MAILBOX MIXTAPES

You send me anonymous mixes. I listen. Think of it as the PostSecret of mixtapes.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Tape 2

Tape 2/Track 1

People cheering. Guitar.

“Hey, we’re the Ramones, this one’s called Rockaway Beach. 1-2-3-4!”

Pretty sure this is from NYC 1978. Solid live album. Still, hoping this is the beginning of a mix and not the beginning of NYC 1978. We shall see.

This could also be It’s Alive. Haven’t heard either in years. Think both begin with Rockaway Beach.

Do all Ramones live albums begin with Rockaway Beach? Wikipedia, here I come.

According to Wikipedia, It’s Alive and NYC 1978 both begin with “Rockaway Beach” followed by “Teenage Lobotomy.”

Tape 2/Track 2

Just kicked into “Teenage Lobotomy.” So, this isn’t a mix tape either. Which is disappointing. Only real mystery now is whether this is It’s Alive or NYC 1978. This will be difficult to discern as Wikipedia has this to say about the two live albums:

[NYC 1978] was recorded only seven days after the concert on It’s Alive and, as such, is similar. The tracklisting is the same, with the exception of “Judy Is A Punk” not being on NYC 1978.

Tape 2/Track 3

Joey Ramone just talked about how glad he is to be back in London. I can only surmise that this is not recorded in NYC. Track 3, by the way, is “Blitzkrieg Bop.”

As I said before, this is a solid live album. Reviewers seem to prefer It’s Alive to NYC 1978, despite their similarities. If you like the Ramones, this is worth picking up. I like the Ramones.

I am not, however, going to do a track by track commentary on It’s Alive. You didn’t come here to read album reviews and I didn’t come here to write them.

I would like to talk about my mixtape maker. So far, we have someone who doesn’t so much make mixtapes as someone who transfers albums from tape (CD?) to tape. So…that’s less interesting.

It also makes me less assured as to who this person is. Mix tapes can speak volumes in the selection and ordering of a few songs. These first two tapes only ask one question; what kind of person listens to Fem2Fem and the Ramones?

Not that that isn’t an interesting question. I’m still thinking this is someone who was a teenager in the late 90’s. No longer sure whether that person is female. Imagine that person having an older sibling or hanging out with an older crowd. Seems like a fan of Fem2Fem would need to be told to seek out the Ramones. Or vice versa.

I’m trying to think who first told me to check out the Ramones; I certainly didn’t discover them on my own. I think it was through Anand Razdan, who was my age, but had an older brother. I know it was Anand who introduced me to Queen. Maybe Kevin Labriola introduced me to the Ramones. I need to dig out my old mixtapes. I know there was one from 1991 on which Kevin featured Nirvana and Ned’s Atomic Dustbin. It may also have included the Ramones.

So, who introduced you to the Ramones, Missy? If Missy is your real name. It may also be Bill. Or Rob. Still might be Angie. Or Jenni. But definitely Jenni with an “i”.

This isn’t the Ramones greatest hits though. You were a more engaged fan than that. Or you stumbled upon a tape of It’s Alive in the dollar bin at Hastings. But I’m going with more engaged. You sought out It’s Alive and also listened to Fem2Fem. Who does that make you, Missy? I think it makes you either oversexed or angry or both. Or neither, but struggling to be both. Or both, but struggling to be neither. Were you a punk in high school? Did you wear plaid or all black? Either way, you almost certainly listened to Nine Inch Nails. They seem to be the only possible link between Fem2Fem and the Ramones.

Where do we go from here, Missy? Missy is short for Melissa, right? Does your mom call you Melissa? Do you hate when she does that, or is she just the one person who can?

Let’s hang out some more, Missy. And let’s have a real mix tape, OK? I’m not in the mood to hear all of Ween’s Chocolate and Cheese.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Ok, two tapes in and I'm hooked.

Years ago I put all my mix tapes (made by and for me) in a box and set it on the curb free for the taking. In some ways I regret my decision of giving away all those musical memories...but I love the thought of some stranger possibly trying to figure out the whats and whys of my life through something as simple yet complex as a box full of cassettes.

Catch you on the flip side.
Mr. C