Mixed tapes/cds
 

I've been making mixed tapes since I was in 5th grade. Back then it was taping songs off the radio that I liked. When I started buying records making the tapes became more fun since I had control over what songs went on and in what order. To me this seemed important and worthy of putting some thought into. Such as, what song starts the tape, how to end the tape (usually drum or guitar solos, cutting them off isn't as disturbing as cutting off a singer; and now that I can burn cd's cutting off the ending song isn't a consideration), the moods of the various songs and how the mood changes over the course of a side of a tape. Over the years I've come up with some interesting combinations. I've even gotten comments from friends expressing concern over my mental well-being for putting Skynard, then Metallica, and then to the part of Stairway to Heaven with the backwards message played forward, then backward (spun the turntable with my finger), then the Beatles, then Yngwie Malmsteen, etc. You get the idea.

So, the big question. Do you put much thought into your mixes? Do you just throw together a bunch of songs that you like, or do you carefully plan out what song should follow this or that etc.? Would you care to post a song list of one of your favorite mixed tapes/cds?

Here's one of mine (from a set of 17 mixed cd's I burned when I first got this computer; all songs from my cd collection, none from KaZaa):

Industrial Disease - Dire Straits
Whirlpool - Meat Puppets
Rain When I Die - Alice In Chains
Still...You Turn Me On - Emerson, Lake & Palmer
Alone + Easy Target - Foo Fighters
Shinin' On - Grand Funk
Down In A Hole - Alice In Chains
Shock The Monkey - Peter Gabriel
Would - Alice In Chains
Army Ants - Stone Temple Pilots
Breakout - Foo Fighters
Hold Me Down - Gin Blossoms
Long Way Down - Goo Goo Dolls
New Sensation - INXS
Straight To Hell - The Clash
Aurora Borealis - Meat Puppets
That Smell - Lynyrd Skynyrd

I love making mix discs (or tapes in my earlier life)

I usually make a collection that's diverse and sometimes energetic. So, here's a list from a classic cd I made in sometime in the year 2000:


Metallica - Until it Sleeps
Alice In Chains - Man in a Box
Coal Chamber - Shock the Monkey
The Urge - Brainless
Voodoo Glow Skulls - Bulletproof
Fono - Round and Round
Live - The Dolphins Cry
Marillion - Rich
Styx - Best New Face
Not CNN (a funny piece on Saddam, that I made in audio production)
David Bowie - The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell
Buckcherry - Lit Up
Elastica - Connection
Faith No More - Last Cup of Sorrow
Liz Phair - Supernova
Blur - Parklife
INXS - We are the Vegetables
Pearl Jam - Wishlist
Naked - Mann's Chinese
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Whatever I Fear


and vermin, we oughta get together, I need an excuse to return to Wisconsin! Nice to know I share the same music tastes.

the mix CD's i make are acculy mixed so yea thought goes in to it.. ANd Mellvar lookme up when you come to wisconsin

i usually burn shit that either my kids or myself can jam too.

i've got my 5disc changer hooked up through my P.A. so it gets loud in there.whatever the boy wants to practice the drums too,then we burn him a bunch 'o tunes.

i've a little different tastes in music than him so i do my own mixes.

assorted shit #1,2,3 you get the point.

ever hear of www.artofthemix.org ? it's an entire community devoted to mix tapes/discs. you can post your mix on the site and people can leave comments and set up trades. it's cool.

Melllvar:
Oddly enough, I used to live in Anchorage in '75-'77 (3-5 grade), in a trailer court on the south edge of town. Lake Otis Parkway is all I can remember about the address.

grapeape:
Thanks for the link.