Ray was, & is, a very special gifted artist. This
was not the cover I wanted 2 create. I would have
preferred a close-up so as 2 portray the depth of his eyes &
therefore his soul. But, the record company did not
want "intimacy." Oh, well.
Ordinarily, I would have refused this assignment... however,
once I read a copy of his lyrics I was captivated.
They were pure poetry that caressed my sprit, & could
actually stand alone without Ray's passionate music.
Obviously the Toronto Star's Bruce Kirkland agreed heralding
Ray's music as "...the most remarkable folk album of the
year!" and Beetle, the hot music mag at the time,
stated: "With his debut album, Ray Materick establishes
himself as one of the major folk oriented talents in the
world to date!" Well deserved praise 4 Ray's
exceptional talent.
Ergo! I accepted the assignment & chose 2 hand print
all his lyrics 4 the inside cover, & forego the coldness of
mechanical typesetting.
My only regret is that now knowing of how handsome Ray is (&
most likely was) I wish I had pushed 2 capture his close-up
image N water colour.
Perhaps one day I may have the opportunity... anything is
possible.
PS:
I passionately urge U 2 check
out Ray's site 2 hear more of his music at www.RayMaterick.com...
Click on CD Directory, then on the "Sidestreets" cover &
U shall hear a great song: Season Of Plenty... then go
2 LISTEN & click on my favourite song (though they R all
great) & "Listen To Your Heart"
By the way, I'm not on
commission, I just luv 2 share great talent with others... & Ray is great! All R available 2 buy 4 your
collection.
You can also listen to one of Ray's latest songs, The Innocent by clicking
here
(you must have an mp3 player installed in your computer).