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.


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


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


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


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


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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