My friend Rosemary and I are trading mixes. For her, because she’s the thoughtful sort, the act of putting a mix together became the touchstone for a very self-reflective post on her site. For me, it was more “Wait, how do I do this again?” I was amazed to realize I hadn’t made a mix in months; I used to be able to burn them in my sleep.
I had to remember the rules of mix making. Many of the important ones can be heard in the movie High Fidelity, recited by Lloyd Dobler or whatever his name is.
1. Kick off with a killer track in order to grab attention.
I usually follow this rule very closely but this time I didn’t. My assessment of Rosemary is that she likes a lot of mid-tempo music. So I actually began with “Never the Same Girl” by Supreme Beings of Leisure, then segued into Morcheeba, and then Pink Martini. However, when listening to the CD later, I completely understimated the impact of these three languid, sensual songs played back-to-back; I immediately wanted to have sex. But I also felt that way before listening to the mix, so this experiment probably needs a control subject.
2. You can’t put the same artist twice on the tape--and if you do they can’t be in a row--and you can’t pair up Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” with something like GBH’s “City Baby Attacked by Rats.”
Right you are, Lloyd. And there’s additional rules that I’ve developed for myself as well:
3. Don’t overdo artists that you’ve already shared with this person before.
I always used to put Juliana Hatfield on my mixes. Not because I love her so much, but she always had one or two killer songs that sounded great on mixes. And 2005 is no different, but I resisted. Back off Juliana. You’re so very ‘90s.
4. Try to keep the recipient’s tastes in mind.
I really don’t think mixes are to “educate”; they are a gift to a friend. So I tried to pick tracks that Rosemary might like. Unfortunately, I lost control of this somewhere around the middle of the mix and ended up with “Fire in the Disco” by the Electric Six, a loud, obnoxious rock/disco hybrid, and also The Donnas. Oh well. That’s what fast forward buttons are for.
And the most important rule of all:
5. No matter what you do, keep one, profound, fundamental truth close to your heart. Just because you get a guilty kick out of the tweener rap classic “Come Get It” by Aaron Carter, in which a 13-year old sings about being grounded after throwing a party when his parents are out of town--a truly powerful and searing look at social issues and responsibilities as seen through an underprivileged demographic--that’s no reason to break down and include the track.
Unfortunately, I didn’t follow rule #5 either.
Mixes are nice. I haven’t done one since I was in high school and fiddling with my boom box. I remember trying to tape songs on the radio - keeping it on all day, lunging toward it when I heard the first notes of a favorite song. Ah, good times.
I just participated in Mixmania! at
http://fatherknowsnothing.blogspot.com/2005/05/mixmania-its-go.html
embarrassing myself thoroughly with my pedestrian taste in music, but you might find it interesting (he’s doing another one in a month or so, I understand).
I’ll come back and comment much later… when it can be lost amongst all the others…
Ah, the art of a good mix. I do so love making those. Some people see them as lazy gifts, but I think if you put enough work into tailoring it for your friend AND putting things you’re into yourself on there it should be a most personal gift. But really - Never the Same Girl IS a killer track. Just because it’s slow doesn’t mean it doesn’t kick off the mix. I’ve started beginning mixes with slower songs and I like it. Maybe because I’m in a phase where I like to wake up to first tracks and waking up to Red Tape or Human Torch is a bit too jarring for my liking.
Yet another good post. I honestly don’t think mine has a real point…
Can you d.j. my day today?
Remember when you had to put two boom boxes face-to-face to mix from one tape to another? And you had to be really quiet so that you didn’t make any noise that would show up extraneously on the mix tape. And then your mom would come home from the store and slam the door and you had to go back and start that song over again. Dammit!
I don’t mean “gift” as in a replacement for a real gift. It’s something you give to people for no particular reason, or as a supplement for an actual occasion. Hey, another rule!
I just started my own mix. Do Alan Parsons Project Lucifer, Mason Williams Classical Gas, and Betthoven’s Third Symphony work under your rules?
I love Pink Martini! She’ll like it just for that, I’ll bet
You are great at mixes. I truly loved the one you did for me. I think that’s one of the few mixes that I have added to my regular rotation. Plus, you know you did well when people start adding songs from YOUR mixto mixes they make for other people… which i have done several times.
which reminds me. I want another one please!
Also: I’m thinking of making a mix for my sister called “I Know What the Fuck I’m Doing” because she resents my recommending stuff to her because I refuse to accept recommendations. And because she makes fun of my encyclopedic knowledge of things and my relationship with the internet but fails to see how they benefit me.
Or do they?
Dad, that sounds good to me. Michael, the only benefit I ever got out of internet relationships was getting my phone bill to not be emailed to me in all caps. That incident is somewhere in my archives.
having a radio show has made me sorta hate the mix. too too bad.
i am notorious for using far too much craig wedren and shudder to think.
i haven’t made one in about 6 months either, and i didn’t have your handy rulebook to work with. i’m afraid you might be disappointed ...
(on the other hand, i’m sending you pink martini as well, so hey, it won’t be ALL bad.)
and i already love the mix you’re making me, just from this post.
Timely advice as I have just promised to make mixes for six of my blog readers. Yipes.
Of course, the songs I’m choosing are probably too young for you folk. I’m just so gosh darn cutting-edge and indie. Uh huh.
no wonder everybody hates my Price-filled mixes. thank god you published these rules, a little late but whatever.
Your mixes are awesome! I was just listening to the “Buffy” one yesterday.
I think your only mistake was in not starting with Electric Six, though Gay bar would have been my pick.