Mix tapes

[r5yk5]

I wouldn't think of that today... Even my last burned CD was at least 10 years ago

But why not? If you enjoy it

A while ago I went through all my music and made a playlist/collection of all my absolute favourite albums. Not necessarily from now, but from my whole life. Stuff I might not choose first these days but have loved in the past and still know all the words to. Albums from when I was a kid before I developed my highly refined music snobbery.

So there's plenty of cool stuff in there that would show my impeccable taste. But we also have Queen's greatest hits, Bat Out of Hell, Madonna's first album,..... Jethro Tulls official worst album Rock Island, Dr Hooks greatest hits. Nothing is off limits I just had to love it at the time.

Now I love a record as much as the next music obsessive and I am a huge user and consumer of digital, high Res blah blah blah. But I realised that almost all of the music I have absolutely loved, my hands down most favourite stuff from all through my life. From Neil Young to Simple Minds to New Model Army to Hawkwind. Almost all of it, I first listened to and fell in love with it on cassette. And no digital album has ever come close.

So I bought a walkman (not a sony, like a shark vacuum cleaner is still a hoover). And I make mix tapes. And if an album I want to buy is available I always choose the cassette.......

......and then I stream it round the house in digital form from my ultra to all my other wiims haha.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

like a shark vacuum cleaner is still a hoover)

Sorry, but it is NOT a Hoover, unless it is manufactured by Hoover.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

A while ago I went through all my music and made a playlist/collection of all my absolute favourite albums. Not necessarily from now, but from my whole life. Stuff I might not choose first these days but have loved in the past and still know all the words to. Albums from when I was a kid before I developed my highly refined music snobbery.

So there's plenty of cool stuff in there that would show my impeccable taste. But we also have Queen's greatest hits, Bat Out of Hell, Madonna's first album,..... Jethro Tulls official worst album Rock Island, Dr Hooks greatest hits. Nothing is off limits I just had to love it at the time.

Now I love a record as much as the next music obsessive and I am a huge user and consumer of digital, high Res blah blah blah. But I realised that almost all of the music I have absolutely loved, my hands down most favourite stuff from all through my life. From Neil Young to Simple Minds to New Model Army to Hawkwind. Almost all of it, I first listened to and fell in love with it on cassette. And no digital album has ever come close.

So I bought a walkman (not a sony, like a shark vacuum cleaner is still a hoover). And I make mix tapes. And if an album I want to buy is available I always choose the cassette.......

......and then I stream it round the house in digital form from my ultra to all my other wiims haha.

Yes, as I wrote, if it's fun and has a special value for you, why not?

Personally, I wouldn't think of continuing to use this ancient technology... All my music is available digitally and is in my home. A long time ago, I spent months digitizing LPs which have been replaced by CDs over time. Then, a little later, I spent weeks digitizing my CDs...
I still spend money on CDs that I particularly like just to digitize them (not to listen to them in a CD player), after which the CD ends up on the CD shelf forever. Everything is backed up on several data carriers, partly mp3, partly Flac. All other needs have been covered by Tidal for a few years now (previously - when they were still tolerable - Spotify). My playlists, some of which were over 10 years old, were imported from Spotify to Tidal at the time. I still have LPs, MCs and the corresponding devices but last used them in the stone age. I don't see any advantage in continuing to use it, on the contrary. A playlist can be put together quickly and is also very enjoyable on a mobile or stationary player, including the associated memories. I think, that doesn't make me any less of a music lover than you... (I'm also already in my late 50s).


I still have a very good AIWA-MC-Walkman in my drawer, like new, interested?

 

[Skull]

I still own and play my favourite vinyl and some group’s I have the vinyl,cd and hires download
There’s nothing like a good vinyl evening with a good single malt in hand
Speaking of mix tapes does anyone remember people selling strange tapes outside concerts, one springs to mind was songs by dead artists very weird

 

[QuarryHunslet]

I still own and play my favourite vinyl and some group’s I have the vinyl,cd and hires download
There’s nothing like a good vinyl evening with a good single malt in hand
Speaking of mix tapes does anyone remember people selling strange tapes outside concerts, one springs to mind was songs by dead artists very weird

Probably at least 80-90% of my records, and Cassettes, and about 60-70% of my CDs are not available to stream on line, so there is still a need to keep and play these "obsolete" items.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Probably at least 80-90% of my records, and Cassettes, and about 60-70% of my CDs are not available to stream on line, so there is still a need to keep and play these "obsolete" items.

That's the reason why there were digitized... a lot of work but worthwhile.

 

[Zap Rekowski]

I still own and play my favourite vinyl and some group’s I have the vinyl,cd and hires download
There’s nothing like a good vinyl evening with a good single malt in hand

I can't count the number of LPs I've ruined because there were just too many drinks.

I have a 13" tablet and study the background of the band and the album while I'm listening to it. Something that the LP cover could never offer me to this extent.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

That's the reason why there were digitized... a lot of work but worthwhile.

I'm working my way through my CDs at the moment, and will then start the laborious process of digitising my records, and cassettes. I'm also adding them to Discogs, as quite a number of them are not currently on there.

 

[Skull]

I can't count the number of LPs I've ruined because there were just too many drinks.

I have a 13" tablet and study the background of the band and the album while I'm listening to it. Something that the LP cover could never offer me to this extent.

I tend to be more careful in my old age and my single malt costs a lot when I feel the effects I switch to cheap beer and Qobuz
I must admit I have ruined more copies of led zep 4 than I should have

 

[Zap Rekowski]

Speaking of mix tapes does anyone remember people selling strange tapes outside concerts, one springs to mind was songs by dead artists very weird

Yes, there were always lots of strange characters on the road.

But that also brings up another point. In my youth, there were a lot of local and lesser-known bands whose gigs you went to. You often bought a demo tape from these bands at the box office. It's really worth getting the old equipment out again for the digitisation process.
There is a lot of good music from that time because, unfortunately, it has always been the case that quality has not always prevailed and only what made money for the record bosses was released.

I also played in one (or more) bands. We even went to a professional studio and recorded a demo tape (I still have the huge original magnetic tapes in the attic). A few years later I digitised them. We always listen to them when we get together today (and we're happy to have the chance to listen to it ).

 

[Skull]

lol you just reminded me most of my recordings were on reel to reel tape dam it was expensive but it sounded really good cassette was just for convenience

 

[Zap Rekowski]

I skipped the reel tape, I had a stereo HiFi S-VHS video recorder and clicked through the index markers... but that was only for a a few years