Zen and The Lost Art of the Mix Tape

Unlike a mix CD, a playlist, or even a compilation that you can upload onto a piece of  music sharing software or a blog, there was nothing quite like the texture, effort and artistic creation of the mix tape. Not to mention that unique plastic aroma of "new tape smell," fresh out of the wrapping.  This blog post is my homage to this now antiquated art form for music fans (read geeks): the mix tape.

After recently viewing The Perks of Being a Wallflower (which I highly recommend for readers that are interested in a more modern-day Breakfast Club sort of flick), I began rethinking the role the mix tape played in my formative tween and teen years.  For one thing, the tape gave you a unique format.  Most blank tapes (I personally preferred the Maxell XLIIs) were 90 minutes in length, divided into two 45 minute sides.  Using the blank tape, you could record from the radio, record from CDs, and record from other tapes or other mixes.  The artful mixologist would need to essentially piece together music the length equivalent of a double-LP to merely fill up the space of the tape.  This required more than dragging and dropping tunes on your computer from one folder to another to create a playlist, that ultimately could be re-altered by the listener.  Making a great mix tape, in its most humble form,  required timing out your songs, considering placement of tracks, juxtaposing shorter and longer tunes and making the piece flow in an order that makes sense to the listener and is ultimately enjoyable.  Many mix tapes were constructed to send a message of friendship, introduce a pal to new tunes, or ultimately, in middle and high school land, tell that special someone that you "liked" them without having to mutter those horribly awkward tween and teen words yourself.  So, with all of this in mind, what were the elements that made for a great mix tape?

The Old and Recognizable Tune:
The quality mix has to contain some recognizable songs.  There are always a handful of feel good tunes, often positioned at the start of the tape or kicking off the B side that are lively and will automatically make the listener sing along.  Classic up-tempo rock staples from well-known bands, like the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, Van  Morrison, or Simon and Garfunkel would often do the trick in this department.  Who can go wrong opening your tape with the Beatles, after all?


The Campy, Inside Joke or Overall Humorous Tune:
What's a mix tape without that humorous or campy tune that would be used to invoke a sense of  nostalgia or levity?   Anything from They Might Be Giants, to a cover of the Muppets' infamous "Mahna Mahna," to Ruppert Holmes' one-hit-wonder "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)", no perfect mix tape would be without one of these gems.

 

The Singer-Songwriter Tune:I don't think I can recall one mix tape (or CD or playlist that I've made for that matter) that has not had some element of singer-songwriter artists on it.  After all, who doesn't love acoustic guitars and thoughtful lyrics?


The R.E.M Tune:
The era of the mix tape coincided almost perfectly with the height of REM.  One of my favorite bands of the 80's and early 90's, REM delivered a diverse sound, catchy melodies, and exceptional lyrics.


The Props to the Local Guys Tune:
Everyone's gotta love that local band that you think, at one time or another, is going to be the next big thing.  Growing up in Milwaukee in the early 90's, the local bands were Citizen King (my personal favorite), Willy Porter and The Gufs.  Just about any given weekend you could see one of these acts at a local festival, an all-ages show, or a benefit show at a local high school.  They all made for perfect mix fodder.


THE ballad: If you were ever making a mix for a potential future significant other, you would need to include "THE ballad."  Placement of this tune in the mix was paramount above all others.  You wanted your listener to know that this may be the song that makes you think of them.  Likewise, you want to be subtle enough not to just lead off the tape with it.  "THE" ballad on mixes I made often included slow dance songs from 7th and 8th grade dances.  The Black Crowes' "She Talks to Angels," Pearl Jam's "Black," and "Yellow Ledbetter," and, embarrassingly so, Poison's "Something to Believe In," all filled the role of THE ballad at some point or another on a mix.



Edie Brickell & New Bohemians: "What I Am"


Finally, last but not least, appearing on perhaps more mixes that I created than just about any other tune, how can you not have an homage to the lost art of the mix tape without including this classic from the late 80's early 90's era?

Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane.  Let me know what were your mix tape favorites.