It was a hot day in July and as usual we were hanging outside in the garage having an impromptu party. Barbeque, music, some cult classic movie we had seen a hunrded times on mute, cigarettes and assorted other vices. I was, as usual, told I was overdressed.
The iPod was set on random and with more than 10,000 songs perhaps random was an understatement. And then there it was. The song that would make me 18 all over again. I threatened the life of Jay who was just about to press the skip button and ruin my moment. He knew what the song was but did not know its personal significance. Probably because he had been 13 at the time.
I had my four minutes uninterrupted with the volume on high and managed to not break out dancing when Melissa looked at me with that, "I know what this is about," look. And all I had to say in reply was, "Mix tape."
"Oh my God. I know exactly what you mean. I LOVE mix tapes. I swear I've kept every mix tape any guy has ever made me. Even my stupid ex. There's nothing like a good mix tape." And this is when the men started looking at us strangely. I don't usually engage in girl talk but this was an exception; I had flipped into full girlie mode and it appeared I had at least one girlfriend going with me.
The mix tape was becoming a long lost art in some ways. "I don't see what the big deal is," said Jay,"you can burn a whole CD in like 3 minutes now. It used to be hard picking out the songs to make the tape sides come out even. Now it's just too easy."
Melissa and I exchanged looks. "I would kill for a good mix tape right now." "Yep."
The closest thing to a mix tape I've gotten lately was when Paul gave me all his music to load on my iPod. Close but still no mix tape.
Downstairs in a battered box that traveled with me on both 700 mile moves is a cassette tape with a yellow cover. The first song is Alive by Love and Rockets.
Just because it was easy didn't mean it wasn't worthwhile.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Awesome topic. Made me laugh. So very true also.
It wasn't all of my music. It was a sort of guided tour. Granted, it did require more than 90 minutes. You get a deeper look into my psyche that way.
That's not to say, of course, that I wasn't the master of the mix tape. It's not just about song choice and order. It requires the perfect title to instantly convey what the listener has in store for themselves. "Most awesomest summer road trip mix '97" is for rookies.
LOL, the concept of "mix tape..." Do you realize that the entire generation behind us has no idea what we'd be talking about? LOL - Conlaw
Post a Comment