You kids may not remember this, but long before the burnt CD, there was the mix tape. Much like CDs, it allowed people to set their own mood or make their own greatest hits of their favorite artists. However, like those who still buy and spin vinyl, there are people who feel that tapes still hold an intimacy that doesn’t transcend well onto disc. These people include artists from many different mediums who have come together to share their favorite mix tape experiences in the book Mix Tape: The Art of Cassette Culture.
Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore not only compiles the essays, but writes the introduction, where he talks about his punk rock neighbor, his ghetto blaster and the dozens of concertgoers who would throw their own mixes on stage. From there, the writings get much shorter and the art takes over. Pictures of the actual mix tapes the artists are describing are displayed along with the track list and “album art,” which ranges from ransom note to fresh-from-the-record-company quality.
The panel of writers includes Ahmet Zappa (Frank’s son), Mike Watt (of The Minutemen), music video director Richard Kern and tons of other indie art supermen no one has ever heard of. Their commentaries run anywhere from one sentence to three pages, telling who made the tape, the emotions it evokes and all the memories that are tied to it.
At first, it may seem like this is just a collection of elitist asses coming together to tell everyone how hip their music selection is. But, on the contrary, many of the track lists feature popular songs by Tony Orlando & Dawn, Madonna and Neil Diamond. The book handles its subject with care and accomplishes its goal of letting other mixers who think of their work as art know they are not alone. The art and themes of the tapes make this more of a coffee table book, something not to read in one sitting, but to be discovered over and over again. And, while smiling at many of the songs and bands you have heard of, you might even become intrigued enough to uncover some new favorites.
The book also inspires those who are still mixing, whether it be on a tape, disc or iPod playlist. I think Thurston sums it up best in his introductory, and pretentious, essay: “Trying to control sharing through music is like trying to control an affair of the heart—nothing will stop it.”
Three out of five stars
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