Mixed Bag #4 Reviews

Chris "Lefty" Brown, being the super awesome person he is, challenged fellow bloggers to a mix cd challenge. See my director's notes post if you wish, but here is what I thought of the discs I received from the other participants of the Mixed Bag #4: Death and Taxes.

GENERAL IMPRESSIONS:

Chris "Lefty" Brown - DISC #1 ROCKIN' LIKE DOKKEN
Highlights: I loved the Ben Folds song "Get Your Hands Off My Woman", The Police to Prince transition, and the inclusion of my super secret (though not so much anymore) favorites, the Beastie Boys. There was a nice variety in tempo and styles throughout the mix.
Constructive Criticism: I am a fan of odd transitions - as long as the music flows into each other. But the Sufjan Steven's "John Wayne Gacy Jr." movement into Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" wasn't my cup of tea.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Chris "Lefty" Brown - DISC #2 I SEE DEAD PEOPLE
Highlights: I was so excited to see this mix, because I was thinking of using this same theme for my mix. But I had problems trying to go from Otis Redding to Elvis to Notorious B.I.G., so Chris proves far superior in this talent than I. The enclosed list of birth and death dates is a nice nerdy touch.
Constructive Criticism: I would have liked enclosure of some other musical genres, like rap, but that's just me. I know I have ecclectic taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs

Eddie - SOUNDS ED-CLECTIC
Highlights: Apparently everyone got together to discuss my love of The Clash, as this is one of a few mixes to include the iconic band. But seriously, how could one go wrong starting off a mix with "Know Your Rights"? I also liked the fact that Eddie used his entire disc. It's nice to know there are other neurotics out there. And thanks to my Grandpa I have a deep rooted love for Ladysmith Black Mambazo, so that was a nice sentimental touch (even if it was unintentional).
Constructive Criticism: When I complained about lack of variety in some mixes, apparently Eddie read my mind and went running off in the other direction. At times, this mix feels really disjointed and unfocused. But I guess that supports his theme, so more power to him. It just made me feel like a crazy person. Nice hidden track too.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs

Gordon - ...THIS WORLD, THEN THE FIREWORKS
Highlights: I love, love, love, love the mid-section starting with The Breeders and ending with Television. It's like a Serene's favorite music sandwich. This feels like a good soundtrack to a beer party with political friends. I'm not sure what that means, other than this is a very smart mix, while still being low-brow.
Constructive Criticism: The U2 song didn't fit very well in the last half of the mix, but that's just my opinion. I liked the variety of generations represented on the mix, but most of the songs had the same feel and tone. It would've been nice to reach out a little further, but I liked the sound, so it didn't bother me much.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs

Greg - THE TOTALLY UNSAFE FOR WORK CD
Highlights: Any mix that includes Prince, the Magnetic Fields, Scissor Sisters, and the Beastie Boys is alright in my book. While I am admittedly lukewarm on Cinderella and the entire genre it is in (hair metal gone ugly), I appreciated it on the mix for tapping into my inner fourteen year old who finds dirty words and loud guitars funny.
Constructive Criticism: There are some questionable transitions (ie. From the Magnetic Fields to Suicidal Tendencies) that feel really abrupt, but considering the variety there really isn't room for gentle movement.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Kelly Brown - MAN VS WOMAN
Highlights: I really liked this mix for two very different reasons: her dedication to the theme throughout the mix and the use of Motley Crue. The use of a washed up rock band from the 80's may seem to be a silly reason to like the mix, but it's used in an unironic way. And it's fun.
Constructive Criticism: Since it was a gender defined mix, I would have liked to see more females on the mix. It feels a little masculinated, so apparently the men win this time around. But you best watch your backs.....
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs

Kevin - (FOCUS)
Highlights: I was lukewarm on Saint Etienne until this mix. Perhaps I should give them another chance. This mix deserves to be listened to in a stark, hip martini bar with sexy people dancing around. Fantastic music choices paired up with a nice spring-jazz feel to the mix made me feel very sophisticated and worldly just listening to it.
Constructive Criticism: There isn't anything sticking out at me, other than the fact that Kevin obviously is a snob and thinks he is better than everyone else by using such a high-brown theme with his arty photograph cover and hoity-toity music. Pfft.
Requisite Grading Scale: 10/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #1 - THE GOOD
Highlights: Opening with a quote from Mystery Men is a way to get in on my good side. In addition, the theme being clearer on this disc and a wider variety of music made it my favorite of his bunch. Also, though I hate Rollins Band, I appreciated the nod to The Crow with the inclusion of the song.
Constructive Criticism: There is never an excuse to use Creed on a mix - in my world, anyway. They are nails on a chalkboard for me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #2 - THE BAD
Highlights: I really liked the Prince track "Partyman" in this mix and the inclusion of Green Day's "Nice Guys Finish Last" (random trivia: this reminded me of my brief stint as the bass player in an all-girl pop punk band which was basically a Green Day cover band). I enjoyed the wide WIDE variety of 'bad guys' on this mix.
Constructive Criticism: I previously mentioned two of my mix cd cardinal rules: odd transitions okay if music matches up and no repeats of an artist. Both were violated on this mix (Green Jelly to Prince - riddle me this and two GNR tracks - though it's a tough one to call since both tracks were covers).
Requisite Grading Scale: 6/10 awww-yeahs

Logan - DISC #3 - THE UGLY
Highlights: This was the first of his three discs I listened to because I love the MC Chris song "White Kids Love Hip-Hop" and I really really love Rocky Horror Picture Show. Plus, I liked the Dangerdoom album, which tapped into the eternal Adult Swim fan in me. Looking over the rest of the list, I was startled by the sheer variety of songs on this mix. In such a good way.
Constructive Criticism: It was hard for me to follow the theme because there wasn't a lot of "ugly" in this mix for me, other than the Bubba Sparxxx "Ugly" track. I thought maybe it was implied that the artists are ugly, but then I thought maybe it was that the songs were ugly or about ugly people. And as far as I'm concerned, this could have included at least one female artist .
Requisite Grading Scale: 7.5/10 awww-yeahs

Mike - DO NOT BRING YOUR EVIL HERE
Highlights: I was told to expect crazy from his mix, so I was sort of prepared. Even with the warning, I was still startled by the opening track being a soundbite from The Swamp Thing television show. Overall, the mix has fun and unpredictable, which made it entertaining to listen to. My favorite off the mix was the Devo track, which delivered a punch only the awesomely costumed men of the synth-pop 80's can deliver.
Constructive Criticism: One of my cardinal rules is to never use a band more than once on a mix. In Mike's defense, Young Fresh Fellows are pretty awesome. But three times was too much for my taste.
Requisite Grading Scale: 7/10 awww-yeahs

Roger - IT AIN'T EASY BEING GREEN
Highlights: The Nick Cave and Johnny Cash song is phenomenal and I'm so happy to hear it on this mix. I was also happy with the variety, from Talking Heads to Etta James (both great musical touchstones). Also, knowing that most of this mix is a autobiographical exercise makes this mix awesome by default.
Constructive Criticism: The Jeopardy theme seemed to be a bit much and not really needed, but I would probably brag a bit too if I were on the show. And in my final display of nitpicking, I really didn't like listing of "Drive My Car" by the Fab Four rather than The Beatles - even if we all knew who it was.
Requisite Grading Scale: 9/10 awww-yeahs

Thom - IN ONE EAR: MY OWN CHAPTER
Highlights: The cover caught my attentions and the track listing kept it. I really liked the Elbow song "Forget Myself" and I know I cannot be alone in loving the Welmore Mile's "The Bee Song". My overall impression of this disc is that it was well put together and fluid.
Constructive Criticism: I wasn't sure what the Eric B. & Rakim song was doing on this mix. I enjoyed it for a change of tempo and flavor, but both the transitioning song in (Elvis Costello's "Deep Dark Truthful Mirror") and out (a very awesome "Under the Sun" by Sound Transmission) made it stick out like a sore thumb to me.
Requisite Grading Scale: 8.5/10 awww-yeahs