LAUREN HOBAR
Staff Writer
Ethical ramifications aside (which means you should only burn CDs with songs you legally acquire), a burned CD allows the compiler to become the musician. By fixing old stars into new places, they’re somehow brought to life again. The mix-CD solution resolves the danger of not being able to hold music as dearly as we should.
You assemble it just so — the belching drumbeats in one song really hit home when they come after the namby-pamby trumpet line in the previous tune.
Now, David Bowie opens for The Ronettes. You admire the perfection of a mix CD for your boss when the opener sings, “Mr. Big Stuff, who do you think you are?”
Burned CDs open up a platform for up to 80 minutes worth of things you want to say indirectly. If a mix CD is done well, it can be even more powerful than spoken words.
Here are five different things to consider when making that ultimate album.
STEP ONE: Assess the implications of each song
Everybody knows that kid who is notorious for crossing the line. We all want to create the line ourselves, but the problem is that a line already exists. So the deal is, you can put whatever songs you want on a mix CD. But people often take a song’s messages very literally, so don’t put Radiohead’s “Creep” (even if you do like it and think it fits in exceptionally well) on a CD for someone you’ve only met a few times.
STEP TWO: Make a theme and an order
We all have a desire for things to match up, to see the tiny pieces beneath a microscope and then to watch them all come together. “Love” is not a good theme for a burned CD, but “Love lifts us up where we belong” is.
Placement is also important. The first song often sets the tone for the entire CD. Giving the CD some mood swings, alternating between fast and slow, will allow for a balance. But don’t be afraid to let the recipient rest with the same tempo for a while. What comes after or before a song can often diminish its individual merit.
STEP THREE: Resist the temptation to overstuff
CD mentality should not be: “I have the space. Why not fill it to the brim?” This may seem logical — but don’t be deceived, my accomplices, by tuneful luxuries. A short CD in which every song is filled with exactly what you want to say is far better than the opposite. If the puzzle has to be smaller, make it smaller. Never has a puzzle been criticized for being too little — more often, it’s belittled for not fitting together. Above all, remember that you are alone when you make the CD. The recipient will not care about the songs you take off because he or she will not know they were there in the first place.
STEP FOUR: Test the CD a few times before you give it away
You would never jump off a cliff without checking it out first, would you? Oftentimes, you change how you jump according to the bits of rocks jutting out from the side You look, get ready, hesitate and step back altogether. Then you finally jump. Making a CD for someone is an investment of your own time and energy, and you should make sure you are good and ready to give it away.
STEP FIVE: Resist the temptation to make the CD for yourself
Although you might see no evil in regard to musical taste, it’s not true. Everybody thinks they are right. But keep in mind you are making a CD for someone, and they may not exactly share your tastes. Don’t put on songs simply to display your musical knowledge. We’re here to absolve the CD-burning world of pretentious snobs. We do not put songs on CDs just because nobody has ever heard of them. This is like humming in a conversation because you have nothing to say. The only requirement for making a great CD is to love music, and every genre, title, lyric and beat has its place somewhere on some burned CD in this world. If it fits, then rest assured it’s welcome.
11-17-2005
