I think CD Cover Art and Booklet Content/Design are TOP on my list when I buy a CD. I love LOOKING at the actual CD Cover and reading the lyrics/booklet.

Which is your favorite CD Booklet of all time?

Criteria : CD Cover Art + Booklet Content + Lyrics + Overall Artistic Vision

I'd say the CD's content are top... the cover can be 2nd on the list

As an entire package for a mass-marketed product (not a special edition, etc.) I'd have to go with Pearl Jam's Vitalogy eventhough the CD contents aren't as memorable.

Other ones I liked where Spiritualized's Let It Come Down (in the 3D packaging). Radiohead's In Rainbows looks to be pretty impressive too.

Tool: Lateralus

The Rhino 2-disk re-releases of the Elvis Costello albums were really good.

Tom Waits: Orphans

Radiohead's Kid A had a cool little extra art-booklet tucked underneath the CD tray that you had to snap off to get to.

Agreed. I like booklets that give me lots of information. Tool's booklets, and similar, may be interesting to look at once, but they don't tell me anything and are nothing more than a gimmick. The Costello books are good.

Yea I remember discovering this like 2-3 years after the CD came out I think. Pretty cool. The last 3 Tool CDs are all great also.

My favorite packaging of a CD is Raymond Scott's Manhattan Research, Inc. A huge, detailed, nicely illustrated booklet (a small book, really) to accompany the two CDs.

i love the booklets in the Rhino Ramones Re-issues. nice essay and then the lyrics. and the record cover slipcases are a nice touch. A+

I'm partial to 10,000 Days as far as booklet and packaging go.

Diamond Dogs

I'm more interested in art design so I go with:

Soundgarden - Superunknown
Iced Earth - The Glorious Burden

Somewhere in Time by Iron Maiden. Back in the day, when I had it on cassette, I enjoyed trying to figure out all the references on the art work.

Also, any other Maiden album with Derek Riggs as the artist. It was fun to try and find his logo on the albums and singles.

Another vote for Pearl Jam's Vitalogy here

Sigur Ros - ( ) and Jessica Bailiff - Hour of the Trace both use thin tracing paper that allows the pages of the artwork to blend together through the paper. I always thought that was pretty cool, though they obviously aren't the most informative.

As for coolest and most informative, I'd have to go with the Miles Davis Boxsets. A ton of great info on each era of his music is included with every one of these I've seen.

The Magnetic Fields - 69 Love Songs includes the lyrics for all 69 songs, plus a book with a long, interesting interview with Stephin Merritt about the songs, his writing process and a lot of random thoughts on music and his influences.

Mostly, though, I just look through the liner notes when I first get the CD and forget them, unless there's one line or song that's really driving me crazy and I need to look at the lyircs.

The liner notes on the Ramones reissues were interesting to read. The latest Bright Eyes CD booklet is kinda different.

edit: oops looks like scarredgod already mentioned this

Great content.

Nightwish - Dark Passion Play

The booklet was actually better than the music

The Woodstock 94 album had a pretty cool couple of booklets, if I remember correctly.

Another vote for Kid A. The extra book has some neat artwork and is truely a thoughtful extra.

Easily the best one I have ever seen, the 3D pictures with the glasses are top knotch!

I always liked Danzig II: Lucifuge. It folded out into a large upside-down cross.