Homemade
8-trackAmpex 84 minute blank
Homemade
8-track| Track 1 FOGHAT LIVE Road Fever Honey Hush NAZARETH Hair of the Dog Miss Misery LED ZEPPELIN Communication Breakdown |
Track 2 MOUNTAIN LIVE Nantucket Sleigh Ride MAHOGANY RUSH Maxoom |
| Track 3 RUSH LIVE Working Man/Finding My Way FLEETWOOD MAC Fhiannon MAHOGANY RUSH The New Beginning |
Track 4 FLEETWOOD MAC Landslide The Chain AEROSMITH Get it Up FOGHAT LIVE Slow Ride |
The homemade tape: what better symbol of the true spirit of the 8-track? Making your own "cool" mix tapes was one of the greatest things about those of us who bought a recorder back in the olden days. The 8-track was the first medium really suited to home taping: the audio cassette had not yet taken hold, and reel-to-reels were too much hassle (plus you couldn't play them in your car*!). The advent of home recording decks allowed the consumer, for the first time, to assemble his or her own melange of tunes, each tape reflecting the owner's unique tastes and personality.
But here we are 20 years later -- what to make of these nuggets now? I always skipped over the homebrew carts at the thrift stores... I saw them as undesirable choices while trying to track down that illusive punk or jazz cart. These days, though, I have a great affection for the home-made cart. I always wonder, to what great life events was this the soundtrack? Who made the tape, and where are they now? Each tape is a time capsule, capturing a mood, an era of music -- each one a potential work of art.
This particular cart is one of my favorites: its creator decorated the sleeve with groovy illustrations surrounding the song titles, including eyes, candles, mountainscapes, and other "far out" imagery. A product of late night bong hits? Probably, but remember, this was a simpler time. I am pleased to find that the tape included a hand-lettered date: "January 15, 1978." My guess is that this tape was made with an 8-track recorder received on Christmas 1977, and was made with selections taped from LPs received that same holiday season. The owner was clearly into the popular hard rock acts of the day: Foghat, Mahogany Rush, Mountain ... but also threw in a few lite rock numbers by Fleetwood Mac for balance.
* I did receive an email from John Boy <jmm333@mpinet.net> who claims that he carried a power converter and a Wollensack reel-to-reel on the front seat to have music driving from town to town!
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