Segnbora's Mood Mix Tapes

Well, I saw the stuff at Angela Gunn's home page about mix tapes as a form of creativity, perhaps the form of musical creativity for modern Americans, and I thought, "Hey! Cool!" I've put a lot of effort into some of my mixes, while others have just been what happened to be on the radio that I liked at the time (and the latter sometimes turn out as well as the former, annoyingly enough). A lot of them recall a time, or a feeling, or both, which is interesting as self-history (and as I said on my diary page, I'm an obsessive self-archivist some of the time). But it's very interesting to me how songs from widely disparate artists (the B-52's and Warriorsoul, for example) can be put together for a unified effect.

So I decided to put up track listings for the mix tapes I've made that are intended to create, go along with, or alleviate a certain mood. I haven't made many of these recently, perhaps because I've got more music and it's easier to find a pre-made compilation that goes with a mood than it was when I was in high school with not much money to spend on music, or college when half my collection was with me and half at my mom's house. I don't know if anyone but my best friend will read them, but I've got lots of unused space for my site, so I'll put it up anyway.

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Sad/Pensive/Quiet | Depressed/Angry | Purely Happy | Mischievous/Sexy

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Sad/Pensive/Quiet

These are really interesting to me because I've got four spread over time, and they reflect changing tastes as well as slight differences in mood.

Sad Songs Say So Much

The title comes from the Elton John song of that name, which is not on here because it never struck me as fitting the mood it was describing. I don't have a date for this, but from blurred memory and some of the unusually poppy selections I would say 1987 or '88, when I was 14ish.

Side 1 Love Is Only Sleeping -- The Monkees Foolish Beat -- Debbie Gibson Fast Car -- Tracy Chapman Sign Your Name -- Terence Trent D'Arby The Rain -- Oran "Juice" Jones Smalltown Boy -- Bronski Beat She's Leaving Home -- The Beatles Eleanor Rigby -- The Beatles

Side 2 I Miss You -- Klymaxx It's Only Love -- The Beatles No One Is To Blame -- Howard Jones Shake You Down -- Gregory Abbott Banana Republics -- Jimmy Buffett Almost Paradise -- Mike Reno & Ann Wilson I Heard It Through The Grapevine -- Marvin Gaye Missing You -- Diana Ross

The Sky Would Bleed

Title source: Diane Duane's novel The Door Into Fire, in which a character looking through a door into another world says, "If you cut our sky with a knife, it would bleed that color." I don't know the exact date for this either, but probably 1988.

Side 1 Night Moves -- Bob Seger Things We Said Today -- The Beatles Shelter -- Lone Justice Hotel California -- The Eagles Dance Hall Days -- Wang Chung Cry To Me - Soloman Burke Purple Rain -- Prince All Cried Out -- Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam

Side 2 Wonder Why We Ever Go Home -- Jimmy Buffett Mr. Tambourine Man -- The Byrds Somewhere Down The Crazy River -- Robbie Robertson Sounds of Silence -- Simon & Garfunkel The Crystal Ship -- The Doors End Of The Night -- The Doors I Won't Forget You -- Poison Over The Edge -- Hurricane Goin' To California -- Led Zeppelin

Trying To Capture A Mood

I find this one fascinating because it was made at a time (January 1990, around my 17th birthday) when heavy metal was everything to me and stuff by metal bands even takes up a side of this pensive-mood tape. And does it quite well, although I guess at the time a power-ballad was obligatory on the album of every metal band who didn't aspire to thrash metal.

Side 1 Sometimes She Cries -- Warrant Edie (Ciao Baby) -- The Cult The Ballad of Jane -- L.A. Guns One Way Ticket -- L.A. Guns Lady of the Valley -- White Lion House of Pain -- Faster Pussycat My Michelle -- Guns n' Roses In My Dreams -- Dokken Dream On -- Aerosmith Closer To My Heart -- Ratt

Side 2 I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) -- Aretha Franklin And I Love Her -- The Beatles Riders on the Storm -- The Doors L.A. Woman -- The Doors Treat Her Like A Lady -- Jimmy Buffett Time After Time -- Cyndi Lauper Time (Clock of the Heart) -- Culture Club Nautical Wheelers -- Jimmy Buffett Wild Horses -- The Rolling Stones Bring It On Home To Me -- The Animals

A Lullaby Makes You Feel Better

Title source: a lyric from Warriorsoul's "Lullaby," which is on side 2. This one I made around December 1991, a freshman in college with access to other people's music collections (although that only accounts for "I Feel Possessed" really).

Side 1 Faded Love -- Patsy Cline Sweet Dreams -- Patsy Cline The Movie -- Jim Morrison/The Doors Ghost Song -- Jim Morrison/The Doors Stoned Immaculate -- Jim Morrison/The Doors The Severed Garden -- Jim Morrison/The Doors Don't Cry -- Guns 'n Roses I Feel Possessed -- Crowded House Suzanne -- Judy Collins Southern Cross -- Crosby, Stills & Nash

Side 2 Julia -- The Beatles The Wind Cries Mary -- Jimi Hendrix Since I've Been Loving You -- Led Zeppelin Stargazer -- Mother Love Bone Deep Sleep -- The B-52's Lullaby -- Warriorsoul Close My Eyes Forever -- Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne

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Depressed/Angry

These tapes have a slight difference from the attenpts at consistent mood of the others; each of these has a song or two at the end which is designed to cheer me up a bit after indulging the bad mood for a while.

The Real Me (Or Is It?)

Title source: The Who song "The Real Me" as covered by W.A.S.P. which was getting some play on Headbanger's Ball at the time (April 1989), plus a transparent attempt at convering my tracks.

Side 1 Back Door Man -- The Doors Ruby Tuesday -- The Rolling Stones While My Guitar Gently Weeps -- The Beatles Happiness Is A Warm Gun -- The Beatles 18 and Life -- Skid Row Rocket Queen -- Guns 'n Roses Cradle To The Grave -- Mötorhead You Can Run But You Can't Hide -- Armored Saint

Side 2 In My Darkest Hour -- Megadeth Sanitarium -- Metallica Jane Says -- Jane's Addiction Too Fast For Love -- Mötley Crüe Children of the Night -- Whitesnake Hero Takes A Fall -- The Bangles Blow My Fuse -- Kix

Rebellion, Desperation and Intensity

Title Source: Well, in an interview with Andrew Wood, lead singer of Mother Love Bone, he said that the name of the band was "just three words that sound really cool together." I was trying to think of other sets of three words and came up with the title of this tape (just the sort of words that would appeal to a 17-year-old metal fan).

Side 1 Would I Lie To You? -- Eurythmics Wild Child -- The Doors Bring The Noise -- Public Enemy Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby (Standing in the Shadow)? -- The Rolling Stones Mother -- Danzig Nightrain -- Guns 'n Roses Out Ta Get Me -- Guns 'n Roses Dyers Eve -- Metallica When The Music's Over -- The Doors Now It's Dark -- Anthrax

Side 2 Youth Gone Wild -- Skid Row God Is A Bullet -- Concrete Blonde Sanitarium -- Metallica How Will I Laugh Tomorrow (When I Can't Even Smile Today)? -- Suicidal Tendencies One More Reason -- L.A. Guns Somebody Save Me -- Cinderella Smash Alley -- Faster Pussycat Mr. Brownstone -- Guns 'n Roses Never Enough -- L.A. Guns Gimme Shelter -- The Rolling Stones Paradise City -- Guns 'n Roses

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Purely Happy

The difference between this category and the next is difficult to explain although fairly obvious when one is feeling one of them. These two are good-mood tapes, on top of the world, happiness that anyone can accept without disapproving of or feeling guilty about the source (unless you listen to the lyrics), whereas the next category has more of a feeling of the taboo-to-some, the mischeviously evil.

Infectious Good Mood (Zannestyle)

The title should be self-explanatory. The tape is undated but probably 1991.

Side 1 Hard To Handle -- The Black Crowes Wooly Bully -- Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs Wild Thing -- The Troggs Up Around The Bend -- Hanoi Rocks Roadhouse Blues -- The Doors Capricorn Sister -- Mother Love Bone Apple Pie -- White Trash Seven O'Clock -- The London Quireboys Coming of Age -- Damn Yankees

Side 2 Same Old Situation -- Mötley Crüe Blow My Fuse -- Kix Get The Funk Out -- Extreme Chip Away The Stone -- Aerosmith Respect -- Aretha Franklin Try (Just A Little Bit Harder) -- Janis Joplin Tear It Down -- Def Leppard Shelter Me -- Cinderella Dance The Night Away -- Van Halen

Happy Happy Joy Joy

Title from Ren & Stimpy, obviously. 1992, I think; the selection owes a lot to stuff college friends had.

Side 1 Easy Money -- Billy Joel The Longest Time -- Billy Joel Only The Good Die Young -- Billy Joel You May Be Right -- Billy Joel It's Still Rock'n'Roll To Me -- Billy Joel We Got The Beat -- The Go-go's Our Lips Are Sealed -- The Go-Go's Heart And Soul -- Huey Lewis and the News

Side 2 Big Ten Inch Record -- Aerosmith Chain of Fools -- Aretha Franklin Jump (For My Love) -- The Pointer Sisters Walk Like An Egyptian -- The Bangles 32 Pennies -- Warrant Devil In My Car -- The B-52's Private Idaho -- The B-52's Randy Scouse Git -- The Monkees

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Mischevious/Sexy

The largest of all the mood mix categories, amusingly enough, with six tapes, and the one that shows changes over time the most because of it. As said in the blurb for the happy category, this category always has a touch of playing-with-fire excitement to it, and these tapes work better for cheering me up if I'm down than the purely happy ones because pure cheerfulness just grates on me when I'm depressed. These tapes get me thinking about fun stuff (that's why most of the songs are about sex -- the hormones revving up usually helps in the mood lift) and into the mood that makes my friends repress a smile and say "You're evil."

Sex, Sex, and Rock'n'Roll

The title was a suggested title for the Mötley Crüe collection which was released as "Decade of Decadence." The tape is probably 1988 or '89.

Side 1 Hungry -- White Lion Still of the Night -- Whitesnake Give Me All Your Love Tonight -- Whitesnake You Shook Me All Night Long -- AC/DC Love On The Rocks -- Poison Whole Lotta Love -- Led Zeppelin Black Dog -- Led Zeppelin Slip Of The Lip -- Ratt Shake Me -- Cinderella Bathroom Wall -- Faster Pussycat Nice Boys -- Guns 'n Roses

Side 2 No Ring Around Rosie -- Kix Seventeen -- Winger Yeah Yeah Yeah -- Kix, I think, but I taped this off the radio without any attribution Stay With Me Tonight -- Quiet Riot Talk Dirty To Me -- Poison I Want Action -- Poison Girls Girls Girls -- Mötley Crüe Rainbow Bar & Girls -- Black & White Green-Eyed Lady -- I don't know who did this version but it isn't the original Sugarloaf one Rock Me -- Great White

Or Is It Fantasy?

The title comes from a line in Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne's "Close My Eyes Forever." Undated, but probably late 1989.

Side 1 Naughty Naughty -- Danger Danger Panama -- Van Halen Mista Bone -- Great White Love Me Two Times -- The Doors Addicted To That Rush -- Mr. Big Tush -- ZZ Top Some Like It Hot -- Powerstation

Side 2 Little Girls -- Extreme Fire -- Jimi Hendrix Foxey Lady -- Jimi Hendrix Tattooed Dancer -- Ozzy Osbourne Scratch My Back -- Roxx Gang You're In Love -- Ratt It's So Easy -- Guns 'n Roses Anything Goes -- Guns 'n Roses

Excitement Volume Three

April 1990.

Side 1 So Damn Pretty -- Warrant Sex Action -- L.A. Guns Little Dove -- Faster Pussycat Brown Sugar -- The Rolling Stones F.I.N.E. -- Aerosmith Screwed, Blewed and Tattooed -- The Sleez Beez Slow And Easy -- Whitesnake Come Along -- Salty Dog Up All Night -- Slaughter I Wanna Be Your Dog -- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts I Got A Line On You -- Alice Cooper

Side 2 Someone Like You -- Bang Tango Radar Love -- White Lion Slice of Your Pie -- Mötley Crüe Rattlesnake Shake -- Mötley Crüe Back In The Saddle -- Aerosmith Don't Change That Song -- Faster Pussycat Cathouse -- Faster Pussycat Piece of Me -- Skid Row Everybody Wants Some -- Van Halen Let's Go Crazy -- Prince Lil' Devil -- The Cult

Numero Quatre

April 1991.

Side 1 Give It To Me Good -- Trixter Teaser -- Mötley Crüe Beat The Bullet -- Vain Stop -- Jane's Addiction Sweet Little Sister -- Skid Row Let The Music do The Talking -- Aerosmith Rock Queen -- Love/Hate Give It All You Got -- Shotgun Messiah, I think

Side 2 The Candy Song -- Masters of Reality Bang Go The Bells -- Babylon A.D. Twisted -- Kane Roberts The Spider and the Fly -- don't know artist Scratch Like A Cat -- Spread Eagle Wicked Sensation -- Lynch Mob THC Groove -- BulletBoys She Rides -- Danzig Blooze -- Junkyard

Cinco de Mayo

Just trying to keep on with titles in a numerical vein. April-May 1993.

Side 1 Stripped -- Depeche Mode The One Thing -- INXS Spark In The Dark -- Alice Cooper I Touch Myself -- Divinyls I Wanna Sex You Up -- Color Me Badd Body Language -- Queen Black Magic Woman -- Santana Lick It Up -- Kiss Heaven's On Fire -- Kiss Desert Moon -- Great White Strobelight -- The B-52's

Side 2 I'm So Excited -- The Pointer Sisters Burnin' Up -- Madonna Hungry Like The Wolf -- Duran Duran Walk This Way -- Aerosmith Red Hot (Black & Blue) -- Kix A Love Bizarre -- Sheila E. Wild Flower -- The Cult Rock You Like A Hurricane -- The Scorpions Abracadabra -- The Steve Miller Band Obsession -- Animotion Jungle Love -- The Time Teas'n Pleas'n -- Dangerous Toys

Les Banlieux d'Enfer

I got bored with numerical titles. It means "the suburbs of hell," and was used by someone in my senior year of high school French class. I was intrigued by the turn of phrase, wrote it down on my folder, and used the folder after I graduated to store stories and such in. When I was making the tape (off and on for several months in 1997-98) I saw the folder and decided to use the phrase.

Side 1 Sympathy For The Devil -- The Rolling Stones Leave Your Hat On -- Joe Cocker Unholy -- Kiss Five To One -- The Doors Mea Culpa -- Enigma Josie -- Steely Dan Get Ready -- Rare Earth Wild Nights -- John Mellencamp Under Cover of Darkness -- Living Colour Sexy MF -- Prince

Side 2 Gett Off -- Prince I Love U In Me -- Prince Erotic City -- Prince Self Control -- Laura Branigan I'm Your Baby Tonight -- Whitney Houston Justify My Love -- Madonna Temptation -- Corinna After Dark Love Mix -- Corinna Relax -- Frankie Goes To Hollywood I Can't Hold Back -- Survivor

You can read more about my phases of music fandom or see a list of all the albums I own.

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