Awesome Album Covers #3

Here's the thing: the topic of the long-overdue third installment of Awesome Album Covers was going to come from the Rolling Stones' canon. Then I said to myself, "Self -- the first two AACs came from Dylan and the Pink Floyd, respectively. Go with the Stones tonight, and you'll be labeled a hippie!"

"Can't argue with that," I replied. "And as you well know, there are few things I detest more than being labeled!" So with that in mind, myself and I went back to the album cupboard and came up with tonight's decidedly-not-hippie-music Awesome Album Cover selection...

Iron Maiden's
Somewhere in Time!

Click for larger version!

I'll be honest: I'm not a real big Iron Maiden fan. I do like a number of their tunes -- at least two off of each of their first seven albums -- but they don't get a lot of five-star ratings on my iPod ("Running Free" being a very notable exception that probably deserves six or more stars). That said, I love their album covers, and tonight's selection is no exception.

Like all Iron Maiden cover art, this piece prominently features the band's mascot, Eddie, front and center. More importantly, it marks the culmination* of a series of ever-more-complex cover images from artist Derek Riggs, beginning with the band's eponymous debut in 1980. In fact, this one's so detailed that I decided to post both the front and back images -- an unprecedented move for Awesome Album Covers!

If you're familiar with Iron Maiden history you'll see a lot of nods to their previous albums, not to mention a cameo by the band itself. But why waste further words on this awesome illustration when you can viddy it with thine own eyes? Click the above image for a much larger version, and feast on what may very well be the greatest sci-fi-influenced album cover of all time! Bon scottetite!

UPDATE: For a MUCH larger version of Riggs' original SiT album art, go here. And while you're at it, why not groove on everything www.derekriggs.com has to offer? That dude rules.

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* Yes, I know Iron Maiden put out a bunch more albums after this one, some of which also had interesting album covers, but none that followed came close to matching SiT for its detail and overall coolness. And when they dropped Riggs after 1990's No Prayer for the Dying, the covers weren't even worth looking at anymore. That's not opinion, that's scientific fact.

New iTunes = HOT

Well blow me down! If you're a regular iTunes user like the staff at Beat It, Nerd, then you've probably already downloaded the latest update. If not, I'd recommend you do so immediately.

Unlike the last update, there are some big graphical upgrades with this one. For one, you don't have to manually add album art for songs that you don't buy from the iTunes Music Store -- there's a new option that will automatically find art for just about any album under the sun! Plus, there are two new "view" options; instead of just looking at an endless list of tunes, you can: a) view all songs by album, with the album art displayed to the left of each album's track listing, or b) use the new "cover browser," which puts a big window above the song tracks. In the center of this window is the album you're listening to, with the previous and next albums to the left and right, respectively. Kind of like looking at a jukebox! Sweet!

iTunes' new "grouped by album" view -- click it for a larger image!

The "jukebox" view -- click this one for a bigger version, too!

And no, Apple didn't pay me for this post. I wish. Those who know where I work know I could use the money.

UPDATE: Sweet! The iPod-interface features are super-upgraded, too! Bon scottetite!