Alden Bates' Weblog

A while ago I got hold of Björk's latest album, Volta. Volta is very good, however its packaging is not. Maybe I'm traditional, but I prefer my CDs to come in a standard jewel case and not some overblown artsy packaging. Volta has the silliest packaging I've seen so far on an album.

Once you get the shrink wrap off, you have a bright-red cardboard box with two flaps on the front. The flaps are held together with a metallic sticker of Björk dressed as a multicoloured vegetable with blue feet. Assuming that, like me, you don't want to tear the sticker, you have to gentle peeeeeel it off on one side in order to open the box. Personally, I peeled it off completely and stuck it onto one of the flaps to stop it from getting torn.

Inside the box is another series of cardboard boxes in a sort of Russian doll effect. On one side of each box is a picture of Björk in a crochet wearable art outfit, and on fire. Yes, someone's also photoshopped the pictures to make it look like she's on fire. At least I hope it's a photoshop. "OK, we've painted her face and put her in the wool outfit. Is it artsy enough yet?" "No. SET HER ON FIRE!"

Inside the Russian doll boxes are a booklet and the Volta CD in a plain white paper sleeve (and the DVD version, if you got that version). I have yet to determine how to store all this. I'll probably simply stick the CD and booklet into a jewel case and put the rest of the packaging away somewhere. Meh.