Looking at the binding edge, the large letters spelling "JERRY" and "GOLDSMITH" shouldn't be spilling onto the cover, but confined to the edge, right?
My thoughts exactly. The spine titles are spilling right over the joints and onto the front and back covers. That surely can't be intentional so it's either a very, very bad printing attempt or that photo is a badly rendered mock-up and those aren't real books? (The latter seems unlikely but this entire fiasco is so deep into Twilight Zone territory that I don't think any revelation could shock me...)
The most concerning thing for me about this project - and just to be clear, I didn't buy this book, couldn't afford it - is that the whole reason the Kickstarter happened was because it likely wasn't deemed economically feasible to produce it through usual mainstream publishing. It's a niche subject with an increasingly niche audience. This book won't happen again, this is the last hurrah for a book like this in two volumes about the music of Jerry Goldsmith.
I find that sobering and sad and a little concerned for the multi-volume James Horner project (I think volume one is still due this year). Maybe twenty years ago this kind of thing would have been easier but hey, it's a changing world.
This project was so over-funded, there is no sparsity argument against producing it. Taylor White should be able to afford to print deluxe editions and still have money left over.
The fear is whether there is any real focus on following through.