Over the past few weeks, I've had two run-ins with a key element of the 1980's and 90's youth culture- the mixtape.
Three weeks ago I was back home in PA, where I keep a box in the back of my old closest that's filled with memories of my adolescence. That box is mostly filled with cards, jewelry, and miscellaneous items from young suitors. There in the midst of all this stuff were three mixtapes from my ex-boyfriend Dan. These tapes brought a smile to my face as I could recall sitting in that very room listening to them over and over again. It was hard to read the song titles on the cassette cover due to his scribble, but the hand drawn heart said it all.
I was reminded again today of that PA moment when I heard Butch Walker's song "Mixtape" in which he sings about a relationship that has ended, but that she made him the best mixed tape ever. Having your boyfriend love your tape was the best because you put thought and time into your selections. It was like John Cusack said in HIGH FIDELITY, "making a tape is like writing a letter."
The mixtape was my generations love letter and I hope that today's youth still have that experience. Although I guess it would be called the mixed CD these days!
May 13, 2010
DO KIDS IN LOVE STILL MAKE MIXTAPES?
Posted by Tammy Good at 10:02 PM
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2 comments:
Funny you mention this. I still have a tape I've kept of some really excellent jazz made by my old college boyfriend. Man, did he have great taste in music!
And Rob Sheffield, a contributing editor with Rolling Stone, actually wrote a book called "Love is a Mix Tape" about the his courtship with his wife, and her sudden passing from an aneurysm. I bawled when I read it. Plus the music mentioned in it is excellent. If you'd like to borrow it, let me know.
Would love to read it, thanks!
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