The 25-year career of singer/songwriter John Wesley Harding has skyrocketed of late with the publication of no fewer than three critically acclaimed novels under his birth name, Wesley Stace. Equally amazing, the artist named for Bob Dylan’s misspelling of Texas gunfighter John Wesley Harden has just released the finest album of a career that’s seen him record at least 18 longplayers for labels ranging from high-profile majors to imprints so small the back catalog was stored in somebody’s garage between the cat box and the washing machine. Produced by old pal Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) and fleshed out by no less than R.E.M.’s Peter Buck and the Decemberists, The Sound Of His Own Voice (Yep Roc) is a full-bore stunner with Wes (nobody calls him John) weaving his usual lyrical magic through knockout arrangements of extraordinary songs that revive the ghosts of the Kinks, David Lynch soundtrack guru Angelo Badalamenti and wall-of-sound maestro Phil Spector. For yet another career-topping milestone (gasp), JWH will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week for (yes it’s true) the second time. Read our brand new Q&A with him.
Harding: Jamie Baldridge’s photography is epic and mindbending. The best two examples are Vox Dei and Annunciation. So being a fan, and owning a couple of his prints, I asked Mr Baldridge, tentatively and politely, if he’d consider doing my album cover. And he said, “Let me have your head and I’ll give you a Cadillac of a cover.” And I did. And he did. And below is the cover of The Sound Of My Own Voice.
And then Yep Roc made them into very beautiful prints, some of which may still be available:
I greatly recommend his work, and advise you to go to his website. The man is a genius. And I thank him greatly for giving me such a lovely cover.
Photos after the jump.
