For as long as people have used music to convey emotions, there’s been mixed medium compilations.
Whether they appeared on cassette tapes, CDS, or shared You Tube playlists, people have spent countless hours trying to put together the right combination of songs to string together a specific idea or emotion.
I recently stumbled upon a mix tape my best friend Adam created entitled:
This CD Contains R.D.A of Rock and Vitamin C. May Be Dangerous If Combined With Alcohol and Tony Hawk.
The mix CD and it’s encyclopedia of a title looked a little worn but still brought back powerful memories of when my late friend Adam Ward would put together collections of music for me and his other friends and then write woefully wordy titles on its cover.
Side note: Nobody had Adam’s handwriting and I loved everything he wrote. It was art form in and of itself — every letter seemed to be to have its own intensity, strength, and vigor. His handwriting was so structured and active, like the writing of an engineer.
Anyway, Adam was a master at creating mixed media. Over our decades long friendship, Adam created mix CDS, USBs, complete MP3 CDS, videos, and other stuff. Even in the months leading up to his revoltingly early passing on Nov. 8, 2020, we’d sitting around the campfire talking about music.
For us, music was almost always a polar conversation. We either lavishly enjoyed an artist, song or album to the fullest or vehemently disagreed on a track or band.
Maynard Ferguson? The purest, most driving big band artist to grace Jazz. He was probably one of the very best band leaders. A force.
Ronnie James Dio? Let’s have a musically argument where we point fingers, become way to emotional, and use the word “fuck” a lot. Don’t bring up Sabbath cause we might fight.
Regardless, this guy loved to create combinations of things — mostly music — to show you how he felt about you and the things you shared in common. It was a form of communication and a way he showed his affection. He was perhaps the best making you feel loved through making you something from the things he enjoyed.
For the most part, the mix CDs were fantastic and sources of new and interesting music. The were highlights of things we shared in common.
Other times, they featured things that you might not exactly share in common that you were going to get anyway.
Example:
I told Adam on one occasion that I had heard a song by Chingy, a rap artist that enjoyed minor fame in the late 90s. For that, Adam made me a mix CD of Chingy-esque rap featuring five tracks by Chingy himself. Imagine a Chingy-esque title and you’ve got it.
I told Adam my mother adored Joan Jett once and I only matched her enthusiasm for the artist with revulsion and disdain. The result?
Joan Jett and the Blackhearts appear on nearly everything he gave me. Now to be fair, Adam went through a pretty heavy Joan Jett period in the 2000s, which was annoying in and of itself, but that love seeped into my media in the slightest “if I love it and play it enough, you’ll love it too” type of way.
Still, getting a mix CD from someone was a fucking honor in every sense of the word. Getting a mix CD from Adam was even better because you knew this guy spent a few hours dedicating something to you that was personal and unique.
I would give nearly anything to get another shot at even speaking with the man again.
So I had to listen to this CD.
But times are different and the way we listen to music changed. This thing I uncovered is the only remaining Adam creation I have left. Putting in on and giving it a spin was going to be a trip down memory lane and a view into our erratic, passionate, emotional musical friendship.
But first, since it was a CD, there wasn’t any “just putting it on.”
How Do I Play This Fucking Thing?
Holding the CD in my hand, I revealed in the possibility of reliving some amazing memories of my dear friend’s creation for me.
This was going to be something to consume, enjoy, and bring back memories of times we either completely agreed or violently clashed over songs.
But who has a CD player anymore? I was stunned that the last few years had passed me without my recognition that even my computer — a modern Mac Book — lacked a CD-ROM.
And then it hit me. The Playstation. Yes, this thing had that thin slot for this forgotten media.
I shoved the mix CD into my Playstation 4. After a few seconds of audible whirring coupled with a few spinning starts and stops, the PS4 shrugged its digital shoulders and provided a report of “Unknown Media”.
And then, as a 40-year-old man, I found myself degrading the TV for it’s incompetence.
“What the fuck do you mean ‘unknown media’,” I barked at the screen, scaring the cat with my technological sarcasm. “You’re a Playstation. Play it.”
But I wouldn’t win this battle. So I shifted gears. After ransacking my brain for other CD-slotted media, my distant memory fell on an old portable DVD player I had from almost 10 years ago.
This little AudioVox 5" LCD Monitor and DVD Player Model D1500B is a powerhouse in a small profile unit. It can play DVDs so you can let your kid enjoy movies in the car and also will handle CDs full of MP3s with a simple graphical user interface for navigating the file system.
Oh yeah, and it also plays mix CDs from your best friend.
Finding a power cord to get this guy charged was a real chore. I ended up stealing the Alexa power source from my kid after wandering around the house for hours unplugging and testing literally 50 or so devices.
Check out this battle station of a set up. Just for a damn CD.
I plugged the DVD player into a portable speaker via a male-to-male (giggity) cord via the Audio Out port on the player. Yes, this motherfucker has an audio out.
Mental note: Throw nothing away.
I hit play and was delivered instantly to the early 2000s where the mix CD my buddy created was streaming out of the little box setup.
Here’s the entirety of the playlist with some notes along the way. It’s a banger.
White Zombie — Thunder Kiss 65’
I’ve always been a fan of White Zombie. Adam and I shared a deep love of this band. More Human Than Human is a monster track. Adam provided this one and widened my listening of these guys.
Dream Theater — Act 1: Scene 2: Overture 1928
Anyone who knows me knows that I went through a pretty significant Dream Theater period and it all started with this album. What an absolute experience Scenes From a Memory was. We solidly played this album front-to-back for what seemed like an entire year in college. It’s still a winner and the last great Dream Theater album.
Stabbing Westward — Save Yourself
To be honest, I literally forgot this song existed until I listened to it. It’s cringe-worth 90s stuff that I’m sad to admit I used to associate with “deep” and “artistic”.
Filter — Hey Man Nice Shot (Remix)
Here’s something a little different — a mix of a Filter track about Bud Dwyer shooting himself on TV. It’s something to listen to once to say you did and then that’s it.
Ice Cube with Paul Oakenfold — Right Here, Right Now
I unapologetically love Ice Cube when he hit his stride and this track is tough.
N.E.R.D. — Truth or Dare ft. Kelis & Pusha T — YouTube
The thing about this track is I skipped it back when I first got this CD and I skipped it when I listened to it again after probably a decade or so. The muscle memory was amazing — I just slammed that skip button.
My enthusiasm for Korn never matched Adam’s but I certainly liked the band and even grew to respect them as they matured. They never reached Deftones status but they certainly survived.
This track though is deeply emotional and well done. Jonathan Davis is fantastic.
Homegrown — We are Dumb
I nearly forgot about this fun track. Cool tune!
The Clash — The Magnificent Seven
This is my favorite Clash tune from my least favorite Clash album. Adam and I loved this song together. Note: Dude knew all the words to the banger, which features some amazing bass work from Paul Simonon.
At The Drive In — One Armed Scissor
Without a doubt, one of my favorite songs ever from one of my favorite albums ever.
Joan Jett & The Blackhearts — I Hate Myself for Loving You
… throw up icon.
Coheed and Cambria — Hearshot Kid Disaster
I’ve got a complicated relationship with C&C and I usually don’t like the early stuff but this song is great.
Cypress Hill — Trouble
Again, I’m unapologetic about my love for this band and the deep turn they took into metal. Track is amazing. Adam and I both went through a heavy period of this kind of stuff.
It’s Ghetto by Fabulous
Why was this a good idea?
Diesel Boy — Titty Twister
Song is a party tune. It’s fine.
Sevendust — Enemy
Sevendust was a big deal for us growing up in high school separately and we aligned on that in college. Band had balls.
The Rage to Overcome — Machine Head
Song is a explosion of violence and light and we loved it. Adam opened the door to Machine Head for me.
Hed PE — Swan Dive
If you want to know what it sounds like in a troubled varsity football players head after he fumbles in the big game, this is
Dust for Life — Step into the Light
I’d completely forgotten about this band after promising to look into them more. This is a great track that sounds a lot like Alice in Chains best stuff.
