From the chilly depths of the ocean comes an album so fierce, so metal, that only an exquisitely kickass piece of artwork could do it justice.  While not a strict concept album, Mastodon's 2004 metal opus Leviathan is loosely based on the story of Moby Dick.  Of course that much should be obvious, as one of the songs is entitled "I Am Ahab".  I took a chance on this album when I bought it a few years ago (I don't care for ... Read on, Daddy-O

An album cover doesn't have to be pretty to be great.  And that's certainly the case with jazz guitar legend Wes Montgomery's A Day in the Life, released in 1967. I'm not sure what the inspiration was behind this rather striking cover photo was, as I don't imagine it would have appealed to people in the late '60s, even though smoking was obviously much more acceptable then.  I know Montgomery was a smoker, so that likely played a part. Anyway, this was Montgomery's debut ... Read on, Daddy-O

OK, so maybe this one is a bit literal, but it's just weird enough to be cool.  It's the cover for 1981's self-titled sophomore album by - you guessed it - Penguin Cafe Orchestra. The artwork, by Emily Young, closely resembles that of the group's 1976 debut (Music from the Penguin Cafe), but I definitely prefer the more elegant and aloof look of this one.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Album cover of the week: Penguin Cafe Orchestra", url: "http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/2008/07/07/album-cover-of-the-week-penguin-cafe-orchestra/" }); Read on, Daddy-O

As we approach this most American of holidays this week, I thought I'd throw a curveball and present the cover from one of the quintessential albums of the so-called New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Released in April 1980, Judas Priest's British Steel is one of the seminal albums of heavy metal. The music is reflective of the cover art - brutally simple and simply brutal. The group had been refining its approach since their 1974 debut, Rocka Rolla. ... Read on, Daddy-O

Alright, it's time to get out of the '70s for a bit on this series and get a little more current.  As in almost to the 21st century. I'm not usually a fan of using historical photographs on album covers, but this one  - from the Roots' classic 1999 album Things Fall Apart - is just so striking.  The image was taken in the 1960s as riot police in Bedford-Stuyvesant chased down two black teens.  And although the album title actually comes from ... Read on, Daddy-O

This week we venture outside the cozy confines of the U.S. of A and head to Germany, home to one of the most successful and influential practitioners of Krautrock - Can. Album covers that play off the band's name can often be lame, but 1972's Ege Bamyasi is definitely an exception. And as an added bonus, it's a great album as well. Food connoisseurs may be able to figure out what the title means, but for those who aren't I'll help ... Read on, Daddy-O

While everyone else is out buying a copy of the new Lil Wayne album, Tha Carter III, I'm casting my lot with this future classic: Look for the new single, "Moonshine-flavored Lollipop", coming soon to iTunes! (for a little background, get thee to Wikipedia)SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "This should be the #1 album of the week", url: "http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/2008/06/12/this-should-be-the-1-album-of-the-week/" }); Read on, Daddy-O

This week's entry is my humble tribute to one of the most inventive and influential musicians of the 20th century, the late Bo Diddley... The iconic rectangular guitar (aka "The Twang Machine") is missing, but the cover to 1961's Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger is a gem just the same. It's one of a series of tongue-in-cheek images shot for Diddley's early-1960s albums on the Checker label.SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: "Album cover of the week: Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger", url: "http://www.grayflannelsuit.net/2008/06/09/album-cover-of-the-week-bo-diddley-is-a-gunslinger/" }); Read on, Daddy-O

I was absolutely fascinated by this cover as a kid and I still think it's awesome: What gets me about this is the look on the robot's face, which says "Oh crap, did I do that?" The blood drop on the finger is also a very nice touch. The only part that doesn't thrill me is that Brian May (the one with the curly hair and puffy shirt) looks like a bit of a dandy. As it turns out, interestingly enough, this ... Read on, Daddy-O

All too often it happens that an album with great artwork is full of forgettable music. Luckily that's not so with Pink Floyd's 1975 classic, Wish You Were Here. For my money, this is the ultimate Floyd album and one of the ten best albums of all-time. One of the really appealing things about this cover - aside from how surreal it is -is how ambiguous it is. There may be a definite story or scenario behind this photo, but ... Read on, Daddy-O