Textual Analysis: Covers

Music Magazine Textual Analysis’s - Cover

Q: This magazine has a fairly traditional layout, the main cover line ‘Noel: still pulling no punches’ is in the centre and the masthead is at the top left.  The typeface is unique as it’s a bright, white 'Q' in a red box, leaving a dominant impression on me as the branding stands out. Coverlines are spread on the left and right, as it usually is with a magazine cover. The selling line is at the top and the typography is bold, white text ‘The UK’s Biggest Music Magazine’, connoting that it’s the only music magazine to buy and it leaves a powerful impression.

The left third has coverlines including ‘The 10 Best New Bands On Earth’ and a plus sign, which directs to additional coverlines, for instance ‘Michael Jackson Nose Drama’. The dateline is included with the barcode on bottom right where readers are most likely to spot it, along with the price where it’s normally shown, which is £3.90, a price to attract most audiences. The editorial philosophy appears to be that you get all you need across the cover and the effect is everything's laid in a clean structure and connotes the magazine has great value. 

The shot type used, for the main image is a close-up and appears at a low angle. This is effective because it helps Noel to appear intimidating and sells the main coverline. It’s shot in a studio, which communicates that Noel is famous, and the blue lighting, to me, highlights a religious aura, connoting dominance overall of the magazine.

Noel looks like he’s in his early 40's and is White British. Judging the cover I would assume the target audience is teenagers up to people in their early 20's and because the band he originates from is rock, a mixed audience appears to be their target.  Noel’s celebrity status ensures a wide range of people will be attracted, encourage older readers who may have been Oasis fans in the past too. It has an interesting effect because of how the image is framed so this perhaps connotes that the magazine wants to be dominant, because of the way Noel extends his fist.

Expanding on this, I think the closest age range is 16-24. Using Noel Gallagher on the cover ensures a mixed readership as he has male and female fans. The magazine is available in a variety of places so it's not ethnicity based. Middle and working class is the guess for the social class, as music appeals across all social classes and they’d be within the age range. Aspirers and mainstreamers would seem to be the consumer characteristic to buy it, because mainstreamers seek comfort and from the design of the cover, it looks like a magazine designed towards aspirers. In my opinion Noel extending his fist is a connotation that the magazine's aiming to a youthful audience, and that he's confident and rebellious.

Colours used are red, black, blue and white, which makes the text stand out. The connotation is it's urban due to the colour scheme being a combination of blue, black, white and red, giving off a 'cool vibe'.

Noel is the central image and framed in relation to the cover-line as a coverline stretches across him. Due to the size of Noel the image is dominant and the rule of thirds applies in terms of how the Q logo's positioned in the top left hand corner. It’s as if they want to send a message of power, with Noel being at the centre.

The clothing is a brown, casual leather jacket, representing rock as rock is a hip genre and the personal effect is that it leaves a simple impression, as the choice of clothing is simple and because it’s a jacket anyone might wear, this helps the age range of the magazine. A connotation is that Noel takes his job seriously because he's chosen his jacket carefully and cares about his image.

Iconic signs are used, an example being the jewellery on Noel’s hand, jacket and typography are symbolic, for instance 'Still pulling no punches', which is a reference to his rebellious past – make the reader interested to know more and has no relation to what it looks like and there's a plus sign. Connotations for the last two examples are the fact 'Still pulling no punches' has a white box highlighted puts emphasis and the plus sign symbolizes that they're offering more. His expression is determined. The use of iconic signs is varied and has an interesting effect and makes me think the people who design this magazine have put a lot of effort in.  

In terms of language, no rhyming or repetition is present, suggesting a more professional image and there’s no slang. The mode of address is largely formal which is another piece of evidence that the editor wants to create a professional image and there aren't a lot of devices used apart from possibly the play on words 'The 10 Best Reviewed Bands On Earth'. The communication is successful and encourages us this is a magazine we want to go for. In terms of connotation, the varied use of words means this is a magazine that wants to be taken seriously. 

As a whole I would say the elements work well. The masthead is recognisable and sends a simple message because it's one letter. The language is communicated efficiently, with the image of Noel framed on the right and there's an offer to win £10,000 worth of music gear, which interacts with the reader and makes a good incentive to buy the magazine, attracting more readers. All this works together to leave an impression this is the music magazine to buy. A connotation to describe this would be the way the colours blend together, giving a sense of variation.

Mojo: Codes and conventions of a layout are mainly present. The masthead 'Mojo' is in big white, bold typography, which acts as visual branding. The selling line is 'The Music Magazine', which is the publisher connoting that it’s the only music magazine, although the selling line is behind the three members of The Jam and therefore a bit difficult to make out. There are several coverlines including 'Weller, Foxton and Buckler' spread around the cover without detracting. The dateline is in the bottom right along with the bar code and price. The left third is mainly taken up with a free CD but lists some coverlines underneath. Due to everything being spread out I think this makes the magazine appear more attractive and features such as the masthead leave an overall affect because of the size and colour. A connotation of this would be everything appears jumbled, so they pack a lot on the cover and there isn't much space.

Red is the dominant colour, mainly with 'The Jam' coverline, giving a serious impression and feeling of old-school. The colours white and grey are present too, with grey in the background and on some of the coverlines and white on a selection of coverlines, as well for one of the Jam member’s shirts and the masthead, connoting a more down-to-earth feel. Black’s used as well towards the bottom, connoting mystery, as it’s not clear what’s there. Overall the use of colours has a striking impression.

The people centred in the main image are from The Jam, suggesting the target audience is people 25-44,  because The Jam began in the late 1970s and their ethnicity is white. The genre is punk rock, indicated from the style of ‘The Jam’ logo. They were quite famous and noted for wearing smartly tailored suits, rather than ripped shirts and had a number of mainstream 60's rock influences and so forth, a connotation being Mojo is an older magazine because of the band selected and the style of typography, in addition to the overall styling of the cover. The effect is I admire how it’s clear they attempt to be different, through the use of wearing smartly tailored suits and the talent involved really embedded an effect. The image takes up the whole of the cover, and a connotation would be because of their celebrity status.

The target audience appears to be people 25-44 because of The Jam being an older band and how the magazine is designed and older artists such as Alice Cooper and Keith Moon are present. There isn't a female presence on the cover or CD and it mainly looks male-centred, suggesting it might be mostly men who buy music magazines. With the free CD provided there are a few black musicians so this is a more mixed ethnicity magazine. I wouldn't say there are a particular social class but mainly working class and skilled working class because they would be in the age range and mainstreamers are the consumer characteristic attached, because they’ll want to buy a magazine with well-established brands.

They dress as they did, smarty tailored suits, there are three of them and one wears white, the others wear black and it's an interesting contrast considering they're a rock punk band but the mainstream 60's rock influence also melds and black is a representation of the professionalism and also the punk and mainstream rock. I admire how they've combined the genres and done something different and a connotation is of their versatility.

This appears to have been shot in a studio and I'd say the location communicates a sense of freshness and to The Jam it's a backdrop to their dedication.

There isn't any use of the standard linguistic features. I would argue the mode of address is formal because there doesn't appear to be any obvious devices to enhance the language. This strikes me as a more mature magazine, perhaps for older people and a connotation is this appears to be a retrospective magazine.

The Jam, for the photo-shoot is an iconic sign and so it is with them dressed in the mod style, plus their logo is symbolic because of how it stands out and so is the jukebox-resembling circle. I'd think their expressions are a dedication to their professionalism and the way the logo’s designed could be because the 'Jam' logo is old-school.

Shot type is a medium one and this makes sense because you need to have them centred in the frame. It makes me think about the days they were performing and I'd argue a connotation is because of how they're centred, they feel like they want to perform.

The three are central and framed in relation to the text because you have 'The Jam' in big, red letters as well as “Rock Music Was Rubbish”, “Weller, Foxton, Buckler” and so on. The image spreads most of the cover and is dominant.

As a whole the magazine is different. The language is designed for the issue to be taken seriously and the masthead is bold, the image of The Jam is clearly constructed and the way they're in front of the masthead is interesting and a free CD is an incentive to buy the magazine, with samples from the band and other features is a connotation that this is for older readers. This has left a fantastic impression.

Rock Sound: This is a more basic layout and even though there’s more space compared to Mojo, the coverlines are jumbled slightly. The masthead font is in capitals and purple to make it stand out, but doesn't look as sleek as Q. The main cover-line is “Don't Panic... They're back” and is on a cardboard being held up among others such as 'Papa Roach, Come Out Swinging' and 'Billy Talent Versus You'. The left third features 'Sonic Boom Six' and mentions Good Charlotte as well. Main image is of 'All Time Low' and the dateline's included with the bar code and price, bottom right. Unusually it doesn't have a selling line and I think this is a connotation that among the other reasons why it looks more basic, this is a weaker magazine, making it look cheaper. 

Colours are a bit brighter with yellow, against white stars in the background and the masthead is purple, as are part of some of the cover-lines, which the rest are black.

A connotation I would use to describe is with it looking plainer, it looks like the editors have lazily put some colours on.

The band is male and white and looks in their early 20s. Their genre is pop punk and how they look reflects it. The celebrity status of All Time Low is moderate and the image is fairly iconic, as it suggests how a band should be.

Target audience appears to be people aged 16-24 because it's looks more like a teen magazine, definitely to a more casual side and compared to 'Mojo', there aren't any huge popular bands and tying back to teen, the gender appears to be girls more, as by their characteristics . Reasons include the bright yellow background, texture and the young male band. I wouldn't assume it's tied to any ethnicity. It looks like this is more at working class and mainstreamers and aspirers because of the casual nature of the design.

The clothes design is modern and fashionably casual, which the editors want to make sure they're attracting the right generation of readers for the pop punk genre.

It appears the photos have been taken in a studio and it communicates the casual image, mainly because of the bright yellow background and also communicates the casual towards the musicians.

There isn't a real rhyme or alliteration. The main language is imperatives because of the cover-lines (Don't Panic, They're Back! Billy Talent Versus You!) and other examples and the mode of address this sets is it's for a younger audience and they know what their target audience is. Lots of different news is shown and this is an invitation to the audience to read about their favourite bands and keep the reader excited that they're going to learn something new.

The cover is full of iconic signs because of how the artists are portrayed in the images and there's a mixture of indexical signs, including the different expressions of artists for instance surprise and neutral.

The shot types used are medium (for All Time Low) and close ups for Mindless Self Indulgence and Sonic Boom Six. I like these because it suits the musicians and are inviting to the audience.

All Time Low are the dominant and central image and is framed in relation to the 'Don’t Panic, They're Back' coverline. The rule of thirds isn't obeyed because not everything's spaced out enough.

The magazine does work as a whole. Imperatives combined with the masthead, laid-back images and the CD and posters given help to communicate the pop punk feel

and intention to draw readers in. This has left an arresting effect in total.

NME: Codes and conventions are spread out. The masthead has a big, bold red font, which helps it stand out. There's a variety of coverlines ranging from the main one “The Bracket: 10 Years On” to “The Untold Story Of The Libertines. Debauched Masterpiece”, which is a boxing device. There are two datelines, one in the left third and the other is with the bar code. A tagline isn't featured and the main image is of “The Libertines”, where over the whole cover they're given model credit. The left third only has a website you can contact if you’ve lost your free CD. The barcode is in the bottom right. An overall effect is I think everything's spaced nicely and follows most codes and conventions and a sense is given this is a big issue.

Main colours are red, black, yellow and white. As mentioned the masthead is in bold red, helping it look recognisable and below it are the coverlines, an example being “The Untold Story Of The Libertines’ Debauched Masterpiece” and the coverlines being spread out helps as it attracts the eye.

Libertine members are mainly in their 30s and are male. Their ethnicity is largely white and the band was formed in 1997 and is an English Rock band so this is a clue to the type of music NME likes to cover. Their celebrity status is high and the images are iconic because of how they're dressed and the status. My response is I think due to their age a larger audience is likely to be garnered.

I'd assume people aged 25-44 are the target audience because of how the magazine's laid and The Libertines have been in existence since the 90s. Male seems to be the target gender because there isn't any female presence. The ethnicity is mixed but mainly white. The social class likely to pick this up are middle. Mainstreamers are likely to go for NME because of the Libertine’s presence on the cover, their fame.

Clothing is red and formal and a neat representation of rock as it's a sign this is a genre to be taken seriously and it's possible the colour is a reference to NME.

There's no rhyming, nor repetition, sibilance, assonance or slang. There's an imperative with the coverline “The Untold Story Of The Libertine's Debauched Masterpiece” and overall it sets a special yet professional (formal) tone because this is celebrating The Libertine's birthday. The mode of address is they want you to know it's their birthday.

Location looks to be in a studio and is a completely black background. I would argue this communicates the importance of The Libertines and it highlights NME's style which is sleek and they made it this way because this is an important issue.

The shot type is a medium one and it suits the magazine because it gives enough space to show the members and has an impressive effect. This is also a representation of the power of the band.

The image of The Libertines is central and it's framed in relation to most of the text. It spreads the entire cover and the rule of thirds isn't obeyed because the logo's in the top-left corner and you have their heads and shoulders too, taking up space.

The magazine works well as a whole because the combination of the professional language, bold and stylish masthead and the appearance of the image, as well as a free CD all provides the effect that this is a special magazine and the genre isn’t specified, and it’s all a sign this is a magazine they take seriously.

Uncut: The masthead “Uncut” is at the top in big white typography, and coverlines are structured nearer the bottom and include “McGuinn, Hillman and Crosby on the classic album that tore them apart”, “Steve Miller, Some People Call Him The Space Cowboy...” and “Siouxsie and the Banshees. Nothing could derail us – except ourselves!”. There's no tagline and the dateline is included with the price next to the barcode, following form. The main image is of the band “The Byrds” and is given model credit with the main coverline “McGuinn, Hillman & Crosby On The Classic Album That Tore Them Apart”. The left third is taken up of some other bands featured and two boxing devices indicate the free CD and other features, for instance 40 pages of reviews. I think the layout is nicely spaced and structured so it’s easy to follow and leaves a clear effect.

Main colours are white and red, to help words stand out and the boxing devices have a gold background, used to draw the reader's attention and this suits the more mature theme.

The ages of the members are they are in their 70s mostly now which is another sign to the theme that is a more adult magazine, because the image is an old photo and all them are male.

The ethnicity is white and they were a mainly American rock band, the celebrity status is high and the image is iconic because when you see the image it’s easy to see who they are. The status of their fame is a symbol of how old they are, because they stretch back a long time.

Target audience looks to be people aged 35-64 because of the musicians featured and the design of the magazine. The guess is this is a male magazine as the band and genre itself appeal towards that gender, there isn't a specific ethnicity which is targeted and the same goes for sexuality. Referring to the age this likely means the target audience will be working class as well as upper middle and succeeders and mainstreamers.

Clothing is professional and varies from black to blue and light brown, this works because it’s a symbol of the past and ties into rock because the colours work well.

The location looks to be an architectural background in a studio and communicates a retro feel towards the magazine as well as the band, suggests a forgotten era and it works in communicating this feel.

Due to the formal theme, the tone and style of language is similar. There's no rhyme or repetition for instance. Sibilance is used three times with the coverlines “Siouxsie & The Banshees”, “Steve Miller” and “LCD Soundsystem”. Assonance doesn't exist and the same goes for slang, superlatives and contractions, which continues the mature tone of the magazine. One pun is present with the Steve Miller coverline “Some people call him the Space Cowboy...”, but there are no examples of rhetorical questions or imperatives. It leaves me an impression that the editors take this magazine seriously and has worthy value.

The main image is an iconic sign and their expressions are sombre, also ranging from mute, happy, serious and curious. The masthead is an indexical sign because the size of it appears to send a big message about the magazine.

In terms of shot, the type is medium which is necessary as it gives the five members equal focus and also gives a sense of the history of The Byrds, making the audience think about their success.

The image of The Byrd's is the only image present, making it more dominant and is framed in relation to the top half of the text. The rule of thirds isn't obeyed because most of the contents are too big, not spaced enough.

Overall the magazine works as a whole, because the professional language communicates the value of the magazine, and masthead sends a clear message about the intent too, the image is suitably chosen to communicate the past of The Byrds and a free CD is given with 16 Byrd tracks which goes a way to contributing the history of musicians. This is evidence that this could be the magazine which is most appealing to musicians.