Crafting Unconventional Mixtapes
A master tape of musical collages
“He’s the Hairy-Handed Gent, Who Ran Amok in Kent”
A line from Warren Zevon’s absurdly delightful tune about werewolves titled one of my favorite mixtapes because making mixtapes is an artistic, intellectual, intuitive, and playful craft.
It’s using disparate elements to tell a new narrative where the maker can dictate a new tone or mood in thoughtful, consecutive choices. I wanted my mixtape titles to reflect clever and concerted thought.
I put as much love into making mixtapes for myself as I do for others because they diarize life and cultural touch-points.
For me, mixtapes had to be genre-bending to take you on a proper journey and the challenge lied in harmonizing songs from different decades and genres with intention.
The analog era dictated lots of labor in making a mixtape, so if you were going to put in the time, it was worth thinking about how the tracks coalesced. I enjoy seeing artists back to back who don’t look good on paper, but harmonize beautifully in the acoustic journey of a thoughtful mix.
Here are some top selections from a handful of mix-tapes made in the late 90s. Some of the tracks below are covers, have been covered or use recognizable samples which makes the mixtape an interesting venue for musical semantics. This is why I break the rule of allowing some repeats across mixes because I am remixing interesting dialogues.
Of course, I make playlists and still make mix CDs but I’m so glad I never got rid of my case full of my choicest mix cassettes. They catalog a thinking about arrangement that just isn’t the same anymore. I’m mixing them now up for a final master.
Side A
- Trout — Neneh Cherry & Michael Stipe
Successful mixtapes, in my opinion, start with a song that lets you acclimatize first, then builds in bombast, like this song. I nearly forgot about this brilliant rock and hip-hop collaboration and testament to Cherry’s kickassery in the 90s, backed by the track for Steppenwolf’s The Pusher.
2) Sugar on my Tongue — Talking Heads
This sexy number creates an intriguing tone and beckons further listening. The base carries it into many possible tracks including the next one.
3) Nothin’ in the World Can Stop Me Worryin’ ‘Bout That Girl”— The Kinks
As Rob Gordon explains in High Fidelity, “you don’t wanna blow your wad” after the first tracks so “you gotta cool it down a notch — there are a lot of rules”.
My love of the Kinks only heightened when Wes Anderson included this melodic and moody track in the beautifully curated soundtrack for Rushmore.
4) Cloudbusting — Kate Bush
Kate Bush embodies a mythos stemming from childhood. I always loved the way this song builds in intensity with the crescendo of drums at the end. Mixtapes should be a seduction and I always included tracks that could whisk you away.
5) I Am Stretched on your Grave”— Sinead O’Connor
Following from Cloudbusting, this minimal drum loop, a cappella, then Irish violin masterpiece builds a palatial chamber in your mind. The drum track references hip-hop while finishing in a chilling, traditional Irish sound. I always felt this powerful track, based on an Irish poem, should make anyone fall in love with Sinead who had dismissed her.
While Sinead O’Connor and Kate Bush were on heavy rotation, I sadly remember having to consciously add female voices to my rock compilations to balance the ubiquity of male rockers.
6) Get Behind the Mule”— Tom Waits
Here’s where I want things to slow and gritty. Waits’ bluesy album works as a perfect segue with its moody, rusty mystique. Waits’ flavor changes the pace.
7) Rollin’ Stone — Muddy Waters
Everything on this mixtape is owed to Muddy Waters.
8) Highway ‘61 Revisited— PJ Harvey
This fierce and drooling cover carries the grit from pervious tracks but starts with a whimper and ends with a bang.
9) Werewolves of London — Warren Zevon
Zevon was a serious artist in his own right, but I put this track on a few mixtapes for the clever lyrics to guarantee I wasn’t taking myself too seriously. The best place to put a novel track is at the end of the first side.
Side B
10) Hard to Handle — Otis Redding
My favorite recording artist, Otis Redding, has been ripped off a few times. This original communicates, in your face, “this is what I’m all about” on a mixtape.
11) Know Your Rights — The Clash
Every tape needs a declarative song making a contestation. Otis Redding contends “actions speak louder than words” and Strummer points out the hypocrisy of having fundamental “rights”. This is such a staple for Clash fans and a primary candidate for the first song in a mix.
12) It’s All over Now, Baby Blue — Them feat. Van Morrison
This stunner was produced by the garage band Them, who debuted Van Morrisson. It was originally written and performed by Bob Dylan and in every way transcends it. This song is covered by many artists but I once paired Beck’s sample of the tune next to Morrison’s iteration, which it borrows, on a mix as a mid-tape dialogue.
13) Caribou— The Pixies
Taking it “up a notch” with erratic shifts in tempo and pitch, “Caribou” is an injection of angst and some kind of pent-up catholic retribution that Black Francis doesn't even remember writing.
14) I’m Afraid of Americans — David Bowie
I typically shift to a darker tone at some point to shake any complacency from more buoyant tunes. This intense, frenetic classic allowed me to infuse some Nine Inch Nails sound when I was short on space. The song was released as a single with multiple versions which plays nicely with the dynamics between copy and original.
15) This Corrosion — Sisters of Mercy
Because these heroes of gothic rock naturally follow for me in a mixtape with Otis Redding and the Kinks. The Sisters of Mercy add indulgence with choral interludes and guitar solos with a dark, dance beat. I’ve tried not to talk about the actual videos here, but this one is a real treat and the comments are golden: “this song smells like cigarette smoke”.
16) All Mine — Portishead
Bringing things a little more down to earth, the quintessential jazzy track with horns is sensual and gloomy with big James Bond sound.
17) Close to Me — The Cure
At around this point in the mix, the tape should work on its final impression and I like to lighten things up with a brass band and dance beat from the most wondrous group of sad sacks. The best expression of pop is through the artists who are the least likely to write a pop song.
18) You Can Have It All — Yo La Tengo
Indie rockers Yo La Tengo proved they could belt out a poppy tune on this cover and it paces perfectly with the synth in the previous track. The cello is a lovely surprise. The repetitive, underlying track tempo echos the repeating synth melody of the next track.
19) Little Fluffy Clouds — The Orb
I’m always reluctant for this song to end because it would be a pretty place to live, which is perfect for a last hook. Little Fluffy Clouds is a melodic collage of samples that add texture and atmosphere.
20) Pretty Little Dirty — The Red Hot Chili Peppers
This gorgeous instrumental leaves a sweet aftertaste. It’s the highly coveted short song you can use as an interlude or ending to complete or balance a thoughtful mixtape.
Here is the tracklist on Art of the Mix. I haven’t been able to restore my old profile, but this site has been around for more than two decades and is entirely dedicated to sharing track lists from mixes.
Can’t wait to move onto the new stuff. Thanks for listening.