Blank Tape

The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don’t wanna blow your wad, so then you got it cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules. Anyway …I’ve started making a tape … Rob Gordon, High Fidelity.

I miss mixed tapes. There were different kinds of mix tapes.

The I’m going to share all my favorite songs with my best friend mix tape.

My favorite songs from the radio mix tape because I don’t have the cassette tape, or CD yet.

The I miss you mix tape. Aka the break up tape no one is ever going to hear because it will be worn out from being played on repeat.

The road trip mix tape.

The songs that make me the happiest mix tape.

The riding public transportation mix tape.

The songs that are my guilty pleasures that I don’t want anyone to know about mix tape.

And of course, the ever famous, songs for new sweetheart mix tape.

When I was in school Rob Gordon’s quote was right it did take a long time to make a mix tape. Okay grant, it was pre iTunes. It was also before a time when everyone had computers, and you could easily burn a CD. When I was a senior in high school you could still walk into Sam Goody and buy a cassette tape. Kids if you don’t know what Sam Goody is, it was like Best Buy back in my day.

When it was time to make a mix tape, I would have all my cassette tapes and CDs laid out in front of me. Then I would have a paper and pen to write down the possible songs and their order. There was something personal about a mix tape when I was growing up because you knew how long the process was. And you knew if a person made you one it was special. It’s like when you write someone a letter …. you know paper, pen, it was called mail … it means something because it’s from one person’s hand to yours. They took time for you.  

The most difficult process of making a mix tape is when you had to get songs from the radio. Of course you would have your tape ready to go, but then one of three things would happen.

The DJ would come in at the end of the song.

You would have to wait through two or three songs and a commercial break before the song you wanted came on.

You missed the song because you were on the other side of the room.

It’s like when I was growing up and we had HBO we made sure that whatever movie they were showing Saturday night we recorded it. Yes, before DVDs we had HBO. That’s where they showed all the new movies like Ghostbusters, Enemy Mine …. Okay they were new movies to me growing up. And if you have not seen Enemy Mine, this is me shaking my head. A movie about a two warriors, one from Earth and another from Dracon … nough said.

Speaking of missing things. I miss VH1 and MTV. On the weekends you could watch the Top 20 songs. Ah, those were the days. Now you have to go on YouTube. Don’t bet me wrong I like the YouTube but it’s not the same. If that makes sense. I don’t even think they show music videos on tv any more. When I say it’s not the same. It’s like when you are flipping channels and you run across a movie you own but the fact that you ran across it is like a happy accidental. Or, as I normally say inside my head, I have to see it now … even though I own it .., because it’s on now.

I’m glad Guardians of the Galaxy was made, it has introduced the youths to the mix tape. Okay that sound cheesy. But I didn’t have to explain what a mix tape is. *She says the only in the room laughing at her won joke.* I recommend at least making a playlist. A kind of soundtrack that is special for someone or for yourself. I would highly recommend making a mix tape if they still sell radios with cassette tapes. Man you can’t even buy a care with a cassette player anymore. Oh technology you make me both happy and sad.