Mix Master

This may make me sound like a Luddite, but I love to make mix tapes.
Yes it is the 21st century, but I do, I love mix tapes.
Mix tapes are an art--there must be a flow from one song to the next, the proper spacing between the songs, the levels kept even between the songs, the timing correct so that the last song doesn't cut out, the proper listing on the liner notes, backup songs if the primary is too short (or too long) to end the side properly--there are all very important, and facts I think are lost on burned CDs. In burning a CD, one simply picks the songs, picks the order and hits go; in a few minutes the computer spits out a freshly burned mix.
With mix tapes it's a dedication to whatever amount of time is necessary to create the magic. It is a serious committment!
Today I made a mix tape for my big BBQ (it would have been nice to burn a CD, but I don't have a burner, and I like mix tapes!) So I picked my preferred 30 songs, then whittled it down to 24. Setting up the sides, the flow, the tempo--it's all very scientific.
(I am partly being sarcastic...) My only friend who understands this is the great Emilie, who also is in love with mix tapes. I'm glad I'm not alone.
I think it's a pretty good mix: everything from "Back in Baby's Arms" by Patsy Cline to "Stickshifts and Safety Belts" by Cake, with all kinds of stuff thrown in between. It'll be fun, if only for the tape.