Mix Tapes

In my 20s and 30s, like a ton of other folk, I made cassettes of tunes for my good pals and they for me. Mix tapes weren’t just about sharing fav songs and bands; they were a kind of communication, a way to get to know one another on a deeper level. It was a way to share joy, inspiration and, sometimes, things that couldn’t be said aloud.

After my hearing went south (and why does that phrase ‘went south’ always mean broken, FUBAR or vanished?) I collected all my tapes and CDs. I put them aside so that just the very sight of them wouldn’t depress me while I struggled through the early days of audio deprivation. 

I’d be looking at them, screaming my frustrations -- ‘the music is right there yet I can’t experience it. ‘the fuck!!!?’  I kept 'thinking' (rational thought not being in evidence at the time) that, if I stared at them mean and nasty enough, they'd cough up the glorious dazzlement they carried out of fear of my monstrous anger.

You can see why I had to stow them, eh? It was for TAB's sake really. The yelling got to be a bit painful, I guess.

During my current ongoing studio clean-a-thon, the CDs and tapes resurfaced. I can look at them now and not rage. Much. Wistfulness is more present now.

I found all the tapes that Sean Vigle made for me. There’re tunes from his bands Boo Radley, Jr., Erector Set, Beef and The Verbs.

I remember the singer from Erector Set’s voice -- it was like dark honey mixed with espresso, gravel and popcorn. It was alizerine crimson, raw sienna and ultramarine blue. Hypnotic and energizing at the same time. Jesus, I could live an entire life within one refrain.

And yeah, mega awesome drum work. Of course and DUH-HUH!

I look at the tapes he made me and see the witty, funny titles and the wild tunes he recorded for me. There was Public Enemy next to Urban Dance Squad followed by The Beach Boys and then Joe Strummer and The Polysocialites. He gave me Romanian folksongs matched with Tibetan bells and so much more.

The one I haven’t found yet is the tape of Christmas music. He and I had ‘argued’ (discussed passionately?) the whole Christmas carol/tune-age thing. My very strong feeling was that it all sucked giant elephant wang and I did NOT want to hear a bit of it any more, EVAH! (Got my wish, eh) Sean calmly, rationally allowed that there was some very good stuff out there and he’d prove it to me.

And he did. I’d never heard of any of the musicians or songs on the tape, and can’t bring any names to mind now, but every last one was gorgeous. I don’t believe there were lyrics; it was all instrumental -- acoustic guitars, keyboards, soft percussion. Stunningly gorgeous.

I remember listening to it over and over, the entire way back, via Peter Pan, from Hoosick Falls  (three and a half hours by car, eight and a half by bus) through the Green Mountains of Vermont.

Spectacularly beautiful -- the music and the snow falling gently on the wooded highways of Southern Vermont with the lush, graceful tunes, perfect for the season, playing in my ears.

I still despised the over-polished, over-played crapoli that was piped into shop sound systems everywhere but now I knew, not all Christmas music is utter shite.

I see Sean in these collections and can’t believe he’s not here anymore.

Erector Set -- Inside Out