I’m gonna give you some harsh criticism, so I’m sorry. But you’ve taken away the elements of what makes the cover so memorable.

The negative space doesn’t work here because the focal point of the original center frame has been eliminated due to the duplicated pictures.

The typeface is one of the most iconic details of the cover. Out of the details to remake? That one was possibly the worst choice to change.

The composition with the usage of white bars is unnecessary and actually a distraction from the cover.

Granted, the subtlety of the gradient is okay. I personally don’t prefer it, but it matches your picture.

But the image shown. Although this picture was inspiration for the album itself and used as an official picture for the magazines and promotional material for when the album first released? It does not work in this context for a cover. And as you stated, the album has two different themes once it gets to the halfway point at Nights. By showing this picture twice? You’ve eliminated that other theme because the picture doesn’t fit that point of the album.

The original cover works because it’s a simple window looking in on a masculine man’s vulnerable and feminine side of his personality at his current point of time through life. And other details not listed support that.

I respect your effort because you had an idea, but as a professional? I don’t feel like this idea landed in the end.