The Makings of a Mix

I’m a big believer in good music in all forms. I’m also a believer in an album as a whole—a completed art project, something that should be cohesive from beginning to end.

But not every one has their Mellon Collie or Sgt. Pepper. Sometimes they just have a few good songs on their record, and a bunch of half-assed ones thrown in to make it a dozen tracks long.

Enter: The mix CD. He’s a cool cat, he’s a hipster, he knows just how good he has it. He accepts nothing but the best—and likes it that way. I make em all the time. Here’s the one I made last Friday:

1 – Maggie’s Farm – Rage Against The Machine
2 – Jesus Walks – Kanye West
3 – Rednecks – Randy Newman
4 – Marie – Randy Newman
5 – Louisiana 1927 – Randy Newman
6 – Making Me Nervous – Brad Sucks
7– Cool – Gwen Stefani
8 – Bubble Pop Electric – Gwen Stefani
9 – Hollaback Girl – Gwen Stefani
10 – Not An Addict – K’s Choice
11 – Save Me – Magnolia Soundtrack
12 – Photograph – Nickelback
13 – Go Ahead – Rilo Kiley
14 – Science vs. Romance – Rilo Kiley
15 – Stars – Switchfoot
16 – My Name is Jonas – Weezer
17 – Say It Ain’t So – Weezer
18 – Low Millions – Low Millions
19 – Fast Car – Tracy Chapman
20 – Mad World – Donnie Darko Soundtrack

Of course, they made an entire movie about mix tapes and Top 5’s, but I don’t believe I’ve discovered the secret yet.

In my mind the goal of a mix tape, just as John Cusack mused, is that you can alter and lead another person on a musical journey if you do it right.

And yes, the official nomenclature is mix tape, though I have called it a mix CD previously in this post. It’s called changing with the times people, going retro, working on another level.

Welcome to the other level.

Now with that said, there are a few points on this CD I’m not crazy about. One, it repeats a lot of artists. I have a chunk of Randy Newman, I have a juicy chunk of Ms. Stefani, and Rilo Kiley is sticking to the pan. But overall? It worked well this weekend. Maggie’s Farm, via Bob Dylan, is always a fantastic song and the rock version is just empowering stuff. As if Rage could’ve made any other kind.

Randy Newman lays down the laughs (Rednecks), the emotion (Marie), and the sorrow (Louisiana 1927), while Brad brings us back in the groove while Gwen (her friends call her Gwen) gets the party jumping. K’s Choice tries to kick the habit whlie Aimee Mann works hard to keep it real and Save Me. Nickelback rocks out a pop tune, and Rilo Kiley eloquently remind us why they’re indie pop gods.

I hit the rock pop surge again on the backside of the record, with Switchfoot + Weezer giving me enough distortion to package up for the oncoming holiday rush. Low Millions has this weird distinction for writing the only brilliant song that is also the name for their band (I feel it’s a shame that The The never tried this), while I end with the classic Fast Car (italicized for speed) and Mad World reminds us all…to brush and floss.

This, the anatomy of a mix C…er, tape, brings us full circle, ready to be rocked out again by Rage when the CD inevitably takes us back to Track 1.

Please press Play.

If heaven and hell decide that they’re both satisifed
Illuminate the no’s on their vacancy signs