Have you seen "The Wackness"? It's a movie set in the summer of '94 about a stoner/pot dealer kid from Brooklyn who just graduates from high school. I loved the story line and this cute little confused pot head boy who struggles with all the things a 17-year old struggles with, but what I really liked about it was how he made mixed-tapes for all the people he cared about and it brought me back to the days of creating the perfect mixed-tape.
Forgive me if I am not speaking your language, but one can only ever know the true art of mixing a tape if they have logged the tortured hours of deciding, rejecting, creating and finally recording every single song in perfect playing order, dedicated to the ultimate listening pleasure of the lucky recipient. Everyone who has ever created a mixed-tape for their biggest crush knows,behind every song recorded there is a deeper subliminal message. Therefore the recorded songs must speak for the mix-maker, whispering the secrets of her tortured heart in hopes of quietly revealing the truth to the mix-receiver.
Please don't confuse the making of a mix with the making of a CD or playlist, as these are not comparable at all. To start with, a tape-maker must first decide and hunt down each individual song from various sources in order to begin recording. Once at the recording stage, each song must be individually recorded onto the tape, listening to each and every song all the way through in order to pause the recording at the PRECISE end of the song, to avoid any clumsy sound blips between songs. When making a CD/playlist the maker need only drag and click the songs, press a button and burn. They can download as many songs as is needed to have a plethora to choose from. There is no craft, no passion, no thought. No, the art of the mixed-tape has long been forgotten so I felt it necessary to remind you of all the hours you may have spent recording for friends and crushes.
I even know the final recipient of a KT mixed-tape. He was an english boy I desperately loved. The tape was a birthday gift I spent hours recording and editing, creating a list of songs I hoped spelled out exactly how I felt. I have long forgotten what was on that tape, except for one song I hear occasionally by one of his then-favourite bands. When I hear it I can't help laugh at how quickly my mind goes back to the making of the tape I was certain would seal our fate. A fate which was intervened by another boy I met a few months later who eventually placed a ring on my finger, and never needed a mixed-tape to decipher the love buzzing around my heart. If I were to make Hubby a mixed tape here's the top 10 songs I would choose:
Wild Horses-- Rolling Stones, I'm a sucker for this one
Juicy-- Notorious BIG, he's a sucker for this one
Golddigger-- Kanye West, this song played everywhere we went in California on our honeymoon
I hope-- Dixie Chicks, I play this song when I need a pick-me-up & it makes him laugh
Bobcaygeon-- Tragically Hip, we saw them live last summer
Can I kick it?-- Tribe called Quest, classic mixed-tape song
Welcome Home-- Metallica, because he likes metal
Ruby Soho-- Rancid, another classic
My doorbell-- White Stripes, I don't know why
Quality Control-- Jurassic Five, come on what's a mixed-tape without this one!
What's on your tape?