miss you
I'll Make You A Tape (vol. 2)
download: Saying It With Somone Else's Words
"...your using someone else's poetry to express how you feel. This is a delicate thing."
- John Cusack as Rob Fleming, High Fidelity (2000)
That quote doesn't hold true for all mixtapes, of course. The majority are unthemed, "here are a bunch of songs you will enjoy," type affairs. Some have themes, but generally speaking, aren't trying to do anything more than collect "songs about animals" or "songs that mention cities" or something seemingly random like that. There are a percentage of recorded cassettes, cds, and now, ITunes playlists, however, that have been carefully assembled (and sometimes carefully packaged) to say something. "I love you," "I('ll) miss you," "I want you," "I want you back," or maybe "all of the above."
This hypothetical demonstration could've been any of those things, but I went with the latter. There's also a bit of a twist - and, this is where that High Fidelity quote comes in. If you're going to say something with someone else's words, why not use songs that have been road tested with that purpose entirely in mind?
Cover songs: some are good, some are terrible, some are genuine, some are tongue and cheek (although those ones usually suck). Mixtapes then, can be the cover song for those of us who aren't talented enough to pick up an instrument and perform/record are own rendition of someone else's music, because what a good cover song embodies, is the very premise of the meaningful mixtape: expressing your feelings with someone else's words...
1. Julie Doiron - A Thing Of The Past (The Shirelles)
2. Broken Social Scene - Every Night (Paul McCartney)
3. Rogue Wave - Everyday (Buddy Holly)
4. The Concretes - Miss You (The Rolling Stones)
5. Cat Power - I Found A Reason (The Velvet Underground)
6. TV on the Radio - Modern Romance (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
7. Jose Gonzalez - Heartbeats (The Knife)
8. Final Fantasy - This Modern Love (Bloc Party)
9. Pearl Jam - Throw Your Arms Around Me (Hunters and Collectors)
10. Mazzy Star - Wild Horses (The Rolling Stones)
11. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals - I Still Miss Someone (Johnny Cash)
12. Feist - Secret Heart (Ron Sexsmith)
13. Stevie Wonder - We Can Work It Out (The Beatles)
14. Neil Finn and Friends - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (The Smiths)
now playing: Wilco - Someone Else's Song
Labels: mixtapes
9 Comments:
may i also recommend muse's cover of frankie valli's "can't take my eyes off of you".
By 
Percy, at
12:42 a.m.
this is my favourite movie! thanks.
By 
, at
1:46 a.m.
Great playlist. I would add Al Green's fabulous cover of the Beatles' "I Wanna Hold Your Hand". Interesting that I should read this as I'm putting together a playlist of my favorite songs from the first half of 2006.
By , at
6:13 a.m.
you totes should have put Devandra Banhart's R. Kelly cover on here. Banhart does Kells!
i heart covers. Some recent gems I've found were Elbow's cover of Amerie's "One Thing" and Embrace doing a cover of D12.
By , at
8:51 p.m.
Quinn, who's Rob Fleming? He's Rob Gordon in the movie...
She's right. Rob Fleming is his name from the book by Nick Hornby that the movie and at least some version of that quote originated.
By , at
11:27 a.m.
i have been pwned.
yeah, i got the book and movie mixed up.
By Quinn, at
12:46 p.m.
I've pwned myself though: I clearly haven't read the book! :D
