Fight The System. Chew Gum. (mix-off)Aug 28 '01 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line SPAM® is not good for the body. Mix-Tapes are. Nothing like a kid half my age (or thereabouts) old schooling me mix-tape style from half way around the world (or thereabouts). Daniel_Rf's appreciation for classic rock hasn't gone unnoticed by those who regularly follow his youthful essays on the form, and his passion for the roots has easily made me a fan. When the whole mix-off tape trading write-off action entered the picture (instigated by our host, Officer), I figured Daniel would be the ideal invitee and I was right. Unfortunately due to his looming vacation plans, I quickly international-airmailed a pre-made tape I had sitting around (originally conceived last Fall) rather than forcing a new one in hopes of having it arrive before Daniel left his country. See, the mix-off idea was to trade tapes with someone and write up one of these here articles on the tape your partner sent, and in turn, they'd do the same for yours. Sadly, the tape I sent the kid wasn't one I wouldn't have created with him in mind. Nor did the tape arrive on time. Ah well. The tape Daniel constructed and shipped my way is full of standards and not-so-standards, none of which surprise me considering the source of the creation. I don't recall if Daniel mentioned any theme of sorts for his tape and if there is one, I'm not seeing it. Except to say that all the songs are interconnected in terms of similar artists or influences. The fact that exuberant Daniel is fan of these performers is theme enough for me considering the majority of this music was created well before young Daniel was hatched. Receiving a mix tape of this caliber from a teenager is really what makes it most amazing. I suppose it's all in the context cuz had I received this from someone my age or older I certainly would be less impressed. But pleased, nevertheless. Anyway, let's get on with it. I'm late as it is. As some may know, I'm fairly opposed to bullet 'track-by-track' breakdowns of albums but for mix tapes, I don't see any other way. So I'm giving up the artist and song title followed by whom I thought it sounded like upon first hearing (whether or not I knew the actual artist) and then my little nonsensical blurb on the tune. side a: 1. sex pistols - "holidays in the sun" sounds like: the Pistols Although there are plenty of bands the ripped off the Pistols, I always tend to think of the Pistols first. And why shouldn't I? They may have been fairly shitty technicians but they made a huge mark. Even here as the marching menace punk up the raunchy riffs from "Anarchy in the UK" with new words, you feel the fire. "Now I got a reason" sez Johnny. Of course you do. Way to get things moving early on, Daniel. 2. otis redding - "my girl" sounds just like: Otis. Who else? Great shades-in-the-sun summertime, feel good for the soul song. A tune you've heard countless times yet always manages to elicit a smile. This one has me lazily sipping iced tea on the boardwalk in a folding chair as the salty air blows by my face. Either that or I'm getting all teary-eyed over lil Macaulay dying from a bee sting. Sad, isn't it? 3. bruce springsteen - "i'm on fire" sounds like: The Boss. Really it does. Ah, shooting hoops in HS PhysEd while my lanky Korean friend Sung recites the lyrics. Always dug the hell out of this tune for it's casual and sobering pace. I see the Boss, hands halfway tucked into the pockets of his faded blue jeans, out on some wet streetlamp lit street around midnight while I'm sittin' in the backseat of a cab driving through the rain humming along. Probably in my top 5 all-time Springsteen tunes. Would say more but I won't. 4. blur - "trailer park" sounds like: Lou Reed. Like a "freestyle" retro space lounge dirge dipped in rusty rock nipping at the nap of your neck with ghostly vocals buried under the bizarre veil of bass, drums and noise. I knew Daniel was a fan of Blur and easily I understand why. I know this piece is way more modern than the rest of the tape but it fits perfectly. Could've been made 25 years ago. "Lost my girl to the Rolling Stones," I'm with ya, brother. The world's growing old, dontcha know? 5. chuck berry - "brown eyed handsome man" sounds like: Chuck B. Well pick me up and don't let go with this Back To The Future hustle rock with the booming bright six-string duck-struttin' across the stage. This is Charles in charge. I dig it. So should you. 6. bob dylan - "hard times in nyc" sounds like: Bobbie D. Finger-picking folksy rock that never stops to breathe almost like a sprint without pause. Go, Bobbie, go. Poignant tune that could've been written 30 years sooner or 30 years later. I'm down. 7. the clash - "washington bullets" sounds like: The Clash. Light happy-go-lucky anti-police action rasta pasta punk unifying one voice from the party crowd on the back porch. Never been the biggest Clash fan but I know 'em when I hear 'em. Can't deny their impact or influence. Hip to it or hop. 8. public enemy - "brothers gonna work it out" sounds like: PE! No mistaking Chuck D & Flavor Flav's message-rap beats broadcasting "we gonna work it out" that Cypress Hill copped for "Insane In The Brain" years later. "Let's get it on" indeed. The looped lick a la Prince is tight. Used to listen to PE a hella lot in the early 90s. This track is one reason why. Positively honest. 9. the kinks - "dead end street" sounds like: The Turtles w/Ray Davies on vox. Sometimes the ugly step-child of the Brit Invasion, the Kinks always deserved better. This jazzy rock with the sweet brass is more than a simple b-side, cola and Yoda; Ray, you really got me, "what are we living for?" Exactly. 10. elvis costello - "shipbuilding" sounds like: Nick Cave crossed with Randy Newman. Crooning Costello lights a torch in a smoky bar as the slinky dresses sway in the otherwise darkened room. Warm fingers caress her sweaty necklace as she licks her lips under the sprinkling of piano notes. "When we could be diving for pearls," she's gettin' hot now. 11. silence 4 - "borrow" sounds like: acoustic Jesus & Mary Chain. Open mic night at the Portuguese coffee shop. "There's nothing left for me to borrow/I guess I'll try again tomorrow," she repeats. The song Jewel only wishes she wrote. Easy to wrap this one around you and lie still on the hard floor. Stylin' yet quaint. Touching. I like it. 12. charlie parker - "in the still of the night" sounds like: the Count Basie Orchestra. Heyday big band accented by the Bird's whirling sax that seals the song like glue between the chorus that soars down like swallows. Give it up to thunder cheeks. This is a bitchin' tune. You know it. side b: 1. only ones - "another girl, another planet" sounds like: The Replacements. Poppy punk more palatable than the Pistols. Man, what is it with me and alliteration? Fun tune to get the mood jumping and the body shaking. The Springsteen-esque riff is a riotous rocking launch for the second side and that spiffy solo is bells. "I think I'm on another world with you, with you." Sure, why not? More alliteration to come. 2. divine comedy - "if..." sounds like: Scott Walker. Not being all that familiar with The Divine Comedy, I associated this swooning rock-op piece with what I might hear ole Nick Cave do under a hazy spotlight with a small strings and horn section behind him. Really a beautiful tune. Pulpy even. Now I know where the handle comes from. Heh. "If you were my dog," I'd call you Nick. 3. scott walker - "the plague" sounds like: uh, The Divine Comedy? Like a dark Tom Jones with batwings, this could've been a tune Cave might've done had he been born 25 years earlier. Dig the whole Man From U.N.C.L.E. vibe. Spirited piece, my man. Thanks. 4. the allman brothers band - "ramblin' man" sounds like: The Marshall Tucker Band. Ha. Damn, one of those easygoing tunes you know you like right down to the core but will admit to very few. Fuck that. This tune jams. Always has, always will. Dickey Betts might be one of the most underappreciated guitarists of the 70s. The southern fried solo that lasts forever. Love that shit. Eat a peach and enjoy. 5. everly brothers - "cathy's clown" sounds like: The Beatles before The Beatles. "Don't want your love anymore/don't want your kisses, that's for sure/I die each time I hear this sound/here he comes, that's Cathy's clown." Buck up and stand tall, you plucky duck. We've all been there. 6. sheryl crow & emmylou harris - "juanita" sounds like: country western Tori Amos. Ok, maybe not. Seems as though Emmylou's vocals are lower in the mix than Sheryl's; that's not right. Still this recent duet on vintage Flying Burrito Brothers quakes in all the right places with trembling whispers of washed out pain, beaten down pickup truck aside. Very good. 7. al green - "call me" sounds like: a spunky Marvin Gaye, Sparky. Super sweet and sexy 70s boogie that I need more of in my life. Soulful swing to get jiggy with and still be cool. Nothing wrong with that. I feel it, man, keep bringin' it. Al is the man. 8. little feat - "long distance love" sounds like: Joe Cocker crossed with Van Morrison. Casual little ditty I can lift my arms around and squeeze like the oft missed security blanket. "Times are gettin' rough," but you can always find solace in this breezy waxing over by the Feat. And thems are my feet tapping to the sleepy beat. 9. the smiths - "the queen is dead (live)" sounds like: Morrissey. Upbeat, charging brit-rocking frolic that spares no expense overindulging on the wah pedal over a basic 50s groove. Maybe it's the live sound but something about this one feels out of place here. Or maybe it just sounds flat. 10. david bowie - "life on mars?" sounds like: Ziggy Stardust. Bowie on any mix tape is almost mandatory in my book. The unmistakable pipes steeped in orchestral grandeur is just it. Over. David needs no description, does he? He's definitive in his own right. Turn off the lights and hit repeat. Do it. 11. bruce springsteen - "born to run" sounds like: Bon Jovi. Had the Boss failed to pen this when he did, I know Jon Bon would have. The New Jersey state song that almost was, punch up the distortion and replace the sax with Richie Sambora's screaming Strat, and you have Bon Jovi all the way to the "one, two, three, four" count into the reprise. I'm shocked that Jon doesn't cover this tune more often. Classic Jersey rock goes without saying. Now you know where he gets it. 12. the beatles - "in my life" sounds like: The four angels on the four corners of the Earth. To hell with the instruments, the vocal harmony carries the tune but damn, that electric piano interlude is just precious. Sure, the simplest guitar line adds to the whimsical melody but John & Paul are lasting. Swell soft note to end on, my friend. "In my life, I love you more," nice touch. And that's a wrap. I'd leave you with a conclusion but I'm all out of alliteration or I'm just plain too tired. That and you've grown tiresome of my sloppy synopses. No matter, Daniel is a music man well beyond his years and treated me with an endearing tape of old school musings that was sorely missing in my current listening habits. Good work, chum. I owe you a better tape. Daniel_Rf's Mix Tape "Fight The System. Chew Gum." side a: 1. sex pistols - "holidays in the sun" 2. otis redding - "my girl" 3. bruce springsteen - "i'm on fire" 4. blur - "trailer park" 5. chuck berry - "brown eyed handsome man" 6. bob dylan - "hard times in nyc" 7. the clash - "washington bullets" 8. public enemy - "brothers gonna work it out" 9. the kinks - "dead end street" 10. elvis costello - "shipbuilding" 11. silence 4 - "borrow" 12. charlie parker - "in the still of the night" side b: 1. only ones - "another girl, another planet" 2. the divine comedy - "if..." 3. scott walker - "the plague" 4. the allman brothers - "ramblin' man" 5. everly brothers - "cathy's clown" 6. sheryl crow & emmylou harris - "juanita" 7. al green - "call me" 8. little feat - "long distance love" 9. the smiths - "the queen is dead" 10. david bowie - "life on mars?" 11. bruce springsteen - "born to run" 12. the beatles - "in my life" Read Daniel's take on the tape I sent him here: http://www.epinions.com/content_2038341764 As I alluded to earlier, this Mix-Off was thrown together by the Officer. Shout out to Ryan for putting up with such a wily bunch of rascals these past months and still keeping it together. Even if some of us refuse to post on time. Or even close. Check out the other participants and their partners, most have already posted and some never will for varying reasons. And that's the mystery for you to unravel. centavo ~ Sordid-1 Christoff ~ Eurythmic difrentisgood ~ repulsemonkey emptywishes ~ jkkelley ezreka ~ jesus_sandals fmhypo ~ Lime LessThanNick1 ~ Freak369 lukasneville ~ tweeling megugrrrl ~ Fez_monkey monssfisch ~ kuuleimomi Officer (host) ~ omophagia outofstep ~ vainglory PezKing ~ jennifernorth phixed ~ AsiaBrew sleestakk ~ soothsayer sleestakk ~ Daniel_Rf sxejustin ~ jamessqueaky Zoiks! Looks like I have one more to submit... and I have some reading to do!  |
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