Specific Album Art/Digipak Analysis (I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers)

I'm With You - Red Hot Chili Peppers

'I'm With You' (2011) is the tenth studio album by American rock band, Red Hot Chili Peppers. It is the band's first studio album to feature guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, following the departure of John Frusciante in 2009. The 4-panel digipak consists of the audio CD and booklet containing song lyrics and photos of the band.

Spine/Front Panel
Q Magazine voted the album cover art as one of the best album covers of 2011.

The front panel of the digipak portrays a minimalistic, macabre work designed by controversial British artist, Damien Hirst. Frontman, Anthony Kiedis, described the album's cover art by saying: "It's an image. It's art. Iconic. We didn't give it its meaning but it's clearly open to interpretation." The cover depicts a close-up shot of a fly sitting on a red and white capsule pill, positioned in the bottom left-hand corner against a pristine white background. My interpretation of this statement imagery is that it symbolises 'pivotal change'. For example, Kiedis battled drug addiction from a young age and the heartbreaking death of co-founder/original guitarist Hillel Slovak in 1988 (caused by a heroin overdose) was a 'turning point' in Anthony's life and inspired him to become sober; he has been clean of alcohol and drugs since 2000. Since the fly is attracted to the pill, it could be that the pill is representative of dirt - essentially, broadcasting the message to the public: 'drugs are dirt'. Furthermore, the fact that the album title 'I'm With You' is written in a bold, black sans-serif font on the pill (similar to as if it were a real drug), alludes to the notion that although (due to drugs) Slovak is gone, his legacy is still living 'with us'. He was a tremendous musical influence on ex-guitarist John Frusciante and also on current guitarist Josh Klinghoffer, suggesting Red Hot Chili Peppers will always maintain an essence of their original"punk-funk" style (still evident on this album within tracks such as 'Monarchy of Roses' and 'Ethiopia') which they've possessed since the formation of the band in 1983. Returning to the concept of the statement artwork being a symbol for 'pivotal change', 'I'm With You' marks another 'turning point' in the band's career with the new addition of Klinghoffer and the ambiguous nature of the artwork hints that this particular record is the Chili Peppers' most modern and 'experimental' to date.

At first glance of the front panel, I completely dismissed the band's name purely because it's so discreet! The band's name is printed in a small, block, white sans-serif font which is placed at the top-centre of the cover and almost disappears completely against the faded-white background. It is often deemed quite unconventional for famous rock bands to 'hide' their name on the front cover of their album, as surely they would want to enhance their brand-identity even further? In this case, Red Hot Chili Peppers intend for each individual consumer's interpretation of their statement album artwork to override their 'brand'; encouraging the idea of the 'fan-power' and an intimate philosophical connection between the band and the audience. 

An inside view

Continuing with the theme of simplicity and minimalism, the inside of the digipak displays the text 'Red Hot Chili Peppers' in the centre of the left panel and 'I'm With You' in the same position on the right panel. The black sans-serif font stands out against the blank white background in order to sell the band's ambiguous message: Red Hot Chili Peppers - 'I'm With You' (resembles the format of a famous quote.) Some fans have interpreted this message quite literally and believe they possess a deep, intimate connection with the band and feel as though they are part of a Red Hot Chili Peppers 'society' (probably the main intention of this album title.)

"Unbeknownst to me, the news had hit the radio, and some kid came up to me and he shook my hand and he said, 'I'm with you!' And I was like, 'Why are you saying that? Where did you hear that?' He said, 'I'm with you!' And then I realised that he must've heard it on the radio or something, and it was just a great feeling."  - Anthony Kiedis

There are slots provided at either end of the digipak, containing the booklet and CD. The idea of 'slots' within the digipak itself is becoming increasingly popular and an alternative to the conventional plastic disc tray which is prone to cracking if it becomes crushed. Furthermore, the front cover of the booklet  resonates with the album artwork and the metaphorical image of the fly perching on a pill seems to be a recurring 'motif' within the digipak.

Inside the booklet: Fly 'motif' continued. However, in the middle of the booklet the fly is dead, perhaps representing the victory over Kiedis' drug addiction or the end of the Frusciante era and the awakening of a new cycle with Klinghoffer.

Back Panel

The tracklisting is printed in a bold, black sans-serif font in keeping with the rest of the simplistic style font on the digipak. However, the letter 'O' is replaced by a round, white pill which helps the tracklisting 'pop' against the canvas-like background and continues the motif of drugs. Opposite the tracklisting is the barcode, production details, producer's name and record label logo (Warner Bros.) The producer is Rick Rubin who produced the band's breakthrough album 'Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magik' along with all the subsequent albums. Therefore, fans will undoubtedly recognise Rubin's name and incredible talent and will be persuaded to purchase the new record, since he has produced some of the Chili's most successful albums, such as 2006 Grammy-Award winning 'Stadium Arcadium'.