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jon_chaissontape brand: Memorex dbs90--Like I said, I had a boatload of these kicking around. Most likely previously used as a tape that had albums on both sides. No clue what they were...
compilation made: I think early summer 1989, probably May, given the release dates of most of the songs. Again, most songs had been played on WAMH...in fact, I'm sure a good handful of these songs were copied from stuff I taped off the radio (said radio tapes being dubbed The Last Home Year Cassettes, being that i was heading to college in the fall). Note that there's a subtle theme in this one--Side A is nearly all loud and agressive, but Side B is more laid back and morose. The reason behind it is interesting--the first tracks on both sides were from my friend Kris' music collection, and I'd asked her to put the two tracks on separate sides, and I built up the comp from there.
listened to: Sometimes at home, but I distinctly remember listening to this during my tenure as a summer employee of the local Public Works Department. All I needed was a summer job, didn't matter what it was, as long as I saved up some money for college. At this point, the job entailed mowing the various cemeteries around town...so yeah, as you can well imagine, it was a thankless and sunburn-prone job, but it was one of my favorites in terms of "mindless but fun work" jobs.
mindset: In a much better mood, as A)I was heading to Emerson in the fall, B)I had a steady girlfriend, and C)I'd purged myself of a lot of pessimism, even though I'd kind of gotten used to, even enjoyed, being the moody creative bastard. Still a nonconformist in my own mind, of course.
writing: A lot of lyrics and poetry, Belief in Fate.
SIDE A
1. That Petrol Emotion, "Creeping to the Cross"
One of the songs that stuck out for me when I went to see them and Voice of the Beehive at UMass with Kris and h58.
2. Siouxsie & the Banshees, "The Killing Jar"
Second single from their Peepshow album and another great song. I think by this time I'd picked up the album either at Main Street in Noho or Al Bum's in Amherst, but got it cheap because it was a promo copy. Quickly became one of my favorite albums at that time.
3. The Cure, "Babble"
Unfortunately there's no video so you can sample the song, but one of the great Cure b-sides, this one from the then newly-released "Fascination Street" single. Played near the end of the semester quite a bit on WAMH. Very odd baby-crying samples on this one...
4. The Smiths, "The Queen Is Dead"
Title track to my favorite Smiths album at the time, it had an angry energy that the other albums didn't quite have. Also, I think I found myself finger-tapping that opening almost daily without thinking at that time.
5. Soul Asylum, "Sometime to Return"
I always thought of Soul Asylum, at least the 80s version, as sort of like the Replacements' little brother that could. Definitely that Minneapolis punk sound. This one was from Hang Time, a very underrated album that got a lot of plays that summer from me, and this (as well as "Cartoon") got a lot of play on 120 Minutes.
6. Love and Rockets, "Motorcycle"
After their psychedelic folksiness of 1987's Earth Sun Moon, they totally surprised us with this hard-hitting heavy blues single, which would feature on their self-titled album that came out at the end of the summer. Using a heavily distorted bass to sound like a motorcycle at the end? Brilliant move.
7. The Cure, "Fascination Street [extended mix]"
[The video is the single edit.] Released just before the brilliant Disintegration as a US-only single (they released "Lullaby" as the first single in the UK, which I happened to have on vinyl from Main Street Music). H58 and I made the mistake of playing this during my senior prom, effectively clearing the floor. We dropped it after about 30 seconds in, sheepishly apologized, and continued playing the annoying pop music of the day.
8. Voice of the Beehive, "Beat of Love"
As said, saw this band open for That Petrol Emotion. The two ladies were quite fetching in real life, and the blond was tall. Kris ran into her in the ladies' room after the show and she came running out with a look of OMGOMGOMG on her face. ;)
9. The Smiths, "Shoplifters of the World Unite"
My other favorite Smiths album at that time was Louder Than Bombs, which I'd gotten from Columbia House sometime in '88, and listened to quite liberally during my DPW job. Essentially a singles compilation, it has quite a few great tracks from them including this one.
10. Camouflage, "That Smiling Face"
First track off of 1988's Voices & Images, further proving that they weren't just a Depeche Mode knock-off. I just recently found this live version from a few years back, well worth checking out.
SIDE B
1. Guns n' Roses, "Patience"
Yeah, I know...odd song to have on a compilation, especially since I wasn't the big GnR fan. This was originally put on here by my friend Kris who had the GnR Lies album and I just wanted a copy of it.
2. Talk Talk, "Life's What You Make It"
This song ROCKS on so many levels...I believe the single was a leftover radio copy, and my interest in it was renewed when Elvis Costello hosted 120 Minutes once and played this video, which I'd never seen before (directed by Tim Pope, no less--he of the weird Cure videos). I just love how the video ends with the dawn breaking.
3. REM, "The One I Love"
Sure, Green was out, but I still really enjoyed Document as well. I've been looking for the acoustic version of this song for ages, which I know is a b-side somewhere...
4. Procol Harum, "Whiter Shade of Pale"
(Wow, there was a real promo for this? I never knew...) I know, another odd choice, but this was because h58, a few others and I had gone to see New York Stories earlier in the year and this song was in a key scene in the "Life Lessons" sequence.
5. Julian Cope, "Charlotte Anne"
This one got heavy play on 120 Minutes as well as on WMDK. I always liked this track, even though a lot of JC's stuff ends up being rather weird.
6. Ultra Vivid Scene, "Mercy Seat"
Mentioned this one in an earlier post...thought it fit the theme.
7. Love and Rockets, "I Feel Speed"
How do you follow up the heaviness of the above "Motorcycle"? By doing an extremely quiet version, of course. On the single (and later on the album) they follow one another and blend in so beautifully. I love this version as well.
8. The Cure, "Plainsong"
First track off Disintegration, and one of those great openings to an album. Kyle was right, it is the best album ever.
9. The Smiths, "Reel Around the Fountain"
First track on their first album, and kind of fitting that it's here, considering I was thinking of summer 1989 as the possibly last time I'd be living in Athol (how wrong I was there, but that's another story). My mindset was that I'd outgrown the town.
10. Joy Division, "Atmosphere"
Not the first or last appearance on one of my compilations, but again--a fitting song to the end of my childhood and teenage years in a small town.
compilation made: I think early summer 1989, probably May, given the release dates of most of the songs. Again, most songs had been played on WAMH...in fact, I'm sure a good handful of these songs were copied from stuff I taped off the radio (said radio tapes being dubbed The Last Home Year Cassettes, being that i was heading to college in the fall). Note that there's a subtle theme in this one--Side A is nearly all loud and agressive, but Side B is more laid back and morose. The reason behind it is interesting--the first tracks on both sides were from my friend Kris' music collection, and I'd asked her to put the two tracks on separate sides, and I built up the comp from there.
listened to: Sometimes at home, but I distinctly remember listening to this during my tenure as a summer employee of the local Public Works Department. All I needed was a summer job, didn't matter what it was, as long as I saved up some money for college. At this point, the job entailed mowing the various cemeteries around town...so yeah, as you can well imagine, it was a thankless and sunburn-prone job, but it was one of my favorites in terms of "mindless but fun work" jobs.
mindset: In a much better mood, as A)I was heading to Emerson in the fall, B)I had a steady girlfriend, and C)I'd purged myself of a lot of pessimism, even though I'd kind of gotten used to, even enjoyed, being the moody creative bastard. Still a nonconformist in my own mind, of course.
writing: A lot of lyrics and poetry, Belief in Fate.
SIDE A
1. That Petrol Emotion, "Creeping to the Cross"
One of the songs that stuck out for me when I went to see them and Voice of the Beehive at UMass with Kris and h58.
2. Siouxsie & the Banshees, "The Killing Jar"
Second single from their Peepshow album and another great song. I think by this time I'd picked up the album either at Main Street in Noho or Al Bum's in Amherst, but got it cheap because it was a promo copy. Quickly became one of my favorite albums at that time.
3. The Cure, "Babble"
Unfortunately there's no video so you can sample the song, but one of the great Cure b-sides, this one from the then newly-released "Fascination Street" single. Played near the end of the semester quite a bit on WAMH. Very odd baby-crying samples on this one...
4. The Smiths, "The Queen Is Dead"
Title track to my favorite Smiths album at the time, it had an angry energy that the other albums didn't quite have. Also, I think I found myself finger-tapping that opening almost daily without thinking at that time.
5. Soul Asylum, "Sometime to Return"
I always thought of Soul Asylum, at least the 80s version, as sort of like the Replacements' little brother that could. Definitely that Minneapolis punk sound. This one was from Hang Time, a very underrated album that got a lot of plays that summer from me, and this (as well as "Cartoon") got a lot of play on 120 Minutes.
6. Love and Rockets, "Motorcycle"
After their psychedelic folksiness of 1987's Earth Sun Moon, they totally surprised us with this hard-hitting heavy blues single, which would feature on their self-titled album that came out at the end of the summer. Using a heavily distorted bass to sound like a motorcycle at the end? Brilliant move.
7. The Cure, "Fascination Street [extended mix]"
[The video is the single edit.] Released just before the brilliant Disintegration as a US-only single (they released "Lullaby" as the first single in the UK, which I happened to have on vinyl from Main Street Music). H58 and I made the mistake of playing this during my senior prom, effectively clearing the floor. We dropped it after about 30 seconds in, sheepishly apologized, and continued playing the annoying pop music of the day.
8. Voice of the Beehive, "Beat of Love"
As said, saw this band open for That Petrol Emotion. The two ladies were quite fetching in real life, and the blond was tall. Kris ran into her in the ladies' room after the show and she came running out with a look of OMGOMGOMG on her face. ;)
9. The Smiths, "Shoplifters of the World Unite"
My other favorite Smiths album at that time was Louder Than Bombs, which I'd gotten from Columbia House sometime in '88, and listened to quite liberally during my DPW job. Essentially a singles compilation, it has quite a few great tracks from them including this one.
10. Camouflage, "That Smiling Face"
First track off of 1988's Voices & Images, further proving that they weren't just a Depeche Mode knock-off. I just recently found this live version from a few years back, well worth checking out.
SIDE B
1. Guns n' Roses, "Patience"
Yeah, I know...odd song to have on a compilation, especially since I wasn't the big GnR fan. This was originally put on here by my friend Kris who had the GnR Lies album and I just wanted a copy of it.
2. Talk Talk, "Life's What You Make It"
This song ROCKS on so many levels...I believe the single was a leftover radio copy, and my interest in it was renewed when Elvis Costello hosted 120 Minutes once and played this video, which I'd never seen before (directed by Tim Pope, no less--he of the weird Cure videos). I just love how the video ends with the dawn breaking.
3. REM, "The One I Love"
Sure, Green was out, but I still really enjoyed Document as well. I've been looking for the acoustic version of this song for ages, which I know is a b-side somewhere...
4. Procol Harum, "Whiter Shade of Pale"
(Wow, there was a real promo for this? I never knew...) I know, another odd choice, but this was because h58, a few others and I had gone to see New York Stories earlier in the year and this song was in a key scene in the "Life Lessons" sequence.
5. Julian Cope, "Charlotte Anne"
This one got heavy play on 120 Minutes as well as on WMDK. I always liked this track, even though a lot of JC's stuff ends up being rather weird.
6. Ultra Vivid Scene, "Mercy Seat"
Mentioned this one in an earlier post...thought it fit the theme.
7. Love and Rockets, "I Feel Speed"
How do you follow up the heaviness of the above "Motorcycle"? By doing an extremely quiet version, of course. On the single (and later on the album) they follow one another and blend in so beautifully. I love this version as well.
8. The Cure, "Plainsong"
First track off Disintegration, and one of those great openings to an album. Kyle was right, it is the best album ever.
9. The Smiths, "Reel Around the Fountain"
First track on their first album, and kind of fitting that it's here, considering I was thinking of summer 1989 as the possibly last time I'd be living in Athol (how wrong I was there, but that's another story). My mindset was that I'd outgrown the town.
10. Joy Division, "Atmosphere"
Not the first or last appearance on one of my compilations, but again--a fitting song to the end of my childhood and teenage years in a small town.
