This is the blog post you’ve all been waiting for. If you haven’t read the first two posts in the series, catch up here and there. I’ve also revealed the first 4 tracks from the now 8 year old, Best Mix Tape Ever!
1. D’yer Maker – Led Zeppelin
2. Love Rollercoaster – Red Hot Chili Peppers
3: Eruption/You Really Got Me – Van Halen
4: Open Road Song – Eve 6
I have fessed up to some mistakes along the way and got a little off track in Part Two. Rules are more like tips, but the songs being played from here on in may NOT have anything to do with the Rule attached to them. As stated previously, I am making a NEW playlist as I go. Feel free to make yours as we go, or you can agree or disagree with me in the comments section of every post.
Rule #5: Mix it up a LOT
Best Mix Tape Ever Track 5: I Will Survive – Cake (Gloria Gaynor cover)
This mix started off with some classic rock icons, but overall you can tell I was in high school in the ’90s. And the decade’s dominance isn’t going to stop for another 4 songs. Do these songs “fit” well? Yep! Would I go this route now? Nope! It’s a pretty diverse mix for a pile of 21-27 year olds in 2003, but doesn’t cut it now. MIX. IT. UP. A good mix needs different genres, decades, styles etc. This mix is a full of male vocalists from the ’90s. Big FAIL, me. Big FAIL. Now how do you facilitate all of your listeners and get that musical diversity as well?
Rule #6: Know where you’re going
Best Mix Tape Ever Track 6: Same In The End – Sublime
Planning out the songs for your mix can be a tricky. I find it better to not get attached to any one song but maybe start with 10 songs you want to play in a 90 minute time frame. Remember! The longer a mix is, the harder it will be create. Most classic albums are less than 45 minutes long because of the constraints of vinyl. How good would some of these newer CDs be if they didn’t try to fill the whole disc, but instead tried to make 40 minutes of seamless music? I think it would make a huge difference. Slayer does this really well. Their first 5 releases barely breach 35 minutes each. They know that even their fans don’t want a 60 minute Slayer record.
For our next post in this series you’ll need a lesson in ear fatigue and how you’ll learn that you need to be the master of puppets.
To be continued…How To Make A Mix Tape/Playlist Part Four
