"Face Jacket Fetish"

This installment of "A" LABEL introduces three "face cover records."

Suddenly, when you see a record jacket with a close-up of a face, don't you feel like putting it on your own face?

No, you don't. (laughs)

When I first started collecting records, my friends and I used to goof around, holding close-up face record jackets up to our own faces.

We had a blast doing it back then, but looking back, I think it was silly and we must've had too much time on our hands. (laughs)

This time, I took another look at the records I own and picked out three with "face covers" as the theme.





Pete Rock - Soul Survivor II

This album was the MVP of our "face cover" game.

It's the third album by Pete Rock, who has created countless classics.

The featured guests are simply incredible.


Apparently, Pete Rock's parents were Jamaican immigrants, and growing up listening to reggae, jazz, and soul from an early age greatly influenced the formation of his current musical style.

Every song is truly amazing, but if I had to pick just one to introduce right now, it would be "No Tears (feat. Leela James)."





The soft piano melody and the message "Joy comes in the morning" are particularly striking.

It's uplifting music that gently encourages you when life isn't going well.





The second one is Philip Bailey's "Chinese Wall."

Philip Bailey is also known as the vocalist for Earth, Wind & Fire.

Since his face is slightly turned sideways on the jacket, the difficulty level for "face fitting" is a bit higher.


Many of you have probably heard "Easy Lover" (Philip Bailey & Phil Collins), haven't you?





About two years ago, I heard it again in someone's mix and had been wanting to get the record ever since.

The other day, while organizing my records, I surprisingly found it on my own shelf! (laughs)

I had completely forgotten I owned it, and it felt like a bonus.





Finally, some jazz.

Wes Montgomery - The Best Of Wes Montgomery Vol. 2

I found this record at a used bookstore near my office, and it was half a "jacket purchase."

I was drawn in by Wes Montgomery's wonderful smile, and my hand just reached for it.


Listening to it slowly with coffee on a holiday morning is truly special.

Every time I hear "California Dreamin'," the first track, I want to go to California.





Just as there's a term "jacket buying," records can be enjoyed from aspects beyond just the music.

Nowadays, you can quickly look things up, so buying a record purely based on its jacket without knowing anything about it has become rare. But in the past, I often bought records simply because I liked the jacket, only to find the music completely different from what I imagined. (laughs)

This kind of slight detour in enjoyment further deepens one's passion for records and music.


If all you want to do is listen to music, a smartphone is enough.

Yet, the reason I still reach for records, I realized again, is because there's an enjoyment beyond just the sound.





Finally, we bid farewell with the back cover of Pete Rock's "Soul Survivor II."

Look forward to the next "A" LABEL!