A Creative Dream

(Sometimes, creativity is just for the fun of it. I had fun doing this. Hope you enjoy it too.)

Oh, the things you dream of becoming “when you grow up”.

I’m old enough/young enough (Jones Generation!) to be a “space kid”. The space program was in full swing right around the time I was old enough to notice. So, astronaut was on that list.

Anyone who knows me will know that “actor” has always held a prime position on this list.

But I also grew up at a time where many of us dreamed of being a…rock star. Why not dream those dreams? I can sing more than well enough. Maybe not for a “rock star” rock star. Much more of a baritone in an age oriented towards tenors and falsettos. I didn’t learn to play an instrument until I was in my 40s, but that’s not too much of a deficit. It was another way for me to be on stage.

And I like being on stage.

Of the many things I’ve done, rock star never edged its way onto my resume.

But, that’s the purpose of dreams, right?

A few months back, an idea popped into my head. Inspired by an old photo of me, I started thinking about creating an album cover for my dream self. I began a study of the covers of my favorite albums, of singers/groups that had that same vibe, of famous covers that still stuck in my head. In that last category is the iconic cover for Patty Smith’s “Horses”. Smith’s music has never grabbed me, but I respect her place in rock history. In 1975 (when the album was released), I was moving from my pop radio phase to an eclectic mess that included Jim Croce, Osibisa, Yes, and the Grateful Dead. I was aware of her, but it just wasn’t the groove I was creating. My appreciation for punk rock wouldn’t come for another decade.

But this album cover:

Minimalist. Iconic.

When I found the image, it was exactly the feel I wanted. Not to copy, that’s dull, but an inspiration. I’d say homage, but that feels like an overreach.

(For the record, I pulled up “Horses”, and I’m listening to it as I write. WAY too late to this party. Amazing)

With the inspiration firmly in mind, it was time to think about the cover. The title suggested itself based on the image. That’s yours truly, age around 21, in a publicity still for the play I was doing at that moment (“The Good Woman of Szechuan” by Bertolt Brecht). Yang Sun was the only villain I’ve ever played. Did some singing in this one, too!

I edited out the original background (I do not remember who took these photos. I’d be more than happy to credit the photographer), flipped the image so I was facing the right, and found the background graphic I wanted. The title seemed to call out for a rougher style of font. The group’s name just showed up and moved in one day, lol!

Once I had the cover done, my muse started nagging that if the album had a COVER, it needed a BACK. With a little help from an AI program, I came up with a list of 40 song titles. With some editing, I got ten that felt right. Since the album is from the late ‘70s in my head, ten songs felt about right. I included tributes to some of my oldest friends, and a couple inside jokes. That left me with a lot of blank space on the right side, so I fished around my collection of random images and included two that felt right.

Without further ado, let me introduce you to the first album from little known folk rock act “J.D. and the Old Dudes”:

This project has been a blast to do. Anyone else feel so inspired? I’d love to see you cover!

Peace