|
BEST TAPE I EVER GOT
This tape was given to me by my wife, in 1990 - but at the time she wasn't even my girlfriend. That happened a couple of years later. (It's complicated.) But I think this tape was just so cool in song selection and design that it planted the seed that I would have to marry it's maker. (Her plan was perfect.) The songs are listed on a separate little pamphlet, which I have temporarily mislaid. But here'an approximation of the songs on it: heart of glass by BLONDIE, a couple songs by HE SAID (spin-off of WIRE), one song by LET'S ACTIVE, king of soul by THE WOLFGANG PRESS, that song that details a lousy friday night out by SOFT CELL, PATTI SMITH's rendition of gloria, one by THE BOLSHOI, and some other weird electro- industrial type things, and hmmmm... other stuff. Overall this tape has a rather postpunk feel, riding the tail-end of new wave. Very nice. The tape case and booklet are amazing - really neat cut and paste - and she even painted the tape itself. This tape also gets the credit for introducing me to HE SAID - one of the coolest bands ever in the whole world. Well, for one album, anyway... |
|
FIRST TAPE FROM MY PAL MARK
Mark had a temporary fascination with hemmorhoids, due to a weird little event that happened in his senior year of high school (my freshman year at college.) He started out the year taking Anatomy, but them decided to drop it in late September. But the teacher decided that he couldn't drop it - I still don't know why. So as his revenge, he did his "special project" for the year on the topic of hemmorhoids. He spent several months researching and preparing a presentation for the class on hemmorhoids. It was kind weird, but kinda cool. I don't know if the teacher ever got it.... but I'm pretty sure it made her uncomfortable. Anyway, this tape is mainly little comedy bits done by Mark and my other friend Andy, plus some comedy stuff stolen off the radio. Song listings: Intrigue - The Brady Bunch - We've Got That Holiday Spirit - The Twilight Zone - I'm the Man - My Pets Are All Dead - Doom Anything Goes (Chinese Version) - Movie Ad - Boldman - Eddie! - Elvis - Dead Puppies - E - Butterfly - Butterfly (remix) - 2nd Grade Blues - Face - The Contra Rap Coolest stuff: "Eddie!" is a deconstruction of Eddie Murphy's standup routines, in a cut-up collage style - way before we had ever heard of negativland. "Twilight Zone" is the story of one of our high school teachers (beloved, but easy to imitate), who gets transported to a weird dimension where everyone does nothing but imitate him. This tape is pretty sophmoric and scatological. and that's only fair - we yet sophomores yet. *Bonus* This tape is recorded over a store-bought Prairie Home Companion tape that Mark stole from his mom. |
|
|
NOISE FROM MY PAL CLAYTON
When I first met Clayton in 6th grade he lived way out in the country and was listening to records of like... sea shantys... and other PBS-type stuff. So what did I do? Introduced him to classic rock radio. The next time I came over to visit, Clayton was humming Rush songs. Was I right?? I don't know. but Clayton has gone on to become my mentor in music. He tunes me into very cool stuff. This tape was from during his noise-rock period, around 1988. SWANS willyin rave...? CURRENT 93 st. peter's key...? FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY body count a;GRUMH... hamman? SWANS sexgodsex BIG BLACK i can't believe FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY obsession ZOVIET FRANCE come to the edge TOM WAITS jockeyful of bourbon TOM WAITS cemetary polka CURRENT 93 from broken cross, locusts SOUTHERN DEATH CULTfatman SWANS blind love SWANS thankyou, goodbye, good luck |
|
THAT DAMN SWEDE'S 1ST TAPE
My excellent friend Tomas lives in Stockholm. That's in Sweden. All through college he was my connection to all that good European "electronic body music" - yes - that's what it was called. So damn embarassing. But I was living high, with Tomas sending me these awesome tapes of cool industrial stuff that no one in the states had ever heard of. He had quite a business of bootleg mailorder going for a while. This tape is practically worn out from me listening to it so much. Some of these a;GRUMH tracks still give me shivers. Nowadays Tomas spends his time online- but he says he's finishing up a new tape for me. Yes! Check him out. a;GRUMH... - generation - drama in the subway - edito - hapeople - penser et agir (est de crime?) - hitoy (the modern language) - in the garden - caterpillar - another brick in the wall pt 2 - 2112 NEON JUDGEMENT - chinese black - awful day NEON JUDGEMENT - the man FRONT 242 - no shuffle (live) - u-men (live) NEON JUDGEMENT - i'm half a;GRUMH... - gina du plaza (live) skinny puppy interview A CHUD CONVENTION (COLLABORATION BY SP and a;GRUMH...?) - patient sorrow The case for this tape is very cool -the song listing is typed onto burnt paper. |
|
|
ANOTHER MARK TAPE
This tape is just another nice example of a Mark tape. Very ambitious cover art, wacky pop-cultural/media theme, contains at least 40 songs, clocks in at 120 minutes, contains a good mix of original comedy and music. This tape dates to July 1990, and was apparently recorded on Liz's birthday. Liz was Mark's girlfriend at the time. I guess they were on hiatus that day, though. I can't type in the whole playlist, cause I'm too tired. But highlights include "Spirit" (a rap by Doug E Fresh and the Get Fresh Crew from the soundtrack of Ghostbusters II!), a couple tracks by Tooba Blooze (a sort of punk band with a tuba on board), several nice Tinklers tracks, and a Superfriends sketch by Mark and Andy, starring the Wonder Twins. The tape is split into the HEAT side, and the MASSAGE side. |
