Analysis Of A Mix CD: Part 1

This will be a long one. But I promise you - it's worth it. I've tried to break it up into manageable bloggy pieces. Enjoy

In the recent purging of stuff in my closet, I came across one of perhaps 50+ unlabeled CDs. On many of these are aborted attempts to (legally) burn now-forgotten albums (did I really want that entire Kanye West album? Kinky? Bad Tom Waits? Live Ween?). On many other discs, however, there are admirable and interesting mixes, some intended for (but not delivered to) others and some solely for my own enjoyment (as well as whoever was riding along with me in a the Honda or Toyota I happened to be driving).

I listened to a few of these years-old CDs (and cassettes) recently. One in particular is worthy of a detailed multi-part analysis here on BpB. Others may follow.

I chose this particular mix because it contains a few surprises and it resonates with me - emotionally, intellectually, and musically. Did I just write that?

In constructing the mix, I made some understandable-to-me-now decisions, some obvious-to-me-then choices, and a few (only a few) regrettable choices.

I also chose this disc because it's from an interesting time in my life: June of 2002. I could write in detail about my life then, giving you a window to my soul, heart, and mind. Or I could just make bullet points:

• I was married and living in a house in Minneapolis
• We were moving to California the following month
• I was relatively happy
• I was writing a lot of fiction
• It was a year after the game show but that money was gone
• The World Cup was going on
• I seemed to have many many friends (not that quantity is always a substitute for quality)
• I owned a lot of music

I have a vague memory of making this CD for a friend of mine - Rebecca - then living in Kansas City. I think I sent her a slightly different version of this disc. It was shortly after she sent me a mix CD. Prior to this past February, I had received only four mixes from other people in my entire life. I had probably given 50 of them away. Since February, I have been given five more, all from someone who is also from Kansas City.

Anyway, the disc is mine now. I played it in my car over the weekend and yesterday. I'm listening to it right now. I want to tell you about it. And I will do just that when I get to Part 2.