19 April 2015

Still Shocking After All These Years

                

 I'm a shock trooper
   In a stupor
Yes I am

I'm a Nazi Schatze
Y' know
I fight for the Fatherland




I still make mix tapes. Painstakingly slow, I know, but the results are worth it. Taking the time to listen to what you are doing makes all the difference.

Hitched a dandy Pioneer dual deck to the second stereo where I do my taping now. Got the Luxman in the living room where its superior playback capability is used best. I have far too many cassettes to not use them when I am taping. Records, CDs, cassettes and the AGS 8-track. One day I will add the old VCR to the system so I can add that audio source to my music library.

Got the latest tape playing right now. Old Stones and everything from The Fendermen to Humble Pie on it; Dutch Mason and Thin Lizzy too.

Last song on the tape is from a Ramones' 1978 live television performance in fucking Germany. The shit it is. 20 songs squeezed on to two sides of vinyl. K-Tel styling. Comes with a DVD of the whole show. Watching fucking Germans sing along to "Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World" is worth the price of this artifact alone. Highly recommended if you are having difficulty going deaf, as I am.


3 comments:

ib said...

My eyesight is definitely failing. I tend now to squint while attempting to identify someone on the other side of the road. Or differentiating a bin bag from a dog. I seldom wear my reading glasses.

Deafness, on the other hand, is a distinct advantage around here. It prevents one from overhearing a clock ticking in the flat upstairs. Carpet beetles fraternizing.

I am envious of your HI-FI improvements. There is something altogether more substantial about these old rigs. I miss compiling mix tapes too.

Mr. Beer N. Hockey said...

Being exposed to about as much noise in my life, primarily maximum rock 'n' roll and saws that have no difficulty breaking down trees better than ten feet wide, as the Stooges were in their's has had its advantages in my latter years. The sirens of emergency vehicles, which howl incessantly even in my hickfuck town, are only just audible to me now.

So far as hi-fi goes I do still desire a good quality reel to reel. Never owned one - their price beyond that of a sawmill hand when they were seen commonly in audiophile drug dealer's homes. Got to use and appreciate them in my radio days. One day the lights from a reel to reel will further light up one of the corners of my house already piled high with silver music machines.

motorcycleguy said...

keep looking, you will find one that suits a regular taxpayer budget....I got an RT909 Pioneer (silver of course) a couple of years ago...came with 10" reels....paid too much but looks like I could sell it for more, ....with some tape sensing markers it auto-reverses and repeats...just listened to about 4 hours of Frank Zappa mix...one thing for sure is you gotta use them or everything seizes up