Welcome back to the Judged by the Cover Podcast, a JW Creates podcast. Today I have an album cover that I am really excited to talk about. As a hint, when I say the name Steve Miller Band….What imagery or album cover pops into your mind…? If it’s not a horse or a Pegasus….then you probably haven't listened to or looked at any of Steve Miller Band's album covers. That's ok because I was actually surprised at how few of their album covers had this imagery…but a couple of their important albums did…so that’s why it's stuck in my head. So yes today we are talking Steve Miller Bands, Book of Dreams, and we are going to start by diving into the history of the band, and how this fantastic album cover came to be. But first, if you haven’t done so already, make sure to like and subscribe on your favorite podcast platform… Also if you could do me a big favor and go to apple podcasts and leave a review for the show that would help me out a lot. History The Steve Miller Band formed in 1966, and they went on to write and record 10 albums in 7 years. They didn’t find any major success until The Joker came out in 1973. That album hit number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and the single The Joker hit number 1 on the Billboard hot 100. Normally when you hit this kind of success, most bands and artists would double down and take advantage of the momentum, but not Steve. Steve and the band were burnt out, and on the verge of quitting, so he told his manager to not book any shows or appearances for a year. He said that he needed time to rest, think, and write new music. As we are going to find out here shortly, this move is actually going to pay off big time!! Up until The Joker, most of Steve Miller Bands songs would have been categorized as psychedelic or even kind of folky. This album marked a significant change for the band going to a more melodic, rock and blues sound. This rockier sound would go on to influence the songs for the next two albums. During this break from performing, Steve wrote the songs that would become the next two albums Fly like an Eagle and Book of dreams. They never imagined that they would get two albums out of the material they wrote, His plan was to pick the best songs and make one album out of it…but there was too much good material. Steve Miller released Fly like an Eagle in 1976, had three big hit singles and hit number 3 on the Billboard 200 and is rated 4x platinum at this point. Book of Dreams Book of Dreams comes out in 1977, just a year after Fly like an Eagle, and followed its hit success. This album hit top ten on the charts in four different countries, and topped out at number 2 on the billboard 200. 7 songs from the album Book of Dreams end up on the greatest hits compilation album that comes out the following year 1978. I believe that Steve Miller found the winning formula in the song The Joker, and he took the time away from performing to transition their sound and writing style around it. The other thing that I believe lead to the major success of Book of Dreams is the album cover and imagery…so let’s get into that. CoverDesign I found an interview where Steve Miller talks about his album covers, and he stated that he loved to live in anonymity. At one point he had the #1 hit single in the country, but could still go to the grocery store, mow his front yard, or go to a local comedy show and most people didn’t know who he was. This was mostly because he didn’t want his face on his album covers. Steve Miller wanted to promote the mood of the album, not himself. When it came to the album cover for the Book of Dreams, Steve Miller went looking for inspiration. He found what he was looking for in a painting done by Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelley. Kelley and Mouse made a name for themselves in the 60’s and 70’s with their psychedelic music posters and album covers. Most of their work was done for the Grateful Dead, but they also created imagery for other bands like Journey. I'm thinking we will have to do a podcast dedicated to the work of these two guys, because there is some really cool stuff in their portfolio. At the time Steve Miller was working on Book of Dreams, Kelley and Mouse were running a t-shirt business that wasn’t doing so well. They knew they had one last chance to create a piece to save the business, so they came up with the image that would become the album cover for Book of Dreams. Lucky for them, when Steve came looking for inspiration for his album cover, he loved this image!! So let me do my best to explain it to you… In the center we have the master piece that is this white pegasus with these very colorful wings. (If you don’t know what a pegasus is it’s a horse with wings). It’s overtop what looks like a coin. At the very center of the coin is this very dream like sky with wispy clouds. Around this wispy sky is a rainbow colored ring with hieroglyphic pattern that is overlayed on top of it, and all of that is surrounded by a gold outer band. If you haven’t actually seen this cover, go check out the liner note page on my website, it will be linked in the show notes, because I know just words can’t describe how cool this image is. The text on the cover for the band and album name is also really impressive. The font also carries on this hieroglyphic theme, especially for the letters S, M, and B. All of this is overlayed a brownish red gradient for the background. I love how every element has this dream/fantasy like value to it. From the broad spectrum of color, to the wispy dream like clouds, to the crazy hieroglyphic style font. It’s like they created this pegasus image specifically for this album...but in reality they never knew what it would become until Steve Miller walked in the door. This album cover and packaging did so well that it won a grammy for “best album cover”. Normally that would be very exciting for an artist, that their work got recognized with an award like that…but the sad truth is Kelley and Mouse weren’t recognized with the award, it went to Capital Records and the art director Roy Kahara. In an interview Stanley Mouse said “…We were watching TV one night and we saw the Grammys and they said, “ For Book of Dreams , Roy Kahara , art director.” It won a Grammy but we didn’t win it . They didn’t even tell us about it. We had to see it for ourselves on TV.” As a cover artist myself, I hate to see the artist themselves not getting the credit they deserve for their work. The pegasus theme would go on to be featured on many of the Steve Miller Bands Compilation and greatest hits albums, and if you search for Steve Miller band merch it almost always has a pegasus on it. If you are a band or musician that is exploring for inspiration for an album or single cover, I think that one big piece of advice you can take from this cover is think outside the Book. I know even for myself, when you have a name like Book of Dreams to work with, it would be very easy to try and do something book related for the cover. What they did, using the pegasus, that could only be found in a dream, as the main character for the cover, is what makes this a great album cover. Also this is literally a piece of art created by Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse, and I think the world needs to know that they are the ones responsible for this masterpiece on the cover of Book of Dreams. Thats it for the cover of Book of Dreams…now let’s jump into everyones favorite segment….its time for our Near Miss. Near Miss Today’s near miss victim, is one of my favorite bands from my adolescent years…and that is Creed. Growing up in the 90’s and the early 00’s, I fell in love with Creed because it felt like the rock sound that I loved, but it wasn’t my dads rock n roll. I know Creed is one of those bands that everyone likes to pick on, and that's not why I chose them. This album cover is probably more strange than you remember it being. The album cover we are looking at is for Creed’s Weathered album, and it is quite interesting. As a teen I guess I didn’t think anything of this album cover, and it probably wasn’t bad “quality” for the graphics in the late 90’s early 2000’s. But the more I look at it now the stranger it gets….let me try to explain it. The main element of the cover is a big tree, (we will discuss the detail of the tree more in a second), and the background looks very apocalyptic. There is this large orange/red sun in a brownish yellow sky and the ground in the is very rocky, There is a smaller tree, towards the back of the image that is being chopped down by what appears to be a man. He’s kinda of a blurry so it’s hard to tell. Also there is this ray of light shining on this blurry figure from that large orange/red sun. The big main tree at the front of the cover has the faces of the 3 band members super imposed on top of it in the bark. There are these two hands with a chisel and hammer that look like the band members faces are being chiseled into the tree. (As a side note, for some reason the arms that are doing the chiseling are very, VERY hairy!!!) Also all of the band members have these kind of weird blank stares. To make it even better, the faces on the tree are very poorly photoshopped onto the image, so it all looks very awkward. I loved this thought from faceoffrockshow.com “The name of the album means erosion by weather, i.e. bone, person, or anything else that is eroded by the weather. Reflecting the situation the band was in at the time of the album's release, the cracks began to widen and the end was near. But then we take a look at the album cover (which to tell the truth is one of the weirdest we've seen) and here we see the band members' faces engraved on a tree that looks like it's strong and formidable that is not eroded by the weather but rather, it seems to survive forever. Think about it…” A strong formidable tree, in a very weathered environment, that seems to last forever...maybe that's the legacy of Creed. The artwork for the album was designed by Mark Tremonti's brother, Daniel Tremonti, who designed all of the album covers for Creed. Normally I like to try and give some suggestions on how I would change it, to make it better…but honestly this one might be too weird to try and change. And maybe it just needs to be weird. One last funny side note…one of the first things that pops up when you google this album cover design, is this tweet from someone in 2016. They aren’t wrong, but maybe we need to dig deeper into this one and get more info. Would you like me to dig deeper into this album cover and learn more about Weathered by Creed….? Let me know in the comments section below. That's it for this months episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast! Thanks for listening, and we will do this again…very soon!

Welcome Back to another episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, brought to you by JW Creates! Judged by the Cover is now a member of the PodNooga Network. Follow Podnooga on facebook and instagram, or find us on the web at podnooganetwork.com The theme of todays episode is a little bit different than our past episodes. Actually I need to give credit to my friend Brandon with Fleet by SSC for this idea…Brandon buys and sells vintage cars & trucks, and he suggested that we talk about cars on album covers. For me this is like a dream come true…I get to talk about two of my most favorite things in this world Cars & Album covers!! So let’s get to it…. As always if you haven’t already please hit all the like and subscribe buttons…and if you could leave me a review on Apple Podcasts that is always very helpful for the show. Also if you are viewing this on JW’s Notes, you can use the contact form below to tell me what you think of the podcast, and make recommendations for future episodes. One other announcement is to make sure you mark your calendars for September 8th, of this year 2023 because I will be releasing a very special episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast. I had the opportunity to sit down with my good friend Abe Montalvo and discuss his new song Brave the storm that comes out on September 1st. You’re not going to want to miss this one…. There were quite a few albums with automotive themes, but I was a little bit surprised that there wasn’t more! I picked out some of the most notable and my favorites, so we do have a few of them to talk about. Also my Near miss segment this week is a little different, and just as a hint its concerning cars that met unfortunate ends of life… To get started there was one album that I thought of immediately, and thats ZZ Top - Eliminator ZZ Top - Eliminator For me, this is the most memorable album cover with a car on it, but before we jump into the story behind the car and album cover…Lets take a minute to set the scene behind the album. Eliminator is the eight studio album by the band ZZ Top. It was released march 23 of 1983, and all four singles off the album hit various charts in the US and around the world. This album would mark a pretty stark change in the overall sound of ZZ Top, moving away from the boogie/blues rock sound they were known for, to a more new wave style. The introduction of synths and drum machines were a shock to a lot of their older fans, but found them a new younger audience, especially with the help of MTV. Now I know there are a lot of younger people, even people my age, that can’t remember music actually being played on MTV, but MTV played a huge role in the success of this album. Three songs off the album; Gimmie All Your Loving, Sharp Dressed Man, and Legs had very successful music videos, and took ZZ Top from being an old fogey band, to the new hot thing. It also helped that the songs, and videos painted this picture that America was the land of rock n roll, cars, and girls. At the center of all of this, and literally at the center of the album cover, is Billy Gibbons dream car. The Eliminator as it is called, which referss to a drag racing term, is a fully custom built 1933 Ford coupe. The car took 5 years to build, and reportedly cost about $50,000 dollars in 1983…which in todays money is about $151,000. Thats a ton of money…but Gibbons had pretty good plan on how to pay for it. They used the car as the inspiration for the album cover, and was one of the central figures in three music videos that supported the album…It became a “tax write offf”… because it was a “work related purchase”… As I already hinted, the Elimator is the central figure of the album cover. The car was painted by the artist Tom hunnicutt, who had a long history of working for car and racing magazines and was a classic car comic book artist. The hot rod is this amazing bright and deep red color, with these double Z graphics in silver, yellow and maroon on the side. The graphic on the car influenced the graphics on the album cover. At the top of the cover we have ZZ Top, as a maroon and yellow graphic, think in the style of stripes on the side of a hotrod. It’s overlayed on top of this really cool night scene so you have the beam of the headlights on the car shining into the darkness of a starry night sky. It’s kind of got these dark and mysterious vibes, for an album thats very upbeat and fun. But honestly I can see myself on a long road trip, driving the night shift, and being behind the wheel of this hot rod as the song Sharp Dressed man plays in the background. The car absolutely embodies this album, and it wouldn’t be the same with out it on the cover and in all the music videos. The Eliminator car is currently sitting in the Rock N Roll hall of fame in Cleveland Ohio, and anytime that Billy Gibbons is in the area he stops by, fires up the car, and takes it for a spin. The car was built to be driven, and I’m glad to hear that it still gets driven to this day. My biggest take away from the design of this album cover, is that it helps to have a captivating object to grab the attention of your audience. The Eliminator car became just as big of a star as the band itself, and perfectly embodied the feeling and attitude of this album. Now you may not have the budget to have a fully custom hot rod created from your album cover, but try to find that thing that embodies your sound, attitude, or subject of your album/song to captivate your audience. Its going to be hard to follow up the “coolness” of the car from the Eliminator album, but the next album we are going to discuss is easily more successful then Eliminator, but the car is kind of a secondary character on the album cover. Beetles - Abbey Road The second album cover we are going to discuss is Abbey Road by none other than the Beetles. Now this cover is famous for lots of other reasons, which we will talk about here in a second, but because of the popularity of the band…this white VW Bug or Beatle…also became very popular. I also had it on good authority that there was an interesting history to this car…but let’s see what I found out. Abbey Road is the eleventh studio album by the Beetles and was released in America on October 1st 1969. Fun side note the UK got this album 5 days earlier than the US did. Even though this is possibly one of the most iconic albums of all time, I’m not going to jump into too many of the details behind the music because I want to get to the album cover. The cover was based on an idea that Paul McCarney had sketched out, and the photo was taken during a very rushed photo shot outside EMI Studios on Abbey Road. At this time abbey road wasn’t a super busy street, but it was still an active street in Westminster. At 11:35 in the morning a policeman held up traffic while the photographer Iain Macmillan was given only 10 minutes to get the shot. Macmillan took six photos, and I believe it was shot number 5 that made the cover. If for some reason you have never seen this album cover, let me talk you through it. Picture you are standing in the middle of an intersection in a suburban neighbor hood, and you are looking down the street. You have trees and buildings on either side, people standing on the sidewalks, and cars parked along the side of the road. The most prominent car in the shot is a “lotus white” (yes that’s the official color name) Volkswagen Bug. More on that in a second. In the crosswalk, or zebra walk as I have seen it referred to online, is the four members of the Beetles walking across the road from left to right. They are evenly spaced and are stepping in unison. Three of them are wearing designer suits, with George Harrison at the back of the group wearing an all blue jean outfit. I will also note that Paul McCartney is not wearing any shoes…also more on that in a second. The direction that the group is walking, is away from the studio…so I feel like there are two meanings to this. It could be this “its done” moment, this image that captures them leaving the studio behind them. But then also the band did break up in 1970 which is the following year…so I’m wondering if there was already plans for this to happen, and this is kind of foreshadowing that “its over”. Either way its a great shot….and very iconic album cover… One last note on the design before we move into the info on the white VW bug….this is the only UK Beetles album sleeve to not show either the artist name or album title on it. The record company did not approve of this idea and swore that the album would not sell, but the creative director said “we didn’t need to write the bands name on the cover….they were the most famous band in the world!”…talk about confidence in your design decision! So what about the white VW Bug…? Is it special…? Did it belong to one of the Beetles…? And why is it parked so terribly….? That last one is just a joke but for real…that thing is parked halfway on the sidewalk…who parked that thing…? So there is a lotus white, 1968 VW Beetle in the VW Autostadt, Wolfsburg Museum in the UK…and according to the plaque next to the car its the same car from the 1969 Abbey Road album cover. It also states that John Lennon owned said car. Though it might be true that John Lennon did own a similar car…the car from the cover was actually owned by a nearby resident, and luckily…or unluckily, had his car parked in the wrong place at the right time. I say this because after this album was released, the license plate from his car got stolen repeatedly. Also this album cover became a very famous and constant reminder of his terrible parking job from the night before……. Now I was kind of bummed that I didn’t find anything really exciting in the story of this car…but if you want to go down the conspiracy rabbit hole…there is possibly one piece of information about this car that could be kind of interesting. As the conspiracy goes…Paul McCartney supposidly died in a car crash in 1966…and was replaced with a look a like. Fans of the beetles claim that there are clues in songs and on multiple album covers that point to this being true. Like the band was forced to cover it up and they were “trying” to tell the fans that Paul is dead. Two details from this cover supposedly point to this theory. First is the fact that Paul is not wearing any shoes on the cover. Its said that being barefoot is a sign of mourning in Sicily…Also they point out that the license plate on the VW Bug says 28IF…as in Paul would be 28 IF he were alive…But in reality Paul was 27 at the time that this record was released. So if you believe that the license plate is one of the pieces of evidence that proves your theory that Paul McCartney is actually dead…and the Beetles have been lying about it for decades…than it makes the car pretty kool. Volkswagen of Sweden actually had a little bit of fun mocking the parking job of the car on the cover…and used it as a way to promote a new parking technology in 2019. A quote for the Marketing Director at Volkswagen Sweden says… “Volkswagen continuously innovates to make the driving experience better and safer for drivers and pedestrians. We want to show how far our technology has come since that little parking mishap, so that no one else has to live with a constant reminder of their parking fail. They actually created a 12” vinyl sleeve that you could buy with an image of the car parked correctly on abbey road. They sold them online and all the proceeds went to help an organization called Bris, which is a Swedish children’s rights organization. Thats a fun way to get creative with marketing if you ask me!! FU MANCHU - In Search of… If you are looking for great cars to grace your album cover…is there anything better than 70’s muscle cars…? The early 70’s, in my opinion, was arguably the best era for American automotive design, just look at the Chevy Camaros, Chevelles, the Dodge Chargers and Plymouth road runners, and even the Ford Torinos, mustangs and fairlanes are all pretty spectacular to look at and usually had big ole v8 engines to make them roar. This next cover captures the greatness of a few of these machines. I have never heard of this band before doing my research on the topic of cars on album covers, but the next car focused album cover is the album “In Search Of”… by Fu Manchu. Fu Manchu is a stoner rock band that formed in 1985 in Orange County California. They have gone through a lot of line up changes over the years, but it looks like Fu Manchu is still together to this day although they don’t currently have any tour dates or shows on their website. This album, In Search of… came out in 1996 and was their first major label supported album. I only came across one review of this album by Eduardo Rivadavia, that I think it summed up all I needed to know about the band and this record. “…In Search Of... is a very inconsistent affair, with only a few cuts such as "Asphalt Risin'," "Strato-Freak," and "Seahag" really standing out of the pack. Simply put, one gets the impression that Fu Manchu doesn't try that hard, but then, not every band wants to rule the world.” Pretty harsh and honest review, and after listening to the album…I really don’t have much more to add. I will say that I do love their style in terms of album cover themes, since there are multiple album covers in their discography that are automotive related. In Search of… is easily my favorite of the bunch. The image for the cover is a classic ford vs chevy drag race. On the left you have a cherry read ford mustang and on the right we have a dark blue or black chevy Chevelle. Ahead of the cars we have a woman that is flagging the start of the race. The rest of the image is interesting, because the sky looks to be full of shining stars…that you would normally only see at night, but the rest of the image is from a sunny shot. I’m not sure what the thought is there, but the cars are really cool. One of the reasons that old American hot rods perfectly depict this band, is the fact that most American muscle cars from this period weren’t super fast (compared to todays standards), but were almost always big, loud and proud…and that too me sums up Fu Manchu. That completes my top three choices for cars on covers, I have two more that we are going to cover in my near miss segment… but let me know what you think of these automotive inspired album covers…? Have I missed one of your favorites…? Let me know by shooting me an email to info@jwcreates.com Near Miss - Fiery Fates As is the theme with this episode, my near miss segment is also going to be a slightly different format. I have two albums that I am going to discuss, that are actually really well done album covers. Given our theme of cars on covers, I feel very sad for the fates of both these cars on these covers, so they have become my near miss victims. First up is the album Woodstock by Portugal, The Man. The album cover is simply a classic Rolls Royce, that’s on fire. And to quote an interview with the band “…it’s a Regan-era, old-money car. It’s also not the engine or any of the mechanics that are on fire, it’s the interior, which makes it seem like someone threw some gas in there, lit a match then walked away like, ‘F— it.’” The image is so powerful that there is no text other then the initials PTM in the bottom left hand corner, and another icon or logo in the bottom right. I can’t quite make out what’s in the bottom right corner but its probably the record or production company logo. Thankfully they did not stage this photo shoot. This image was actually taken by a photographer friend of the band, Josh Welch who was on vacation with his family in Las Angeles when they drove past this poor car on fire and he was quick enough to get a great candid shot of the ordeal. This album came out in 2017, after a tumultuous election and the band felt that the image reflected their view of the state of political affairs that inspired a lot of the songs on the album. I actually found where you can buy a print of this photo from the photographers website for a cool $3,000…..I guess when one of your photos goes on a pretty successful album you can ask whatever you want if people want to buy prints. The second album cover also has a car that met its fiery end, in the name of album cover art. Now this car actually was staged and set on fire…but it looks like the car wasn’t in the best of shape at the time of this photo shot. The album is Below Paradise, by Tedashii. The shot is staged in a very rocky desert area with a mountain off in the distance. There is a flipped over car in the center that is on fire, with the artist sitting on the ground leaning up against it. This album came out after Tedashii lost his son, and this album is him processing through the struggle of that, and of pain suffering and the love of God. I definitely get the vibes from this album cover that this guy is literally between a rock and a hard place. There’s a really cool video where you see them setting everything up and getting different shots for the packaging and marketing for this album that I will link below/in the show notes. The reason why I’m sad about this car, even though its pretty rough, is that this looks to be a first generation 1966-1970 Oldsmobile Toronado. For those that may not know, this car is special because it was front wheel drive, when that was not common in American cars, but also had a big 400 hp V8 under the hood. This to me is one of the most beautiful cars ever designed with its long, low, wide stance and looks great from every angle. You just don’t see cars that look like this anymore, or even then. I will agree that this shot perfectly embodies the emotions of this album…but I have shed at least one tear for this car that once was a beautiful masterpiece……. My only advice to those of you out there interested in having a car on your cover, if you are going to also include fire…make sure its either a rust bucket that has no life yet, or pray that you get a once in a lifetime shot of a car going up in flames. But don’t just burn up cars just to burn up a car for your album cover!! I know there are a few other covers we could have discussed, so if I missed one of your favorite automotive related album covers…drop me a recommendation by email at info@jwcreates.com and maybe it will become the topic for a future episode. That’s it for this episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, thanks for hanging out and we will do this again very soon!

2023 has been a busy year so far. Here's a few updates about what's going on at JW Creates. It's hard to believe that we are already in the last week of August. where did this year go...? It hasn't been an easy year, but I have way more to be thankful for than to complain about. Since I have been a little quiet on here, I figured it would be a good idea to share some of the exiting things happening in the JW Creates world. Judged by the Cover I have been busy growing my podcast Judged by the Cover. Judged by the Cover had a rough start last year, and ended up being a lot more work than I initially anticipated. I relaunched it early this year and have "almost" released one episode a month since March. I did miss July, but mainly because I was making a big transition with the podcast. Judged by the cover is now part of the PodNooga Network, which is a local podcast network. With PodNooga I can grow my show through advertising, and connect with other local podcasters. This will allow me to continue to bring new and better content to you. Also I'm the graphic design partner with PodNooga, so I'm getting to help other new podcasters get there shows seen and heard through great cover art design. I can't wait for you to see some of these projects! On September 8th I have an interview coming out with my friend, Abe Montalvo, and his solo project Monoliths. We will be discussing Abe's new song, Brave the Storm, as well as a lot of other fun stuff that you don't want to miss out on! Go subscribe to the Judged by the Cover podcast on your favorite podcast app to stay up to date and be the first to hear up coming episodes. In The News I have had the awesome opportunity to connect with a few different online media outlets to share the story of JW Creates. If you have ever wondered why I started JW Creates, or want to learn more about the man behind the scenes- this is a great way to learn about who I am. If you haven't had a chance to check out these interviews click on the photos below. Simplifying I'm always evaluating what's working and what's not, and really I'm trying to help customers and future customers know what I do best. As a graphic designer, I can take on a lot of different kinds of projects, but there are really 3 areas that I want to focus on: Cover Art, Logos, and Websites.. Cover art was the reason that I got into graphic design, so of course I'm still going to focus on cover art! This year I have worked with some great friends and artists on cover art for their music projects and podcasts. I love the art of telling the story of your song or project through great design, so I will always be ready to take on your cover art projects! There are still two main ways to get your cover art through JW Creates, my Custom and Pre-Made options. Custom is fully custom from the ground up, I connect with you personally and really dive into the music/project, and we discover the best direction for your cover art. If you need something quick, or have a tight budget for your project, my Pre-Made cover art is a great way to get a designer made look for your cover art with out the wait and $$. Check out your options at jwcreates.com/coverart Logos are one of my most popular projects that I get to work on, and are some of my favorites! I love getting to meet small business owners, solo entrepreneurs, musicians, and bands and get to develop the visual elements that create their brands. I can help you stand out if you need a static logo, branding identity pieces, or a full brand/rebrand of your project. My logo projects are personalized to you and your brand, there's no templetes or rehashed designs here. Check out a few of my favorite projects below. Websites are a great way to wrap up everything about you and your brand/project into one easy place for your audience to find you. I offer high quality, custom websites, without the big price tag that usually comes with one. I am a Wix partner with over 7 years experience with their platform, and I know I can get you found on the ole World Wide Web. Check out my work at jwcreates.com/websites . I really appreciate everyone that has trusted me with their cover art, website and logo projects, and if you are interested in learning more about my process use the form below to tell me more about you and your project.

Abe discusses his new signal Brave the Storm, an upcoming 2 song EP, tips on song writing, a synthwave side project, and much much more!!! Trust me, don't sleep on this interview!! Below is the digital content for the Interview with Abe Montalvo of Monoliths - Brave the Storm. It wouldn't be the Judged by the Cover podcast if we didn't talk album covers, and album cover design. We talk some of Abe's favorite album covers, and he gives us some advice on the importance of hiring the right people, and taking your visual branding elements seriously. Below will be some of the album covers that we discuss during the interview. What's your favorite cover from your personal releases...? (Hover or click on image to see description) What's an album cover that you love...? Links Below are some of the places to connect with Abe and the Monoliths official pages, and you can use the Linktree to explore his music on your favorite music platform. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/abemonty90/ https://www.instagram.com/monolithsofficial/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/abemontalvo90 https://www.facebook.com/MonolithsOfficial Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZXjYRnwHyTcxGz7WtsE2Ag Linktree https://linktr.ee/Monolithsofficial Who do you want to hear next on the Judge by the cover Podcast...? Let me know in the comments below. Judged by the Cover is a proud partner of the PodNooga Network. Follow Podnooga on facebook and instagram , or find us on the web at podnooganetwork.com

If you are a band, musician, or a podcaster...you might be asking yourself this very question. I think my answer might surprise you. The Simple Answer Yes, you can design your own cover art..... there I said it. Anymore it doesn't take much to create that 1x1 square image with text that has your project name on it. The amount of creative tools that are available online, or even on your smartphone, is amazing. I see people singing the praises of services like Canva, that it is user friendly and that it's free. There are even mobile apps that I have used in the past that are very powerful and will allow you to make graphics with text and images. These tools can range anywhere from free, to $10-$20 per month depending on the level of control and customization you need/want. As long as you have a smart phone or computer, you can technically design your own cover art. The Designer Difference This isn't intended to pick on anyone's creative abilities,( because I know 100% how vulnerable it is to put any creative work out into the world), and I did ask permission to share this example before posting. I wanted to show you the difference of a free tool in an average person's hands, and the same concept from a designer's point of view. The podcast host who originally created the image above used a popular free design software, and would definitely not call himself a designer. It's a pretty simple concept, the blue curved lines represent one of Chattanoogas greatest features, the river that runs through the heart of downtown. The name of the podcast is very prominent , and even has the tagline in the bottom corner to help describe what the podcast is about. There is not a lot of contrast in the image, and the effect on the city name Chattanooga makes it a little hazy and slightly hard to read. The haziness probably has more to do with the image quality of the file this service/software saves at. With that being said, this image did serve a purpose. It allowed Michael, the host, to get the podcast started and out in the world for people to discover. What could this cover art look like if it was created by a graphic designer...? The first thing that I wanted to address was the contrast. Firstly it makes the text on the image easier to read, and secondly it's a better interpretation of water itself. Water has a lot of different shades, depending on depth and movement, and helps visually evoke the idea of exploring the shallow and deep parts of "My part of the Town". I also wanted to add a "pop" of color to grab people's attention. Gold/yellow colors are complimentary with blue, and add that rich contrast that instinctively tells us that something is of higher quality. I purposefully separated the podcast name with the city name, Chattanooga, so that you have to pause for a second to read the title. Because you may only have.a split second to catch someones attention- if you can get them to pause and possibly take a second look, the better your chances are of them clicking on your show to learn more. Same concept, same target audience, same agenda...but a much different design. Design is objective, so to say one is better than the other is all going to lie in the opinion of the beholder. Think to yourself, if you were scrolling through a list of potential podcasts, which one are you most likely to listen to first...? Wether you are creating music, or telling stories through the medium of podcasting, getting listeners is one of the hardest tasks. Cover art is about grabbing a listeners attention, so don't let your cover art be the thing that holds back your potential listeners from checking out your project. Can you create your own cover art, yes...but getting a designers perspective can change how well your show is viewed and received. Unfortunately this isn't some snake oil that will magically bring more listeners, but it will give your project a chance in this short attention span, digital world. Do you have a designer...? If you have a project, and you need cover art to get it out there, I can help. Wether its re-imaging your cover art like I did for the My Part of Town podcast, or starting from scratch, I have options to help bring your project to life. Click here to see my different cover art services, or use the contact form below to connect with me about your project. Also make sure and go support Michael by checking out the My Part of Town podcast on your favorite podcast apps, or by using the link below. My Part of Town Podcast

On this episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast, we look at the iconic album London Calling by The Clash, and I also have quite the treat of an album cover for my Near Miss segment. Listen below and view the digital content below. Welcome back to another episode of the judged by the cover podcast, brought to you by JW Creates. Judged by the Cover is a proud member of the PodNooga Network, so make sure to follow Podnooga on facebook and instagram, or find us on the web at podnooganetwork.com On todays episode we are going to be looking at an album cover with a little controversy to it. Did they steal the cover art concept…? Did the photographer want their photo to be used for the cover…? Did they have the date of the photo wrong for decades…? This and more coming up in just a second…. But first if you haven’t already please make sure to go and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform, if you are unsure what that means ask google. Also if you are listening on Apple Podcasts please take a minute and leave a review for the show. Reviews are very helpful in people being able to discover the show, but also make sure to share this episode and podcast with your friends, co-workers….or even your enemies….because they may like cover art and music stories. With all the official podcast stuff out of the way…lets jump into todays album cover!! Today’s album cover has been regarded as one of the best album covers of all time, the album itself is regarded as one of the best albums of all time…and the story behind the cover shot is pretty legendary. The album we are talking about is London Calling by the Clash The Clash was an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1976, and contributed to the post-punk/new wave sound that emerged out of England during this time period. Their sound employed elements from a variety of genres including reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly. I don’t know about you but I would have never expected the words Rockabilly reggae and Punk to ever be connected together…but that’s The Clash. Like most in the punk rock world, their music is very energetic or angry, and cover a broad range of political and cultural topics. London Calling was their third studio album, and was an experimental album that explored different sounds and topics. The album was released on December 14th 1979 in the United Kingdom, and wasn’t released in the US until January of 1980. Fun fact, because of this staggered release dates, this is one of the only albums to ever be honored as the greatest album of two different decades. This album experienced chart success in both the UK and in the Us, and is certified platinum in the US. This was also the album that skyrocketed the popularity of the band in the US. The Cover As I alluded to in the intro, the cover art for London Calling may have a little bit of controversy to it… but let’s start by talking about the cover design itself. The front cover for the album features a black and white photograph of the bass player Paul Simonon smashing his Fender P-Bass into the stage floor at the Palladium theater in New York City. This once in a lifetime shot was captured by photographer Pennie Smith, who was the touring photographer with the band at the time. It may be hard to believe but this photo was not staged, it was a perfectly captured moment of frustration. I have seen some conflicting reports as to why he smashed his beloved guitar, but Paul shared this version of the story in an interview with Fender… “ I was sort of annoyed that the bouncers wouldn’t let the audience stand up out of their chairs. So that frustrated me to the point that I destroyed this bass guitar. Unfortunately you always sort of tend to destroy the things you love .” - Paul Simonon So the bouncers weren’t letting the fans stand, which lead to a very dull and uninterested looking crowd…which lead to the bass players favorite guitar getting smashed into the floor. He also made a comment in another interview that he wished he would have thought this through, and took out his frustrations on his other guitar, but not a lot of thinking happens in the heat of the moment. Fun side note the smashed guitar is now on display at the Museum of London, and also spent some time in the rock n roll hall of fame. Though this image perfectly incapsulates the energy of the music, the band and this album…the photo almost didn’t get used. In fact the photographer pleaded with the record company and the band to use a different image because this photo was blurry and slightly out of focus. Pennie took the shot as she was backing away, so as to not get hit by flying debris, thus creating this blurry shot. To this day she feels Luke warm about her most well known image. In an interview in 2003 she said… “ It’s very pleasant to be praised, but I can’t see that picture now. It’s been used in various forms so many times that it’s a bit like wallpaper. Of all the Clash photos I took, there are others that perhaps I prefer, for all sorts of reasons…". Continuing on with the cover design, laid on top of the photograph we have the album title London Calling in a hand drawn looking font. London is on the right hand side going from top to Bottom in pink, with Calling in green at the bottom going from left to right. Also we have the band name in white in a basic sans serif font in the top just to the right of the other text. Overall the design of the cover is pretty basic…but some of you eagle eye music lovers might be thinking that this font and layout look familiar…. The layout, colors, and font style are almost identical to the cover art for Elvis Presley’s self titled debut album that came out in 1956. That album also had a black and white image as the focal point of the cover, and similarly styled and identically laid out font. The band did this as a nod to the man that also broke the rules of rock and roll. I found this quote by Paul in regards to the similarities of the covers… “When that Elvis record came out, rock’n’roll was pretty dangerous. And I suppose when we brought out our record, it was pretty dangerous stuff too.” Last little piece of controversy around the cover is the date that the guitar smashing occurred. The clash played two back to back dates at the Palladium September 20th and 21st of 1979. On the original album sleeve and liner notes showed that the photo was taken at the show on the 21st. The band and record company would continue to use this date as late as 2016, but some detective like fans have gathered proof that the incident actually occurred at the show on the 20th. I will link video in the Liner Notes page if you are interested in seeing the evidence that shows it actually occurred on the 20th. Not that this date is a big deal by any means…its just an interesting piece of history that might have been recorded wrong and kept that way if someone didn’t dig into it. Acclaim The album cover art has been regarded as one of the greatest album covers of all time. Rolling Stone ranked it 8th out of 500 best album covers of all time. Other publications have also listed it very highly as a most influential album cover. The album itself has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007, and then was profiled by BBC Radio 1 Masterpieces denoting it as one of the most influential albums of all time. In 1995 former clash member Mick Jones used the same design scheme for the album F-Punk, it was also parodied for the soundtrack to Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland, and many other album covers. Last but not least the album cover was among ten chosen by Royal Mail (a British postal service and courier company) for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued in January 2010. My Thoughts Overall my thoughts on the cover for London Calling…is that the photograph is what makes this cover great. The fact that it is a perfectly timed shot, the raw emotion and frustration of the moment, the blurry unfocused nature of the shot…it all just speaks to the band, the music, and the story of what was happening in that time and place in history. The homage to the King, Elvis Presley album is a nice touch, but I don’t think I would have copied the design as closely as they did. To me it kind of feels like cheating to just use the same design…but I think given the greatness of the album and what it did to music…it works. As always I like to give you some tips on how you can use the concepts of this album cover in your own designs and projects. One of the first things that stands out to me is to not rule out something that isn’t perfect. You might be asking what does that mean…? So the photo itself isn’t perfect. Its blurry, out of focus, and there were probably better looking shots that could have been used for the cover art. But, that was the RIGHT shot for the cover. Trust your gut and don’t let what someone might call an imperfection, stop you from using that image that you know speaks to your project. Now if the image is terrible….don’t use it. The blurry, unfocused nature of this image adds to the story telling for this album. My second piece of advice would be to look for inspiration in the album covers of your heros….but don’t just out right copy them. I wouldn’t condone doing exactly what the designer did with the London Calling cover, but there are ways to use the elements, colors, etc… from a great album cover to inform the design of your cover. For instance you could use the same colors from the text…but in a new way. What if you used the pink color to tint the image and the green for the text, with a great image…that would be kool and also pay homage to the same cover. Think outside the box, but don’t be afraid to look for inspiration from great covers of the past. That’s it for the cover art for London Calling by The Clash….what are your thoughts on this album cover…? Would you rate this cover as one of the best of all time…? Let me know in the comments, and or send me a message at info@jwcreates.com . Lets move on to Near Miss Near Miss Today’s near miss is…..interesting….and is more of a who let you name your album that. Not even kidding the name of todays album is - You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish…….This isn’t even some weird obscure band or from a weird genre…there are some songs on this album that I know you have heard probably more than once. This album came out in 1978 and is the 7th studio album by the band REO Speedwagon. REO as some people will refer to them as is an American rock band that formed in 1967. The band gathered a following in the 70’s, but didn’t hit real commercial success until the 80’s. The album, can’t tuna fish, was the first album for REO Speedwagon to make the top 40, peaking at number 29, and is registered 2x platinum. The two hits from this album "Time for Me to Fly " and "Roll with the Changes" have since become two of the band's best-known songs. There are two other bits of accomplishment for this album. In 2005, the album cover was featured on Pitchfork's list of "The Worst Record Covers of All Time", and in 2014 its title was featured in NME's list of "The 50 Worst Album Titles in History". Neither of these surprise me…. In a nut shell this is the album cover….there is a tuna fish with a tuning fork in its mouth, against a bright blue sky and the sun is shining off the shiny tuning fork, and this image is outlined by a white box with the band name up top and the album name at the bottom in a black basic font. Pretty basic layout, and a tuna fish with a tuning fork…..I mean, with that name there isn’t much to work with. So how did they land on that name…? In a fan Q&A session marking the album’s 45th anniversary, Kevin Cronin said the joke about the difference between a piano and a fish had been told by a friend at an after-show party. "When I heard that punchline I thought, 'That sounds like a good album title. It's outside the box, it's wacky. And the music we'd written for that album was diverse stylistically – we were definitely thinking outside the box. He also added: "To me, the album title should say something about the music on the album. I felt it was a good match and everyone agreed." During the same Q&A session he was asked if they had a hard time getting the record company on board….and he said "Epic Records, back at that time...was perhaps the most creative, the most artist-friendly label there was. ... When we sent the songs in, they heard the music and they dug it; and so when they got the album title that we were proposing, they were all in from the very beginning." I know the 70’s was a wierd time…but how did no one stop this from happening?!?!?! You may be asking Josh, how would you fix this album cover…? #1 you don’t name your album after the punch line of a joke. Especially a joke about the difference between a piano and a tuna fish. I believe they did the best they could given the subject matter given…but even a hand drawn cartoon fish tuning a piano or something like that could have made for a better cover. A literal tune fish, with a tuning fork in its mouth….its just way too literal. I think my take aways are two fold. 1.) People will agree with your terrible ideas. The fact that it sounds like no one tried to stop this name from happening is a perfect example. 2.) In the case of this album the bad album name and image did not hurt the impact of great music. If your music is great, the imagery isn’t going to hold it back from people loving it. Now this was probably more true when your music was mostly consumed on the radio. Most people probably didn’t see the album cover art for 90% of the music they listened to. To me Its a little different today where we are scrolling through music on a screen or device, and judging it solely on outward appearance most times. But if the music is great, people will listen, even with bad cover art. Please don’t be the person or group with bad cover art, and guessing by the fact that you are hanging out with me here, you don’t want bad cover art either. So what do you think about the album - You can tune a piano, but you can’t tuna fish…? Do you have any other examples of questionable cover art or album names you would like me to discuss in future episodes…? Let me know in the comments or as always send me message to info@jwcreates.com That’s it for todays episode of the Judged by the Cover podcast. Don’t forget to like and subscribe wherever you are listening, and I hope you enjoyed talking about these two album covers. If you would like to learn more about me check out my website jwcreates.com , or follow me on Facebook and instagram by searching @jdubcreates. Have a great day, and let’s do this again very soon.

Are you working on a music project and don't have the time or money for a fully custom cover...? Are you ready to take the graphics for your music to the next level, and are unsure where to start...? A pre-made cover from JW Creates is a great place to start! What is Pre-Made Cover Art In a nut shell these are pre-designed cover options, that are partially customizable with your artist/band name, your album/track name, and some of the options even include using a photo of your choosing. They are fully designed concepts that are ready to plug in your information, and can be delivered in 24-48hrs depending on your selection and needs. These are one off designs, so once an artist claims a style, it is no longer available. You're not going to find any cookie cutter, rehashed templates or ideas here. I have an ever growing collection of pre-made cover art options, that range in vibe and style, so you are surely going to find something that works with your project. Below are a few of the styles that are currently available, but you can view all the options by clicking here . I like a style, what's next...? You have scrolled through the available designs and you find something you love, what happens next...? When you click on the cover that you want to claim, you're directed to the customization page that has you enter in your Artist Name, and the Track Name. After clicking Buy Now, you'll enter in your payment and billing info and then once your order is received and confirmed, the timer starts. The standard turn. around for pre-made cover art is 48hrs, with the option to get 24hr turnaround for an additional $45. We will discuss photos in a little more detail in the next section, but if you do select an option that requires a photo, you will receive an email requesting the image you want to use for the project after purchase. With and Without photo options My options are currently split into two categories- with and without photos. If you select an option that requires a photo, make sure you check the photo requirements before purchase. I try to give you some specifics about what types of photos work best with each design. This is to ensure that the shown effect is achieved for your cover. It's very important to make sure that your image is cropped to a 1x1 ratio square prior to sending to make sure that there is no weird cropping that happens. If you do not crop your own image, the designer will crop it at their own discretion. Lastly, make sure that you are sending a high quality image to ensure you are getting the best cover back. Although my photoshop and image editing skills are pretty good, there's not many options to fix low quality, and poorly taken images. $35/$50 Sale! If you are an artist or band that is looking for cover art options that can be turned around quickly, or on a budget, then you need to check out my $35/$50 sale! All my pre-made covers are either $35 or $50 currently, so make sure you snag your favorite before it's gone. These are first come, first served so there is only one chance to get a specific style. See the current options at jwcreates.com/premade, and let's upgrade your music graphics today!! If you are a podcaster, be on the lookout for some podcast specific pre-made cover art options to drop in the near future. Let me know using the form below what your favorite pre-made cover is, and if you have any ideas for future pre-made options.

The quick answer is yes!! Cover art plays a significant role in attracting new listeners to your music and/or podcast! Think of your cover art as the first impression your music makes on a potential listener. For musicians, bands, and podcasters, one powerful tool for capturing attention and enticing new listeners is often overlooked and left to the whim of the last minute: and that is cover art. Let's explore why cover art is not just a superficial element but a crucial piece in attracting new audiences to your content. Visual Appeal People naturally are drawn to well designed and visually appealing things. You've heard it here multiple times ( and it's the name of my podcast ) that people judge everything by its cover. Imagine scrolling through a music streaming platform or podcast directory—what catches your eye? It's the striking imagery, vibrant colors, and clever compositions of cover art that draws you in. In a world where our attention spans are shrinking by the second, you don't want to blend in. Having well thought out, and properly designed cover art will get the attention of your potential listeners and get them one step closer to being new fans. Style & Genre Your cover art is more than just a pretty picture—it's your content's ambassador, communicating its message to potential listeners at a glance. Whether it's the gritty aesthetics of a rock album cover or the minimalist design of a business podcast- aligning your cover art with your content's style and genre is essential for attracting the right audience. By effectively conveying what your content is about through imagery, you not only attract listeners but you will connect with the right listeners. Then you can begin to foster a connection with those who resonate with your message, and build your audience. Professionalism In a sea of amateurish graphics and hastily assembled visuals, professionally crafted cover art stands out like a beacon of quality. Investing in a skilled designer ensures that your cover art not only looks impressive but also reflects the professionalism and dedication you bring to your craft. Beyond aesthetics, professionalism in cover art signals to potential listeners that your content is worth their time and attention—a crucial factor in today's crowded digital landscape. In a world where everyone has a platform and content creation is accessible to all, standing out amongst the crowd is no easy feat. However, by prioritizing high-quality cover art, you can instantly elevate your content above the noise. Ready to elevate your Cover Art game...? Cover art is more than just a mere decoration—it's a powerful tool for attracting new listeners and establishing your brand in the competitive world of digital content. By focusing on visual appeal, style/genre representation, and professionalism, you can create cover art that captivates audiences and sets your content apart from the rest. Don't underestimate the impact of cover art—invest in quality design, and watch as new listeners discover what lies beneath the surface. Ready to elevate your content with captivating cover art?  I offer a range of packages and options suitable for projects of any size and budget. View my cover art options/ services here , then use the contact form at the bottom of the page to contact me. Let's help you stand out and attract new listeners to your music project or podcast!

Judged by the cover will be live in store at Retro Vinyl Records in Chattagnooga this coming saturday April 20th! Come hang out with Josh and Phil as we celebrate Record Store Day 2024. We will be interviewing Scott the owner of Retro Vinyl records, and talking to customers about their favorite albums and album covers. Retro Vinyl Records is located within Vintrest Southside at 2121 Chestnut St, in downtown Chattanooga,

I'm grateful for every single person that has listened to or watched the Judged by the Cover podcast, but I have a couple simple question to ask everyone. In the world of podcasts, a couple of small things can make a huge impact for a show. The first thing is subscribers/followers. If you're new to the podcast world, let me explain. Subscribing or following a podcast simply means that when a new episode is released, it automatically gets added to your podcast feed. This means you don't have to remember to go look for it or hope to stumble upon a social media post with the link. Just open your favorite podcast app (such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, etc.) and you'll find the newest episodes in your library. The second thing is ratings. If you've listened to any podcasts, you've probably heard hosts asking for ratings. These ratings help smaller podcasts gain visibility and encourage new listeners to give a show a chance. Both Spotify and Apple Podcasts make it very easy to rate shows, and I'll include some screenshots and info below on how to do that. So you are probably assuming this and yes I'm asking if you would take a few minutes to... 1.) Go subcribe to my show on your favorite podcast app, and/or on Youtube as well. I will make it easy and link my show below to a few of the big ones. Apple Podcasts Spotify Youtube 2.) Please leave me a 5-Star rating on Spotify and/or Apple Podcasts Apple Podcasts Spotify Now obviously I can't force you to do this, but it would mean A LOT to me if you guys and gals could help a brother out. Thanks again to anyone and everyone that has listened, shared or been a part of this podcast adventure with me. I really couldn't do it without all of you. Lastly, if you have any suggestions for album covers you'd like us to cover on the podcast, leave a comment below. Who knows, I might just ask you to come on the podcast and chat with me and Phil about it...

You have already been enjoying the new Judged by the Cover podcast, but it was time to update the look... Since January 2024, I've had the pleasure of welcoming my good friend Phil Hyland as the co-host of the Judged by the Cover podcast. Phil has infused the podcast with new energy, a unique music vocabulary, and a fresh vision. His passion for music and unique perspective have taken our discussions to new heights. If you're curious to learn more about Phil, I encourage you to check out my interview with him below. Phil Hyland Interview Our mission remains unchanged: we continue to explore and celebrate the world of album cover art, aiming to learn from these iconic covers and inspire your own cover art projects. As avid music lovers, Phil and I also focus on music discovery. This means you'll hear interviews with local musicians and artists, and join us as we engage in curiosity buying at record stores, assessing if the music matches the cover art. If you haven't tuned in for a while, now is the perfect time to give us another listen, a new episode just dropped this last Friday!! You can find the Judged by the Cover podcast on all major podcast platforms, watch our episodes on YouTube, or find all the links here . I want to give a huge shoutout to our good friend Dewayne with Dewayne Kennemer Photography  for capturing these great photos for us, and to Ben with Yellow Racket Records  for letting us use his space.

Music Adventures at Yellow Racket Records Josh and Phil kicked off their latest podcast episode by recounting their recent Record Store Day adventure. The bustling atmosphere at Yellow Racket Records left them slightly unprepared but excited to see music lovers lining up for physical albums. "It was awesome to see people waiting in line to get physical copies of all these albums," Josh enthused. "We got to talk to a few people, asking them, 'What are you getting? What are you excited about?'" The energy in the store was infectious. Each interaction sparked their enthusiasm. They realized how vital physical albums are for collectors and true fans. This was not just about music; it was about community and shared passion. Music Discovery 2.0 In the next segment, the duo dived into their music discovery segment, a favorite from last year's episodes. Josh presented three mystery albums he'd picked up at For the Record in Northgate Mall. Phil's task was to choose one based solely on the cover art. His choice? The Outlaws' self-titled debut album from 1975. "Outlaws. All right, so outlaws it is," Josh declared, excitement evident in his voice. After a quick listen, both hosts were immediately hooked. "As soon as that needle hit and it started playing, we were both like, 'We dig this. This is awesome,'" Josh said. The album surprised them with its blend of southern rock and country vibes. It featured tight guitar work and three-part harmonies that captivated their attention. They were particularly impressed by the epic closing track, “Green Grass and High Tides.” Phil marveled, "We had to go over to the turntable to see how thick the album was. This song's like that thick. I was like, this thing's for another 10 minutes!" The Outlaws: A Deeper Look Digging deeper, they discovered The Outlaws hailed from Tampa, Florida. They had opened for legendary acts like the Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Eagles. Even more surprising, they were the first act signed to Arista Records by industry icon Clive Davis. Phil shared his own Arista connection, recalling a memorable meeting his band once had with the label. Such stories highlight the interconnectedness of the music world. Cover Art Analysis The hosts then analyzed the album's cover art, noting its sepia tones and intriguing imagery. "The main thing is this Outlaws logo with the longhorn outline going around it. Just a really cool logo in my opinion," Josh observed. Key Takeaways from the Cover Design Striking logo featuring a longhorn outline Sepia-toned color scheme reminiscent of old westerns Imagery of a wooden house with a porch and stained glass door Subtle details like a small bird on the railing Credited design by Arten association and cover art by Janet Mager Each element of the cover art tells a story, offering a sense of nostalgia for the genre's origins. The visuals complement the sound, enhancing the overall experience of the album. The Impact of Music Discoveries The joy of discovering new music is a significant part of what keeps the industry vibrant. Josh and Phil’s experience underscores the excitement and camaraderie found in a record store. It’s a reminder of how music can bring people together, fostering connections through shared interests. The thrill of unearthing hidden gems, like The Outlaws, adds depth to their journey. Each pick involves the love for music and the stories behind the artists. Conclusion In conclusion, the latest episode of Judged by the Cover not only enriched listeners' understanding of southern rock but also celebrated the art of music discovery. Whether it’s through a favorite record store or an unexpected find, the essence of music continues to connect us all. Don't miss out on more episodes filled with musical gems! Tune into their podcast and join Josh and Phil as they continue their adventures. Listen to the episode here . Finding joy in music should be an experience we all share.