Country and Western Album Cover Analysis

• This is an album cover from a well known Country and Western Artist, named Chris LeDoux. On the front of the album, the artist is shot for familiarity for his audience.  
• He is wearing a 'cowboy' hat, which conforms to the typical Country and Western stereotypes. He is also wearing a shirt and jeans, with a gold decorative belt- this represents a typical cowboy image, and is indicative of the male fashion of Southern America at the time. 
• Although many people assume that country and western music conforms to the 'Cowboy' stereotype, there is a lot more to it. Elements in this album cover represent this, for example, the artist Chris LeDoux is smiling into the camera and is standing casually, this could represent freedom and could reveal the liberation that Country and Western music connotates to.
•  On the album cover the artist portrays a joyous, free-willed representation of Country and Western music- thus inviting further audience. He is shot outside, and appears to be leaning on a stone wall, in front of a forest. This shows the links Country and Western music has with the outdoors and nature, and represents Country and Western roots and history regarding the public's sense of freedom and revealing their attitude to embracing the outdoors and feeding off the raw acoustic rhythm in Country and Western music and instruments. All this took place when Country and Western music was at its peak, and has developed from there.