You’ve heard the one about cockroaches and Cher surviving the Apocalypse? You can add this item to that list: Maxell UD XL-II 90 cassettes. I was going through some musty boxes the other day and found a stash of mix tapes that I’ve had since the 70s and 80s. I’ll be damned if they didn’t sound just as good as the day I recorded them (My theory is that they are manufactured from the same material they use for “black boxes”).
I was into putting together “theme sets” long before I got into the radio biz. My mix tapes were popular with friends; I’d make copies on demand, and name them (of course). One of my faves was “The Oh My God I am So Stoned Tape”. I don’t think that requires explanation; I mean, it was the 70s and I was a long-haired stoner music geek.
Nearly 50 years later, I’m still putting together theme sets. It is my métier. Kind of sad, really (grown man and all). Anyway …turn off the news (it’s depressing!), turn down the lights, do some deep breathing, and let “The Oh My God I am So Stoned Tape 2023” wash anxiety away. I’ve sequenced the songs in a manner designed to sustain a certain mood-so for maximum effect, I suggest that you listen to it in order. Enjoy!*
*Herbal enhancement optional
Van Morrison – “Coney Island”
Peter Frampton – “Fig Tree Bay”
The Jam – “English Rose”
The Dream Academy – “Indian Summer”
Kevin Ayers – “Puis Je?”
Mark-Almond Band – “Girl on Table 4”
Carole King – “Only Love is Real”
Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express – “All the Time There Is”
Matt Deighton – “5 Years in Pieces”
Nick Drake – “From the Morning”
The Monkees – “As We Go Along”
Montrose – “One and a Half”
Batdorf and Rodney – “Oh Can You Tell Me”
Lyle Lovett – “If I Had a Boat”
Hotlegs – “Fly Away”
Nick Heyward – “Whistle Down the Wind”
Peter Sinfield – “Under the Sky”
Julee Cruise – “Summer Kisses, Winter Tears”
Graham Nash & David Crosby – “Whole Cloth”
Jeff Beck Group – “Max’s Tune”
The Who – “The Song is Over”
Previous posts with related themes:
Book of Saturday: A Chillaxing Mixtape (Part I)
Explore the mixtape archives at Den of Cinema
— Dennis Hartley