm buddies. I think that it was a couple years after the demise of the longbox, though; IIRC, he sewed about 2 dozen CD-sized pockets into the lining of his trenchcoat.

Wow, that's serious. I guess my buddy was small time. Although I still respect his courage. He was quite impressive in that his morals were a series of unlocked doors one merely had to push open to discover new areas of mischief.

Two hours before tickets to a Morrissey gig were to go on sale, some other friends and I were in line to buy our tickets. He was with us but dejected because he didn't have any money and we didn't have enough to loan him. So that moment of downcast shoegazing silence comes, and then, bullshitting but half-expecting him to take me up on it, I suggested he go and shoplift about 20-30 CDs, drive around and sell them to a few stores around that bought used CDs, and thus raise the cash for the tickets.

Couple hours later, about fifteen minutes before the tickets went on sale, the guy rolls up, eyes beaming, with a fistful of cash. I'll never forget that.

And isn't Substance a singularly boring cover to have on display? Or did the longbox have the inner-sleeve art on the outside?

Bite your tongue, sir! Saville's "Substance", boring? "Neoclassical perfection" are the words you're searching for!

(I thought it would look nice next to my "21 Jump Street" poster. I took a lot of heat for that but look where Johnny Depp is now, haters!)
 
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Two hours before tickets to a Morrissey gig were to go on sale, some other friends and I were in line to buy our tickets. He was with us but dejected because he didn't have any money and we didn't have enough to loan him. So that moment of downcast shoegazing silence comes, and then, bullshitting but half-expecting him to take me up on it, I suggested he go and shoplift about 20-30 CDs, go around and sell them to a few stores around that bought used CDs, and thus raise the cash for the tickets.

Couple hours later, about fifteen minutes before the tickets went on sale, the guy rolls up, eyes beaming, with a fistful of cash. I'll never forget that.

Holy crap! Is this guy doing time now, or is he a high-powered exec on Wall Street? I later had a housemate who stole thousands of dollars worth of textbooks from the university bookstore. A few days before the start of each semester, he'd drop off a pile of all the textbooks I needed that semester, unasked. It bugged me to no end, but I couldn't exactly return them, and selling them back would have seemed wrong. That guy's definitely doing time now.

Bite your tongue, sir! Saville's "Substance", boring? "Neoclassical perfection" are the words you're searching for!

So it didn't show the corals, huh? "Neoclassical perfection" it is, then. :rolleyes:
 
Holy crap! Is this guy doing time now, or is he a high-powered exec on Wall Street? I later had a housemate who stole thousands of dollars worth of textbooks from the university bookstore. A few days before the start of each semester, he'd drop off a pile of all the textbooks I needed that semester, unasked. It bugged me to no end, but I couldn't exactly return them, and selling them back would have seemed wrong. That guy's definitely doing time now.

Well that's the sad part. He sort of vanished. I know almost nothing about him other than he was either thrown out or left the college he went off to. I think drugs were involved. I choose not to see his slide as a cautionary tale because he was incredibly smart and I have no doubt he's on his feet somewhere and not a houseguest of the state.

Your textbooks story reminds me of the old cartoon about the baker whose business is about to fold completely. His shelves are empty and there are no more customers. One night some elves and pixies appear and re-populate his shop with the most delectable pies, cakes, and candies. In the morning the beleagured old man arrives at his store, shocked at what has taken place, and within minutes of opening up he's swamped with shoppers greedily snapping up the magic treats. The guy gets rich and lives happily ever after. I'm sure there was also the usual detestable sentimentality about an orphan and a talking spaniel or other such absurdities, but that's the part I remember the most-- the money-- and the lesson is clear. If things are going bad for you, go to sleep and let the pixies and elves do their work.
 
Re: THPGU: Don't say I never give you anything...

Thank you so much for sharing :) I do not like that it is a old photo.
Although you do not really get much older than this one
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and I really love that cover :p

Ahh....I LOVE this cover too!! it's one of my favorites from his solo years :)
 
Ok, is there a phone number you are supposed to call and reserve these pixies? 'Cause they never show.

There's no number. They come based on need. You have to let your eyelids sag, stick out your lower lip, walk with stooped shoulders, and not shower for a few days. Unrolling your tongue and shaking onto it the last drops of gin from a cheap flask will move you to the front of the queue. As the right frame of mind is required to make this work, I suggest thinking about all the bratty little boys in the world pulling the wings off all the beautiful butterflies in the world, or a lifetime term of office for George W. Bush as self-appointed "Emperor of Deciding Stuff".
 
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Re: THPGU: Don't say I never give you anything...

What's with the old photo? That seems an odd choice. It's handsome, o'course, but just, hmm, I dunno.

--jeniphir
 
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